The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-15
TOWN IS WIPED



Houston at $3.50 a. m. today issued the
following report:
THE tropical storm is now centered
a considera BILE distance southwest or
west OF San Antonio. Reports from
Corpus Christi Brownsville and Del
Rio are missing. The barometer at
San Antonio at a. m. was 1916
which is rise of 2S points since p.
m. Sunday and the wind was blow
ing from the southeast at the rate of
"a miles per hour.
Heavy rains followed in the wake
Of the storm. Houston had 3.75
inches, San Antonio 3.26 and Taylor
Pa. Rain was still falling in south
ern and western Texas at the time of
the report, but clear skies were re-
ported from sections of the eastern cot
ton belt"
Port Aransas Demolished.
Houston, Tex. Sept. 15.-Port Aran-
sas, 25 miles from Corpus Christi on
the upper end of Mustang Isuand. was
completely demolished by the hur-
ricane Sunday, according to a wire
less message picked up here today
which read:
Port Arkansas completely demoI-
ished by hurricane. Customs office
and all records lost"
The message is the first direct word
from what is believed to have been
the center of the tropical disturbance
which swept inland from the Gulf of
Mexico Sunday between Corpus Christi
and Brownsville. The radio is be-
lieYed to have been from a ship, the
signature being that of Captain
Luther, deputy collector of customs
for Port Arkansas and Corpus Christi.
Port Arkansas has a population of
approximately six hundred persons
and is in a more exposed location than
Corpus Christi where $4,000 live.
Ship Lifted Onto Docks.
Galveston, Sept. 15.-Reports reach
ing here today from Arkansas Pass,
said that the steamship. Median, was
lifted onto the docks by the high tide
which accompanied the tropical storm
as it went inland along the lower
Texas coast
Brownsville Damage Light.
Brownsville, Sept. 15.-Brownsville
suffered no material damage from the
high winds that accompanied the
tropical hurricane that touched the
Texas coast early Sunday. The hurri-
cane apparently did not hit the lower
coast country.
High westerly winds which at
tanned velocity of from 40 to so
valley, causing some damage to light
frame buildings. but the hurricane
proper, weather men here believe,
curved out into the Gulf again when
1t reached the coast near here.
The rainfall here was AIS inches.
Brownsville from the north since Sun
day noon. Efforts are being made to
communicate with Raymondville, in
Cameron county. where it is feared
the winds were the heaviest.
Point Isabel, twenty-five miles from
here on the gulf, came thru Sundays
tropical hurricane without serious
damage, 1t was learned today when
wire communication was re-estab-
lished between Brownsville and that
town.
Refugees Arrive In Houston.
Houston, Tex, Sept. 15.-Hundreds
Of refugees from Texas Gulf coast
cities crowded Houston hotels and
homes today.
1t was estimated more than 1000
persons from Galveston alone were in
the city.
Meantime reassuring reports came
in by travellers from the stricken dis
trict. Wire communication still was
cut off from points west of Galveston
and telegraph companies were accept
ing messages to these points subject
to indefinite delay.
Travellers today said positively that
one link of the Galveston causeway
had been washed out but that the
foot and automobile bridge held.
They said the people generally made
holiday affair OF the storm. wading
about in bathing suits and padding
boats thru the streets Several thou
sand bales OF cotton, washed into the
gulf from warehouses in lower CAL
weston, were said to have been SAL
YaEed.
Reports TO the weather bureau early
today indicated the storm practically
over.
Dallas, Sept. 15.-with the arrival
Of dawn today efforts were renewed
here to restore wire communication
with Corpus Christi, Tex. believed to
have received the brunt OF the tropi-
cal hurricane that yesterday swept in
land along the lower Texas coast and
then moved into Mexico, where
weather bureau ffficials believe, il will
spend its fury in the Mexican noun
tains.
Numerous coast cities visited by the
storm, including Galveston, early to-