Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1918-05-07

Farm crops, including cotton. corn.
beans and other of the larger crops on
probably thousands of acres of land IN the
Rio Grande bottoms have been destroyed
bv the high waters of the past two days,
according to reports REACH ng the city On
both des of the Rio Grande farmers have
suffered. and especially on the Mexican
side is the plight of farmers p;tiable. After
going for months without foods and feeds
they have been depending on the newly
planted crops. much of which has been lost
in the past two days.
The old city levee went out last night
M about Q 30 o'clock and the farm coun-
try in the neighborhood Of the "Ramrena
and beyond : under water. Crops on both
the American side of Brownsville and on
the Mexican side above the MatamoroS
levee are under water. The break occurred
at narrow point on the old estero bank
at the same spot where the break which IN
undated the lower portions of the city last
October occurred.
The river j. nearly foot higher today
than the crest of last October's rise and
dispatches from Hidalgo this morning re-
porting a further rise of eight inches foi-
lowing.
The Rio Grande j. also out of its banks
back of old Fort Brown and the foot of
the cavalry parade ground i under water.
The levees are hold Ing. however, and Cap
tan Kirby. district engineer, says that he
does not anticipate trouble at this po'nt.
The newly completed 'riprapping' near the
adm nistration building and the crack IN
the bank from which "A possible loss of the
administration building was feared is being
protected.
Where the river current sweeps toward
the short at the foot of Levee stredt.
Captain Kirby has stationed soldiers with
east hooks. A the drift wood sweeps close
to the shore it is caught and anchored tn
the bank. thus forming buffer between
the force of the water and the bank.
Although It is new dirt and has not had
| tine to either pack or knit together by
grass roots the new city levee was holding
al along the line this morning. In some
places the water was cutting into the new
work not ceably but not enough to cause
serious apprehension.
! In the territory between the river and
| the levee the country J. several feet under
water All along the front above the stock
pens the water is within about two and
one half feet Of the top Of the levee.
| Prof ting by last October's experience
many familie, in the low places were this
morning moving the household belonging
to places Of safety. They have beer
warned that. in the event the new levet
should break, the consequences would
probably he more serious. The river j.
higher and the water that has been held IL
check would have greater force If il es-
capped.
i SO far. Of course. even an estimate oi
the property damage l. impossible. Access
TO many of the fields i impossible an'
little could be learned could they he Wis
ted +. l.. Howard, owning a farm ad
\ joining the cty limits. reported the los, 0
a 60-acre cotton crop.
L From the military road sources 1t wa
learned that. in the vicinity Of Landrum
and on the Mexican side. hundreds o
. water
: All that nman strength and ingenult
/, can do ic avoid more serious consequence
from the 20 j. heing done by evil, mill
tary and railroad officials and employe'
The three forces are working togethe
under the direction of men who know tn
4 river and levee protection.
The levee on The Carmen ranch. abou
! ne miles above Brownsville. broke thi
J. lmornng but was stopped by gang Q
ranch hands with sand bags.
A telegram from Camargo. Mexico. thi
morning stated that the San Juan was MOI
NAL ut iha, place but that a rise was eN
pected: If this rise holds off for two
e three days it will probably do little damae
o a. the present flood waters will ha,
washed well on their way to the gulf
The Western Union Telegraph Compar