The Saint Paul globe., 1900-09-10

HOUSTON, Tex, Sept 8, 10 p. D1.-The
| West Indian storm which reached the
| Gulf coast yesterday morning wrought
awful havoc IN Texas.
An appalling disaster has befaflen the
city of Galveston, where, it is reported. a
| thousand or more lives have been plotted
incurred. Meagre reports from Sabine
| Past and Port Arthur also indicate a
heavy loss of life. but these reports can
! not be confirmed at this hour.
The first news to reach this city from
the. stricken city of Galveston was re-
ceived today James G. Tinmins, who re-
| sides in Houston and who Is the general
superintendent of the National Compress
company, arrived in the city at 8 O'Clock
| tonight from Galveston. He was ore of
the first to reach here with tidings of the
great disaster which has befaIlen that
city and the magnitude of the disaster
| remains to be told because of his haste
to reach home. After remaining through
| the hurricane Saturday, he departed from
| Galveston on a schooner and came across
| the bay to Morgans Point, where he
caught a train for Houston The hurri-
cane, Mr.. Timmins said, was the worst
ever known.
FOUR THOUSAND HOMES DESTROY
ED.
The estimates made by citizens of Gal
weston were that 4,000 houses, most of
| item residences, have been destroyed and
that at lest 1,000 people have been dr own
ed, killed or are missing. Some business
houses Were also dstreyed, but most of
them stood, though badly damaged The
city, Mr.. Timminsa AYERS, is a consplg4 e
wreck, SO far as he could see from the
water front and from the fremont hotel
Water was blown over the island by the
hurricane, the wind blowing at the rate
OF eighty miles an hour straight from the
gulf and forcing the sea water before 1t
In big waves. The gale was a steady one.
The heart of it striking the city about
s o'clock yesterday evening and con-
ttnued without interrnission until mid
! night last night,when it abated somewhat.
although it continued to blow all night.
OF his own Knowledge, Mr.. Timmins knew
OF only one house succumbing with
fatal results, though he heard of MANY
residences being carried away with in
mates. The house that he. saw DESTROYED
was Ritter,s saloon and restaurant at
259 Strand street, principal business
street of the city. This three-story
building was bloWn down and nine men
pIOiA1ACdt CllIZSHS-W6rG Killed.
MAY BE MANY DEAD HERE.
1t was reported that the orphan asylum
and both the hospitals were DESTROYED
and If this proves true the loss of life
will be great, as these institutions were
generally crowded and as they were SUBJ
stantial buildings the chances are that
many had taken refuge In them.
The water extended across the island.
oT1aira coi -
In the rotunda of the fremont house and
was six feet deep in Market street. Small
craft are floating bottom UP in the bay
Along the water front the damage wa
very great The roofs had been blown
from all the. elevators and all along the
water front the buildings had lost their
sides and were no protection to their con-
| tents.
BRITISH BOAT ASHORE.
A small steamship is ashore three mi. as
| north of Pelican island, but Mr.. Timmins
could not distinguish her name She
was flying a British flag Another big
vessel had been driven ashore at Viz
gdnia point and still another is aground
on the island A short distance from
Pelican Point another vessel is ashore
The lightship that marks Galveston Point
bar Is hard and fast aground at Bolivar
point
Mr.. Trnn1ins and the others with him
on the schooner, rescued two sailors In
the middle bay, who had been many
hours in the water. These men were for
eigners and he could gain no information
from them. wrecked vessel looking
| like large steam tug was seen in the
bay just before landing. The carcasses
| of nearly 200 horses and mules were seen
but no human bodies were visible. TT e
scenes during the storm Mr. TIroyo;ne
said, could not be described Women and
children were crowded into the fremont
house. where he had sought shelter. AT
night they were bemoaning their losses
and completely filed the hotel, even the
| stairways.
NO WATER TO DRINK.
The water works is flooded and water
famine is threatened. all the wells be-
] ing spoiled on account of the Overflow