The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-06
The GALVESTON HORROR
Wife of Army Officer Tells Her EX
perience In the Dread Ordeal.
HcrOIsm and LOSSES Among the SOI-
dEers-aTany Lives Saved Owing to
Valiant work by Army Men-ERert
to He Made to Obtain Relief for
the Garrison Through Congress-.

Mrs Rafferty,. wife Of Captain Rafferty,.
who. with her husband passed through the
horror Of the Galveston food. is at pres
/ ent visiting some friends in this city. Cap
/ tain Rafferty, is now in New York upon
| private business. but is expected to arrive
| here Saturday. when he VIII use his en-
! deavors before Congress for the passage
| Of The b;H now pending for the reimburse
ment OF the soldiers for losses sustained
| in the Galveston disaster.
Mrs. Ranerty's description Of her expert
ence during the terrible catastrophe which
resulted in the death of over 10000 persons
! is thrilling one. Many around her per
| islred before her eyes and II WAS by the
meTest chance that she and her husband
! escaped with their lives. The latter was
! stationed at the barracks Of the doomed
( ely and left upon the morning Of the dis
/ aster for the railway station to meet
! party Of friends who were expected to ar
| rive upon a visit. As the water gradually
| rose higher and higher in the stress Mrs
| Rafferty, became anxious FOR her husbands
return No absolute danger. however,
seemed to threaten until late in the after
noon, and by that time the captain had ar
rived. His private residence was by no
means solidly built. and as the water still
rose It became evident that it would prove
but an Indifferent haven of refuge from
the treacherous food which had now as
/ sumed the menace OF monster of death
and destruction At length, as the sJr5.e-
tEre bsgan 10 rock and tremble perceptibly
it was clear that some change for the net
| ter must be made
On the other side of the bay and some
haR mile distant was Fort Crockett.
/ strong stone building. AMI this Captain
I Rafferty, decided TO make a desper-
ate attempt to reach Darkness had
! added to the vague horror OF the scene
but the soldiers who we're in company
With the captain. his wife, and guests in
the water 0eleaguered house. and who
acted throughout with the greatest cool
ness and courage, undertook TO care for
the safety of tae ladies of the party in the
terrible journey Thus. across the black
waste OF waters which nov covered town
and bay alike, at the imminent hazard OF
being killed by the numerous pieces Of de
| bris that foated about or were borne IN
der OF out of their course b. the renorss-
! less tide. the soldiers swan with their
charges to Fort Crockett. whose friendly
OF the water. The garrison at the fort
were not slow in offering their assistance.
but some half dozen brave men were
missed from the party. nor were their bod
les ever attsrward recovered. The walls
OF Fort Crockett we're twenty-fOur feet
high, but now they measured scarcely half
that altitude from the encircling water.
The latter moreover, sun continued ris-
ing with fearful resistency. great
light of stone stems lead fryro -, ;r,r..=r-
Of the fort 10 the ramparts upon which
the guns were mounted
| Inc party took refuge upon these steps.
! he trapdOOr at the top leading oJIt upon
the ramparts being battened down As
| the water continued to rise the party was
| Obliged TO mount higher and higher upcn
the steps. the water following with deadly
! peTtinacity until il threatened 10 enguIf
those nearest il. while the sound Of the
breakers from without dashing over the
| batJiementS TO the Tamparts lust over
! head reyerberated through the building
Ike thunder. At length Captain Rafferty,
! ordered the traPdOOr al the top OF tie
steps TO be opened. But terrible con
tIngency was overlooked Immediately
upon the execution Of the order. the water
that was dashed over by breakers and
| had accumulated above fell through The
! open trap and down upon the steps carry
| ing on number of persons into the gater
/ beneath. Mrs. RafIerty's cool. and Fousa-
maid were drowned before her ewes. ard
several others persisted although some re
role reScUes were effected By some Of the
men The making OF their way out Lnon
the raalparts BY the survivors was craugfr
! with the greatest danger. The break ers
dashed with great energy. and the only
chance OF resisting their pitIiess strength
Was BY Ciinging beneath the gun carriages.
This. indeed. formed a very effective
means Of refuge as the force Of the waves
was broken by the gun. the latter serving
to screen and protect those taking shelter
beneath them
Thus. through the long terrible night.
! surrounded by the element Of death and
! desolatiOn which might. at any moment
mount and engulf them forever the rem
naut Of the party waire'i - coming OF
| the dawn. The cries and lamentations Of
those among them who had lost their
| loved ones alLeruaJed with the harsh roar
Of the breakers II was a night" ssvs
! Mrs Rafferty,. never to be forgotten BY
those who endured its unspeakabIe ter
rors-
when the waters had subsidized she
continued, 4 made nv way with my hus-
hand over the scene nr what was once
| Galveston Fresh horrors met my view
al every step. The barracks. together
| with our residence. were entirely demoI-
| iShcd- The bodies OF those who persisted
were heaped in the streets, while. of
those who survived nearly everyone had
lest some near and dear to them Death
and desOIation- horror and despair reign
( ed supreme. We went TO The fremont
House. which had been less damaged than
most OF the buiidinE1. but living egen
! here was conducted under such disad-
| y4ntages that We were obliged to leave
IN a few days. The horrors Of the period
Immediately succeeding the disaster have
been repeatedly told. 3ut l do not believe
any idea can be formed by those who
were not actually present. The Cd5r from
the dec0mposing bodies was something
fearful. while carts loaded with corpses.
irrespective OF the position or even color
Of the deceased. were dri,rn rapidly by
that their contents might be buried or
cast out to sea with the greatest expedI-
| ton Occasionally . shot would ring ou.
! telling Of some one caught in The act of
robbing the dead. and incoutinently paw
! ing he penalty with his life Many went
about the streets raying mad from per-
/ sOnal grief and the unsPsa liable horror
OF it all Il was more like some frightfuI
| nightmare than tangible reality"
| rather odd coincidence was afforded
| The interviewer IN the fact that. q few
| days previously he had met in a promi-
| neat bird store in this city. lady who
appeared very interested in the parrots Of
which there was a great number. This
lady -~-@gTked. in the course Of CONVERSE
ton that she had possessed four splendid
parrots which were very dear pets 10 her.
I 2 yFbf. h.I