The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-22

the worst storm Il has experienced
since the tidal wave Of September.
1900. when millions OF dollars worth
OF property and 5000 lives were losts
The staunch and massive sea wall,
built on the Gulf side OF the city, after
the catastrophe OF nine years ago.
served Its purpose wen, and Il IL said
by those who are In q position to Judge.
that to the presence Of this wall Is
the fact that many lives and valuable
property were not claimed by todays
storm. -
Practically all communication by teie-
graph with Galveston 10 still impossi-
BILE as three spans. or sections OF the
bridge running from the island on
which the city stands, TO virginia
Point. were swept away when q
barge was hurled against the piers.
This bridge supported all Of the tele-
phone and telegraph lines running into
Galveston. Late this afternoon one
wire. hastily repaired. brought the
cheering news to the outside world.
that no lives had been lost and that
the property damage was comparatively
small.
Bu1letfns Give warning.
Onoial bulletins, issued by tho United
States Weather Bureau. gave warning
Of the approaching storms, and In some
measure the shipping was prepared for
II, had 1t not been OF such violent ma
ture. Before daylight the storm clouds
began gathering in the south. far out
over the waters. The white caps,
growing in size as each moment passed.
gave even a better warning that, bear
Ing upon Galveston, was one Of those
storms peculiar to the tropics and
known as q West Indian hurricane.
Every moment the wind increased In
velocity until II had attained q max
imum of seventy-six miles an hour and
the mercury in the barometer fell as
low IS 1856, as against 1850 when the
1900 storm was at its height.
BY 8 o'clock this morning the wind
had attained q velocity OF forty-hve
Ing. The waves, even then, rolling
high. dashed furiously against the mas
sive concrete sea wall, hurting dense
clouds OF spray and spume into the
air, where 1t was caught by the wind
and driven back across the city In tor
rents. Just before IL o'clock. heavy
barge was torn loose from its moorings
on the bay side of the city and, after
being tossed about like a chip. was
hurled against the railroad bridge run
ming from the city to Virginia Point,
about midway OF the bay.
With the exception OF one telephone
wire, which although torn loose from
Its faatenings on the bridge. remained
intact for short time. all communica-
ton with the outside world was at q
standstili. Intense excitement pre-
vailed throughout the entire city, ae-
cordins to the advices received here
late In the day.
Only One Cable wsrling.
Tonight only the Postal Telegraph
Company's submarine cable into Calves
ton Is working. and II is over-cfowded
with private messages from anxious
people outside Of the city, who have
friends or relatives living In the island
city.
At II o'clock today, the wind had
reached its highest velocity the In
struments registering . gale of sew
enty-six miles an hour with the ba-
rometer standing at $3.50.
Then. far more rapidly than It had
swept down upon the city, the wind be-
gan to subside. With the passing Of
the storm, the fright OF the citixens
passed as they realized that their sea
wall, which had been built at cost OF
s2.o00.o00 had held fast and to IL they
probably owed their lives end prop
srty.
Rescue parties were sent out onto
the beach, for II was there that the
storm did its damage. Bath houses.
pavilions and booths along the Speed
way. as the driveway outside OF the
sea wall Is known, were turned topsy
turvy. the mors ffail ones being crush
ed and splintered by the force of the
wind and waves
Murdocks big bath house and the
Breakers, another large bath house.
were completely wrecked by the storm,
as were the old and new fishing piers.
Both bath houses and piers were lit
orally battered to pieces by the high
waves. but to the city proper. they did
no more damage than to flood the
streets nearest to the wall. Other par
ties were sent to the resorts along the
beach. Sixty parsons were rescued
from these places and tonight the early
reports that no lives were lost are con-
firmed. The greatest damage done to
the railroad bridge and to the jetties
extending far out into the gulf. An
ocean-going tug rescued thirty persons
from Belizon's Fishing Pier as the
storm came up.
l.. Reports received here from Sabine
Pass, state that 1t is for the most part
under water, but that no great dam
age has been done and no lives nave
been lost. Similar messages have been
received from other coast towns.
BY early afternoon, Galveston mad
again assumed its normal state and
business was conducted as usual.
The people knew that their wall had
stood a severe test and felt satisfied
with fits strength.
sailors Tell OF storm.
Mobile. Ala, July 21-The Norwegian
fruit steamer Karen that arrived here
from Port Limon. c. r.. this afternoon
reports that last night the weather was
so heavy on the bar and seas running
so high that they had to put back to
escape. They report encountering
gales of wind on the 18th, that lasted
all day. 1t began to blow from the
northeast, veered around to southwest.
then to east. southeast The hardest