The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1900-09-19
THE GALVESTON HORROR.

The late storm at Galveston, Texas,
whereby thousands of human lives and
millions of dollars in property were
destroyed in few hours, by wind and
water, surpasses any experience Of
modern times. The destruction and
fury Of the storm and the awful scenes
following in its wake, alike beggar all
description.
The whole island on which Calves
ton was situated was submerged from
3 to 10 feet deep by waters blown in
from the Gulf, while the winds driving
the mad waves over the Inflated city
blew perfect tornado, ,going at the
rate of 81 miles an hour. The horror
of the experience was intensified by
the storms reaching the height of its
fury in the night, after the city had
been wrapped in midnight darkness by
the submerging of the electric light
plant and gas works.
Galveston was city of $1,000 inhab-
itants, and of this number it is estima-
ted that from five to eight thousand
persisted. The exact number of the
dead will never be known, their bodies
being scattered over wide arena, and
a large number swept out to sea.
When the storm and the waters had
subsidized, the picking up and disposing
of the dead was begun. The work and
horrible scenes attending this under
taking defy all description. At first
the gathering of the dead bodies in
m orgues for Identification was under
taken, but the number was found so
great, this was soon found to be an i'm.
possible task. Then the bodies we're
gathered together and piled together 8
deep on barges and towed out into the
Gulf and buried in the sea; but it was
soon discovered that the offensive and
putrefying corpses were being borne
back by the tide and cremation in the
streets had to be resorted to as the
only means Of dealing with the situa-
ton.
The following, taken from long ac-
count by staff reporter of the Plea
yune on the ground is given as a sam
pie OF many:
"St. Mary's Orphan Asylum was to-
tally wrecked and everyone within its
walls was killed There were
NINETY ODD CHILDREN WHO
Persisted
and eleven sisters. The heroic sisters
had each tied themselves to nine chill
dren with stout ropes. The bodies
floated to sea and we're found, still
bound together.
"There were forty nine bodies found
on the street railroad bridge, in a
wrecked car, at the Denver Resurvey.
In short distance, at the four mile
post, 156 bodies were picked up and
burned.
Sat Texas City 172 bodies were burn
ed, forty-tw were buried and there
are more rotting in the sun. This was
reported byJ. N. Patterson, of Bren-
ham. In one residence on Twenty
seventh street Carl FEST reported
twenty-five dead bodies, including the
remains of Miss Annie Christian, of
Shreveport. The inmates were crush
ed by the falling of the roof. At Thir-
ty-frst & P streets over 100 bodies were
burned. At Virginia point A. Haight,
New Orleans man counted the bodies
of 136 nude women. Many of them
had babies clutched in their arms,
some of whom were only few weeks
old, some not more than an hour.
Over 200 bodies were burned and bur-
led at Virginia Point. These are but
a few of the instances which were
heard of.
at would be hard to state accurate
ly the extent of the property loss. 1t is
certain, however, that it will mount
up to over s15,OOO,OOO There we're
100000 bushels of grain destroyed.
Not a single building in the city escap-
ed damage. Not one in two is fit for
occupancy. The Southern Pacific losses
are S1.500OOO."
The horror of such situation as
this was aggravated by vandals rob-
bling the bodies of the dead, cutting
off the fingers and ears for their jew
elry. Scores of these were shot with
out ceremony by vigilance committees
and the city declared to be under mar
shall law to preserve order.