The Prince of the powers of the air has been
exercising his authority somewhat harshly on the coast of Texas. A gale from the east, which began on the 15th, would seem to have blown the Gulf of Mexico bodily over the land. Over the long, low coast the waters swelled, and then accumulated in great lakes, which washed away the foundations of whole towns, drowned people by hundreds, and destroyed an incalculable amount of property. The towns of Indianola, Matagorda, East Bay, Cedar Lake, and Velasco are reported to be utterly destroyed. Many places, like Sabine City, have been submerged, and will probably need to be rebuilt, but without loss of life. To dyke the coast of eastern Texas will be an enormous operation, but no doubt it will be undertaken and carried through ; and the American will have one inducement to the enterprise of shutting out the sea that the Dutchman had not in his day. The dyke can be made to serveas a railway embankment as well.
