The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-09-20
GALVESTON DESCRIBED.
Interesting Facts about the Wrecked
City.

Interesting Facts about the Wrecked
City.
Galveston is the third city OF Texas
in point Of poulation and the first COM
mercially. In 1890 it had a population
CT 29,os4. The 1900 census returns Tor
the city have not been published, but
the present estimated population is at
least 10000. In the past ten years 1t
has made great strides as an exporting
point, especially for cotton and grain
It is the largest cotton exporting point
in the country, New Orleans being its
only competitor. Among the III for
eign exporting points in the United
| States Galveston held the fifth place.
During the year 1898 itexported 6.39
per cent. of the merchandise that LETT
the country it's exports increasing S1o'-
SOC, 900 during the year. Lumber and
live stock are also large exports.
A leading cause Of Galveston's recent
progress is the harbor improvements
which have been made on a most ex-
tensiye scale. In 1895 the depth OF the
channel over the bar was only Il feet.
BY the expenditure on the part OF the
government Of more than sS,OOO,OOO In
the construction Of jetties and other
improvements. which were finished in
January, 1898, the depth has been IN
cyreased to % feet and Is still increas-
ing at the rate of six inches year. oW-
ing to the action Of the wind and the
tides. After deep water had been secur-
ed. a new line Of steamers from New
York was established and a rate war
resulted, which proved disastrous 10
| he steamship companies but beneficial
to Galveston.
The city has a grain elevator capacl-
ty Of 2,75OO OC0 bushels and the port can
handle 70 900, 900 bushels during sea-
son. 1t has fifteen direct lines Of Eu-
ropean steamers and two lines to Mex
| ico
The city Is situated on the northeast
extremity Of Galveston Island, at the
mouth of Galveston Bay, the entrance
to which Is through the channel be-
tween the city and the southwest point
of the peninsula Of Bolivar. The ISL
and is about thirty miles long and from
one and a half to three and half
miles wide, iutersected with many
small bayous, and bordered throuh its
whole length on the ocean side by a
smooth ahrd beach, forming a splen-
did drive and unsurpassed bathing. On
this beach is the magnificent Sea Beach
Hotel. The streets, which are but a
few feet above the level Of the bay, are
wide and straight, and the residence
quarters are beautiful, abounding IN
luxuriant gardens, shaded with magno-
lias and oleanders. Among the princi-
nal buildings are or were the new Gus
tom House and Post Office, the Cotton
Exchangse, the Court Eouse, the Ball
Free School, the Free Public Library
and the Roman Catholic University of
st. Mary.
The bay is an irregular indentation.
branching out into various arms. 1t
has a total area Of $50 square miles.
Its entrance is guarded by long bar
through which the present deep water
channel was constructed. The stone
jetties flanking it are five miles long.
The city proper being on the inner side
of the island is naturally protected
from the sweep Of the ocean storms,
but the level of the island is so little
above that Of the bay that inundatlors
have more than once been threatened.
The bay is, of course, quite shallow IN
mos tparts, and the railroads reach the
city on a two-mile trestle from the
mainland. The Southern Pacific rail-
road is heavily interested in Galveston.
and in 1899 joined hands with the
steamship interests ceHtering there
making large improvements and In
creasing their own and the citys busi-
ness.
The island of Galveston was occupied
by the pirate Lafitte in 1917, and con-
tinued to be his headquarters until his
settlement was broken up in 1921. The
city was founded in 1897. During the
war of the rebellion the Federal forces
occupied the town on October 8, 1852
but 1t was retaken by the Confederates
on January l. 1853.