Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-09-22
TIE < cALAMITIEs.

The Gulf storm which broke over the
western coast Of Texas with such unex-
amplei fury seems to have expended its
greatest force on the little own of In
dianola. This place is about one hun
bred and twenty-five miles southwest OF
Galveston on an air line, and has been q
shipping point of some Importance for
several years. The population vas per-
haps twelve hundred; it had fine wharves,
large warehouses, enterprising mer
chants, who carried on a large business
with the interior by rail, had a prosperous
newspaper, the Indisnola Bulletin, and
had one of the best harbors on the coast.
The town was built on q low beach, and
is almost entirely destroyed. 1t is sup
posed that hundreds of lives are lost,
though accurate information is difficult to
obtain. Only three business housesi in the
place escaped damage. The houses,
fences and trees are piled up in the
streets. and the railroad washed away
for miles. The steamship Horton, one
of the Morgan line, had to return to New
Orleans without diScharging her ca; go,
as there was no place or person to re-
ceive it. The beach, for twenty miles,
is reported strewn with dead bodies and
the debris of the town. Such a sudden
and appalling calamity has seldom, if
ever, overtaken a community in the
United States. The District Attorney,
D. W. Grain, dispatched to Galveston on
the 10th: We are destitute; the town
is gone; o%ne-quarter Of the people are
gone, and dead bodies are strewn for
twenty miles along the bay. NiDe-tenths
of the houses are destroyed. Send US
help, for Gods sake" Fifty or sixty
bodies at last accounts bad been found
and buried The search still goes on,
but the loss of life will never be known,
as there were many strangers in town
The number is roughly set down at one
huadred and fifty. 0at Of a family Of
twenty one persons, eighteen we're lost
Another family of twenty-one was nearly
all destroyed. The bodies Of men,
women aud children were found in all
directions. Many persons were found
miles away who had Aosted of in the
night 'on doors, roofs or broken tim
bers of their houses. The water ran
through the streets last Thursday
night six feet deep, and the wind blow
ing a frightful gale. The people were
helpless and doubtless parslyzed with
fear. The wind subsidized and the water
went back before morning, and the
scene Of destruction and distress which
presented itself to the survivors Friday
morning can better be imagined than de-
scribed. All the churches in the town
are gone. The Masonic Hall is gone,
but the courthouse remains. Other
towns ell along the coast suffered
greatly. Matagorda, Corpus Christi,
Lavonis, Rockfort and other places are
seriously damaged. with some loss Of life,
but nothing az compared with Indianola.
The loss of property in Galveston alonei is
not less than $500, 900, and q number of
lives were lost The railroads and bridges
are seriously damaged, shipping has been
greatly damaged at various points and
the general loss is incsleulable. Such o
destructive storm was never known in
this country. The people Of Galveston,
as soon as able, endeayored to send
relief to their unfortunate neigbbors and
it may be that an appeal for aid will be
made to the entire public. II this should
be necessary a prompt response will no
doubt be returned in a liberal and sub.
stantial shape. The distress must be
very great and the extent of it cannot be
fully known for some time yet. Tele
graphic communication has been inter
rupted and railroads temporarily de
stroyed. The sympathy of the Who'll,
country will be extended TO the sufferer
and aid granted if requested. The storm
itself was a remarkable phenomenon
though we will not discuss it as such il
this connection Its occurrence is an
other proof of the unusual electrical ant
meteorological disturbances which hav,
prevailed nearly all the year. Ithappene,
euriously enough that Professor Tice be
came aware through his observance O
the barometer that something unusuS
was going on toward the South at th
time OF the storm and mentioned th
fact to his friends.