The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-14

uoilie the neISnl Oh the storm ana
were killed. There are but buildings
at Texas City that do not tell the
story of the storm. The hotel is a
complete ruin. The officeo { the Texas
City Company was almost entirely
destroyed Nothing remaining OF the
piers except n piling. The wreckage
from Galveston litters the shore for
miles and is a hundred yards or more
wide.
VESSELS MILES INLAND.
For ten miles finland from the shore
It is a common sight to See small
craft, such as steam launches. schoon-
ers and oyster sloops. The life boat
OF the life saving station was carried
half a mile inland, while a vessel that
was anchored in Moses bayou lies
high and dry five miles up from
Sunday Nights Dispatches.)
New York, September 9.-The World
tomorrow Will print the following:
Austin, Texas, September 9.-Infor-
nation has just reached me that about
1900 lives have been lost at Galveston,
with enormous destruction TO property
No information from other points.
JOSEPH D. SAVERS,
Governor.
Chicago. September "a dispatch
TO The Chronicle from San Antonio,
1tAdS, says. Inc SldEUllnS news ndS
just flashed over the wire informing
]. D. Sayers that a messenger at great
risk of his life has just reached Vir-
ginia Point from Galveston with the
that $500 are probably dead as
"a result of the fearful storm. An ur-
gent appeal to all TeXas is made for
help. The messenger said that the
grain elevators al the water front are
wrecked and hundreds Of buildings
have collapsed or We're carried out 10
sea. The greatest distress is said 10
prevail.
Houston, Texas, September g, 10 p. m
The West Indian storm which reach
ed the Gulf coast yesterday morning
wrought awful havoc in Texas. Re-
ports are conflicting, but it is known
that an appalling disaster has befal-
len the ~ity of Galveston, where it is
reported, a thousand or more lives
have been blotted out and a tremen-
douS property damage incurred. Mea-
gre reports from Sabine Pass and Port
Arthur are also indicating 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 re-
ceived tonight. James c. Timmons,
who resides in Houston, and who is
the general superintendent of the Ma
tional Compress Company, arrived in
the city ait s O'Clock tonight from Gal
weston. He was one of the first TO
reach here with tidings of the great
disaster which has befallen hat city,
and the magnitude of that disaster
remains to be told because of his en-
deavors to reach home. After remain
ing through the hurricane of Satur-
day, he departed from Galveston on a
and came across the bay to
Morgan's Point, where he caught a
train for Houston. The hurricane,
Mr.. Timmons said, was the worst ever
known.
The estimates made by citizens of
Galveston were that 1000 houses, most
of them residences, nave been destroy
ed, and that at least 1000 people a
been drowned, killed or are missing.
Some business houses We're also de
stroyed, but most of them stood,
though badly damaged.
The city, Mr.. Timmons AYERS, is a
complete wreck, so far aus he could
see from the water front and from the
hotel. Water was blown over
the island by THE hurricane, the wind
blowing at the a t of so miles per
hour, straight from the gulf, and fore
ing the sea water before it in big
waves. The gale was a steady one,
the heart of it striking the city about
3 O'Clock yesterday evening and con-
tinued without intermission until mid
night last night, when it abated some
what, although it continued all night.
Of his knowledge. Mr.. Timnons
knew of only one house succumbing
with fatal results, though he heard of
many residences being carried away
with inmates. The house that ne saw
destroyed was Ritter's saloon and res
taurant, at 2109 Strand street, a prin-
cipal business street of the city. This
three-story building was blown down
and nine men, prominent citizens, were
killed. Among the dead are: Charles
Kelner, ST., a cotton buyer for an
English firm; Stanley S. Spencer, a
general manager OF the Elder-Demp-
ster Steamship line; Richard Lord,
manager of McFadden'S Cotton Com
pany, whose body is still in the ruins.
1t is reported that the orphan asylum
and both hospitals were destroyed and
if this proves true the loss of life will
be great, as these institutions were
generally crowded, and as they were
substantial buildings the chances are
that many had taken refuge in them.
The water extended across the island
Mr.. TimmOns said it was three feet
deep in the rotunda of the fremont
hotel and was six feet deep in Market
street.
Along the water front the damage
was very great. The roofs had been
blown from all the elevators, and the
sheds along the wharveS We're either
wrecked or had lost their sides and
were of no protection to the contents.
Most of the small sailing crafts We're
wrecked and were either piled UP on
the wharveS or floating side UP in the
bay. There is a small steamehip ashore
three miles north of Pilican island, but
Mr.. Timmons could not distinguish
her name. She was flying a British
flag. Another big vessel has been driv-
en- ashore at Virginia Point and still
another is aground at Texas city. At
the south point Of Houston island an
unknown ship lies in a helpless o n
dition.
The lightship thai marks Galveston
bar is hard and fast aground at BoIli-
a Point.
Mr.. TimmonS and the men with him
on the schooner rescued two sailors
, from the middle hay who had been
many hours in the water. These men
We're foreigners AMI he could gain no
information from them
A wreck of a vessel which looked
like a large steam tug was observed
just before the party tanded. In tn
bay the of nearly 200 horses
4 and m1foS Soan hut M hunoar