The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-09-11

HOUSTON. Tex, Sept iO.--Richard
spillane well-known Galveston man
and day correspondent Of the Assoelat.
ed Press In that city, who reached
Houston today after a terrible expcr-
ience. gives the following account Of
the dlsagter at Galveston:
"one Of the most awful tragedies Of
modern times has visited Galveston.
The city II IN ruins and the dend win
probably number one thousand. am
lust from the city. having been COM
inissloned by the mayor and citizens
committee 10 get IN touch with the
outside world and appeal for help.
Houston was the nearest point at
which working telegraph Instruments
could b. found. wires as well NJ near
Is all buildings between here and the
gulf of Mexico being wrecked
When / left Galveston. shortly be-
fore noon Yesterday. people were or
ganl2ng for the prompt burial OF the
dead. the distribution of food and all
necessary work after the period OF dis
aster.
BY 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon the
waters of the gulf and bay met. and by
dark the entire city was submerged
The flooding of the electric light plan.
left the city In darkness To Ro out
into the streets was to court death
The wind was then at oyclonic velocity.
roofs. cisterns, portions OF buildings. tel
eeraph poles ana walls were falling.
and the noise Of the wind and the
crashing OF buildings was terrifying
In the extreme.
"The wind and waters rose steadily
from dark until iI5 o'clock Sunday
morning.
During all this time the people OF Gal
weston We're like rats In traps. The
highest portion OF the city vas from
four TO five feet under water, while IN
the grea' majority Of cases the streets
were submerged to a depth cf ten feet.
To leave the house was 10 drown. To
remain was to court death in the
wreckage.
The waters began 10 suhslde at i:i5
n. m. Within two minutes they had
gone down two feet. and before day
lIght the streets were practically freed
OF the flood waters. In the meantime
the wind had veered 20 the southeast
Very few II any buildings escaped
injury. There IL hardly a habitable
dry house IN the city.
THE irs, hurried glance over the
city showed that the largest structures.
supposed TO be most substantially built.
suffered most. The orphans home fell
like a house OF cards. How many dead
children and refugees are in the ruins
could not be ascertalned. OF the sick
In 81. Mary's hospital inhrmary with
their attendants. only eight are under
stood TO have been saved. Every
church In the city. with possibly one
or two exceptions, is in ruins.
THE bay front from end to end is
in ruins. Nothing but pilins and wreck
of great warehouses remains.
"The ,lfe saving station at Fort Point |
was carried away. the crew being swept I
across the bay fourteen miles TO Tex
as City, two being drowned. It Will
take q week to tabulate the dead and
missing and to get anything near an
approximate idea OF the loss
II is safe to say that one-half the
of the city is wiped out and
that one~half Of the residents have to
face absolute poverty.
Eight ocean steamers were torn from
heir moorings and stranded in the
bay"
CHICAGO. Sept. 1O.--The following
statement Of the situation at Calves
on and along the coast was received to-
llght:
"Dallas, Tex, Sept. lO,-charles S.
Dlehl General Manager Of the Associa-
ed Press.
From the latest reports which are
considered reliable the disaster at CAL
'eston and along the coast has not
leen exaggerated.
The waters Of the gulf and bay met,