The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-10-09
THE GULF STORM.

.iatiom>. HTryImi. Fort. thurman Beings
in the General Ruin.
New Orleans Special /" Chicago Times.
From passengers who arrived from Gal
weston Tonight the most narrowing ac-
counts of the effects of the cyclone were
gathered, rs it is estimated that some for
tv lives were lost and near 200 houses
were swept away by the flood, which COW
cred the city for fully two days besides
others made untcnantablc by the losing
Of their foundations by the water. The
scene between the hours of -, mid
night. on Thursday, and 4 o'clock on
Friday morning, witnessed
TIE MOST FEARFUL SCENES
III the island city the events occurring
then being of the most thrilling and
heart rcnding character. houses being un-
dcrmincd and sent with their inmates
whirling through the streets, some odg-
ing and Others being turned over in their
progress to bury alive the inmates in the
debris or drown them as they attempted
to escape. Not until : o'clock Friday
morning, did the wind change to the
south and drive the water from the citv,
the fall being almost rs rapid rs had been
the rise, and at $ o'clock scarcely any
water was left in the streets, boats in the
meantime being used, and busly plving
between the suburbs and the heart of the
city
REMOVING WOMEN AND CHILDREN
to places of safety. the greatest alarm cX-
listing, as the waves during the night
swept with immense force from the gulf
to the bay. Scarcely had quiet been re-
stored, with the disappearance of the wal
ter, when the wind shifted, and increasing
in force gradually wore around to the
southwest, again sending the water
through the city from the west end and
by 8 O'Clock in the afternoon the strand
and bay front, which but Il few hours be-
tore were nearly dry, hccamc covered
with water to the second floor, covering
the wll:rvcs the wind blowing at forty
is:les an hour, and sending the water up
with immense force, and
AGAIN + OODING EvERYTIIING
The storm continued until nightfall,
when the wind went down, and the
wat ;'tll as suddenly as it rose, leaving
lnnumcrablc wrecks of churches, houses,
barns, and leaving many ships aud Sloops
high and dry III the streets of the citv
or upon the beach, and damaging the
stock of goods III some of the stores to a
large extent, but to what exact amount
could not he ascertaincd up to Saturday
morning, when the steamship Mary left
the harhor AT that time the stores
were closed, the merchants and citizens
generally assembling to devise ways for
the immediate
RELIEF OF THE DESTITUTE
in the way of food shelter, etc, hun
drcds Of them being without homes or
anything TO cat The Howard :ssocia-
ton was also bring organized, hut even
with its full force they would hardly be
able to meet the wants of the distressed,
who m hprnI M 1nnst firn hnn,1,,1
Every house in the city, cast of Soutl,
street, from \ street to the Gulf, was
wrecked or damaged to such IN extent
that they were untcnnntabc.
TIE RAILROAD BRIDGES,
IL seems. were badly dani:,wcu. some
stating that it would require Il week in
repairing them, while others were equally
as confident that it would require two
weeks to repair the new Santa Fc
bridge, and a much longer time to re-
place the Houston bridge. The city
bridges were entirely swept away, some
ct them being carried several miles from
their original location. Not tree, not |
a shrub, is left standing upon the island,
he scene presenting, rs the Mary left |
the harbor.
A BARREN WASTE,
not unlike a desert, excepting that The
standing houses gave Il token of life. |
The steamship Mary started from her
wllarI at Galveston on Wednesday morn |
ing while the wind WAS blowing Il gale,
and evidently it WAS the intention of |
the Galveston agent to send her to Bra |
shear, but Knowing it pc,ilnus to put to |
sea during such storm, Capt. Benson |
concluded to 90 no further than the |
bay, and, after getting Il safe distance |
from the dhwarf, let go both anchors, his |
Judgment iorhidding him from proceed
ing further, notwithstanding the, as
your reporter learned, imperative
the beat with Ill on l,"ar:! wa,:!d doubt
withstood
THE TERRIBLE GULF SEAS
that prevailed all that night About
one o'clock on Friday morning. when
the gale ragged the ticrccst and the seas
,iashing over the boat, ami when moth |
ing could he seen Il boats length dis
tant, the English bark Mary Mcdowell,
a three mast vessel and the largest IN
the harbor, was driven against the
steamship Mary, even while the former
had her anchor out
Houston special to New York Herald.
The following dispatch was sent by u
special reporter, who pushed through to
the city on schooner 1t is the first re-
liable news from Galveston since the
storm began: 81 reached here about
five o'clock this evening H&,lD, coming
over in !; schooner from Virginia Point
The city shows but little signs of the
storm. In the Business part of the town
the wharvcs are safe and sound, and the