Abilene weekly reflector., 1900-10-25
|OyE NIGHT OF TERROR
TH0S. CROFT WRITES OF HIS
GALVESTON TRIAL.
Water Inundated His Home and
Himself and Family Were in Dan
ger Of Death for Many Hours-A
Pitiful Story.

The following letter TO 1. 4.
Dewey from Thomas Croft, formerly
Of Abilene and son Of D. Croft, will
be Of much interest. Mr.. Croft is a
prominent Mason Of Galveston and is
employed on the Daily News:
GALVESTON, Oct. 11.-Now that my
nerves have have settled into their
normal condition, will try to at
least write you an Ineligible letter.
| suppose the papers have given
you better detailed account OF the
storm than can possibly do. The
words at my command are totally in
adequate to give you a basis upon
which to form the slightest concep-
tion Of the horror, the anguish and
desolation that the storm Of Septem-
Der 9Th brought upon the people Of
this stricken isle. The story never
has been told; never will be told,
never can be told | will only at.
tempt to give narrative Of my per-
sonal experience.
Saturday morning, Sept. Sth, |
awork to find the clouds hanging
heavily over the city and gulf; the
sun struggling to shine occasionally;
a slight mist settled over the city,
and at intervals it drizzled rain. |
went to my place Of business with the
usual assurance that it would pass
away in few hours. At noon a
steady rain set in accompanied with
9Tsiderable wind, shifting at times
..lM north to northeast and vice
versa. took dinner at the club and
returned to the office. After working
about an hour the wind increased to
such a velocity that the window
lights over where was working were
shattered, drenching me with rain. |
started home to change my clothing,
expecting to return to the office, as |
had work on hand that required my
attention. After arriving at home
the wind increased steadily, and at 3
p. m. the wind was blowing at the
rate Of about 60 miles an hour. After
changing my clothes lay down and
fell to sleep, only to be awakened by
my little boy with the remark:
"Papa, lhe water is coming into the
yard" | stepped to the door and
found the bay water three feet deep
in the street. Families on drays and
in hacks were moving toward the
gulf. Poor souls, little did they know
that they were going to their des-
truction. At SIX o'clock the wind
had increased to about 70 miles an
hour and the water was two feet deep
in my yard, completely covering the
island to depth Of five feet. Yet, !
was not alarmed. 1t had done this
in 1875, and there we're no lives lost
and little damage done. Yet the
wind increased and the waters rose
until it was within foot OF coming
into my house. The ak. To scuttle
the house was the work OF but few
minutes. The water gushed through
the holes in the floor and the house
became unsteady; it swayed like a
ship in heavy sea.
The wind was now blowing as |
never heard it blow before; every
timber in the house seemed ready to
|
fly into a thousand splinters; the
the trees that surrounded the house
were torn up by the roots; the roof
was fast leaving the house, and the
plastering falling upon our heads
The wind increased in velocity until
| it sounded like the shrill whistle OF a
thousand locomotives; the waves OF
the sea roared like thousand can.
non, each vying with the other for
the mastery. The slate from the
housetops hssed through the air like
q ten pound shot only to bury itself
in somebody's skull or in the side Of a
house. The dull thud Of heavy tim
hers, the agonizing cries for help Of
the drowning thousands struck terror
to the stoutest hearts. To venture
from shelter was suicidal. 1t was i'm
possible to make headway against
the wind, while the raging, whirling