TEXANS FLEE AS GALE HITS GULF COAST Several Persons Marooned by I Storm Wind Rages at Mile 80 Speed SMALL CRAFT WRECKED Residents Leave Leave Homes Homes Hurry Hurry Hurry Hur Hur- ry to Higher G Ground By BT As Associated lat Press HOUSTON Texas July 25 25 Shriek Shrieking Shriek Shriek- ing gales gales' lashed the Texas coast early today between Freeport and Port OConnor O'Connor on bay piling great combers of water against the shoreline and sending residents scurrying scurrying scurrying to higher ground Sinking barometers last night gave omen of the disturbance and arid storm warnings were hoisted from Morgan City La to Brownsville Texas as coast guardsmen sped along the beaches warning yarning campers and summer summer sum sum- mer residents to leave The gale struck shortly after midnight midnight mid mid- night and as the high tide swept the thelow thelow Ilow low western extremity of Galveston island 18 pers persons ms were marooned in inthe inthe the hc coast guard outpost at San Luis Luls pass sass and several guardsmen were marooned marooned ma ma- rc at the station on a sand spit near Freeport It was believed they were were safe saCe however as the stations are strongly constructed on pilings Hurricane Abates Increasing suddenly the wind reached the hurricane force of 80 miles an hour at Freeport at a.m. a.m. a.m. a. a m. m slowed down to 60 miles an hour for ICor a time then swelled to 80 miles Ian an hour again at 5 a. a m. m Telephone communication to t the coast gual guard stations a at Port OConnor O'Connor j or orand and Aransas Pass went vent out at 5 a. a m m. as the gale increased there Numerous small fishing boats at Freeport were smashed and several schooners were cut loose from their I moorings to prevent them from being dashed to pieces against the piers b by bythe bythe the tide Storm Moves South The center of the disturbance appeared appeared ap- ap to be moving southward to Port OConnor O'Connor on M Matagorda bay where a small house was blown away and the barometer dropped to 2924 at a a. a m. m. m as the wind increased ed to 80 miles an hour The barometer still still was sinking Jinking Freeport at the mouth of the Brazos Brazos Brazos Bra Bra- zos river and a thriving sulphur mining min mm- ing city of 2000 inhabitants was the scene of a disastrous hurricane two years rears ago which took a toll of 50 lives in n that area Residents boarded up their heir homes last night and fled tIed to higher ground