The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1919-10-15
BROTHER AND
WIFE DROWNED

Mr.. NJ: G. Wright, of Maryville, has
received a letter from his nephew IN
Texas, telling of the death OF MI
WrIght's only brother and members
of his family, in the recent floods
there. The letter follows;
Dear Uncle Mat: Your letter just
received and note what you say
Yes. Uncle Mat, we have had an aW-
ful time here for the last two weeks.
Ihat was one OF the aWfulest storms,
and to think that we had all been
reading ABOUT it tor several days, but
1t seems that the storm had got out
into the gulf, and the weather man
said it had been lost, but there came
up some clouds about midnight Sat
urday night, and it commenced ram,
ing and sunday morning 1t was stlll
raining and the wind was blowing
some. Toward noon it got some
harder and about II o'clock Opal
went to the telephone and called her
aunt Dona up and asked her If they
were not coming to town and she
laughed and said No, they were not
afraid. That wind was not as bad
as the other storm and their house
stood the other storm all right ano
she hought it would be all right. or
the next hour the wind kept getting
harder and about | 80 or O'CLOCK
the water commenced coming INTO
our yard over the side walks and we
all made a run for the court house
about four or five blocks away, and
we had to wade water nearly waist
deep before we got there, and papa
ana mamma and Dona lived about 3-4
mile further out on the beach than
we did, and they had a low place to
cross, so you see when we lett our
house it was then too late for them to
get to town and the water got about
D to feet deep all over the beach
part of town ana of course the waves
ran much higher than that, and It
swept all OF the houses away IN the
part of town where they lived except
d part of the Santarlum and what
useu TO be the old Beach Hotel, but
is being used now as an army hospltal
and rest camp, and one two story
house next to the army hospital, that
was all that was left IN that part OF
town. 1t carried away the K. X. track
and lust made a clean sweep OF
everything. Papa and mamma ana
Dona ana her husband, Mr.. Harris,
and two of his younger brothers ana
his father and mother and sister were
ali nrowned except Dona's husband
and his two brothers and they got OUT
about 10 or II miles up the bay. MI.
Harris, Dona's husband, was pretty
badly hurt but is better now ahu
think will probably get all rlght "hen
he gets over the shock. Mf' harris
brother told me he saw papa anu
mamma go down holding to eacn
other ana he said he saw sister Dona
90 down by herself. lie sald thaC
She and her husband went out ol tle
house together but got thrown ap"iC
some way and he said the last ne saw
Of her she sank by herself and ne salu
whore she went down there was hoI
a niece Of wreckage he could see aC
satisfied she never came up a!lVe any
more NV wife lost her mother ana
hro+her and his wife. They hVed
st;Il further out on the beach ana
none @ of them have been heard from
n;nco the storm neither dead nor
alive. c.,, +hiro +o
think about and it looks IKE II was
intended that they should all 20 JUS
that wav for | have heard papa anu
mamma and Dona and Mr.. Harms say
+;na and again after the other storm
IN 1916. that they would never stay
ont there again when the wind got 10
blowing. but | find since the storm
hat thew were called up several tunes
over the phone and begged 10 CONF
thew
not or did not realize the danger ull-
I'll too late. You see the Oldest SET
tlers here for the last 50 ana oo years
never saw the water over the peacll
here before, but it seemed there muSt
have been an upheavel out IN the gun
that caused tidal wave that came
across the islands between here ana
be pulf and cut channels through
those islands, something that had
never happened since Corpus Christi
has been here, so you see that was
whv the people did not get scared
They did not think there was enough
water in the bay for the WIND TO
bring it out over the beach, but you
see it was the water from the gul1
that cut channels right through the
islands where it was never known to
come before. You see it is 8 miles
from here across to Portland and the
water came through all the way
across to Portland 6 to feet deep,
and then the wind coming with it
made the waves much higher than
that and it took houses and every
thing with it and left nothing. There
were ice and elecric light plants here
right close to the main part Of town,
one right on the bay and another just
about 1-2 block from the bay, both
built of brick, and all that was left
was just a big pile of brick and rub
bish. No one can realize how bad it
was without they could see it with
their own eyes. The water got up
into every business house in the main
part of town from to s feet deep
and almost ruined all of the merchan-
disc in the main part of town, both
wholesale and retail.
| don't think we will stay here
longer than we can get shaped up so
we can leave. Let us hear from you
often, and if we leave will write you
as soon as we start.
Your loving nephew,
}. NJ Wright