The Lampasas Leader. (Lampasas, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 30, Ed. 1 Friday, June 16, 1899 Page: 6 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Lampasas Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Lampasas Public Library.
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THE LAMPASAS LEADER,
, Published Every Friday.
SAN SABA FLOOD.
DEATH AM) DESTRUCTION
People Drowned, Property De-
stroyed and Desolation in Its
Wake—Worst Feared.
From the San Saba News, June 9.
Sunday night a heavy, black
elolid hung around the southwest-
ern horizon. In the ogre bosom
of the awe inspiring spectre hashed
a continuous tongue of lightning
flame. After midnight the thun-
der’s roar became audible and by
five .o’clock Monday morning the
heavens had opened the immense
resoryoirs into which the heavy
and incessant southeast winds of
three or four days previous had
been storing their wealth of water,
and the dry and famished earth
drank to an overflowing satiation,
ahd still the rain fell in sheets and
torrents until 3i inches were reg-
istered at San Saba. Monday
night another cloud gathered in
the southwest with deeper, darker
and heavier density than its pre-
decessor, and traveled about the
same course, reaching San Saba at
daylight. About two inches fell
at Sau Shba, about six at Sloan and
heavier at Walker’s ranch, and
there must have been an awful
cloudburst on the Bradys or the
San Saba above. Tuesday morn-
ing the San Saba river at this
place began to rise, and continued
gradually, but rather rapidly until
about 8:30 p. m , when 28 feet were
registered. Then the heavy rains
from the west began to roll down
their colossal walls of water, and
in less than two hours 40 feet on
the plumb was registered at the
Creasy & Moore mill. The
Sloughs, the ancient channels of
the placid, peaceful little river
took up the surplus billows of the
flood and sent them foaming and
boiling through the bottoms and
over the low table lands of the
valley. Wheat fields, amounting
in the aggregate far into the thou-
sands of acres, in the shock, were
^swept away. Houses were swept
from their foundations and their
occupants scattered to the trees
or to the pool of a choking, strug-
gling dea*h. Large strings of fen-
ces were totn, tangled and washed
away. Countless horses, cattle,hogs
and chickens were strangled and
bruised to death. Great fields of
robust, promising corn were swept
bare or covered with mud. All
the old settlers say this flood was
at least eight feet higher than was
ever known before in the San Saba
Galley. Old houses that were
built in the early settlement of the
county shared the same fate of the
nice new cottage of only a few
years. About 1 o’clock Wednes-
day morning the waters began to
subside, and the greater number
of the anxious workers and wait-
ers took advantage of the three
hours before day to recuperate for
the- work of rescue. Some of the
carpenters made a boat and had it
ready as soon as it was light
enough to see, and the first trip
was made to the mill to rescue the
fifteen who had spent the night
there. Mr. and Mrs. John T. Wal-
ters and Miss Moore were brought
to town. The water having gone
down considerably left no fears
of danger and th eothers came gu*
later. A boat was then taken to
the rescue of Irvin Hubbert and
family who lived in the bottom,
near the river, on Wiley Williams’
farm adjpiping town. The boat
crew found Hubbert and family on
the the top of the house. When
the wafer got uncomfortably high
they went up on the house and
took up only a quilt and a small
bed for a sick child. The water
washed away an old log house near
by and some other buildings., but
the residence, though the water
reached to the eaves of the
house, stood unmoved. At the
same time other boats were a half
mile above attempting to reach
the Biggs and Wells families. Two
boats were dispatched but were
swamped before reaching the
houses. B. W. Bailey and a col-
ored man, Tom Burk, were in the
first. Dr. W. S. Sanderson and
J. D. Hatcher were in the second.
The first boat got away, and the
latter, after capsizing four times,
was abandoned. Bailey and Burk
swam to the houses, and after sev-
eral hours got Mr. Well’s boat and
succeeded in rescuing Sanderson
and Hatcher, The Biggs families
spent the night in trees and were
safe. Late in the afternoon oth-
ers swam over and assisted ih
bringing all across the slough in
the Wells boat.
The saddest part of the story so
far learned is the Wells family’s
misfortune. Mr. Wells lived in a
box house about 100 yards north
from the north end of the bridge
at the Beveridge crossing, two
miles from town, on the Wiley
Williams farm. As the river rose
he took his boat to the house.
About 8 o’clock when the water
got up over the beds ahd the house
began to crack and break they
(himself and wife and three daught-
ers) consulted and decided to get
in the boat and go to a certain
China tree near the house. They
got in the boat and no sooner had
they started than a wave washed
the boat against an elm and cap-
sized it. All were thrown into
the water. Mr. Wells caught his
wife and after a hard struggle got
her to a tree. The house went to
pieces and a large piece was swept
over Miss Nola, the eldest of the
three, dnd carried her to her death.
Just before the timber struck her
her mother heard, her singing
“Never Alone.” The other two
girls were swinging to a mesquite
some distance away and a drift
struck them loose. Miss Ida, the
elder, after being washed 50 or 75
yards, caught to a bush and held
to it all night. Julia, the baby
girl, about 11 years old, had not
been found at noon Friday. Mr.
and Mrs. Wells thought all were
lost until sun up next morning
when they saw Miss Ida standing
in the water holding to a bush.
B. W. Bailey and Oscar Biggs
found the body of Miss Nola about
2 p. m. the next day in the wire
fence near the bridge. Late in
the afternoon the corpse was
brought to the home of B. W.
Bailey in town where the funeral
was held at 10 o’clock Thursday
morning. The remains were then
carried to the China Cemetery for
interment. The parents and the
brothers and sisters are overcome
with grief, and the deepest heart-
felt sympathy of all our people
goes out to them in their hour of
sorrow. All their property includ-
ing household plunder, corn, feed
and everything, was swept away,
but this loss is nothing to the loss
they sustain in the death of their
two daughters.
T. Y. Elton and wife and six
others found the water coming up a
little too rapidly for safety and
they built a scaffold in some trees
and stayed in it until rescued Wed-
nesday afternoon. Mr. Elton lost
all but one of his fine Poland-
China hogs. Elton tried reason-
ing and theorizing for awhile-after
the flood began to roll in, but he
soon found that tangible obstruc-
tions were getting weak and he
abandoned the intangible and took
to a tree.
John McNeil and family spent
the night on Billy Brown’s ped-
dling wagon.
A tenant house belonging to
John McKee, and occupied b>
a Mr. Harris was swept away.
J. L. Warren who lived on Cal-
vin Rainey’s farm lost his meat,
corn, the smokehouse and crib be-
ing destroyed. The Ketchum
house in Warren’s yard also went,
Tom McCarley’g smoke house
was swept away.
Alvia Harkey’s house close to
the Curtis gin was washed to
pieces. Alvin and wife found
safety at Riley Harkey’s.
Lum MeDaniel and family, J. C.
Johnson and his son and their
families, W, J. Harkey and wife,
spent theA night in trees. The
water was a foot deep in Cal
Montgomery’s house.
Tom Hawkins’ house on Mrs.
Cook’s farm was washed some dis-
tance, but not badly damaged.
Jim Baker’s barn was washed
away, and the water stood five
feet in his house. The family
found safety in the second story.
Lee and Nall who live on the
old Poe place with three women
and six children spent the night
in trees. They tied the children
in trees.
Hilla Doran, whose barn and
part of his residence were lost,
said he believed the river was
seventy feet deep in the center of
the channel near his house.
Below town M. F. Elliot, who
lives this side the Brown crossing,
roosted in a tree. His family took
the safer alternative and went to
high ground before the floed came
down.
to. M. Moore and family and sev-
en campers found safety in a tree
until the water was low enough
for them to get into a wagon. Joe
A. Williams and Bob Smith went
to them Wednesday morning and
took them to land.
Leverett’s barn was lost, and
also two vehicles, and tenant
house occupied by N. McLoud and
family. Mr. McLoud and family
went up to the schoolhouse and
the water got so high in it that they
had to cut a hole in the roof to
get out on top.
Jack Walker and family got on
the top of their barn.
Will Zumwalt’s barn was washed
away and his fine residence turned
over on its side. He and his fam-
ily were away from home.
In and about town considerable
damage was done. Hunt and
Jackson, on the river, moved their
families to high ground, but their
household effects were badly dam-
aged. E. I. Hatcher, who lives in
the Ben Teague house, saved some
of his plunder. J. S. Carroll’s
was almost covered. In Dr. Ro-
gan’s house the water was four or
five feet deep, and his furniture
was badly damaged. In .John T.
Walters’ house the water was
about one-half foot deep. His
damage was light.
The mill lost about 20,000
pounds of flour, considerable bran
and meal and about 200 cords of
wood; in all, between $1200 and
$1500, besides damage to ma-
chinery. The basement is full of
water, and it will take several
days to get it out.
The water filled Mr. Doran’s
basement and ran up several
inches in the house.
The instances here given do not
cover the entire loss by any means,
but will give an idea of the dam-
age sustained.
A telegram was received late
Tuesday afternoon from Brady,
telling San Saba to look out, but
the people didn’t seem to take it
seriously. Even if they had, it
was too late to do anything, as
those in danger were already cut
off by sloughs. Besides the great
loss of personal property and
crops, the loss of wire fences is
very serious, as wire is very high
and cannot be gotten at once.
A great deal ol the rescue work
was done at great risk of life. Joe
Cunningham, Billy McCauley and
Ernest Townes entered a boat in
Mill creek, and when they entered
the current of the river the boat
capsized, throwing them out.
They got into trees. Cunningham
was rescued late in the afternoon.
McCauley and Townes roosted in
the trees all night and were taken
out next morning.
Billy Crawford’s stable was at
the command of the public and
was liberally used. Mr. Doran
had lost six of his best stable
horses and could not get others.
Up to Friday at noon no lives
were reported lost except the two
Wells girls.
Nature is forgiving and will restore
your diseased kidneys that will bring
you perfect health by using Dr. Saw-
yer’s Ukatine.
Take a pill that is a pill, built on
medical science by an able physician;
such is the short story of Dr. Sawyer’s
Little Wide Awake Pills.
The best life insurance policy on earth
is to have, perfect kidneys. The best
medicine on earth for those sick kid-
neys is Dr. Sawyer’s Ukatine. People
who had suffered for years found no
cure for their kidney disorders until
they used Dr. Sawyer’s Ukatine. They
now recommend it to their friends—so
will you.
To those troubled with
itching or bleeding, we
recommend Dr. Sawyer’s Arnica and
Witch Hazel Salve. It will immedi
ately relieve and positively cure this
disease. For sale by Key & Batliff,
diuggists, Lampasas, Texas
What is the Fate oi a Drunkard?
If there is any class of men on
earth that deserve our pity and
our help, it is that class callec
drunkards. Go into any large
city and see the picture of abso-
lute poverty and utter desolation
You say, Where will I find it? It
is found in the drunkard’s home.
The poor man who began with but
a single glass of wine goes down,
step by step. He may have had
a good position, splendid home,
loving wife and sweet little chil-
dren to welcome him home at
night when the day’s work was
done. From a single glass of
wine, whisky or beer, he rapidly
gets to the point where his unsat
isfled thirst cries out for more.
Then down he goes in the gutter,
loses his position, mortgages the
home, the mortgage is foreclosed,
wife and children turned out on
the cold, friendless world. He is
scoffed and jeered at by those who
used to drink with him when he
had money. Baby dies of starva-
tion and exposure. Wife dies of
a broken heart. The man—oh,
merciiul God! what is his awful
fate? We will take from the Holy
Bible a few passages that tell us
what the result shall be.
In lsdah, the 28th chapter and
first verse, we read God’s warning
to the people of Epbraim: “Woe
to the crown of pride, to the
drunkards of Ephraim, whose
glorious beauty is a fading flower
which are on the head of the fat j
valleys of them that are overcome
with wine.” Again, in the third
verse, we find that the crown of
pride, the drunkards of Ephraim
shall be trodden under feet.
The drunkard who does not re-
pent of his sins is lost forever,
his soul cast into outer darkness
and everlasting fire. In First
Corinthians, sixth chapter and
tenth verse, God tells us the
drunkard shall not inherit the
kingdom of God. Hear His own
words: “Nor thieves, nor covet-
ous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God.” Young man,
young woman, if you are guilty of
an occasional glass, stop! stop!;
Pray to God for strength from on
high to enable you to leave it alone
before you are drawn into the
whirlpool of lost will power, and
no human power will be able to
save you from a drunkard’s grave,
Here is what the great and fa-
mous Dr. Joseph Hutchison, in
“Physiology and Hygiene,” says
in regard to “Effects of Alcchol
on the Brain:” “The brain under
the influence of small and occa-
sional doses of alcohol shows no
serious change, except increased
supply of blood in the head. *
* * The habitual use of alcohol
hardens the brain, and its cell ele-
ments show a wasting away: its
substance appears shrunken, and
an undue amount of watery fluid
fills the cavities of the brain.”
Another noted physician says
the increase in recent years of in-
sanity in a large percentage is
due to the use of intoxicating bev-
erages. A bold, yet I dare say^
truthful assertion* has been made
by a good authority, that seven-
tenths of all crime and poverty
and calamity to the people of the
United States is traceable directly
or indirectly to the excessive use
of alcoholic drinks.
Kind reader, would you help
lift up fallen humanity? Would
you snatch a soul from hell and
an everlasting punishment? Then
use every honorable way in your
power to blot out the curse of our
country. R. W, Lawson.
Of San Antonio, Texas, in Texas
Christian Advocate.
To Machinery Men and dinners
This office lias for sale some
three or four hundred pounds of
old type metal, said by those
who have used it to be better
than the ordinary babbitt metal
for repairing. Will sell it in any
quantity at reasonable prices.
A nickle saved is a nickle made
Get a good shave for ten cents.
Felix Garrett will serve you well.
Lampasas Has
Three gins.
Two banks.
Three mills.
Six lawyers.
A gunsmith.
Five saloons.
Two bakeries.
Two dentists.
Bottling works
A music house.
Ten physicians.
A bicycle house.
Two tin shops.
Five wagon yards.
Three drug stores.
Two meat markets.
Three restaurants.
Two natatoriums.
Two livery stables.
Two lumber yards.
Four barber shops.
Two undertakers.
Eight grocery stores.
Two good laundries.
Six dry goods houses.
Three hardware stores.
Five implement houses.
Carpenters and painters.
Six confectionery stands.
A fine courthouse and jail.
Two photograph galleries.
A good electric light plant.
Six nice church buildings.
Hotels and boarding houses.
A fine system of waterworks.
Three boot and shoemakers.
Two jewelry establishments.
Six blacksmith and wood shops.
Two saddle and harness stores.
Four book and stationery stores.
Four buggy and carriage houses.
Two newspapers and job offices.
Cotton, wool and grain buyers.
One exclusive boot and shoe
store.
The best school building in
Texas.
Four real estate and insurance
agents.
An excellent system of public
schools.
The finest medicinal springs in '
the world.
Two furniture and second-hand
establishments.
A telephone system, with long-,
distance connections.
The best volunteer fire de-
partment in the United States.
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The Lampasas Leader. (Lampasas, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 30, Ed. 1 Friday, June 16, 1899, newspaper, June 16, 1899; Lampasas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth876549/m1/6/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Lampasas Public Library.