Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-08-26
A FATED CITY.
Galveston Again a Prey to Wind
and Water.
The Eastern End of the Island Submerged
During a Terrific Gale and IncaIcu-
liable Damage wrought-A
Scene of Desolation.

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 2l.-The following
special from Galveston is published this
morning:
GALVESTON, Tex, Aug. 20.-The big
blow is over. The deluging waters which
since midnight submerged the CITY have
to great extent receded, laying bare the
havoc wrought by wind and wave. Yes.
tcrday was the beginning and to-day the
end, but during the brief interval of time
thousands of dollars worth of property
have been swept away, life sacrificed,
cattle drowned, homes devastated. The
night has been one of horror, even more
awful than that of the great fire of last No.
vember Then there was light, even
though the illumination was the fu-
neral pile of consuming homes.
Last night the elemental enemy struck
under the cover of darkness, drowning
cries OF distress in the roar OF inds and
rush of waters. 1t was nearly midnight
before the extent of danger bccame man.
ifcst, notwith Standin@ by two O'Clock the
eaSterly hurricane had driven the waters
in as far as Seventh street on the east
side of the egg shaped island. The east
end, however, has ALWAYS been the wsak
point. IT is there that the current
al the gulf meets the obstru citing let
ties, built in the vain struggle for
deep water, and turning in full force casts
its tremendous volume On the fated strip
of lane. Inundating the streets for a few
squares to the depth of a foot or two is,
therefore, no unusual occurrence with an
eaSteTly wind in that section. and hence,
though the wind hOwled, rafting doors
and shutters dismaliy, no great impor-
lance was attached to it, such was the
fancied security. But while the city
slept the waters, driven by the still in
crcasing wind, had silently risen, leaving
scarce dImple in it's suface as it SUBJ
merged street and sidewalk, and stretch
ing forth into yards, insidiously at tackled
the foundations of buildings, leaving
them easy prey to the fury OF the wind.
Houses were taken up bodily and car
ried for squares across lots, as long as
they held together, and then with a crash
came down. In some places where
stronger structure reSis ted the action of
the waters below and the winds above,
it would stop the drifting buildings,
which in turn formed an obstacle for an
other, and so on unit! a half dozen build
ings We're thrown together and held by
Jagged beams and raftcrS. In the mean
time the residents of the fated East End,
the first to take the alarm, as that
was the point first invaded, were strug-
cling for life and what little household
effects that could be saved. In many in
stances to jump from the trembling
buildings involved as much danger as to
remain. In many places the wafer was
over head deep In the yards. II seemed
simply choice of death. Doors were
hastily stripped off, RATS improvised,
and on these women and children were
placed by the men and floated
away out into the darkness and
storm. ''West and high land!"
was the cry. and sturdiIy the weak were
borne onward and away to safety. There
was no high land, however, for the wind
and waters had taken possession of the
city, carrying away bridges and cutting
off communication, except by water.
While these scenes were occurring on
the east end, houses west were floating
away into the lagOonS and prairies, while
along the beach in the intermediate
great circumference disaster was marking
The storms trail The wind by three
O'Clock had obtained the velocity of fifty
five miles an hour and the storm center
seemed to ne concentrated on the build
ings at the head of fremont street.
In the vicinity of the Beach Hotel, the
surf bath house, large structure built
into the gulf, was the first to go, and but
a few minutes elapsed from the time il
began to totter until the last veStige of
it had disappeared in the churnIng wa
ter.
Then the immense skating rink, the
scene Of the meeting OF the recent Dem
ocratic State convention, came down
with a crash and flying fragments filled
the air.
The Pagoda bath-house, twin struc-
lures built on railroad-irOn pilings, re-
cei~ed the effects of the storm in such a
way that only the roofs remained stand
ing like giant umbrella on skeleton
legs.
building occupied by O'Keefe as a
saloon was next to disappear, and it was
whisked from sight in almost less time
than it takes to relate.
The sea by this time had washed across
the Beach Hotel plaza, and dashed into
the basement of the building. Chairs,
tables and benches were hastily gathered
together and every available article that
coul d be converted into barrier and
piled against the front portion of the
basement gallery. This served as a
breakwater and protected the foundation
from the violence of seas dashing against
it. The water rose to the height of foot
In the basement and the affr@htel guests
rushed hither and thither. The dreadful
unknown of the elemental war outside
proved greater than the terrorS of re-
manning, and so in affrighted groups the
guests in torturing suspense awaited
daylight, expecting every minute to be
the last.
To add to the horror of the surround
ingS, the menagerle cages overturned,
and the cries of the affrighted animals
mingled with the sounds of the storm.
The Mexican lions escaping from their
cages sprang to the gallery, where they
were met by Mike MCGOWAN, their keep
er, and Billy Mitchell, the night watch
man, who opened fire on the frightened
animals. Both were killed in short or
der, but unhappily one of MCGOWAN 8
shots in the darkness took effect in
Mitchell's arm, infiicting a wound which
will .necessitate the amputation of the
member.
Just at this time there came crash,
and a building to the right and front of
the hotel, formerly used as theater, but
latterly leased as q saloon, and located
on an adjoining property, was swept
away, while the outbuiidings of the St.
Charles, an establishment just west OF
the hotel, followed suit.
The Beach Hotel, from the popularity
OF its foundation, on piles of VARYING
height extending through the building,
bravely stood the shock, and when the
dusk gray of dawn finally gave view OF
1t, barring the absence of some of the
basement ornamentation, the hotel had
not suffered in the least. With daylight
came a turn of the tide and 4 change of
the still furious wind from east to the
southwark, backing the waters from that
portion of the beach and revealing the
damarn that had occurred. The