The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-28
FROM GALVESTON.
Extent of the Losses, Etc.
From our Special Corres pondent.

| From our Special Cores pondent.l
GALVESTON, Sept. %, 1875.
Mr.. Edaor-Now that the lapse of time has
caused somewhat of a subsistence of the
excitement consequent upon the late storm
on this coast, a calm, intelligent and
| truthful estimate can be formed OF
the losses experienced in this city.
The citizens of Galveston naturally feel much
exasperated at those correspondents and
papers which gave such ridiculously extrava-
CANT and erroneous accounts of the destruc-
ton of property, some of them placing the
value thereof at four and five millions of dol
lars Now have been all over the city. care
fully surveyed the property injured and de-
| stroyed, and have conversed with many of the
same and according to their and my compu-
| tation, the pecuniary losses sustained by Gal
weston will not exceed S109, 000-something
different from four and five millions.
A very large proportion of the houses in
jured or destroyed were very diminutive one
story dwellings, erected by their owners on
account of the cheapness of the ground, in
most exposed positions on the crown of the
beach, aud on foundation of sand, which
were liable at all times to be shifted by strong
have been but little injured and can be placed
back on their original sites at small expense.
The goods that were damaged were in the
lower stories the floors of which had been suf-
fered to remain below the grade of the streets.
The wharves had been made so strong and
staunch within the last three or four years
that the great gale of the 18th and 18th inst.
damaged them to the small amount of $1,000,
while it cost about 81. 100000 to rebuild them
after the storm of 1867.
During the late storm, when the water COW
cred many Of the streets, there was much
suffering among the poor people who were
forced to leave their homes and wade-many
Of them to their arm pits places of safety,
but for the most part these were they who
had built their little cabins in such exposed
positions that one could hardly believe sane
man would have had the temerity to trust
himself and family. The citizens, living in
more favorable localities these Galveston
ians are a generous, noble-hearted people
came promptly to the relief of the sufferers,
took them to their homes and most amply
supplied them with clothing and provisions.
A most remarkable fact connected with the
storm is that only one person was lost in this
chn ri
subject to epileptic fits.
The place where DR.. Peete and his three
companions met their sad fate was on the
breakwater extending out into the bay, be-
low the city, on which the Quarantine-h house
was located. After sending his family away,
the DIR. for some unaccountable reason, re-
NAMED behind and the renorseless waves
washed him off. His body was recovered yes
terday and fully identified. This afternoon
he was buried, every honor being paid to his
memory the flags all over the city were at
half-mast, the Presbyterian Church was
crowded with people to participate in the
funeral ceremonies, and large concourse of
people followed his remains to the grave
You will remember that two years ago there
was most bitter feeling expressed by our
people and press against DR.. Peete on account
| of his being instrumental as He nth Officer in
~
| leans.
committee of physicians Of our city, con-
sisting of Drs. Howard Smith, Scott and Aus
| tin, were sent over to confer with DR.. Peete
and disabuse his mind of the erroneous ideas
| he possessed regarding the sanitary condition
of New Orleans The doctor yielded readily
| to the representations of our committee and
had the quarantine raised -condnot which
was highly honorable and praiseworthy, and
which assuaged the angry feelings OF our peo-
| pie and caused them to commend the doctor
as heartily as they had before abused him.
| The doctor was a man of generous nature,
and public spirit; his loss will be severely felt
here.
The late storm will, no doubt, prove of in
calculable benefit to Galveston, if the lesson
is read Alright. 1t will teach her people that
| in their efforts to raise the grade of the city
they have removed the barriers that nature
had erected on the beach, and which were
their great protection against the inroads of
the waters of the Gulf Fonr years ago
Gen. Beauregard submitted a plan for the
improvement and security of the Island City.
Most of the features of this plan were adopted,
| but the powers that were very injudiclously
reduced the height of the projected grade by
six inches. Had these six inches been al
lowed many of the streets which were over
flowed during the late storm would have be- n
left high and dry.
In raj sing the level of the city some four
| feet, agreeably to Gen. BIS plan, the success
sion of sand hills which had protected the
city against the waters of the Gulf had been
removed, and carried up into the principal
portions of the city. This gave an unob-
structed sweep to the wind and waves, and
caused the recent disaster. 1t strikes me that
the authorities would have acted wisely had
they constructed cheap horse railroad ex-
tending to the western end of the island, and
obtained thence the requisite sand for filling
| their streets.
The fact that no more damage was done to
life and property here, though the waters both
of the Gulf and Bay invaded the city and
seemed to combine to overwhelm it, has in
spired the Galvestonians with great conf
dence in the stability and permanency of their
fine city. Heretofore the storms which have
threatened her with submersion and destruc-
ton have come from the Bay. Timid per-
| sons chronic croaker5 aud interested parties