The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-09-12
AWFUL DISASTER.

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West India storm which reached the
Gulf coast Sunday morning wrought
awful havoc in Texas. An appalling
disaster has befallen he city of Calves
ton, where it is reported thousand or
more lives have been bloted out and
tremendous property damage incurred.
The estimates made by citizens of
Galveston are that 1000 houses, most
of them residences, have been destroy
ed AID that at least 1000 people have
been drowned, killed or missing. Some
business houses were also destroyed,
but most of them stood, though badly
damaged.
Water was blown over the island by
the hurricane, the wind blowing at the
rate of eightymiles an hour straight
from the Gulf and forcing the sea
water before it in big waves. The gale
was steady one, the heart of it striking
the city about five o'clock Saturday ev-
ening and continuing without inter-
mission until midnight when it abated
somewhat although it continued to
blow all night.
1t is reported that the orphan asylum
and both the hospital, were destroyed
II this proves true the loss of life will
be great as these institutions were gen.
orally crowded and as they are substan-
tial buildings the chances are that
many had taken refuge in them.
The water was three feet deep in the
rotunda of the fremont hotel and was
six feet deep in Market Square. Along
the water front the damage was very
| ha hnI 1. r..
all the elevators and the sheds along
wharfs were either wrecked or had lost
their sides and were of no protection
to the contents.
Galveston is now entirely cut off
from communication. The boats are
gone, the railroads cannot be operated
and the water is so high people cannot
walk out by way of the bridge across
the bay even should that bridge be
standing.
Provisions will be badly needed, as a
great majority of the people lost all
they had. The water works power
house was wrecked and water famine
is threatened, as the cisterns were all
ruined by the overflow of salt water
This is the most serious problem to be
faced now. The city is in darkness,
the electric plant having been ruined
There is no way of estimating the prop
erty damage at present.
The east end of the city, which is the
residence district, has been practically
wiped out of existence. On the west
end, which faces the gulf on another
portion OF the island, much havoc wa:
done. The beach has been swept
clear, the bath houses are DESTROYED
and many of the residences are tota
wrecks.
A train came in Sunday afternoon or
Columbia Tap railroad and its crew tel
q story of death and desolation in the
country through which they passed
Conductor Ferguson states that houses
barns, crops and orchards have beer
destroyed and great damage has beer
done. Among the passengers who ar
rived here on relief train from Calves
ton is Ben W. Drew, an attache of tn,
Southern Pacific. Drew had been a
Virginia Point for several hours anC
said he saw 100 to $50 dead bodies
floating out on the beach at that place
Conductor Powers reported that TWEEN
ty five corpses had been recovered by
the life saving crew, many of then
women. The water swept across the
island and it is presumed the most O.
these were Galveston people, though
none of them have been identified.
GALVESTON, Sept. 1O.-Nearly one
thousand were killed as a result of the
storm that ragged here Saturday. The
city is almost in ruins, every ocear
steamer is stranded and death and de
struction are on every hand. The
storm left the inhabitants helpless.
is impossible to give an accurate coun
of the dead, as the actual number killed
will probably never be known.
The large steamer Alomay is on tor
of Mallory wharf, q big English cotton
steamer is ashore at Texas City anC
other vessels are aground in different
parts of the bay. Some are totally
wrecked The tug Louise is undei
water at Red Fish and two of her crew
are drowned. Telegraph and electri,
light poles are down and the streets
are Uttered with bricks, timbers, glass
and bodies of every character. Hardly
nome in the city is habitable, anC
most of the business houses are badl,
uduuuSOu' OCuOOiuOuots WbTb uD
rooted, and the two largest, the Bal
high school and the ROseberg schoo
were almost completely wrecked
Handsome churches in the city ar,
little more than high piles of debris
Most elevators and warehouses are unfi
for use. The electric light plant il
ruined from fremont to p street ant
from there to the beach not singl,
residence is standing. All over tn,
business portion of the city, the waite
Is from three to ten feet deep.
Stocks of all kinds and merchandis,
including food stuffs are total losses
Women could be seen on the street,
yesterday neck deep IN water carryin!
their children in uplifted arms. Thu
wharves of Texas City are destroyed
and a mile of water front is littere,
with wreckage, much of which wa
blown there from Galveston. At Tex
! as City three lives are known to be lost
Full reports it is believed will shov