The Great Galveston Disaster: Containing a Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times Including Vivid Descriptions of the Hurricane and Terrible Rush of Waters; Immense Destruction of Dwellings, Business Houses, Churches, and Loss of Thousands of Human Lives; Thrilling Tales of Heroic Deeds; Panic-Stricken Multitudes and Heart-Rending Scenes of Agony; Frantic Efforts to Escape a Horrible Fate; Separation of Loved Ones, etc., etc.; Narrow Escapes from the Jaws of DeLester, Paul
Philosophy
The Great Galveston Disaster: Containing a Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times Including Vivid Descriptions of the Hurricane and Terrible Rush of Waters; Immense Destruction of Dwellings, Business Houses, Churches, and Loss of Thousands of Human Lives; Thrilling Tales of Heroic Deeds; Panic-Stricken Multitudes and Heart-Rending Scenes of Agony; Frantic Efforts to Escape a Horrible Fate; Separation of Loved Ones, etc., etc.; Narrow Escapes from the Jaws of De
Lester, Paul
Floods -- Texas -- Galveston -- History -- 20th century; Galveston (Tex.) -- History -- 20th century; Hurricanes -- Texas -- Galveston -- History -- 20th century
Most of the small sailing craft were wrecked, and were either piled up
on the wharves or floating bottom side up in the bay. There was a small
steamship ashore three miles north of Pelican Island, but Mr. Timmins
could not distinguish her name. She was flying a British flag. Another
big vessel had been driven ashore at Virginia Point, and still another
was aground at Texas City. At the south point of Houston Island an
unknown ship lay in a helpless condition.
The lightship that marks Galveston bar was hard and fast aground at
Bolivar Point. Mr. Timmins and the men with him on the schooner rescued
two sailors from the Middle Bay who had been many hours in the water.
These men were foreigners, and he could gain no information from them.
A wreck of a vessel which looked like a large steam tug was observed
just before the party landed. In the bay the carcasses of nearly two
hundred horses and mules were seen, but no human body was visible.
The scenes during the storm could not be described. Women and children
were crowded into the Tremont Hotel, where he was seeking shelter, and
all night these unfortunates were bemoaning their losses of kindred and
fortune. They were grouped about the stairways and in the galleries and
rooms of the hotel. What was occurring in other parts of the city could
only be conjectured.
The city of Galveston was now entirely submerged and cut off from
communication. The boats were gone, the railroads could not be operated,
and the water was so high people could not walk out by way of the bridge
across the bay, even were the bridge standing.
Provisions were badly needed, as a great majority of the people lost all
they had. The water works’ power house was wrecked, and a water famine
was threatened, as the cisterns were all ruined by the overflow of salt
water. This was regarded as the most serious problem to be faced. The
city was in darkness, the electric plant having been ruined.
BODIES FLOATING IN THE BAY.
There was no way of estimating the property damage. The east end portion
of the city, which was the residence district was practically wiped out
of existence. On the west end, which faces the gulf on another portion
of the island, much havoc was done. The beach was swept clean, the
bath-houses were destroyed, and many of the residences were total
wrecks.
Among the passengers who arrived at Houston on a relief train from
Galveston was Ben Dew, an attache of the Southern Pacific. Dew had been
at Virginia Point for several hours, and said that he saw 100 to 150
dead bodies floating out on the beach at that place.
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