The evening times., 1900-09-11
4 CITY BUILT ON Sand
Highest Point in Galveston Six
Feet Above Sea Level.
Inundation Favored by the Slight
EIeyation-In 1872 Storm Similar
to the Recent One Swept Away
an Entire Section of the Town.
An Important Commercial Port

rock, or at least upon rocky soil. instead OF
upon sand, the city would not have escaped
inundation by the recent storm. of course,
but it is likely that many of the buildings
destroyed would have withstood the gale
and that, consequently, the loss OF lie
would have been far less appalling
The city stands at such a slight elevation
above sea level that it seems always des-
tined to be particularly susceptible 10
floods and tidal waves driven upon her by
those terrible tornadoes which have their
origin in the region OF the West indies.
The city is built upon the northeast ex-
tremity of Galveston Island, at the mouth
OF Galveston Bay. This sandy stretch e4-
tends east and west for twenty-seven
miles, and seven miles is it's greatest width
north and south. No part of the city IS
more than six feet above the sea level.
Where the city is built the island is only
one and quarter miles vide The island
is intersected by many small bayous anu
bordered through it's whole length on the
ocean side by a smooth, hard beach, form
ing fine drive and affording good bathing
The bay is irregular, branching out into
various arms. 1t has a total area OF 4oU
square miles. It's entrance is guarded by
2 bar through WHICH the present U6EP wa
ter channel is constructed. The stone jet
ties fanking 1t are five miles long. The
city proper, being on the inner side of the
island, is naturally protected from the
sweep Of the ocean storms, but the level
OF the island is so little above that of the
bay that inuadations have more than once
been threatened. The bay is shallow is
most parts, and the railroads reach the
city on two-miIe IeStle from the main
land.
In point of population Galveston is rated
as the third city in Texas and the first
commercially. Since the Improvement OF
its harbor by the United States Govern
ment it has become one of the chief ports
of the United States, an immense amount
OF export trade which formerly came East
having been DETECTED to that point. The
harbor improvement made by the United
States Government consisted of the con-
struction Of a system CT jetties at cost OF
IS, 1GG. GG0. BY means of these jetties a
depth OF twenty y-nine feet of water was OBJ
tanned at Galveston, thus permitting OF the
largest size ocean going vessels loading
and unloading there. The city is connect
ed with the entire railway systems OF the
United States and Mexico, and has dozen
direct lines Of steamship communication
with New York, Morgan City, the coast
ports of the State, and with Liverpool,
Bremen, and other ports. The trade of
Galveston. import and export is in the
neighborhood OF S1GO, ,00o, 600 a year.
In 1889 Galveston had become the first
cotton exporting point in the country, han
ding 6T.9I per cent of the crops. The city
ranks fifth among the I27 foreign export
ing points OF the United States. In 1889
Galveston exported 6.39 per cent Of the
merchandise that left this country. Its ex-
ports increased SO, 800, coo. or 13 per cent
in that year. The imports have shown a
greater variety in the last few years, ow-
ing TO the fact that the den and for import
goods through Galveston is from a greatly
widened territory Galveston has recently
become a great lumber port. The export
of lumber and wood manufactures for 1898
'99 amounted TO 81, ,247 914, this business
having been built up almost entirely since
deep water was secured The expectation
OF hog and dairy products, eggs, and pouI-
try il also a new business which has devel-
oPed rapidly.
On the bay, on the north side of the
city, is the commercial section, with
whaTves. stretched Tor nearly two miles
lined with sheds and large storage houses
In that portion of Galveston there were
three elevators, one e 100000 bushels
capacity, one of !, 600 U00 bushels and the
third of 100 GOO bushels The island from
the north side was connected with the
mainland by railroad bridges and probably
the longest wagon bridge in the world
nearly two miles. In the extreme east
crn end of the city there were many
raised cottages" built Oh piling, and
standing from eigth to ten feet from the
ground. as q pTecauticn against floods, il
being possible fer the water to sweep IN
der them.
The south side of the city. beginning
within fifty yards of the medium Gulf tide
iS he h.ar- 81. T.I a.
cost the owner more than 81 COO GEO. Most
of the houses. however, are of frame but
there are many OF stone and brick The
streets are wide and straight, and the
residence quarters abound in gardens
shaded with magnoIias and oIeanders
Among the principal buildings are, or
were. the new custom house and post
office, the cotton exchange, the court
hourse. the Ball Free School, the Free
Public Library. and the Roman Catholic
Univ ersity OF St. Mary
The city has gas and electric light
plants. waterworks system valued al
S450090. and supplied from artesian
wells. and numerous hotels. including
one OF the largest in the South on the
beach In 1898 the gross city valuations
were So. .000. .0G0. the debt was 81 759, eco
the city had authority to issue addition
al bonds to the amount OF S1.5G00J0 for
pei ludutnl lIAps SIIiGAIp anu II OEF hGI
property to the value of s1,955.560 IN
addition TO being the great port of ha
South, Galveston is also an important
manufacturing centre. There are cotton
congresses and cotton mills there which
represent several millions invest tment
In the last few years the United States
Government has spent s932.000 in tbs
construction of coast Notifications al
Galveston, and the equipment of them
The census figures for Galveston for 1870
as made public by the Census Bureau &
few days ago, are 37,7S9. Thousands oi
pIeasure-seekers from all parts of thf
South visit Galveston in the summer
| months to enjoy the excellent surf ba. h
ing which the beach affords.
This is not the first though 1t is b.
far the most severe, disaster which has
befallen the city. In 1872 the entire cas-
end was swept away by a tidal wave
that followed a terrific storm, which
| swept the Gulf coast for three days The
eastern land. on which buildings stocd
was literally torn away. The city was
founded in 1887. In the civil war the
Federal forces occupied the town on De-
tober 8, 1862, but it was retaken by the
Confederates on January l, 1863
INCENDIARY CHICAGO FIRE.