The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-09-14
AWFUL STORY
OF SY0RM'S HAVOC.
Graphic Description OF Wreck
of Galveston.
WATERS SWEPT THE CITY
From End to End, while the Wind At
tanned velocity of Eighty-Nine Miles
an Hour aud Then Blew Away the
Government Instruments.


an Hour aud Then Blew Away the
Government Instruments.
Houston, Texas, Sept. 1.-THE follow
ing vivid story of the destruction Of Gal
weston is from the pen Of Richard Spill
lane, resident of that city, who is one
of the best known newspaper men In the |
south. Mr.. Spillane arrived here yester- |
day and was the bearer Of the appeal
from the mayor of the city for assist |
ance. Mr.. Spillane says:
"One Of the most awful tragedies Of
modern times has visited Galveston.
The city is in. ruins and the dead will
number probably one thousand. am
Just from the city, having been COM
mIs,oned by the mayor and citizens
committee to get In touch with the out
side world and appeal for help. Hous-
ton was the nearest point at which
working telegraph instruments could be
found, the wires. as well as nearly all
the buildings between here and the Gu'f
of Mexico being wrecked.
"when I left Galveston shortly before
noon yesterday the people were organic
ing for the prompt burial Of the dead,
distribution of food, and all necessary
work after period of disaster.
THE wreck at Galveston was
brought about by tempest so terrible
that no words can adequately describe
it's intensity, and by a flood which turn
ed the city into q raging sea. The
weather bureau records show that the
wind attained velocity Of eighty-four
miles an hour when the measuring In
struments blew away. so 1t was impos-
sible to tell what was the maximum.
"The storm began at o'clock Satur-
day morning. Previous to that great
storm had been raging in the gulf, and
the tide was very high. The wind at
first came from the north and was In d.
rect opposition to the force from the
gulf. While the storm in the gulf piled
the water upon the beach side OF the
city, the north wind piled the water
from the bay on to the bay part OF the
city.
LIKE RATS IN A TRAP.
"About noon 1t became evident that
the city was going to be visited with dis
aster. Hundreds Of residences along
the beach front were huriedly aban-
doned, the families fleeing to the dwell
ings in higher portions Of the city. Ev-
cry home was opened to the refugees
black or white. The winds were rising
constantly, and 1t rained in torrents
The wind was so fierce that the rain cut
like knife.
"By three o'clock the waters Of the
gulf and bay met, and by dark the en-
tire city was submerged. The flooding
of the electric light plant and the gas
plants left the city in darkness. To &C
upon the streets was to court death
The wind was then at cyclonic velocity
roofs, portions of buildings, telegraph
poles and walls were falling, and th'
Noise Of the wind and the crashing Of
the buildings were terrifying in the ex'
treme.
"The wind and waters rose steadily
from dark until LAS o'clock Sunday
morning. During all this time the peo
ple of Galveston were like rats in traps
The highest portion of the city wal
four to five feet under water, while II
the great majority of cases the streets
were submerged to depth Of ten feet
To leave a house was to drown. To re
main was to court death In the wreck
age.
A NIGHT OF AGONY.
"Such a night Of agony was seldon
equaled. Without apparent reason tn
Within twenty minutes they had gon
down two feet, and before daylight TIN
streets were practically freei from tn
flood waters. In the meantime tn
wind had veered to the southeast.
"Very few II any Of the buildings es
capped uninjured. There is hardly
habitable dry house in the city. Whel
the people who had escaped death Wen
out at daylight to view the work Of tn
tempest and the floods they saw tn
most horrible sight imaginable. In tn
three blocks from Avenue N to Avenu
P, in fremont street, saw eight bodies
-Four corpses were in one yard.
''The whole of the business front 10
, three blocks from the gulf was strippe'
S,of every yestige of habitation, tn
dwellings, the great bathing establish
ments, the Olympia, and every structur
having been either carried out to Sc
or its ruins piled in a pyramid far int
the town. according to the vagaries Of tn
tempest.
BAY FRONT IN RUINS.
1.-THE bay front from end to end is 4
ruins. Nothing but piling and tn
wreck of great warehouses remain. TIL
eleva tors lost all their upper works an
their stocks are damaged by water.
'The life saving station at Fort Poin
was carried away, the crew being swep
across the bay. fourteen miles to Texa
City. saw Captain Haines yesterday
and he told me that his wife and one
the crew were drowned.
The shore at Texas City contain
enough wreckage to rebuild a city
Eight persons who were swept acros
the bay during the storm were pickle
up there alive. Five corpses were ais
picked up. There were three fatalitie
in Texas City. In addition to the livin
and the dead which the storm cast u
at Texas City, caskets and collins fror
one of the cemeteries at Galveston wer
being fished out of the water there yes
terday.