The Marble times and Crystal silver lance., 1900-11-23
TALES OF PLUCK
and ADVENTURE.
s,,,,o, Girl's Story of Galveston.

4t0Tm. las WAIttCh thS AOAAc"' 'A6 'tN
kount of her experiences to her pa
tents, MIR. and Mrs. Emory Hall:
"Dear Papa and Mammal suppose
before this you will have received my
Telegram and know l am safe. This
has been a terrible experience. hope
will be spared any more such. I am
INST a nervous wreck-fever blisters
byer my mouth, eyes with hollows un-
Her them, and shaking all over. When
close my eyes l can't see anything
hut niles of naked dead and wild-eyed
men and women.
81 suppose l had better begin at
the beginning, but l don't know If
ran write with any sense. Saturday,
Ihbout eleven o'clock, it began raining,
and the wind rose a little. Sidney
Spann and two young lady boarders
eould not get home to dinner. After
The dinner the men left, and we sat
hround in dressing sacques watching
The storm. =
"AIl at once Birdie Duff Mrs
Epann's married daughter) said, Look
bt the water in the street; it must
be the Gulf There was water from
curb to curb. 1t rose rapidly as we
Watched it, and Mrs. Spann sent us
nil to dress. 1t rose to the sidewalk,
md the men began to come home.
1.-THE wind and rain rose to furi-
BUS whirlwlnd, and all the time the
water crept higher and higher. We
Iall crowded into the hall, and the
house, big two-story one, rocked like
h cradle. About six o'clock the roof
was gone, all the blinds were torn off
land all the windows blown in. Glass
|was flying in all directions and the
water had risen to a level with the
gallery. Then the men told us we
|would have to leave and go to house
block, a big one. Mrs. Spann was
wild about her daughter Sidney, who
Ihad not been home, and the telephone
|wires were down.
1.-THE men told us we must not wear
heavy skirts, and could only take
few things in little bundle. l took
| my watch and ticket and what money
/ had and pinned them in my corset;
took off everything from my waist
down but an underskirt and my linen
skirt; no shoes and stockings. l put
what clothes l could find in my trunk
and locked it up. Tell Lillian the last
thing l put in was he" gray skirt, for
thought il the trunk floated and it
was on top it might not be injured.
ut took two men to each woman to
|get her across the street and down to
|the end of the block. Trees thicker
than any in our yard were whirled
down the street; pine logs, boxes and
|driftwood of all sorts swept past, and
|the water looked like whirlpool.
Birdie and went across on the sec
|ond trip. The wind and rain cut like
la knife, and the water was icy cold.
1t was like going down into the grave,
land l was never so near death unless
|it was once before since l have been
there.
Il came near drowning with another
|girl. 1t was dark by this time, and
|the men put their arms around us and
down into the water we went Birdie
was crying about her baby that she
|had to leave behind until the next trip
|and l was begging Mr.. Mitchell and
|the other man not to turn me loose
Mrs. Spann came last. The water was
|over her chin. 1t was up to my shoul-
|ders when went over.
"One man brought a bundle of cloth
Ping, such as he could find for us to
put on, wrapped up in his macintosh.
lie had to swim over. l spent the
|night-such a horrible one!-wet from
shoulder to my waist and from nv
knees down barefoot. Nobody had
|any shoes and stockings. Mrs. Spann
|did not have anything but a thin
PAWN dress and blanket wrapped
around her. from her waist down. Mel
lie had lawn wrapper and blanket
and Fannie had skirt and winter
Jacket. Mr.. Mitchell had a pair of
trousers and light shirt and was bare
footed.
Ihe house was packed with people
|1ust like us. The house had Il base
|ment, and was of stone. The windows
We're blown out. and 1t rocked from top
10 bottom, and the water came into
the first floor.
VI course, no one slept. About
|.hree o'clock in the morning the wind
Eiad changed and blew the water back
eo the Gulf-as we stood at the win
lows watching the water fall, we saw
Two men and two girls wading up the
ftreet, and heard Sidney calling for
per mother.
She and the young lady with her
lad spent the night crowded into an
Pnce with nine men in total dark
less' sitting on boxes with their feet
ip on the floor. 1t was an immense
PRICK building, four stories high. They
f'ere on the second floor. The roof
hu one story was blown away, and
ne water came up to the SECOND floor.
~ was down tOyard thp wharf "N