The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-09-21
TOWN HORROR THE
OF ITS KIND.
DISASTER IN NO WAY MAGNIFlED
COMMUNICATION HAD WITH
THE ISLAND.
SIRffIs or CRY STREWN WITH DEAD
Hardly . Habitable House Left Standing
buildings Torn to Pieses or Badly
Damaged---Flood Recedes Leav-
ing Inch Of slime--Property
Loss Very Large.

AHouston. Sept. 10, dispatch says:
The first reports from the ling
disaster which has stricken the city of
Galveston do not seem to have been
magnified. Communication was had
with the island city by boats and re-
ports received here tonight indicate
that the death list will exceed 1900,
while the property loss cannot be es-
timated, although it will reach several
millions of dollars.
Richard Spillane, q we'll known
newspaper man and day correspondent
of the Associated press in that city,
who reached Houston today after q
terrible experience. gives the follow
ing account of the disaster at Calves
ton:
"One Ut the most awful tragedies of
modern times has visited Galveston.
The city is in ruins, and the loss will
probably number one thousand. l am
Just from the city, having been COM
missioned by the mayor and citizens
committee to get in touch with the
outside world and appeal for help.
. 1.-The wreck of Galveston was
brought about by a tempest 30 terrible
that no words can adequately describe
its intensity, and by a food which
turned the city into q raging sea.
1.-THE storm began at 2 o'clock Sat
urday morning. Previous to that q
great storm had been raging in the
gulf, and the tide was very high. The
wind at first came from the north and
was in direct opposition to the force
from the gulf. While the storm in the
gulf piled the water upon the beach
side OF. the city, the north wind piled
the water from the bay on to the bay
part of the city.
About noon it became evident the
city was going to be visited with dis
aster, and the residents along the
beach sought refuge in higher portions
of the city.
"By 8 o'clock the waters of the gulf
and the bay met, and at dark the ISL
plant left the city in dark nessing RE e
wind and waters rose steadily from
dark until 1:45 o'clock Sunday morn
ing. During all this time the people
OF Galveston were like rats in traps.
The highest portion Of the city was
four or five feet under water, while in
the great majority Of cases the streets
were submerged to a depth Of ten
feet Toleave q house was to drown.
To remain was to court death in the
~wreckage.
THE bay front.from end to end is in
ruins, with nothing but piling and the
wreck of great warehouses. The ele-
vators lost ell their s~uperworks and
their stocks are damaged by water.
Nearly all the industrial establish
ments OF the city are eithef wrecked or
crippled The food left a slime about
one inch deep yer the whole city, and
unless fast progress Is made in burying
corpses and caroasses Of animals there
is danger Of pestilence.
"a woman who had Just given birth
to = child wa carried from her home
to a house g block distant. the men
who were carrying her having to hold
= y high above their heads as the
water was five feet deep when she was
moved.
MANY ~storiesswere current Of houses
falling and inmates escaping. Clar-
ence N. Ousley, editor Of the Evening
Tritpne, had: his family and the fami-
lies of two neighbors in his house
when the lower half crnmbled and the
upper part slipped down into the wa
ter. Not one in the house was hurt.
" will take aweek to tabalate the