Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-09-14
THE GALVESTON HORROR
Details Show that the City Is In.
decd q Wreck.


Houston, Tex, Sept. 1.-THE first
reports from the appalling disaster
which has stricken the city of Gal.
weston do not seem to have been mag.
nified. Communication was had with
the island city by boats and reports
received here last night indicate that
the death list will exceed 1900, while
the property loss cannot be estimated'
although it will reach several million
dollars.
The names of all who persisted in
Saturdays great storm will never be
known.
At the army barracks near San An
tonic a report is current that more
than 1O5 United States soldiers lost
their lives in Galveston. This report,
however, lacks confirmation.
A mass meeting was held and lib
eral contributions were made for the
immediate relief of the destitute.
Governor Sayers appealed to Pres
ident Mckinley for aid. This appeal
was met with u prompt response that
10000 tents and $4,000 rations had
been ordered to Galveston. Governor
each municipality in the state, asking
for prompt assistance in caring for
the sufferers.
kilograms of inquiry and sympa-
thy have been pouring in throughout
the day and night from every state
in the union, and in almost every in
stance substantial relief has been Of
fered. The stricken city is in immi-,
o. fn1 ,
strenuous efforts are being made here,
to supply the sufferers. Reports from
the interior confirm the loss of life
in former dispatches.
Houston, Tex, Sept. 11.--Advices by
boat from Galveston say the STORM
commenced raging between 9 and 10:
o'clock Saturday morning and by noon
the waters from the gulf had mum.
dated the island as far inland as
Twelfth street. From there the waters;
gradually encroached on the island,
rising about fifteen inches an hour.
At p. m. there were thirty-six inches
of wat 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 9.
o'clock the water on Market street,
was level with the seats of the street
cars. After that it gradually rcceded,
but the wind was cyclonic in it's force.
1t reached a velocity of eighty-four,
miles an hour and then the instru-'
ments in the government observatory
were wrecked The loss is appalling.
The watcrworks are in ruins and the
cisterns are blown away, so that the,
lack of water is one of the most
serious of the present troubles. Ruin
is everywhere. Electric light and tel.
egraph poles are nearly all Frustrated,
and the streets are Uttered with tim
bers, slate, glass and every conceiva-
bic character of debris.
There is hardly an inhabitable
house in the entire city and nearly
every business house is badly DAM
aged. The school buildings are I'M
rooted, such edifices as the Ball high
! school and Rosenberg school build
ings being badly wrecked. The fine
| churches are almost in ruins. The
elevators and warehouses are unfit
for use. The electric light plant has
collapsed and SO has the cotton fac
tory. From fremont to 2 street,
thence to the beach, not vestige OF
Il residence is to be seen.
In the business section of the city
the water was from three to ten feet
deep in stores and stocks of all kinds,
including foodstuffs, are total losses.
While the Post correspondent was in
Galveston Saturday night it was 4
common sight for him to see women
and children emerging from once.
comfortable and happy homes dazed
and bleeding from wounds, the wo-
men wading neck deep holding babies
over their heads. To add, if possible,
to the calamity. the city is cut of
entirely from the world. The tele-
graph lines are down and the cable
which connects Galveston with Mex
leo is cut. In sailing for Texas City
the Post correspondent used a strong
glass but could see nothing of any
of the bridges which connect the is
land with the mainland, but where the
| bridge should be big ocean vessel