Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-09-15
THREE THOUSAND DEAD
In the Terrible Storm Which Swept
the City of Galveston.
THE CITIZENS NIGHT OF TERROR.

Like Rats In n Trap They Waited the
suhside.ce of the Waters, while
Thousands were Being Carried to
Death-The Need For speedy Relief.
Houston, Tex, Sept 11.-Richard
Bpillane, well known Galveston news
paper man and press correspondent In
that city, who reached Houston yester-
day after a terrible experience, gives
the following account of the disaster at
Galveston:
The wreck of Galveston was brought
about by tempest as terrible that no
words can adequately describe its in
tensity, and by flood which turned
the city into raging sea. The weather
bureau records show that the wind at
tained a velocity Of 81 miles an hour
when the measuring instruments blew
away, so it is impossible to tell what
was the maximum.
The storm began at 2 o'clock Satur-
day morning. Previous to that a great
storm had been raging IN the gulf, and
the tide was very high. The wind at
frst came from the south 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 next wind piled the water
from the bay on to the bay part of the
city.
About noon It became evident that
the city was going to be visited with
disaster. Hundreds of residences along
the beach front were hurriedly aban-
| doned. the families fleeing to dwellings
In higher portions of the city. Every
home was opened to the refugees, black
ar xryl1f h. CNr 4
out ceasing until 1:45 Sunday morn
ing, and the work of havoc continued,
the flooding of the electric light and
gas plants leaving the city in darkness.
During all this time the citizens were
like rats in trap, for to leave a house
was to drown. In most cases the
water In the streets was ten feet deep
Very few if any buildings escaped
injury. There is hardly a habitable
dry house in the city. When the peo-
pie who had escaped death went out
| at daylight to view the work OF the
tempest and the floods, they saw the
most horrible sights imaginable. In
the three blocks from Avenue N to
| Avenue p, In fremont street, I saw
eight bodies. Four corpses were in one
yard.
At military headquarters, depart
ment of Texas, at San Antonio, the in
formation is that OF 120 men stationed
at Fort San Jacinto, Galveston, only
| 10 escaped.
The bay front from end to end is In
ruins. Nothing but piling and the
wreck OF great warehouses remain.
| The elevators lost all their upper
works., and their stocks are damaged
| by water.
The shore mt Texas City contains
enough wreckage 20 rebuild a city.
Eight persons whom were swept across
the bay during the storm were picked
up there alive. Five corpses were also
picked up. There were three fatalities
in Texas City. In addition to the liv-
| ing and dead which the storm cast up
| Mt Texas City baskets and collins from
one of the cemeteries at Galveston
were being fished out OF the water
there Sunday.
The cotton mills, the bagging fac
tory, the gas works, the electric light
| works and nearly all the Industrial es-
adjustments Of the city are wrecked
OF crippled. The food left a slime
about one inch deep over the whole
city. and unless fast progress is made
in burying corpses and carcasses OF
animals there is danger OF pestilence.
1t will take week to tabulate the
\ dead anu the missing and to get any
thing to an approximate idea OF the
monetary loss. 1t is safe to assume
that one-half of the property OF the
city is wiped out, and that one-half
OF the residents have to face absolute
poverty.
For ten miles inland from the shore
1t IL a common sight to see small craft,
such as steam launches, schooners and
oyster sloops. The lifeboat OF the life
saving station was carried half a mile
inland, while a vessel that was anchor
ed In Moses Bayou lies high and dry
i've miles up from La Marque.
A man just arrived from Galveston
says that bodies are being cast into the
gulf with weights attached as the best
method OF disposing of them, while
others are being buried in the sand
where found. Many OF these are I'M
identified. and so the death list will
never be known. Scores of people are
trying to get into Galveston. Many OF
them claim relatives there, but 1t is
! not possible to reach that city at pres
: ent. All of the small boats and tugs
| in the bay have been taken down the