Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-04-12

I
ton, Texas, the city on the soaboard
which was almost literally wiped from
the face OF the Earth, last September,
by terrible storm and tidal wave
which submerged the low island on
which the Inflated city stood. From
the ruins a new and beautiful city is
rising, and like Chicago, after the
great fire, built stronger, il not better,
than the original city. There may
not be so many palatial residence, but
these will be replaced by comfortable
homes, constructed largely from a
building fund OF over million dollars
donated by the liberal-hearted citizens
OF the whole country.
There were before the storm, 5000
dwelling houses in Galveston, at time
OF the flood 1900 Of which were de-
stroyed. In one district OF 200
buildings, not one escaped destruction.
There were only so tornado insurance
policies held in the whole city. Cot
tages were built for the sufferers cost
ing about $3.50 each, containing three
rooms, are an absolute gift, and in cases
where the property destroyed was in
numbered by debt, the finance COM
mittee have secured agreements by
the holders OF the Indebtedness not to
modest the owners of the new posses
sions for year. Up to recent date
1913 new cottages had been built and
l,1O9 damaged ones repaired, costing
for construction $4,000 and repair
$4,000.
The railroads, three of which en-.
tered the city by costly bridges and
owned terminal buildings that were
destroyed, the street railway system
covering Al miles, and the telegraph
and telephone services, are being re.
stored, the first train entering Calves
ton from the mainland in thirteen
days from date of the disaster. Wire
service was restored in seven days, and
The wharves replaced so far as to adj.
NIT of carrying On business in one
weeks time. The waterworks were
restored to service in three days, the
city re-lighted in six days, street car
service began in fortnight, regular
issue of daily newspapers was resumed
in three days, and the telephone sys-
tenn re-established in thirty days.
Business was resumed, almost as if no
great calamity had happened, except
in reduced and temporary quarters,
and placed in good shape, within
thirty days.
1t may seem as if the people of the
Inflated city are taking fearful risks
in attempting to rebuild on the low
site which may again be submerged,
but so strong is the home.love in the
human heart that they are inclined to
accept the alternative. Like a swarm
OF bees driven from the hive by the de
spoiler, they return in preference to
seeking new quarters.
The chance of a recurrence of the
disaster is, however, on the estimate
placed upon probabilities, extremely
small, and very few believe or appre-
bend that another such calamity
may befall the city within the life of
the present generation or their chill.
dren's grandchildren. The U. s.
Weather Bureau has issued bulletin
covering the entire history of West
Indian hurricanes, and the result
stated is that the Galveston cyclone
in September last was the severest and
most destructive storm in the annals
of the Western hemisphere. It was
preceded at Galveston by the lowest
barometer reading ever reported in
the United States, and the wind at.
tanned a velocity of 120 miles an hour.
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