Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-09-14
Another Heart-Rending Disaster.

Another Heart-Rending Disaster.
The prolonged season OF loss of life
and property by storm and flood seems
to have eliminated in gigantic hor-
ror last Saturday, whereby it is feared
that thousands OF lives we're lost and
many millions dollars worth of prop
erty sacrificed to the fury OF the rag
ing elements on our southern seaboard.
The city OF Galveston was almost
literally wiped from the face of the
earth by the combined fury OF wind
and wave. The city is, or was, situat.
ed on an island, about eight miles in
length and from one-half to three
quarters Of 4 mile wide, located about
two miles off the Texas coast. The
surface is very low and flat, the higher
points being but a few feet above the
surface OF the sea. Saturday morn
ing, at 10 o'clock, the storm became a
gale; two hours later it was hurri.
cane; at 3 p. NJ. Galveston was isolated
from the world, the wind momentarily
increasing in severity, as the water
rose and the night drew on. Thou.
sonds had begun desperate struggle
to save the lives OF their families from
the fierce wind and mad waves, by re-.
moving them to the public buildings,
which being more massive than their
homes, afforded reasonable hope of
protection. At $50 p. NJ, the ane.
mometer registered 100 miles per hour,
when it was blown away and no means
were thereafter afforded for ascertain
ing the maximum velocity, which be-
came, undoubtedly, much greater than
the final record. Buildings that
seemed impregnable began to fall,
carrying death to many people. Roofs
sailed through the air, windows were
driven in, telegraph, telephone and
electric light poles with their masses
OF wires were torn from the ground
and hurled in every direction, water
pipes were broken, and amid the crash
and roar o! the elements the shrieks
of the suffering arose as each new hor-
ror struck terror to the souls of de-
fenseless women and children. The
lowest point attained by the barome-
ter, at 7 80, was 2S.O4!. 1t then be-
gan to rise slowly, and by ten o'clock
it had marked $500, the wind grad
ually subsiding, and by midnight the
storm was over.
After the fearful ordeal had passed,
the work of burying the dead began,
but this was too slow to ensure safety
OF the living, and men armed with
Winchestcrs stood over burying squads
to compel them to load the bodies on
drays to be hauled to the barges, on
which they were towed into the gulf
and committed to the sea. This meth
cd OF burial was imperative to protect
survivors from pestilence. Ghouls
soon began their work and bodies were
being stripped of valuables, when mar
tial law was proclaimed by Gov. Say.
ers, and Gen. scurry, of the State mi.
litia, was given charge of the island,
to prevent looting, vandalism and
other lawless acts. The four bridges
connecting Galveston with the main.
land were all destroyed by the storm.
An ocean steamship, driven by the
tempest, plowed her way through two
of these structures.
The victims will probably aggregate
1900, although some estimates have
been placed much higher, and it will
probably never be known accurately
how many lives were sacrificed. The
property loss is estimated at $4,000
OOO. The people were left not only
without light, but wholly deprived OF
a water supply. A boat was sent to
Texas City for food and clothing, of
which the stricken people stood ip inn
mediate need. Relief subscri ptions
were Immediately started all over the
country, and there is no fear but that
adequate means for relief will be pro.
vided, soon as means are devised for
making it effective.
Gov. Sayers, of Texas, has by per-
mission of the President, made reaui-
sition on the War Department for TO-
600 tents and $4,000 rations for the
Galveston sufferers. Two revenue cut
tiers have been ordered to Mobile, Ala,
to be in readiness for transportation of
tents and provisions to the sufferers.
Mayor Brashear, of Houston, Texas,
has issued an appeal to the people OF
the United States for relief, and Clara
Barton, President of the American Ma
tional Red Cross, at Washington. has
asked for contributions and promised
to take charge of the difficult task of
making them speedily available.
Gov. Sayers say. that he regards the
Galveston tragedy as the most deplor-
able catastrophe in the history of
America. He likewise proposes to
give the distribution of relief his per.
sonal attention.
The effects of the storm were felt a
hundred miles inland, and deaths and
damage to property resulting there.
from are reported at Houston, Brook
shire, Hampstead and other cities and
towns, but they are so overshadowed
by the larger disaster as to excite little
comment.
A dispatch signed by the Mayor of
Galveston, dated the 18th inst, at
1I:45 P. NJ, states that the dead will