Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-09-13

Chronicle from San Antonio, Tex''
says:
The startling news has just flashed
oyer the wires informing Gov. j. ID.
Savers that a messenger at great risk
OF his life has reached Virginia Point
from Galveston with the report mat
2 900 are probably dead as a result of
the fearful storm. An urgent appeal
TO all Texas for help was made. Inc
messenger said that the grain elevators
at the water front are wrecked ana
hundreds OF buildings have collapsed
or were carried out to sea. The great
est distress is said to prevail.
wrought Awful Havoc.
Houston. Tex, Sept. 18th West
Indian storm which reached the gun
coast yesterday morning u aw-
full havoc In Texas. Reports are con-
ficting, but it is known that an appah
ing disaster has befallen the city OF
Galveston, where, it is reported two
thousand or more lives have been
blotted out and a tremendous property
damage incurred. Meager reports
from Sabine Pass and many other
points also Indicate a heavy loss OF life
! but these reports cannot be confirmed
at this hour. The first news to reach
this city from
The stricken City
of Galveston was received yesterday.
James c.. Timmins, who resides in
Houston and who is the general super
intendent of the National Compress
company, arrived in the city at 5 O'Clock
last night from Galverton. He was
one of the first to each here with It'd
ings of the great disaster which has be-
fallen that city. and the magnitude of
that disaster remains TO be told be-
cause of his ~endeavors to reach home.
After remaining through the hurricane
on Saturday he departed from Calves
ton on a schooner and came across the
bay to Morgan's Point, where he
caught a train for Houston.
The Hurricane,
Mr.. Timmins said, was the worst ever
known. The estimates made by citi-
zens OF Galveston We're that 1000
houses. most of them residences, have
been destroyed and that at least $500
people nave beer drowned. killed or
missing. Some business houses were
also destroyed, but most OF them stood,
though badly damaged. The city, Mr..
Timmins AYERS, is a complete wreck, so
far as he could see from the watof
front and from the fremont hotel.
Water was blown over the island by
the hurricane,
The Wind BlowinE
at the rate of eighty miles an hour
straight from the gulf and forcing the
sea water before il in big waves. The
gale was a steady one, the heart of 1t
striking the city about 5 o'clock Satur-
day evening, and continued without in
Permission until midnight. when it
abated somewhat, although 1t contin-
ued to blow all night. OF his W
knowledge Mr.. Timmins knew of only
one house ~succumbing with fatal re-
suits, though he heard of many resi-
dences being carried away with in
mates. The house that he saw de-
stroyed was Ritter's saloon and restau-
rant at 259 Strand street, a principal
business street of the city. This three
story building
Was Blown Down
and nine men, prominent citizens, We're
killed. 1t Is reported shat the orphan
asylum and both the hospitals We're de-
stroyed, and if this proves true the
loss of life will be great, as these in
situations were generally crowded and
as they were substantial buildings the
chances are that many had taken ref
uge in them. The water extended
across the island. Mr.. Timmins said
IL was three feet deep in Market street.
Small craft are floating bottom up in
the bay. Along the water front the
DumuSe WINS Very Creat
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 contents.
There is a small steamship ashore three
miles north of Pelican island, but Mr..
Timmins could not distinguish her
name, She is flying a British flag. An
other big vessel had been driven ashore
at Virginia Point. and still another is
aground on the island. A short dis
lance from Pelican Point another vessel
is ashore. The lightship that marks
Galveston bar is hard and fast aground
at Bolivar Point.
Vessels Wrecked.
Mr.. Timmins 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
foreigners and he could gain no infor-
nation from them. A wrecked vessel
looking like a 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. The scenes during the
storm, Mr.. Timmins said, could not be
described. Women and children were
crowded into the fremont house.
where he
Had sought shelter
At night they were ~berioaning their
losses and completely filled h hotel.
What was going on in other portions of
the city could not be described. He
says the city of Galveston is entirely
cut of from communication. The
bridges are gone and railway trains
cannot enter. Even IL any OF the
bridges was standing people could nor
walk across on account Of the water