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

Devastation tn Texas h. Wind sul Water
~. lilies s:s Of S!Ess,s Laid Waste n ne pat or
sS 1s"iiiinss InrrisE 1rs." T%cir ih fonn @
Ina thc General Ruin.
New Orleans Special to Chicago Times
From passengers who arrived from Gal
weston tonight the moist narrowing ac-
counts of the effects of the cyclone were
gathered, us it is estimated that some for
ty lives were lost and near 200 houses
were swept away by the fcod which COW
cred the city for fully two days, besides
Others made untenantablc by the losing
of their foundations by the water. The
scene between the hours of -, mid
night, OH Thursday, and o'clock on
Friday morning, witnessed
THE MOST FEARFUL SCENES
In the island city, the events occurring
then being of the most thrilling and
hcart-rcnding character houses being un-
dermincd and sent with their inmates
whirling through the streets, some lodg-
ing and Others being turned over in their
progress to bury alive the inmates in the
debris or drown them rs they attempted
to escape. Not until Z o'clock Friday
morning, did the wind change to the
south and drive the water from the city,
the fall being almost us rapid rs had been
the rise, and ut O'clock scarcely any
water was left i'll the streets, boats in the
meantime being used, and busily plying
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-
fIn Il IL,
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 3 O'clock in the afternoon the strand
and bay front, which but q few hours be-
tore were nearly dry, became covered
with water to the second floor, covering
the wharves, the wind blowing ut forty
miles an hour, and sending the water up
with immense force, and
AGAIN r OODING EVERYTHING
The storm continued until nightfall,
when the wind went down, and the
watt cell as suddenly as it rose, leaving
lnnumerablc wrecks of churches, houses,
barns, and leaving. many ships and sloops
high and dry in the streets of the city.
or upon the beach, and damaging the
stock of goods in some OF the Stores t0
~
Scolild not be ascertaincd up to Saturday
: morning, When the steamship Mary left
the harbor. 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
dreds of them being without homes or
anything to eat. The Howard associa-
tion was also being organized, but even
with its full force they would hardly be
able to meet the wants Of the distl sscd,
who numbered at least five hundred.
Every house in the city, cast of South
street, from A street to the Gulf, was
wrecked or damaged to such an extent
that they were ,untenantablc.
THE RAILROAD BRIDGES,
it seems, were badly damaged, some
stating that it would require week in
repairing them, while others were equally
rs confident that it would require two
weeks to repair the new Santa Fc
bridge, and much longer time to re-
place the Houston bridge. The city |
bridges were entirely swept away, some |
OF them being carried several miles from |
their original location. Not tree, not
a shrub, is left standing upon the island,
the scene presenting, ,as the Mary left |
the harbor.
A BARREN WASTE.
not unlike Il desert, excepting that the
standing houses gave token of life.
The steamship Mary started from her
wharf ut Galveston on Wednesday morn
ing while the wind was blowing n gale,
and evidently it was the intention of
the Galveston agent to send her to Bra
shear, but knowing it pc,ilous to put to
sea during such a storm, Capt Benson
concluded to go no further than the
bay, and, after getting safe distance
from the dhwarf, let so both anchors. his
Judgment forbidding him from proceed
ing further, notwithstanding the, as |
your reporter learned, /" imperative
order" to 60 to sea. Had he done 80,
the boat with all on board would doubt
less have been lost, as she could not have
WithstoOd
THE TERRIBLE GULF SEAS
that prevailed all that night. About
one o'clock on Friday morning, when
the gale ragged the ficrcest and the seas
dashing over the boat, and when moth
ing could be seen boats length dis
tant, the English bark Mary Mcdowell,
q three mast vessel and the largest IN
the harbor, was driven against tile
steamship Mary, even while the former
had her anchor out.
Houston Special TO New York Herald
The following dispatch was sent by a
special reporter, who pushed through to
the city on Il schooner. 1t is the first re-
liable news from Galveston since the
storm began 81 reached here about
five o'clock this evening G8th), coming