Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-21
GALVESTON FLOOD
Horrible Experiences of MIR. and Mrs
Terry G.. Cordua.
TOTAL Loss OF EARTHLY POSSESSIONS
Scenes Witnessed Duringand After
the Terrible Storm.
THE DEAD IN THE STREETS

Mr. and Mrs Terry @. Cordua. formerly
of Galveston. Tex. who lost everything
they owned In the recent disaster there,
have reached Washington, and are stopping
with Mr. Cordua's mother, No. 1851 9th
street northwest.
In conversat ton last evening with a Star
reporter Mr.. Cordua expressed the opinion
that when ali the returns are in 1t will
be found that fully Is. 900 persons lost their
lives aS the result Of the recent cyclone in
Galveston.
On the morning of the Sth instant, which
was the dag of the storm. Mr.. Cordua went
TO work as usual When he left his home
he rode his wheel through water that was
standing in the streets. he supposing it
was merely the accommodations usual after
d heavy rain.
Il went on to work." he said. mot think
ing for a moment We would have storm
or overflow. At noon L started home to
dinner. taking the street car going south
on Center street. When / arrived within
eight squares of my house, which was
four blocks from the barn, the power gave
out, so | got out TO walk, the water being
up to my ankles ! pulled off my shoes
and rolled up my pants to my knees, and
set out When l arrived at my gate the
water was above my waist. | saw Mr..
Franks, a gentleman living in the neighbor-
nGod. ana laugnlngiy Lpi1 Elm IL was ilIic
to move ont. He answered: L think so,
too
Il went into the house and told my wife
and mother-in-law that / thought L had
better get a carriage To take them to
place of safety. but my wife opposed it. She
said she thought the water would go down.
but il kept rising. and the wind was blow
ing at the rate OF twenty to thirty miles
an hour and was increasing every minute.
l went out 10 assist some women and chill
dren who lived IN houses nearby. L pulled
off all my clothes with the exception OF
ar undershtrt and trousers. Jailer krausS
and Bob Adams and / sent boat load after
boat load of women and children to the
court house thinking it the safest place
for them, which II was
We'll, / worked with the rescuing party
until about 4 o'clock. when | thought | had
better see after my own people, so L went
over tn my house and the front steps were
gone.
The boats were all gone. filled with peo-
pie. so / was helpless; but I CHANGED to
look out OF the window and saw a boat
loaded with trunks pushed by two men. l
asked them If they would not lend me the
boat with which to rescue my family when
they had placed the trunks in safety. They
replied: Get them out the best way you
can. We are not coming back.
"A hard. fine hail was falling and the
wind was blowing a perfect gale. L then
went 10 the front door and two men
with boat making for Bob Adams house.
across the street ! waded out and asked
them if they would assist me in getting my
family out They said they would, and we
pushed the boat over to my house. BY this
time the house about ready to float.
We succeeded in getting my wife. mother
in-law and a lady and two children who
were in the house into the boat. | was ad-
vised to take them to the court house. and,
aided by friend. l tried TO 90 So 1t was
& most horrible time.
= str on h.a
east side Of the street. but the street north
OF Avenue y was blocked with debris. and
we went west Avenue y to Center street.
and proceeded by that route. As we went
along houses would fall in our rear and in
front OF us. and states from the roofs were
flying in every direction. 1t was next thing
to miracle that We were not instantly
killed by some of the flying bricks and
stones and wreckage. 1t almost i'm
possible to cross the streets, the wind and
the rain meeting us at such Il terrific rate
as to almost upset the boat. We were fire.
Quently driven against the telephone poles.
Finally we We're enabled to get far as
the power house and there met some men
/ knew. They asked where we we're
going. | told them to the court house.
They advised us not TO go, as the building
was not safe, and. anyway, the bricks from
the power house had fallen along 10Th
street. and that thoroughfare was impassa-
BILE | determined TO go to the Ball High
School. Words to that effect We're hardly
out Of my mouth when the school building
fell in.
There were thirteen large vestibuled cars
on the track near us. We were told to get
into one of them. and did so. but in the
course of half hour We're washed out.
We We're buffetei about until were
dashed up against a two-stOry house. which
was strongly built. and were pulled in
there. the water, however. being all over
the house inside l carried the women and
children upstairs the house shaking and
rocking like ship at | expected every
moment would be our last. but the old
house stood through 1t ALL II was pro-
tected on The north and east by large
buildings.
Horrible sight.
The next morning, after the water had
gone down enough to permit the men to go
out, went 10 look for the remains of my
house. had to push the dead bodies out
of The way to clear a way large enough to
admit of passing through. One of the most
horrible sights that man has ever looked
upon was there. Women dead, with their
loved ones Cldsped IN their arms. were upon
the street, some almost buried by the i'm
Der Young men had turned perfectly gray
bearded III one night Women were rum
ming around pulling their hair out and cry
ing aloud FOR members Of their families
Men were there who had seen their respec-
tive families drown before their eyes, but
could not save them II was something aw-
full, and | cannot begin TO describe 1t. 1t
Seems like dream To me- l cannot real
iZe IL even to this day.
Il finally got TO the street that / had
lived on, after climbing over debris some
twelve or fifteen feet high piled in the mid
ole of the thoroughfare. All that l could
see was vacant space of about ten
squares toward the beach, and extending
from one end Of the island to about as far
as | could see toward the other / could
not even find the lot my dwelling stood on
much less the house
Il searched all day Sunday for some
thing / would recognize my house or a
part of It. but could not find 1t. Every
thing was complete mass of ruins. Dead
bodies Were strewn all over the beach as
far as one could see
Monday 1 went TO the cracker factory a s
everybody was going there 10 get some
thing 10 eat. But when / got there the
place was covered with mud two feet deep
inside. and was packed with women and
children trying TO get something with
which TO appease their hunger; many of
them We're eating the mush that was all
over The floor and In the mud-a much COM
posed in part of the crackers that had been
smashed and crumbled. and wet by the salt
water. But the poor creatures paid little
or no attention 20 that. so long as 1t was
something 10 eat.
Il left there and went uptown-or what
remained of the town--as that sight was
too horrible to look at. l did not feel
hungry. nor did l care for myself but |
wanted 10 get something for my family
to eat II seemed almost an imnossbili,y