The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-05-01
HEAVY RAINS CAUSE FLOODS
RIVERS AND STREAMS OUT OF
BANKS AND BRIDGES ARE
WASHED AWAY.
Railroads Heavy Losers-Much Dam
age to Roadbeds and 5rdges-North
Texas Affected Most.

Flood conditions, resulting from the
continued spring rains Of the past
few days, which in many sections
were torrential, are growing serious,
and aside from the toll Of two lives
in BosQue County and one life taken
at Dallas, railroad traffic is interrupt
ed as a result of numerous washouts,
and crop damage will amount to hun
dreds of thousands Of dollars in Cen
trail and North Texas.
Many towns are flooded and streams
are out of their banks.
Greatest damage so far seems to
have resulted along the creeks ana
small streams flowing into the Trim
ity, Brazos and Colorado rivers, but as
these smaller streams pour their flood
waters into the larger rivers, tlood
conditions may be expected nearer the
gulf. Rescue parties have been or
gained, and these have had much
work to do along the smaller streams
and in the low-lying sections OF Dal-
las. Waco, Midlothian, WaXahacnle'
TAYLOR, Calvert and other small towns
and in the bottoms along the Trinity,
Brazos, Bosque and other small
streams in North Texas.
Warnings have been sent through
out the loW-lying country notifying
people that higher water may be ex'
pected and advising them to get out
to higher ground while opportunity Is
afforded. Already rescuers with boats
have had some work to do, but many
of those living in the bottoms, with
memories of last Defenders tlooc
conditions, have moved out to higher
ground at the first warning. The
water in many smaller streams is al
ready as high as last December, an(
Is still rising.
Precipitation over North Texas ha
averaged from 2 to inches, accord
ing to reports. Some of the towns re
porting excessive rains are: NC
Gregor, 1-3 inches; Waco, inches
GEORGETOWN, inches; Gainesville,
inches: Cleburne, inches; Haml11
AZ inches; Temple, 6 inches in fou
hours: Bonham, 8 inches; Sweetwate
4 inches; Abilene, Az inches; Sc.
mour, 8 inches.
Numerous washouts have bee
reached and train schedules have bee
t interrupted.
j." The Katy suffered washouts bot
e north and south of Georgetown an
3, traffic was blocked except for II
trains detoured via Taylor. The Da
r, las-Denton branch Of the Katy is all
n tied up on account of high water
Is Elm Fork of the Trinity. Anoth
er washout on the Katy was reporte
le on the main line between Waco al
S. Troy, blocking traffic in that dire
20 ton.
Id The Santa Fe is also heavy los
n on account of washouts, and its sche
al ules. where trains are still operate
"a are disarranged. Twelve hundred fe
he of track on the main line was wash
lie out near McGregor, and other was
IT, outs were reported north of Camera
DIS The International and Great Northe
IL also reported washouts north OF Ia
~ lor, at Mcneil.
". The Houston and Texas Central W
forced to discontinue trains on
- Ennis-Fort Worth branch on accou
~ of a washout near Waxahachie.
The Wichita Valley line lost 1,S
al feet of track north of Abilene, a
traffic will be delayed for several ds
as on this line.
On In addition to railroad washouts,
as merous wagon bridges have be
He washed away. All wagon roads are
Ire passable.