The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1900-09-14
GALVESTON 5 SAD STORY.
The People Had Warning of the
Storm and Were Filled
/. with Apprehension.
PRECEDING CONDITIONS WERE OMNIBUS.
and Then, with Ever Increasing
Force, the Mighty Hurricane
swept EverythinG Before 1.-two
Gigantic Forces.

Galveston. Tex, by Western Union
dispatch boat to Houston, Tex, Sept.
10.-The terrific cyclone that pro-
duced such distressing disaster in
Galveston and all through Texas was
predicted by the United States wealth
er bureau To strike Galveston Friday
night. and created much apprehen,
sion, but the night passed without
the prediction being verified. The con
ditions, however, were ominous, the
danger signal was displayed on The
flagstaff of the weather bureau. ship
ping was warned, etc. The south
eastern sky was sombre, the gulf beat
high on the beach with that dismal
thunderous roar that presaged trou
BILE. while the air had that stiffness
that betokens a storm.
Out From the North the wind Came,
From out the north, in the middle
watches of the night, the wind began
to come in spiteful puffs, increasing
in volume as the day dawned. BY ten
o'clock Saturday morning il was al
most gale: at noon il had increased
in velocity. and was driving the rain.
whipping the pools and tearing things
up in a lively manner. yet no serious
apprehension was felt by residents
remote from the encroachments of
the gulf. Residents near the beach
were aroused to the danger that
Threatened their homes. Stupendous
e.
inland, and the people began hasty
exit to secure places in the city.
Two Gigantic Forces.
Two gigantic forces were at work.
The gulf force drove the waves with
irresistible force high upon the
beach, and the gale from the north
east pitched the waters against and
over the wharves, choking the sew
ers and flooding the city from that
quarter. The streets rapidly began
to fill with water; communication be-
came difficult and the hapless people
were caught between two powerful
elements, while the winds howled and
rapidly increased in velocity.
Railroad Communication Cut on.
Railroad communication was cut
off shortly after noon. the track be-
ing washed out; wire facilities COM
pletely failed at three o'clock, and
Galveston was isolated from the
world. The wind mometarily in
creased in velocity, while the waters
rapidly rose, and the night drew on
with dreaded apprehension depicted
in the face of every one. Already
hundreds and thousands were bravely
struggling with their families against
the mad waves and fierce wind for
places of refuge.
Public Buildings Crowded.
The public school buildings. court
house, hotels, in fact any place that
offended apparently safe refuge
from the elements, became crowded
! TO their utmost Two minutes OF
$3.50 y. m, just before the anemo-
meter blew away, it had reached tho
frightful velocity of l00, miles an hour
Buildings that had hitherto stood
tumbled and crashed. carrying death
and destruction tohundreds of people
Roofs whistled through the air, win
dows were driven in with crash OF
scattered by flying slate, telegraph
telephone and electric light poles
with their masses of wires. were
snapped off like pipe stems, and wa,
ter communications were broken.
A Matter OF Speculation.
What velocity the wind attained
after the thermometer blew off il
purely a matter of speculation. Ths.
lDxvaSf ,,n,pt fnncbaJ Inv tho har.,r,
eter in the press correspondents of
fee, which was filed by frightened
men and women, was 2s.04h; thi.
was about 7:30 p IN. II then begar
to rise very slowly, and by 10 p. m
had reached $500. the wind gradual
Nv subsidiug. and by midnight thu
storm had passed. The water, which
had reachfd a depth of eight feet or
the Strand at 10 p. M, began to ebb
and ran ont very rapidly. and by 5
m, the crown of the street was fire.
OF water.
The storm Passed.
Thus passed out one of the mos,
frightful and destructive storm,
which ever devastated the coast OF
Texas.
The city is filed with destitute. be.
reft and homeless, while in the i'm
fyrovised morgues are the rigid forms
Of hundreds of victims. Whole fami
lies lie side by side.
soldiers Miraculous Escape.
The city beach in the southwestern
part of the city was under ten feet
of water, and the barracks. located
there. aredestroyed. the soldiers hay-
ing a miraculous escape from drown.
ing. Many substantial residences in
the western and southwestern part Of
of the city were destroyed, and the
death list from there will be large.
Heavy Mortality List Expected.
A heavy mortality list is expected
among the residents down the island
and adjacent to the coast on the
main land. as both were deeply food.
ed. and the houses were to great
extent insecure. The heaviest losers