Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-15
STORM DISASTER
Thousands of Lives Reported
Lost In Texas Towns.
GALVESTON IS INUNDATED
The Place Reported to BE Almost
a Complete Wreck.
DAMAGE TO OTHER TOWNS.

Terrific Hurricane swept Up From
the West Indies, Carrying Death
and Destruction In Its Pathway.
The Gulf Cities Cut on From Conn
municatfoa by Wire or Train and
Only Nenger Details Yet 0btaina-
bIe-Bodies of Dead strew the
Streets and Bay at Gaiveston-Late
Estimates Place the Loss of Life ut
Five Thousand.
New York, Sept. 13.-The Herald has
the following from Galveston:
Galveston is almost wiped off the
earth. Fifteen thousand persons are
homeless The loss of life will reach
into the thousands Bodies are piled ev-
erywhere.
From Thirteenth street east to the
gulf there are few houses standing. The
end of the island is obliterated. Every
house in town, big. little. public or pri-
vate, is mere or less damaged
"A thousand small craft lay wrecked
on the shore A big vessel is ashore north
of Pelican island, two others near Texas
City, one against the railroad bridge and
one at Deer island. A sloop is stranded
in a hallway in the center of the city at
its highest level. Another is berthed in
q stable near the fremont hotel.
"The hurricane lasted from O'Clock
in the evening of Saturday until half
past / O'Clock Sunday morning. Be
tween G and 8 o'clock nothing could be
seen from the island but an unbroken
circle of sea- 1t looked for all the world
as though Galveston would be swallowed
in the terrible embrace of a monster
cyelonic hurricane.
.Angry currents of the deep were seen
in a torment, flashing the wharfs and
pouring into the streets. The wind
howled and screeched and shrieked, max
ing an uncanny furore that sent fear into
the hearts of the brayest.
Driven TO Refuge on Rats.
ssThere were no electric lights, and the
town was shrouded in darkness. Men
hid in their homes or CROPPED their way
here and there in the streets and breath
lessly watched in the distance the tiger
leap of each mountain wave.
Streets were deserted an hour after
the storm struck the city. When the
more lightly built houses began to sway
later and it became dangerous to stay
within, some people came into the streets
again.
MEN tied their wives and children to
them with ropes and stood out in the
open, lodging flying timbers and the ele.
ments rather than chance being crushed
to death within doors.
''The streets rapidly became flooded.
Shutters and doors were cut down in
many instances with axes and used as
rafts. The medley of cries and shrieks
of the women and children and even of
stout hearted men was weird.
"Fiercer and louder howled the wind
and greater became the flood. Men were
drowned in sight of each other The
heavens grew darker and darker. The
waters swirled. the breakers could be
heard roaring in the streets, and the rain
came down in torrents.
Fierce Waves Beat Down Houses.
'Men and women stood on RATS and
prayed Some were seen to succumb
and fall lifeless into the waters.
1.-THE combers dashed up 10y the gale
were fierce in their death dealing power
Houses bordering the ocean and bay
front could be heard crashing to destruc-
ton, the cries of the dying mingling with
the weird screech of the gale. Almost
through n CHASTITY night this scene lived
on. but at last hiatus occurred and
parting clouds permitted ray of moon
light to 'irradiate the tormented sea and
seething island.
"When daylight broke over the ex
panse Of floating bodies. rubbish heaps
and ruins, all that remained of the pros
porous city. a few leading citizens as
sembled in several feet of water at a
street corner and called a meeting at
fremont hall, to which they adjourned
Triumvirate Declares Martial Law.
"a committee of public safety of 10
leading citizens was formed, and Colonel
j. H. Hawley, one of the best known
men in Texas, was made chairman. He
Mayor Walter G. Jones and Chief of
Police Edward ketchum formed tri-
umvirate, with absolute power, and de-
clared the city under martial law.
"They issued a commission to Major
l.. r. ID. Fayling, which read;
"'By the authority invested in me as
chairman of the committee Of public
safety of the city of Galveston, l, j. III.
Hawley, chairman, do hereby commission
L. II. ID. Fayling as commander in chief
of all military forces and special depu-
ties of police, with the rank of major
and only subject TO the orders of the un-
-dersigned, the mayor and the chief of POI
lice.
"Major Faylng is hereby authorized
TO requisition any men or property he
may require for his force, and his re-
.ceipt will be honored by the city of Gal
weston and any such property paid foi
by the city
Horde Robs Dead and Dying.
-.'As soon as Major Fayling received