Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-05-01
BEST
STATE MILITIA
SEVEN COMPANIES OF TEXAS Ma
TIO\AL GUARD ARE DEFEATED.
IN SHORT But DECISIVE BAT
TIE WITH JUPITER PLUNITS.
1921 INCHES FALL
SPRING FRESIIET DELTGES CITY
OF BROWNSVILLE. TAXING CA
PAcITl OF STORM SEWERS. AND
FLOODING TIE STREETS.

Seven companies of the Texas Nation
al Guard were focred ~ cvacuate their
camping grounds i'm the National ccmI-
ctrry. Fort Brown. last night when n
rain storm struck the citv. Three and
twcnty-onc hundrcdihs inches If rain
fell. most of which came down within
less than at hours time. II was the
heaviest rainfall in this section i'm more
than six months.
The clfv and surrounding country was
Thoroughly drenchcd. The rain startedf
about eight o'clock. coming down in tor
rents and quickly flooding the streets. (
o~vcriaXlng the storm sewer and AUS
ing the ovcrlow Ia flood the streets and
cutters. The electrified atmosphere
played havoc with all the electrical an
raratnS IN the city. throwing tlIh eer-
tric hcht plant ont Of commission for
an half hour and throwing constcrna-
ton into the hearts Of the timid.
The worst hi in the citv by the rain
storm were the infantrymcn camped in
the National cemetery. The food If
wafer from the clouds soon filled the
little trenches in the National cemetery.
aad nearly al the dog tents were
thrown IN i'm the depressions caused hv
~ W hA III NffiffttN ~ Ais NfAlfAFAN
there was water from one to two feet
deem all over the camping ground.
The fnur or FIVE hundred infantrvmpn
in the camp Quickly gathered ~ many
Of their Trainings as they wished TO
protect and immediately began q STAN
r~de for the city and shelter. There
was not n man in the crowd that was
not wet to The skin. and many of them
-. - Al - ll-Is. -.
ing them from five to ten pounds addi-
tional weight.
This was The condition of the men
who occupied the dog tents. The Dallas
battery had their large tents. and they
were not forced to retire from the field.
AS MANY AZ could he crowded into these
tents. and into \ large officers tent. and
Others were i'm the general headquarters
building. However. The major %portion
Of the infantry started for the city.
The officers were put Ia II for quar-
tcrS for their men for the night. and i'm
mcdiatclv \ search hogan for housing.
County Judge II. T.. Yates WAS commu-
nicatcd with and he gave permission for
the use of the old county court house.
where several hundred of the infantry
men threw their blankets upon the dry
ioor. and slept well and peacefully nm
I'll ~rrvcillp This morning. Others slept
IN the ciiv hall. still others occupied
"iiartcrS in some &c the Buildings at
Fort Brown. and II is whispered around
that moi u fcw of tho hovs found COW
sornerS IN The business section. where
thev spent the night.
But n weiter hnnch nf men than these
infantrvmrn when they struck the citv
has never been seen IN Brownsville.
Every ''nnniack" had absorbed his
share If the tears that Strcamed and
flowed from the ewes of Jupiter Pluvirs
fnr n period nf two hours. but never
thclrsS and Notwithstanding all the dis
"omforis that arose from a bad selection
Of camping ground and n lack If nrn-
r"r camping continent. the hoys were
Ill rs happy as larks~
Rooms were ~ n premium throughout
the city last night. and several farmers
from the outlying sections. who were
caH"ht in the citv when the rain came
mp. found IL impossible 10 secure rooms
for the night.
Many humorous incidents served ~
brighten the occasion among the. sol
dicrs. Several disposed If their shoes
and marched pitter pat up Elizabeth
street 10 true military step. A cofnnanr
formri marching line IN front of the
Miller hotel about II clock. and stand
ing dripping in the rain they answered
ta a roll call and with = cheer started on
the march ia Fort Brown where quar-
trrs had hccn secured for them I'm one
of the buildings.
On Twelfth street n large crowd
marched mp and down in the rain with
a bugler at their head. So wet they could
not get wctter. and therefore they were
hanpv.
This was the second test the bovs
nave had of military life. the first hav-
ing been when they found themselves
forced 10 sleep on the ground in the alb
Sonre of COTS The Texas militia are
-auipprl with good military tents. but
the state has not vet sent them down.
The Park hotel accommodated many of.
the soldiers. without charging them for
lodging They slept in the halls and
other places about the building.
HERMAN BLOCH & co. III Paso. Tex