The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-14
AT WORK AMID THE RUINS.
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pied in part by the Galveston Hat and
Shoe Company. The damages to the build
ing and stock are placed now at $4,000.
The Clarke G Creits Building, on another
corner OF Twenty-fourth and Mechanic
Streets. sustained a loss to building and
stock of $40, 600. The Galveston Cotton and
Woolen Mills suffered to the amount OF
S75, 600 The Galveston Bagging factory
was injured $4,000. The Galveston City
Railroad powerhouse was demolished, and
it is estimated that 100000 will be re-
quired to restore the plant.
The business structures, while they did
not suffer the total destruction that oc-
Cured in so much of the residence sec
tion. and while they are still standing, not
few of them are so badly injured that
they will have to come down.
Galveston had a gigantic elevator in
terest which had developed with the ports
growing grain trade. Elevator "a" at
Fourteenth Street on the bay side, was
one of the largest in the world. Its ca
pacity was in excess Of 100000 bushels
of wheat All of the upper works of the
elevator are gone. Elevator "B," at
Twenty-seventh Street and bay side,
is injured in about the same way as eleva-
tor "a" The small cleaning elevators Of
Jockush, Davidson & Co. and of Mann &
Leonard were damaged but slightly.
In the elevators and on cars at the time
of the storm there was 1,250,00o bushels
of wheat The water soaked in twelve
inches, and then was absorbed by the
swelling grain. The stock belongs to Eng
lish importers. The Reymers- -Schoffer ele-
vator. with a capacity of 5000 bushels.
sustained considerable damage. At the COM
presses on the wharyes and on unloaded
cars there was a stock Of about 1000 bales
Of cotton Many bales-no one can tell the
number as yet-were carried away by the
wind and water. Some are being found
along the coast, dozen miles from where
they started
The Galveston people were wont to point
with pride to a wagon bridge which con-
nected the island with the mainland. They
claimed it was the longest wagon bridge
in the world. The distance across was two
and one-eighth miles. The cost was $685.
eco. The destruction of the wagon bridge
is considered almost total. On examIna-
ton the railroad bridges are found to be
in much better shape than was feared soon
after the storm. A great part of the pilinS
OF the three bridges owned by the Gulf,
Colorado and Santa Fe, the Galveston,
Houston ard Henderson. and the Galveston,
Houston and Northern is intact. Stringers,
however. have been carried away. The
drawbridges are gone. 1t was on this ac-
count that an ocean steamer was blown
from its place at the wharf on the east end
OF the city around the bay side and down
through two of the bridges.
One of the remarkable things about the
force of the storm was it tore from their
nloorings several large steamships and
carriad them in diverse directions. For ex-
ample, the Kendal Castle, an English ship,
was swept from Pier 80 across Pelican
Island and landed On the shore at Texas
City. That course is almost due north
Possibly dredge may be able to cut
channel which will let the Kendall Castle
out OF the shoals.
The Norwegian steamer Gyller is yes
sci of considerable tonnage, which has
been under charter for four or five years
by the Texas Star Flour Mills, carrying
its products TO West Indian ports It now
lies stranded between Virginia Point and
Texas City. It's course varied considera-
bly, from that of the Kendall Castle. A
channel would have to be cut 50 far to
float out the Gyller that there is doubt
whether the work will be warranted by
the amount at stake.
The British steamship Red Cross went
still another direction, and is now strand
ed on Pelican Flats. The Mallory steam
ship Alamo must have gone about the
same time with the Red Cross. for it is
iamrned against it, having been carried
half mile into the shoal water. The Red
Cross and the Alamo can be fioated.
The British steamship Taunton was
taken in a northeasterly direction up the
east bay. 1t is seven or eight miles from
Galveston and in very shallow water. 1t
is likely to remain there. Two other
steamers are stranded near Pelican Spit,
in the bay. They can be foated. All
these steamers took different directions,
showing how the wind must have varied
at the different times when they parted
from their moorings..
Quartermaster Baxter had advised the
Government that the fortifcations at
Crockett, San Jacinto. and Travis are all
destroyed and cannot be rebuilt on present
sites"
Upon Galveston Island the Government
had made great progress toward the con-
struction of seacoast defences. Fort
Crockett occupied 100 acres in the west end
of the city.
San Jacinto overlooked the jetties and
the approach from the gulf to the harbor.
1t was to be a fortiication with some Of
the heaviest guns in use for seacoast de-
fence The ground occupied by Fort San
Jacfnto was as extensive as at Crockett.
In the latter place the main body OF
troops was to be uuartered. The Govern
ment had already expended about 81 ,200,
900 on these new works.