Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-09-13

The storm that swept Galveston
Sunday has proven to be one of the
most awful tragedies of modern times.
While the death list may not be as
large as at first anticipated. it is almost
certain to reach 900, while the finan-
cial ruin is beyond comparison. No
storm in American history has ever
wrought such havoc, and Galveston is
In ruins. Large steamers and water
crafts are stranded ON the sites of
former large buildings which were
blown and swept out of existence.
People of the stricken city are in
actual want, as the salt water utterly
ruined the water supply and greatly
damaged the food Every bridge to
the mainland is destroyed and most all
water crafts put out of service. SO that
the transportation OF supplies, easily
secured in nearby cities, is serious
question.
The secretary of war, by direction of
the president, has ordered so, 600 ra-
tions and 10000 tents for the relief of
sufferers to be forwarded from the
nearest supply depot.
The wreck of Galveston was brouobt
about by tempest so terrible that no
words can adequately describe it's in.
tensity, and by food which turned
the city into a raging sea. The weather
bureau record shows that the wind at-
tanned velocity of eighty-four miles
an hour when the measuring instru-
ment blew away, so it is impossible to
tell what was the maximum.
The storm began about Q o'clock
Saturday morning. Previous TO that a
great storm had been raging in the
gulf aud the tide was very high. The
wind at first came from the north and
was in direct opposition to the force
from the gulf. While the storm in the
gulf piled the water upon the beach
side OF the city, the north wind piled
the water from the bay onto the bay
part of the city.
About noon it became evident that
the city was going to be visited with
disaster. Hundreds of residences along
the beach front were hurriedly aban-
doned, the families fleeing to dwellings
In higher portions of the city. Every
nome was open to the refugees, black
or white. The wind was rising CON-
stantly, and rain fell in torrents. The
wind was SO fierce that the rain cut
like a knife.
by o'clock the waters of the gulf
and bay met, and by dark the entire
city was submerged. The flooding Of
the electric light plant and the gas
plant left the city in darkness. To po
out into the streets was to court death
The wind was then at cyclonic velocity.
roofs'- cisterns, portions of buildings.
telegraph poles and walls were falling.
and the noise of the wind and the
crashing of the buildings was terrifv-
ing in the extreme. The wind and
waters rose steadily from dark until |
l:45 o'clock Sunday morning.
During all this time the people of
galveston were like rats in tran The
highest portion of the city was four to ,
live feet under water, while in the great |
majority of cases the streets were SUBJ
merged to depth of ten feet. To
ease a house was to drown. To re.
main was to court death in the wreck
age.
Such night of agony has seldom
been equalled. Without apparent rea-
ION the waters began to subside at las
J. m. Within two minutes they had
rome down two feet, and before day-
light the streets were practically freed
u the flood waters. In the meantime
'he wind had veered to the southeast
Very few, If any, buildings escaped
injury. There is hardly a habitable
iouse in the city. When the people
who had escaped death went out at
iaylight to view the work of the tenn
pest and the floods, they saw the most
iorrible sights imaginable.
The whole of the business front for
hree blocks in from the gulf were
tripped of every vestige of habitation.
SHOT DEAD AT CHURCH.