Pueblo chieftain., 1921-09-11
HUNDREDS DIE As
STORM SWEEPS TEXAS
tcontinued from Page ops)

as houses collapsed. bridges were
swept out. trees and poles crashed and
their wires became entAnsied with tho
other wreckaSe Is something tina, will
never be known in detail Countless
acts OF hcroism arc current as civil
ians and soldiers braved tho current
and floating debris to carry women
and children to safety. Thousands of
families werc rescued by men who
in wafer. rtskin6 their lives almost
every minute And In keeping with
such heroic acts were the tragedies.
Rabies wers swept from mothers arms.
mothers wen. carried away and chill
dren rescued. Fathers were lost saw
ing little oneN
There are many people who do not
or orphans who arc waiting tho out
come OF tho search for bodies. Reel
deats were caught without warning
The rain which caused tho flood. fell
after s o'clock IN the evening. Friday
In the hills along the Olmos crees.
Unaucstionably there WAS cloud
burst whiis torrents OF rain were
falling in San Antonio and tho reel
dents wen, early TO bed roar was
heard.
Following tho river and Alacan creek
and small tributaries tho water swept
upon tho city with terrific force
Il. was impossible to stand on your
feet against the swift current" said
one man. got out early As tho first
water roee in my homo and oven then
Was compelled to cling to buildings.
trees. fences and wrockage. 7 could not
stand uprisht. When the crest came
few minutes later I did not believe
any human being could hav. withstood
IT."
In some parts Of the city. a wall of
water. varlou.ly described n. ten to
thirty feet bish struck with a rush.
Il seized hold OF n picket fence"
said ono youth. The fence was torn
away and when got out I sull had a
picket
Lsrg. houses wsrc swept about on
the floods crest as though they were
paper. Some were swept along until
they encountered trees or other OBJ
stacies when they were wrecked and
boards and timbcrs OF all kinds whip
ped about liko clubs in the waters
Some OF the bodies recovered were cut
md crushed and bruised as tho beaten
with a mighty fail
Thrvout tho nigh. the terrific
screams of women and children echoes
sank to their knees In the mud and
water and prayed. Others ran about in
a distracted manner. seeking relatives
and friends. talking incohercntly.
weeping ana Hhriesin8
After the first rush OF water II was
impossible for rescucr- to work at
tho edge OF the flood, retreatinE stead
lily backward. Tho waters quickly swept
up Houston and Commerce streets for
blocks. running over sidewalks into
Easements and rising steadily. The res
cuerr quickly made their way from
street to street. up alleys. miniature
waves slapping against tn. sides of the
buildings angrily. Now and then
vreckage was tossed here and there
thru the streets until Il collided with
n show window. a crash. a shower of
glass. and merchandise was seized hy
tho waters and carried away while
thick film of crude oil. muddy ocse,
and gravel aprcad thru a once spotless
store.
The. fire and police department re-
sponded wholehesrtedly to the call for
rescuers. A. every danger point wher-
ever people were appealing for aid. the
bluo-coated figures could be seen do
Ing Yeomsn service.