The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-09-05
HEAVY LOSS
OF LIFE SUFFERED
IN SOUTHERN TEXAS
Staggering Property Damage
Indicated BY First Mea-
gre Reports
BROWNSVILLE Is ISOLATED
Million-DolI Loss Reported
From Florida; Texas
Winds Still Howl
BROWNSVILLE IS ISOLATED

property damage and heavy loss of
life from the tropical hurricane that
hammered the lower Rio Grande
valley for several hours was indi-
Gated Tuesday by first meager re-
ports from the stricken area.
Winds of 80 miles an hour or more
began to blow in the Brownsville
sector about midnight Monday and
were reported still bowling furiously
Tuesday morning.
Tremendous seas piled up by the
wind caused appalling property dam
age from Bay City. Tex, to the Rio
Grande.
Grave fears were felt for score
or more persons marooned on low
outlying islands along the coast.
The weather observer at Rockport
said damage there would be at least
100000 to small craft and cottages
along the waterfront.
The storm was blowing up the Rio
Grande Tuesday.
San Ignacio, about Is miles south
Of Laredo, reported high winds mad
damaged several buildings there.
Brownsville, Harrington and other
cities in that area were without pow
er and water service.
Hear From Harlingen
Vivid accounts OF the terrifice winds
came from telephone operator at
Harlingen who sought to give the out
side world details until all her lines
went out.
"All the lines to Brownsville went
| s,Yy$ of Oh cot 1@,,}1
in which she worked trenbled before
the blasts and wire breaks" were so
frequent much of her story had to be
repeated.
Its storming terribly here now and
don't know what has happened to
them down at Brownsville" Browns
vile is 80 miles southeast of Harlin-
gen, at the mouth of the Rio Grande.
A Missouri Pacific railroad operator
at Harlingen, In conversation with
his Houston office, said the winds
were terrific"
Reports from other surrounding
towns attested to the severity Of the
storm. They told how two-story
buildings were shaken to their foun-
dations, frame buildings crumbed and
trees were uprooted.
Brownsville boarded up Monday as
reports from the weather bureau in
uicated the hurricane would strike
nearby.
Reports of winds reaching almost
100 miles an hour presaged consider
known as the Winter Garden OF
Texas.
Sea Floods Corpus Christi
The first tangible effects of the
storm appeared at Corpus Christi.
some $50 miles up the coast line. Early
in the night strong winds drove sev-
eral smalls hips ashore, battered two
against long pier. wrecking it, and
created immense waves which sent
water into the city's streets along that
bay.
Water street. which parallels tie
cay, was covered. Then Chapparal
was submerged in places and finally
Mesquite street, three blocks from thA
waters edge. was approached. Dur
ing one severe wind gust of IS miles
an hour. the boarded windows Of a
large mail order plant were shattered.
Warned Is hours in advance. some
5000 residents Of the lower part Of
the city gathered up their belongings
and moved to the high bluff which
parallels the bay just beyond Mesquite
street. There, where much Of the
business is conducted and where many
fine residential sections are located.
city officials threw open public build
ings capable Of withstanding terrific
winds.
Frequent advisory warnings from
the weather bureau at Washington
had given ample opportunity for ships
TO reach the comparative safety Of
harbors and none was known TO have
been at sea as the hurricane moved
westward.
Hundreds Of persons along tn,
coastline also took advantage Of the
government advices. They packed
what possessions they could assem-
lie quickly and moved to such interior
points as Houston and even San An
tonic.