The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-10-03

at sea" said Mr.. II. f. Bowen, big,
hearty, genial-looking commercial
travelling man, to newspaper report
er yesterday, @but as near as [ could
Judge the experience / had in Calves.
ton during the trouble was pretty
much the same as that of a man on
board small ship hundred of miles
from shore, and with hurricane
blowing directly off the coast. I rep
resent large firm in Mechanicsburg,
Pa, and part Of my time is spent in
tie South. had been down on the
Gulf coast for day or two and stopp-
ed in Galveston the Thursday before
the storm to make one of my regular
calls. Our house has some good Gus
toners there, and in making the
rounds I found that one partner of
firm which always gave me good or
ders had gone up into the State on
business, and that my only chance for
an order was to wait and see him.
well, I waited; and / got my order,
too; but now l am getting ahead Of the
story. I was comfortably fixed at the
fremont House and so, when / decided
to stop over day longer, I thought
that would be something like day
off. The day after my arrival, how
ever, was not particularly pleasant.
\ storm had been predicted and the
weather was heavy. There was no
especial apprehension, however, and I
retired at reasonable hour Friday
night and slept until about 4 a. m.,
when a gust Of wind blew down the
inside blinds Of my window and
awakened me with jump. I went
downstairs pretty soon after that, for
the wind was then blowing pretty live
ly, and found that great many of the
guests had also dressed aud come
down stairs. All of the morning the
wind increased and at 10 o'clock it
had done considerable damage. The
Tremontis situated upon the highest
knoll on the island, and early in the
afternoon the water and wind had done
great damage along the beach, and
carriages began to roll up to the hotel
entrances with women and children,
flying from houses that were creaking
and groaning and suggesting immediate
collapse. AS the afternoon wore off
the water, which had at first only sub
merged the lower streets, came up to-
the fremont. Aslong as the carriages
touched the ground they continued to
come to the fremont, and the men
there would carry the half-fainting
women and children to pl- ce of safe
ty indoors. The water kept rising.
The wind was Of such force and fury
that some people were brought into
the hotel stark naked, their clothes
having been torn from them on the
streets. The streets became raging
torrents and more and more filled with
floating debris ofevery kind. AS long
as we could, party watched at the
doorways and rescued ali who came
within reach. The water finallrdrove
US to the second floor Of the hotel, an d
after that we were simply, as I said
before, like sailors tossed on an angry
sea. The Gulf Of Mexico was IN front,
Galveston Bay behind and the nearest
land fifty miles away at Houston,
which itself was under a foot OF water
at the time. Tho entire. island was
submerged TO q depth varying from six
to twenty feet, and . furious hurricane
raging and grinding oil above water.
There was nothing FOR as to do but
to wait and listen and watohs From s
o'clock the city had bssn-;n total dark
ness. There was NOT even q lamp in
the fremont and che thousand and
more Of people, hnddled chiefly in the
long hall Of the second floor,s in the
position most sheltered from the storm,
were as silent as though stricken
dumb. For tivc mortal hours we atood,
or sat, or lay. just as circumstances
would admit, waiting and listening.
Occasionally q woman voice would be
heard in prayer, and as some particu-
lar heavy blast would strike the house
and cause it to tremble aud shuddera
convnlasva rr,h cnnld ha hoa,a j.. n, )