Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-11

Galveston, Texas, Sept. 10.-Six
hundred to one thousand persons kill
ed, the city almost in ruins, the wharf
front entirely gone,every ocean steam
er stranded, death, destruction on
every hand with a money loss that
can be learned this is the result of
the appalling calamity that has befal-
len Galveston.
The great storm left her helpless,
and the stricken people are compelled
to appeal to the outside world for aid
An accurate account of the dead is
impossible now and the real number
of killed will probably never be
known.
The water works are in ruins, cis-
terms are blown out and the lack of
water is one of the most serious of the
present troubles.
Electric light and telegraph poles
are nearly all Frustrated and the
streets are Uttered with every conceiv-
able character of derbris. Hardly a
habitable house is left in the entire
city and nearly every business house
is badly damaged. Schools, churches,
elevators, warehouses. the electric
light plant and the cotton factory are
in ruins.
From fremont to Sixth street and
thence to the beach not vestige of a
residence is to be seen. The steamer
] Almo lies upon the top of Mallory
wharf and big English cotton laden
steamer was driven ashore at Texas
City. Other vessels are aground at
different parts of the bay, some hope
lessly wrecked.
In the business section of the city
the water was from three to ten feet
deep in the stores and stock of all
kinds including food stuffs are total
loss. During Saturday night it was a
common sight to see women and child
rem emerging from homes dazed and
bleeding from wounds, wading neck
deep with babes in their arms.
To add to the calamity the city is
cut off entirely from the world The
telegraph lines are down and the
cable connecting Galveston with Mex.
leo is cut.
Damage at Texas City.
At Texas City the wharves are des-
troyed and the water front Uttered
with ruins. Three lives were lost
The railway track was washed away
and the only exit is by foot and con.
veyance to La Marque. The storm
commenced raging between and La
: Saturday morning and by noon the
waters from the Gulf had inundated
the Island as far inland as 18th street
From there the waters gradually en-
croached farther inland rising about
Is inches an hour. At six o'clock D
m there were sc inches of water in the
lobbies of the fremont Hotel, the
highest point in the city. After nine
o'clock the water gradually receded
but the wind was cyclonic in force
reaching a velocity of "a miles pei
hour and then the instrument In
the government observatory were
wrecked.
DR.. West, one of the most promi
nent physicians, was drowned neal
the Rosenberg school building, whith
er he had gone to attend patient
Soon as daylight came and the vino
abated the work of rescue and search
: ing for dead commenced In one room
; reporter counted seven dead bodies
The fremont Hotel was made the ren
devious for the living. The first
house to collapse was a new three
story brick known as the "Duliti
Building" Next Reuters saloon, two
story brick fell with crash, killing
three of the most prominent men il
Galveston, Stanley e. Spencer, agent
of the German Lloyd Steamship Com
. pany and Richard Lord and Charles
Kilmer, cotton men. The next place
: visited was the city hall. Here was
J congregated fully 700 people who were
more or less injured. Lucas Terrace
reported the loss of fifty lives in
building from which he escaped Sc
! verely injured. In avenue P. among
: piles of lumber, which once had beer
residences, four bodies were observed
in one yard, seven in one room in an
other place, while as many as sixt.