The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-09-11
TEXAS CITY'S LOSS.
Three Persons Reported to Have Been
Drowned There.
The PRAIRIE STREWN WITH RUINS.
Four thousand Yards Of Track We're
Washed Away.
The PRAIRIE STREwN WITH RUINS.
NARROWING TALES OF THE REFUGEES
Inborcrs mt Work Repairing Track
into Texas City-stenmer Law
renee VIII Run TO Galveston.

having had to stop often on the way to !
clear the track Of trees and distractions |
blown across 1t by Sunday mornings
storm Everywhere he saw traces OF the
winds work. the destruction Of property
having been great and the crops ruined
The same condition OF affairs. according
to his information exists from Palestine
10 Taylor and along the Central from
Elgn to Houston. Immediately upon his
arrival in Houston Mr. Trice proceeded
IN the direction OF Galveston, accompanied
by Post representative and local rep
rcsentatives OF the International and
Great Northern and Galveston. Houston
and Henderson Railway companies. Adju-
tant General Scurry and others. His car
was attached to a special train carrying
a number OF laborers going to repair the
Galveston, Houston and Henderson track
this side of Virginia Point.
Wrecks OF dwellings and outhouses
were visible on all sides as the train
steamed rapidly on its way Twisted,
broken and uprooted trees soon became
familiar rights and tangled mass Of
telegraph wires and poles lined the track
.
In rapid succession and reeeding waters
met the eye whichever way 1t turned.
Dead cattle irnpsled on hArbed wire
fences, against which they had boon
hurled by the hurricane we're deoayins
in the sun and piles OF foul smelling
drift ana debris lay banked against the
track ;or It's entire length. Harrisburg,
Webster Dickinson and Lamarque all
bore witness to the awful visitation OF the
elements Wrecked houses, overturned
box cars and piles OF flotsam and ietaam
covered the earth in testimony OF the
awful force of the roaring breath of heav-
en- which Ind but recently been blown
upon this section. At Dickinson 1t seemed
that the storm had done ats worst. Not a
building had escaped injury, most OF them
having been completely demolished. All
the structures on the fair grounds were
smashed to kindling wood and the trees
| in the grove below the grounds are
broken and scattered in every direction,
mingllng their splintered trunks and
limbs with the shattered lumber OF the
pavilions which once stood beneath their
shelterisg leaves.
Appalling desolation and unspeakaple
woe were spread over the face OF the
land, filling the soul with a sadness the
memory OF which time will be powerles,
to completely efface.
AS the train neared Texas City Junu-
ton tho evidences OF ruin became more
complete. Across the prairie. miles from
the waters edge, bales OF compressed
cotton, yawls, small boats and pieces oil
ponderous machinery driven inland by
the storm. covered ths scene. In the d.
rectlon OF Texas City the large British
steamship Kendil Castle. hard aground
stood clearly defined against the horizon
while a large dredgs doomed up on dry
land where It had been left by the sub
| al or M atar,
The train as stopped 1000 yards north
OF Texas City junction, the track beyond
that point having been blown from the
right of way clear to Virginia Point. There
were several box cars on the track here
one OF which contained the body OF a
young woman about II years OF age, who
} was subsequently bu- led at Lamarque.
She was picked up on the sand at Texas
City in the morning without vestige oil
clothing upon her and nothing about her
person by which she could be Identified
save a gold ring on one OF her fingers, on
the inside of which was engraved IL H.
. to j, r., November, 1898"
, Having reached the end OF the open
track the train unloaded the laborers il
had brought and they we're immedl at ely
put to work to replace the rails to Texas
City junction. When this Is done conuec-
ton will be made with the Texas Term
! inal, whose line is open and communlca-
tlon will be opened with Galveston by boat
: IL possible.
Adjutant General scurry, W. D. Worth
am Ed Kaufman and Jem McLemors
q OF Austin and others proceeded to Virgins
Point on foot to endeavor, II possible, tc
} reach Galveston from there.
Several refugees reached Virginia Point
during the evening, all OF whon told hsr.
} rowing tales of desolaton. According e
: their statements the loss OF life varle.
from 1900 to 5000. Most of them are dazec
! by the misfortune that has overcome then
and overwhelmed with the magnitude o.
| the disaster they have witnessed. From
r one OF the number 1t was learned that IN,
: sealy hospital has not as was ed
, been destroyed. The Blum g. Marks build
, ing was blown down, however, and tn,
dome OF the Ball high school wrecked
J Hardly house or building on the islant
! has escaped either damage or destruction
The Rosenberg school house, In which
, number Of persons had gathered to escap,
i the fury OF the storm. collapsed, killiny
= forty persons.
At Texas City three persons wer,
, drowned and a number OF bodies have bee,
/. found on the prairie near there. washed
, over from Galveston. For miles above tn,
city the beach Is piled several feet hiel
. with wrsckase OF every description. tn,
= most OF It being building lumber an,
: household furniture. Several refugse
L were picked up here. Each OF them 10.
: KIN in the storm and report seeing man,
; dead and dying. According to their sta te
= ments the Galveston wharves have beel
swept bare Of sheds and buildings and tn
Huntington wharf Is complete wreck
Al Texas City II was learned also tina
Camp Hawley was washed away and tina
T" OF the 300 soldiers stationed there but on
has been accounted for.
= Al Virginia Point two freight trains O
= nifty cars each. which took the siding Their
! Just as the storm reached its height. hay
q been scattered over the prairie some O
+, the cars composing them having beel
blown two and three miles inland. On
a OF the engines, that OF the Internationa
and Great Northern train (the other bein
. Katy train) stands ON the track solitar
Q and alone.
The railroad bridges at Virginia Pc n
are totally destroyed but few pilo
standing TO mark their former location an
II must be twenty days at least before tn
o semblance OF rail commup cation can agai
he had with fba ta1auH -. =. =.