The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-22
Governments Expenditure Of $2,O00,OOO Pre-
vents Repetition Of Disaster Of l0OO-==
Ten Lives Lost, Property Loss 100000

Galveston, Texas, July 22.-Galves-
ton has weathered a repetition Of the
storm Of 1900, when u tidal wave sur
faced the island city. taking a toll of
lives counted in the thousands ana
causing property loss counted in mil
lions OF dollars without the loss of
single life in Galveston, and a prop
erty less trivial in comparison. To
the seawall alone Is attributed the
fact that the city is standing TODAY.
I'm the vicinity OF Galveston the loss
Of life as a result of the storm, Is
placed at ten, members of A fishing
party at Tarpon Pier several miles of
the gulf. The total property loss Is
estimated at 100000.
Finished but four years ago at a
cost of S2,000,000 by the government
and Calves on county. the seawall. a
gigantic mass Of marble and con
crete, standing II feet high and II
feet thick at the base and gradually
sloping at the TOP. yesterday. success
fully witbstoud The onslaught OF the
raging gulf, as whitecapped wave ar
ter wave was hurled against it.
Whether or not this mass of con
strUCtiCa was damaged 5y the action
of the water can only be told when
the waters Of the gulf finally fall back
10 normal Constructed on piling
driven deep into the ground. II was
thought impregnaDle to the action Of
the gulf but the piling is driven into
sand only
Should the sand have seeped away
4 million dollars more will have to
be expended In Gllirg In.
The seawall served its purpose and
had it not been lu the high waters OF
the back bay forcing water through
the sewers into ;he streets, Galveston
would have been destroyed by the
stress of the water encircling the
CITY on the east
Galveston beach VIII have to be re.
built When the seawalI was con-
structed the encircling band OF con-
crete and steel was laid to the rear of
the bath houses, and below the beach
stretched out 1.OO0 feet from the
water. Between the waterline and the
wall were the two bath houses, Muir
docks and the Breakers, constructed
In recent years at a cost of $4,000
each. These were swept away and
scattered the nine-miIe length of Cal
weston island. A mile 10 the west. and
a. the end OF the SCawall boulevard,
unscathed, stands the new surf bath
house completed 1t a cost Of $40, 600
Standing on piliug driven as deep rs
those supporting the Seawall, this
new hotel and resort successfully
withstood the onslaught Of the gulf
and today is the only thing standing
between the water line and the wall.
Working throughout the night by
the light OF lanterns. pile drivers work
ed at each end ot the trestle spanning
Galveston bay b. the island and the
mainland. By midday today. the
breach caused by a drifting barge,
will have been repaired and traffic re-
Sumed to the island. Until this is re-
paired, Galveston will be isolated from
the mainland as this is the only
bridge. and no launch will attempt to
cross the rolling bay
Tarpon's fishing pier, where occur
red the only loss of life. thus far t..
ported, Is at tho end of a narrow and
rocky promontory which shecrs into
the deep gulf Waves sweeping the
hotel from the summit Of the rocks,
cast ten persons into the water and
they drowned.
All night long, boats large enough
TO venture upon the turbulent bay
searched fo= the bodies of the dead
but as dawn broke, the boats return
ed to their slips empty handed Like
the storm of 1900, the bodies probably
have been swept out 10 sea 10 be dis
gorEed days later when the waters
have Gained and the tides roll in.
Reports, up and down the gulf show
that Galveston was the center OF the
disturbance for which warnings for
mariners were posted in Galveston
Sunday. The nearest threatened loss