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 parochial school situated on the corner of Eleventh and Sealy
avenue, was taken from its foundations and carried by wind and water a
full block to Twelfth street and Sealy avenue, landing on the north side
of the street, whereas it was located on the south side previously. This
stands amidst a great pile of driftwood, and having been carried to that
location undoubtedly formed a barrier for the collection of great piles
of drift that were brought in from gulf-ward. It shoved some smaller
buildings out of their former locations, but did not wreck many of them.
The drift is something terrible. It includes every kind of house used by
men, and represents all the city south of the line described to the
beach in which it is reported that large numbers of dead bodies, which
floated to sea yesterday, have been washed during the day. The houses
are sometimes to be found quite intact, but turned bottom up like an
upturned dry goods box. Others are but so much kindling wood.
The greatest wreck is possibly the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, at
Fourteenth and Broadway. The front wall is nearly all standing, with the
steeples on either side, and the curved wall that surrounds the chancel
seemed in pretty good shape, but the two side walls are gone beyond
repair. The east side is standing about half way up, and the west side
was thrown to the ground. Sand covers the campus in that neighborhood.
The University building suffered a good deal from the blow, but it was
the haven of rest for all the people in that neighborhood, as it is now
the hospital for the injured and the place of succor for the women and
children.
GREAT WRECK OF ST. MARY’S INFIRMARY.
The next greatest wreck is the St. Mary’s Infirmary on Market and Eighth
streets. Practically everything there is gone but the new part, which
was completed about two years ago. This is badly damaged, but is being
used. It does not cover more than a quarter of the floor space of the
entire building when intact. This is used to support injured and is the
place of refuge. Sealy Hospital, between Ninth and Tenth streets,
escaped serious injury, beyond damage to the roof.
The colored school, on the corner of Broadway and Tenth streets, is a
mass of wreckage, piled up with the debris along the mountain chain
previously described. This was a large two-story frame building of eight
rooms, and stood high in the air. A little Episcopal mission, located on
the corner of Fifteenth and Avenue L, was carried northwest along
Fifteenth street and broke up a block away. The gentleman who was in
charge of the mission, Henry Hirsinger, was lost.