Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-09-13


reaching the governor it will be neces-
sary to cooperate with the federal
troops to place all the mainland oppo-
site Galveston as well as Texas island
under martial law. If reports reach
ing here are true, thieves have began
to enter the city for the purpose of pill.
fering the bodies of the dead The gov
ernor has been informed that the com
mander Of the Texas troops has been
ordered to Galveston by the federal
authorities and the governor will lend
him every assistance possible with
state militia to keep vandals down.
GALVESTON MAKES APPEAL.
Five Thousand Families Without Shelter.
Food or Clothing.
Galveston, Sept. 12.-The following
statement of conditions at Galveston
and appeal for aid is issued by the
local relief committee, signed by May
or w. G. Jones and prominent citizens:
"A conservative estimate of the loss
of life is that it will reach 5000; at
least 5000 families are shelterless and
wholly destitute. The entire remain
der of the population is suffering in
greater or lesser degree. Not single
church, school or charitable institu-
ton, of which Galveston had so many,
is left intact. Not building escaped
damage and half the whole number
We're entirely obliterated. There is
immediate need for food, clothing and
J household goods of all kinds. If near.
by cities will open asylums for women
and children the situation will be
! greatly relieved. Coast cities should
send us water as well as provisions,
| including kerosene oil. gasoline and
candles.''
| DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.
Site of the City a Scene of Awful De-
struction.
| Houston, Tex, Sept 11.-Itichard
| Spillane, a we'll known Galveston
| newspaper man, and correspondent Of
! the Associated Press in that city, who
1 reached Houston yesterday, after a
terrible experience, gives the follow
| ing account Of the disaster at Calves
/ ton:
! "One of the most awful tragedies of
modern times has visited Galveston
The city is in ruins and the dead will
number probably 1000. l am just
from the city, having been commits
stoned by the mayor and citizens COM
mite to get in touch with the outside
world and appeal for help. Houston
was the nearest point at which work
ing telegraph instruments could be
! found, the wires, as well as nearly all
the buildings between here and the
| gulf of Mexico being wrecked
when l left Galveston shortly be-
fore noon Sunday the people We're or
ganizing for the prompt burial of the
dead, distribution of food and all nee
essary work after a period of disaster
THE wreck of Galveston was
brought about by Il tempest so terrible
that no words can adequately describe
it's intensity. ard by Hood which
turned the city into il raging sea. The
weather bureau records show that the
wind attained Il velocity of 81 miles
an hour, when the measuring instru-
ment blew away, SO it is impossible to
tell what was the maximum.
THE storm began about 2 o'clock
Saturday morning. About noon it be-
came evident that the city was going
to be visited with disaster. Hundreds
OF residences along the beach front
were hurriedly abandoned, the fam
lilies fleeing to dwellings in higher por-
tions of the city. Every home was
opened to the refugees. black or white
The wind was rising constantly and it
rained in torrents. The wind was so
fierce that the rain cut like a knife.
Water Blewn Over Island.
"By 3 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
plants left the city in darkness. To go
upon the streets was to court death.
The wind was then at cyclonic veloc-
1ty, roofs, cisterns, portions of build
ings, telegraph poles and walls We're
falling and the noise Of the wind and
the crashing OF the buildings was ter
rifying in the extreme. The wind and
waters rose steadily from dark until
1:45 Sunday morning. During all this
| time the people of Galveston We're like
! rats in traps. The highest portion of
the city was four to five feet under
water, while in the great majority of
eases, the streets We're submerged to
a depth of ten feet. TO leave house
was to drown. To remain was to
court death in the wreckage.
"Such wind has seldom been
equalled. Without apparent reason
the waters suddenly began to subside
at 1:45 a. III. Within 20 minutes they
had gone down two feet and before
daylight the streets We're practically
freed of the flood waters.
Very few, if any, buildings es-
capped injury. There is hardly hab-
liable dry house in the city. When the
people who had escaped death went