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 — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
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
John Stuart Mill · en
The women of Galveston are working as never before. Wherever one goes
carpets and clothing and mattresses and rugs are hung on fences and
galleries. The scrubbing-brushes are going. A smell of carbolic acid is
in the air. The housekeepers are bustling in and out. Every residence
that can be called habitable is undergoing renovation most thoroughly.
The sound of the hammer is heard everywhere. Amateur carpenters are
patching and strengthening homes which, in the better spirit that
prevails, they may now hope to save.
One of the strongest impressions that is gained of the work of
restoration is from the sights in front of the stores. Merchants and
clerks are overhauling stocks. Where the articles are such that it can
be done they are carried out in front of the stores and spread in the
sun to dry. Tons of dry goods, clothing, hats and caps, boots and shoes
are spread in the streets and on the pavements, so that in places it is
difficult to get past.
In these stores the watermarks on the walls and shelves varies from
waist to shoulder high. Everything below these levels was saturated. The
loss of stocks affected by water is very great. But the disposition of
the storekeepers to make the best of it and to save something, even if
badly damaged, is cheering.
Full of confidence and even optimistic are the expressions of the men
who have taken the lead in this crisis. Said Colonel Lowe, of the
Galveston News: “In two years this town will be rebuilt upon a scale
which we would not have obtained so quickly without this devastation.
“I took it for granted that when the Southern Pacific management said to
its representatives, as it has said: ‘Build a bridge ten feet higher
than the old one and put on a double force to do it,’ our future was
assured. We shall go forward and create the city. We shall have some
restrictions as to rebuilding lines, especially on the beach side, where
the greatest losses were sustained. The ramshackle way in which too much
construction has been done heretofore will be of the past.”
SAVING VAST GRAIN STORES.
If any one had predicted on Sunday or Monday that on Friday and Saturday
Galveston would be doing business at the old stand, he would have been
laughed to scorn. What the grain men are planning very fairly tells the
story. It applies to all lines of business. The storm caught 2,500,000
bushels of wheat in cars and elevators. Superstructures of the elevators
were carried away, and in other ways the immense buildings were somewhat
damaged. These indefatigable people six days later are perfecting their
arrangements to save that grain and export it. Robinson, the inspector,
said:
“Without more rain for a few days, say six or eight, we shall begin
loading that wheat on ships for export. Don’t you believe anything you
hear about permanent damages to Galveston as the result of the storm.