The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-10-03
A STORY OF THE STORM.
1T is Graphically Told BY MI. Ell. H..
Bowen.
Nelrs and Cour:e:., Eth.
Bowen.

idly. When it became apparent that
a crowd would be there some one in
sisted that there must be no running
about. So the ladies were carried
from the street to the second floor,
placed in the bes. spot available an d
told to stay there. Ifyou can imagine
a thousand people under such ,circum-
stances and SO situated, in Egyptian
/, darkness, you can see how necessary
it was that they keep still I mean
remain where they were placed.
Every hour must end, so after
what seemed eternity some one who
had ventured to 60 on an expedition
reported that the water had gone down
two feet in the rotunda. This ven
turesome spirit had found candle
somewhere and his assertion was the
first bit of cheering news we had. 1t
was then about 11.o'cl The wind
was still blowing with terrific force,
but could notice that it came in gusts
and not steadily. That, I knew, from
hearing the sailors talk about it, meant
that the storm was passing, and right
glad was I to be able to communicate
this fact to my neighbors. The effect
of the candle and the news about the
water falling acted like magic on the
refugees. From the silence Of the
tomb, the place became like bee bive.
Each man, woman and child had
something to say to those nearest
them, and while the strain had been
terrible there was the true ring of
courage in most voices.
"With the waters receding there
was yet no thought of any one trying
to leave the hotel, and after short
time the women and children were
moved into more comfortable part Of
the place that had not been available
during the height of the storm. So
the night wore on.
! Sunday morning the water still
/ covered the face of the island and the
wind, now in gusts, that levelled here
and there chimney overlooked by
the storm king, was yet sufficient to
prevent anything like walking. Tie
streets were rushing torrents and every
conceivable kind of wrcckage was float
ing toward gulf or bay.
II was in for whatever assistance
could render and hardly had it gotten
light before 1 was asked to help carry
into the hotel young man who had
been horribly mangled by the storm.
A young doctor and myself carried the
wounded man up. stairs, and / gave
him chloroform so that his broken
limbs could be set. The doctor and I
became friends at once and he request
ed that assist him during the day.
And such a dey! For instance. ad-
ministered chloroform twenty-seven
times during the twelve hours. But
that wasn't all that was going on by
any means. The sights Of that day
will not leave me for many long
year, if ever. It is one occasion when
| the newspapers have not had to en-
i large on the facts. They have rather
had to suppress many things as too
horrible 70 give in detail. The written
story could never describe the appear
ance OF Galveston on the day after the
storm.
Il could tell you incidents without
number and they would only be as
drops OF water in an ocean compared
/ TO the situation that confronted the
survivors OF the CITY OF Galveston. that
Sunday morning. There is no need to
4 talk about the wrecked houses.
churches, asylums, schools, ctc. All
OF those things can be replaced with
money. But the tragedies enacted