Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-09-12
.FR|GHTFUL CALAMITY
From 600 to $500 Lives Lost at
the City of Galveston,
* Texas.
AWFUL EFFECT OF TIDAL WAVE
1t Sweeps Over the Island and
- Leaves Death and Disaster
in Its Wake.
Property Valued at $4,000, 900 De.
stroycd-Terrible Scenes wit.
- messed by Rescuers. 1

olTOyCO-1CfAlDlC SCcIlc6 WIZ
messed by Rescucrs.
New Orleans, Sept. 1O.-The follow
Ing message has been received from
Mr.. Hayes, Il newspaper correspondent
well known throughout the south:
Houston, Tex, Sept. 1O.-I have
just arrived from Galveston by boat.
Storm destroyed $1O,O00,OOO of prop
erty and 1870 lives lost. National
aid is asked for"
Galveston. Tex, Sept. 1O.-Six hun
dred to 1900 persons killed, city Ill
most in ruins, the wharf front entire
ly gone, steamers stranded, and death
and destruction on every hand with
money loss that cannot be estimated
now, is so far MS can I've learned ut
this hour. the result of the appalling
calamity that has befallen Galveston,
the result of tidal wave.
Waterworks In Ruins.
The waterworks are In ruins and
the cisterns all blown away. SO that
the lack of water is one of the most
serious Of the present troubles. Elec-
trio light and telegraph poles are near
ly all Frustrated and the streets are
Uttered with timbers, slate, glass and
every conceivable character of debris.
There is hardly habitnble house in
the entire city and nearly every bust
ness house is badly damaged. The
school buildings are unroofed, such edi-
berg school buildings being badly
wrecked. The fine elevators are al
most In ruins. The elevators and
trio light plant has collapsed, and SO
has the cotton factory.
Large Section swept Away.
From the fremont to P street,
thence to the beach, not vestige of q
residence is to be seen. In the busi-
ness section of the city the water was
from three to ten feet deep in stores,
and stocks of all kinds, including food
stutfs, are total losses.
Saturday night it was common
sight to see women and children
emerging from once comfortable
homes, dazed and bleeding from
wounds, women wading neck deep
with babies in their arms. To add, II
possible. to the calamity the city Is
cut off entirely from communication.
The telegraph lines are down and the
cable which, connects Galveston with
Mexico is cut, this message being car
ried by steamer to Texas City. All
of the bridges which connect the ISL
and with the mainland are reported
wrecked. AT one point where q bridge
formerly stood. a big ocean vessel was
stranded.
Storm Began Saturday Morning.
The storm commenced raging be-
tween 8 and 10 o'clock Saturday morn
ing, and by noon the waters from the
gulf had inundated the island as far
inland as Twelfth street. From there
the water gradually encroached far
ther inland, rising about 10 inches an
hour.
At p. IN, there was 80 inches Of
water in the Hobbies Of the fremont
hotel, the highest point in the city.
Across the street where the ground Is
lower horse was drowned. AT
| O'Clock the water on Market street
was level with the seats of the street
cars. After that 1t gradutlly receded,
but the wind was cyclonic in its force.
1t reached velocity of "a miles an
hour, and then the instruments in the
government observatory were
wrecked. In the streets the wires were
down, telegraph and telephone poles
falling, slate and glass and timber f1y-
ing through the air.
Work of Rescue Begins.
Starting as soon as the water began
to recede, the work of rescuing the
wounded and dying from the ruins be
| gan. In every direction as far as the
eye could reach the scene of desola.
ton and destruction was presented
The negro waiter who was sent for q
doctor for the injured at Rietter's sa'
loon, the first house to collapse, was
drowned at the corner of Strand aud
Twenty-first street and his body was
found later.
At the city hall were congregated
fully 700 people, who We're more OF
less injured in various ways. One
man from Lucas Terrace reported the
loss of so lives in the building from
which he escaped. He himself wa.
severely injured about the head. Oh
Avenue NJ several women were i'm
prisoned In a residence by the watel
and the debris. They were rescued
Bodies We're Everywhere.
-Four bodies We're observed In on,
J yard and seven In one room in anOth
err place, while as many as 60 bodie.
) were to be seenslying singly and ii
majority of the bodies, however, tina
have not been recovered are under TIN
ruined houses, and 1t will take severa
Il n,,l,t To tfn1l nf hnn
The report from st. AIary's infirm
| ary shows that only eight persons es
capped from that hospital. The nun
, Der of patients and nurses could no
be ascertained, but ordinarily the nun
Der of inmates were seldom under
hundred. ~, Rosenberg schoolhouse
which was chosen as a place of ref
uge by the people of that locality, col
lapsed. Some Of those who had takel
, refuge there escaped-hOw many cal
not be told,
Denth List Growing.
The death list is swelling rapidly
the accounts coming from every por
ton of the city. 1t is hard to deter
mine what section of the city sufrere
the greatest damage and loss of life
: Information from both the eXtrem
euStefH uHu eAtteue WESTERN porliou
of the city were difficult to obtain. Ii
fact, 1t was nearly impossible, but tn
, reports which were received indica
ed that those two sections had su
feed the same fate that the rest {
the city had. and to possibly grea
err degree.
v Fifteen men, constituting all thf
. remained of Il company of regular SO
diers stationed at the beach barracks
were marched down Market streee
The loss of life among the soldiers