Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-10-03

Breaking through the levee nj the north
side OF what l. known the Ramlrena
resaca. lake, flood of water began
running into the Ramirena section. poor
er district of the city. located between the
Brownsville road tracks and the Rio
Grande, nj o'clock this morning and bv
IL o'clock it was e>timated that mere than
thirty blocks of territory. most of II oc-
cupied by shaek~ Of the poorer classes.
was inundated BY wafer from 10 four
and five feet IN depth.
There was no warning. 80 far n could
be ascertained this morning. several hun
dred feet of river levee constructed ~cv-
eral day~ ago by :. 4. Tucker and o. n
Mason To project river property icll INTO
the river. the flood flowing INTO the re-
SAGA some hundreds of feet away. The re
SAGA became filled until the water topped
and DESTROYED the levec on the north side.
the overflow spreading throughout the dis
trict named.
This morning the wafer level IN the re-
SAGA was higher than the level in the river.
The railroad embanknent on the east
side Of the Ramrena district retained the
water in the depression for some time nm
tl il spread 10 culveri under he raul
road, Just beyond the stock pens. The re-
sult was that about clock water began
flowing through this culvert toward the
principal residence districts, Elizabeth,
ST. Cha and Levee streets. In the see
fion bounded on the south by Fourth
street, on the east by Elizabeth street. and
on the north by the Belt Line railroad
probably seventy five homes have from an
inch TO d foot Of water on their lawns.
Attempts were being made early this
afternoon to close the flow OF water
through the railroad culveri. in order 10
protect as much Of the residence section
as possible. Ii was also announced by a.
s. Giinble, general agent for the Browns
vilel road. that levee protecting the de
preston formed by the "Y' just west OF
the passenger depot would be cut this aft
ernoon in order 10 relieve as much a~ pos
sible the situation in the Ramrena dis
frict.
Residents of the Ramirena district.
which j. frequently flooded bv high waters
from the Rio Grande through the medium
of the Ramirena resaca. went to bed last
night in the belief that the flood had
reached its maximum, and that the water
would begin to recede during the night.
While the flow of water through the de-
stroyed levee began about , o'clock. so
far a. could be learned no one was awake
10 spread the alarm. and IL was not until
nearly daybreak that the residents were
aware that their homes were becoming
rapidly submerged
Before daybreak the movement of fur
nitnre and household goods from the
shack- began, and this work was con
timed in four feet of water. a! times. un-
I'll about noon when apparently all FAM
lies were safely out.
Mayor A. Albert Browne and CommiS-
sioner- Puiegnat. More and Reniiro tins
morning put force of about two hundred
men 10 work AT various places IN the
flooded districts to hold back the waters
50 far a, possible. Arrangements were
also made 10 pillow a dicih on fevee street.
beginning at about First. toward the bie
depression that lies To the north of the
Belt Line railroad in an effort 10 further
relieve the water in the inundated district.
This work was started about noon.
Reports from Laredo Yesterday that the
river was back to normal there somewhat
lulled citizens here into the belief that the