The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-25
IN THE GALVESTON STORM.
a Drummer Quotes His Experiences.
Witnesses Negroes Shot for Mutilar-
ing Dead Bodies for Jeweiry.


MI. II. w. Bowman, representing
Eberly & -Orris, of Merchandising, Pa,
was among the guests at the Plantets
last night. Mr.. Bowman was in Gal
weston during the recent disaster and
talked very Interestingly to a Chroni-
Gle reporter, of his thrilling expert
ences during and after the storm
1 was stopping at the fremont hf-
tel, said Mr.. Bowman, and retired F1-
day night about IL o'clock.
Whtn 1 went to bed, the wind WIS
blowing slightly and a drizzling rah
vas falling. At 4 O'Clock l ws
awakened by the wind blowing The
see that a terrible storm was in prob
poet 1 got up, dressed and went down
stairs to h office, where l found some
half dozen travelling men, who hal
also been awakened. / sat up the re-
mainder of the night and at 2 O'Clock
the next day, which was Saturda3,
h water began to rise in the street,.
The people knew they Were in fd-
a most terrible storm and began coni-
ing to the hotel for safety. The wata
continued to rise and everyJo1y VEN
up stairs except fOur or five Of US. whO
waist deep in water, kept bringing il
ladies and children who We're coming
to the hotel in carriages. We kept
this up until dark and her we all went
up stairs.
I spent such a night in mt
life. The electric light works had beh
destroyed and the hotel was in utter
darkness. We could hear the roaring
winds and water, on the outside, and
the massive structure trembled like IA
a Children were crying and moth
erS who were separated from Husbands
and other members of their families,
added prayers and means to the cot
fusion. About 9 o'clock someone found
a candle and you have no idea whit
a soothing effect the feeble light had
over the crowd. 1 feel sure had The
storm continued half an hour longe-,
the hotel would have gone and the
seven or eight hundred inmates with
it.
About day break the next morning,
a travelling man, Jack Frost, by name,
was brought to the hotel. He was all
broken and bruised UP. He had BEEN
one of a party Of five, who were On
the beach when the storm came, tie
other four were lost.
The streets presented a terrible sight,
the water had gone down, and the
pavementS were covered with wreck
age. Dead bodies were scattered here
and there.
1t may sun but with all the
confusion, excellent martial law pre-
vailed. Captain Fielding vas put in
command and it was no doubt. through
his efforts, that a race riot was pre-
| vented.
The accounts of the robbery and MI
tilation of the dead bodies have not
been exaggerated in the papers. 1 saw
on Main street a negro shot down who
had seven fingers in his pocket. An
other negro, oh! horrible to relate, was
shot while i'm the act of gnawing eli
a ladys finger, on which was a hand
some diamond ring, the lend in hu-
man flesh, had 40 knife and was using
his teeth dnstead.
To give you an idea of the terrible
rate at which the wind blew, it will
be necessary to dig a channel twelve
miles long in order to float an ocear
tramp steamer. A pile-driver was
blown five miles out on the prairie.
From lunch at 2 o'clock Saturday
afternoon, until 4 o'clock Sunday af.
ternoon, we did not have anything a
all to eat. Sunday afternoon We go
a cup of coffee and from then unit
Wednesday, the day I left on a sal
boat, we got a cup of coffee, one slice
of bread n one slice Of meat, three
time a day. 1 never thought l could
see lead bodies by the cart load ant
smell the terrible stencil and return tc
the hotel hungry, but l did. 1 though
nothing of going across the street from
the hotel to a drug store and paying
10 cents for a small glass of water.
The subscriptions sent by her sister
cities were a God-Send to Galveston
and Will ever be remembered by he
surviving citizens.