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1874 STORM
THE STORM
We may all
congratulate ourselves the damage has been no greater, and as all take pride
in something that is hard to excel, we may boast to one of the heaviest
storms known by the people ________
Texas.
The storm has not
extended for the __________ this place being the farthest point in that
direction of which any damage has been reported. But to the south, continued
reports come in of disaster upon disaster, the whole country being
overflowed, stock destroyed, buildings injured, fences blown down, and all
manner of trouble experienced by those who happened to be within the track
of the storm.
Sixteen to twenty feet
of water is reported in the Ship Channel since the storm, caused by the
immense volume of water that had to gain an outlet.
It is reported that
the position of Aransas bar has changed very materially, while its depth has
very considerably increased. So that he old adage, that “it’s an ill wind
that blows nobody any good, “ is exemplified in this instance.
Mr. Archer found over
half his tools that were lost from the little house on Central wharf when it
went down Saturday afternoon. He is lucky.
Half the chickens and
turkeys in Corpus found an untimely fate during the storm. Capt.
Berry’s wild geese
enjoyed it better than the Captain—but that’s just like a goose.
The land that was
swept away from the front of Capt. Foster’s place on the beach—some fifty or
more feet—has helped increase Judge McCampbell’s lots, further down. The
Captain says if he could only identify his property he might bring suit. He
forgets that old
Neptune has a first
lien on that little slice.
The
Islands—St.
Joseph and
Mustang—while surrounded with high water, escaped serious damage.
Beyond a few fences
blown down and several small vessels lost, the damage was slight.
At
San Diego
and Banquette but little damage was done by the wind, though the loss to the
sheep interest has been great.
The loss here is under
rather than over the estimates given in the extra of Wednesday.
Throughout the length
of Padre Island
the storm was felt with as much force as here. In many places the Gulf
broke over the Island, which will account for the tremendous high tide here.
The Oso rose to an
unprecedented height during the storm, and has swept away Capt. Kenedy’s
bridge and considerable of his fencing.
At Brazos Santiago the
storm commenced a day earlier than here, and considerable loss of life, and
great damage to property are reported. At
eight o’clock
on September 4th everybody had gone, and the storm was at its height. The
French bark Coromandel went a shore a
Bagdad, and soon broke
up, eleven of her crew being lost.
Brownsville, on the
_______ was all right, though considerable rain had fallen.
The
Rio Grande
is reported to be six miles wide below
Brownsville,
having almost obliterated its banks.
The wind scattered the
leaves from our trees. Saturday night, and nearly ruined our summer parlor.
A letter from
Conception, received too late for insertion, says the storm was the most
severe ever known—the creek seven feet above highest water mark—twenty per
cent of the sheep drowned—and the rest scattered generally.
Selected news items
from same page
COULDN’T GET
THROUGH
The
San Antonio
mail rider returned Thursday afternoon. He could not cross the Nueces, the
river was rising rapidly. The
Rio Grande
mail came in last night, fifty hours behind time.
THE ACCUMULATIONS
From the storm, in the
way of dead dogs, rats, cats, etc. and the disgusting green slime that was
over everything Tuesday and Wednesday, was enough to sicken. As fast as
possible everything was remedied.
AN INFANT CHILD
Of Mrs. George
Pettigrew died in the height of the storm Saturday night, just when the
alarm bell was ringing. Mrs. Pettigrew was alone, he buffeting the storm on
the prairie, returning home at a late hour in the night to find his wife
prostrated with grief and fear.
HEAVY LOSS
Mr. Wm. L. Rogers
suffered a heavy loss during Saturday night in the drowning at the Quinton
Motts, of 2,000 ewe lambs, which he valued at $4,000. They were of improved
stock, and had been just separated from the flock. This is one of the
heaviest losses of the great storm.
AN INCIDENT
A youngster, scarcely
of sufficient height to keep his head above the water, was following his
mother through the water by Gusset’s Saturday night and lagging behind was
called to find where he was. His treble voice was hear, during a lull in
the gale, saying—“Don’t bother about me. I’m all hunky and able to take
care of myself. It awful wet but Ill yank through the business, you bet!”
Source:
Nueces
Valley,
September 12,
1874, p 3, col.2-3
Research by: Msgr.
Michael A. Howell
Transcription by:
Geraldine D. McGloin,
Nueces County
Historical Commission
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