Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-19

Dallas, Tex, Aug. 19-'There was
! some loss Of life in the tropical storm
at ROckport, on the coast about twelve
| miles north of Port Arkansas, accord
/ ing to a long distance telephone mes
sage received here from Beeville, Tex,
about sixty miles inland. No one was
injured in the town itself, it was said
but the casualties resulted from a num-
/ Der being caught in the storm while in
/ small boats. The exact number was
not learned. Efforts are being made to
locate the bodies.
Camp Wilson. Fort Sam Houston,
Texas, Aug IGNORE than 1000 Illi-
nois soldiers. scattered over a zone
of so miles, awOke today to find their
camps wrecked as a result of the hur-
ricane which swept parts of Texas.
AIhe- terrific rainstorm, driven by q
wind approaching a velocity of 80
miles an hour, swept tents from the
ground and wrecked permanent
mess kitchens At Leon Springs, 20
miles distant, where the First Illinois
field artillery was encamped for tar
get practice, the men waged an all
night struggle with frightened mules
and horses.
Interest on Corpus Christi.
San Antonio, Aug. 19.-With army
wireless reports received UP to late
hour last night, stating there had
been comparatively little damage and
no known loss of life in the Browns
! vile district, chief anxiety conferred
early today on the situation at Corpus
Christi and vicinity as a result of the
tropical storm which struck the Texas
gulf coast yesterday. The only loss
of life SO far reported was in the
sin king in the Gulf Of Mexico of the
mail steamer Pilot Boy plying be-
tween Galveston and Corpus Christi
The vessel carried a crew of IS, only
three of whom have as yet been re-
ported saved. These three were wash
ed ashore alive at Port Arkansas,
Texas
The last telegraph wire into Corpus
Christi failed at 2:30 o'clock yester
day afternoon and the last telephone
went out shortly before 7 o'clock last
night. Reports from Corpus Christi
placed the velocity of the wind at 70
miles an hour.
Play Havoc in Camps.
The storm played havoc among
army camps in the Brownsville dis
trict, practically half Of the tents hav
ing been blown down by the storm,
and loss of considerable army equip
ment was reported. Fully 10000 ma
tional guardsmen and regular soldiers, |
it was stated, were sleeping in public
buildings in Brownsville last night /
Guardsmen principally affected were
from Illinois, Iowa and Virginia. Their /,
camps were either destroyed by the
wind or flooded with water from
four and one-haIf inch rain.
Last reports from Corpus Christi /
stated that the storm had carried al /
most everything movable before it, /
leaving in its wake dozens of demol- !
ished summer cottages and thousands /
of dollars of damage in the business
section. Many small craft in Corpus /
Christi bay were thrown high on the |
beach.
Many Towns Isolated.
Other important places isolated by |
the hurricane included KingsvilIe, !
Hinton, BeevilIe, Harrington, and Alice. |
The roof of a hotel was blown off and /
a moving picture theatre destroyed at /
Port O'COnnOr, but the inhabitants had |
ample warning and had reached /
places of safety before the storm /
struck there.
The maximum velocity Of the wind at /
Galveston was 40 miles an hour and t
the tide rose four feet there.
Governor Dunno of Illinois, who has |
been inspecting the Illinois guards /
mems camp in the Brownsville dis +
trict, left Brownsville for his home, |
and is apparently marooned on his /
train somewhere between Brownsville /
and Houston. His train left Browns I
vile yesterday afternoon and so far /
as known has not been heard from
since.
Anxi0usIy Await News.
Dallas Texas Aug 10 Thousands
OF persons waited anxiously for word |
this morning from Corpus Christi and /
other coast towns, now thickly popu-