The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-13
THE FUTURE OF GALVESTON.
Solid Hacking for the Rebuilding of
the Wrecked Port

the Wrecked Port
NEW YORK. Sept. 1.-THE view taken
by railroad men in this city today as to the
/ future OF Galveston as a shipping port was
far from gloomy. In spite of the assertion
by some newspapers that the destruction
OF the city is so complete as to render the
rebuilding unlikely. a. F. Walker. Chair
man OF the Board Of Directors OF the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe. said that he eS-
pected the city to be extensively rebuilt
| ana doing business at the old stand
within three months
OF course said Mr. Walker. cit is 4
serious blow to Galveston, and with the
city covered with mud and wreckage. il is
easy to prophesy evil FOR its future But
TWO weeks will suffice to clear the yrecs
age end clean the streets. get The dead bur
led, and make n careful estimate OF the ac-
tuai loss. This loss is tremendous, there can
De no doubt but II has very likely been
grossly exaggerated
Galveston will rebuild. and quickly. be-
cause the site combines the greatest nat
urai advantages as gulf port and has
solid commercial backing. II Is impera-
tive that we have a port on the guif-the
extent of the shipping demands It, Gal
weston offers in spite of the real h,ndieap
OF her low position the best site, and see
no reason why it should not be rebuilt
speedily"
Vice President Tweed. of the Southern
Pacific Railroad. said this morning that
he felt sure that that road would repair
the damage done to its properties at Gal
weston and go on with further improve
ments planned
Il take it for granted" Mr. Tweed de-
clared, that the directors of the South
ern Pacific will keep up the work they
started there. I do not think that this
disaster, though certainly serious. will
XIII Galveston as shipping port. No def
mite reports have been received as to the
extent of cur losses there. The two piers
already completed on the property of the
Southern Pacific We're certainly badly dam
aged, Any estimate of the amount Of
damage would be only guess. but | should
say that it would fall below $500. 009 Three
hundred and fifty thousand dollars have
been spent on the piers. and SIS 900 paid
for short line from Galveston TO Hous-
ton. which was destroyed. The sites for
rights OF way. etc. are probably not ma
terially damaged
representative of the Sabine Land and
Improvement Company in this CITY ex-
pressed the opinion (possibIy biasedl
that the result TO Galveston would be
severer than the railroad men supposed.
He declared that, at best, it would take
Galveston two years to recover and be
prepared to handle the shipping of the
gulf. 1t is thought, ne said, that the most
serious result of the storm has been the
filling in with sand of the harbor. making
IT impossible for ships to dock In case
this proves to be true. it would be hard to
see, he said, how Galveston could recover
its former Importance
We are, naturally. interested in Sabine
Pass as a gulf port" said he. We are
Informed that while the storm reached
that port, little damage was done there.
Only two feet of water came over the
town, and no buildings or piers were in
tured Whether Sabine Pass, with eight
miles OF deep water frontage connecting
with $3,2OV.00O Government jetty giving
a minimum depth of twenty-five feet. and
already having heavy lumber shipping,
will supplant Galveston or not remains to !
be seen"
From one large business firm OF Calves
ton the following statement comes indi-
eating the extreme view taken BY bust |
ness men who have lest all in the flood.
ana whose insurance policies do not cover
losses of this sort:
There is no hope for Galveston. The
city is as completely ruined. as a seaport, |
as if the island had been sunk. We are /
all ruined beyond recovery. as there is I
hurricane or tidal wave"
G. w. Angle, of 66 Broadway, received
telegram today from Houston. Tex. in
forming him that Angletown. forty miles
out of that place. had been wiped cut.
Queentano, on the mouth OF the Brazos
River, had every house but twelve RACED.
Thirty lives were lost in both towns
Mr.. Angle expressed the fear that the
prospects for Galveston are very gloomy. /
He did not think it would recorer its
prestige for years. ii it ever does
E. ID. Garrett. of % Howard Street. the I
representative here of a large Galveston
mercantile house. said he expected that
newspapers stories have much exaggerated /
The calamity. He spoke of one suburb of
which the morning newspapers
said had go houses destroyed while as a
'act there are but twenty five houses in
he place. and most of them so strongly
built that their complete destruction would
be impossible. There would be much suf-
.ering among the poor for a while. but he
Vas certain Galveston's business men will
De able in a short time to overcome it.
They Will rebuild the city stronger than
sver, he said as they did after the storm
II 1879. Galveston is necessary to the Tex
IS cotton district, said Mr. Garrett. He
aid il cannot lose its cottotn trade
MIR Leopold Sellman. OF 65 Forsyth
street, representing a Galveston dr. goods
louise, received telegram today stating
hat the loss was less to his firm than was
relieved and that all his relatives had es-
aped.