The Washington herald., 1921-09-12
Thousands s earch for
More Bodies i'm Flood
Wreckage.
CITY STILL LACKS
a DRINKING WATER
Mexican Boy Saves Child
By Clinging to Tree
Five Hours.


The exact number OF dead in the
Texas floods which centered in thi,
stricken city probably will never be
known. Thirty-nine bodies have
been recovered Two victim, died
in the hospital. making tn known
death roll forty-one. But st ieaef
a hundred are believed 20 have gone
down in the sweep OF waters sin.s
Friday night
Relief committees begar today
caring for approximatel aCeO
homeless. The local chapte- q the
Red Cross, the Chamber n Corr
merce. the American Leg On aud
other organizations are crrubiuinr
In the rescue and relief work
Searching For Dead.
Thousands Of volunteer r-or1ert
have been sent through the anne u
wreckage in search OF dead ans ~
tured. and 20 bring out th1ss eho
are toe I'D 10 help themselVes Tyete
tonight the workers belieNr here
are still many bodies in the debris
Estimates of the damage done 70
business houses. home and stocks
Of goods are still about 5000. 900
Municipal property. including
bridges washed away is set at ap-
proximately S3OO.o 900.
Boy Hero Saves Child.
One Of the outstanding bits Of
heroism that has come to light was
that Of a 12-year-old Mexican boy.
told by a number Of women who
witnessed his courageous act. but
who were powerless to assist him.
The boy, according to the women,
clunE to tree in South Flores
street for five hours. holding on his
shoulders above the water q child
5 years old. The boy hero was bat
tered nearly unconscious by float
ing wreckage. and was taken TO the
Robert B. Green Hospital The child
was unharmed.
The greatest danger at present is
from lack of drinking water. Ar
tesian wells are sending up hardly
any fluid ht for consumption. and
in some districts the flow has
stopped.
Guards Patrol streets.
Il is feared that an epidemic may
result unless the situation radically
improves. The city is quiet. and
armed guards patrolling the streets
are imposing a quasi martial law.
No looters have been found. al
though the city has been without
lights since the flood.
A force of men worked through
out today tearing down what re-
mained Of the damaged bridges In
order to permit the water to sweep
through unimpeded. The search for
bodies was necessarily slow be-
~ ha GF
entering the submerged quarter Of
the city.
open for business Monday" Is the
sign which has appeared in front
Of almost every business establish
ment that was wrecked by the rush
of water that reached a depth OF
twelve feet on the down town
streets-but in displaying such pla-
cards there is more optimism and
never say-die spirit than there IS
serious intent of really reopening
their shops tomorrow.
In a dozen parts OF the city,
principally on the west side. where
the death toll and suffering was
heaviest. places where food and
clothing are available to those who
lost their homes have been estab-
Iished by city and county authori-
ties
In the same district a score Of
army field kitchens have been set
up and are dispensing food to both
flood victims and volunteer work
ers and are laborinE night and day
to clear away the wreckage.
. Interrogation Of scores Of bust
ness men who were the heaviest
sufferers from the high waters de-
veloped the fact that few N any
Of them carried flood insurance.
To the sixteenth Cavalry sta
tioneo at Fort sam Houston in this
city is being credited today the saw
ing of most OF those who were
caught by the sudden swirl %
waters and who unaided would
have been unable 10 make their
way to safety.
With the Twentieth Infantry and
a regiment of engineers. the cav
alrymen were rushed into the city
early Saturday morning. Half OF
them were sent madly Galloping to
the Alazan creek district. where
the peril was known to be the
greatest.
Time and time again. in squads
by twos and often sinsly. the men
Of the Sixteenth Cavalry spUrred
their horses into the rushing tor
rent Of water and drought out help,
less victims. Frequently the cav
alrymen had to swim their horses
to effect rescues. Several cavalry
men were swept from their mounts
and themselves swept down stream
in heir heroic work. Fortunately
none were drowned.