Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-27
$4,000 Loss IN
GALVESTON STORM
Survivor of Tarpon Fishing Pier
Tells a Very Thrilling Story of
His Experience as the Pier Be-
gan to Sink.

GALVESTON, Tex, July 2S.-With the
spirit born the morning of September y,
nine years ago, when Galveston awoke to
find her shores Uttered with 5000 dead
and the city in ruins, the twice threatened
city today began the rebuilding of the
buildings RACED in the storm of Wednes-
day. There will be no work of removing
the debris, as the waters have scattered
1t along the coast from one end OF the
island to another,
Later reports from the interior show
greater damage and loss of life than sus-
tanned at Galveston, which held the CEN
ter of interest because OF a probable repe-
tition of THE Storm"
Wires are down and the rambling mes
sages received fail to state the complete
status, and names of dead and injured
are an impossibility.
Such points as are represented, how
ever, tell of a score killed, serious injury
to half as many more, of fourteen others
missing and believed 10 have persisted,
and damage to property estimated at
$780, 900. OF those missing thirteen are the
members of the families Of three brothers,
Alternately who left High Island Tues
day, intending to go to Sabine Pass. They
travelled by wagon and were to camp out
on the beach during Tuesday night, re-
Stunning their journey Wednesday. Part or
their equipage has been found, the ami
mails which drew the wagon drowned, but
searching parties have found no trace
of the three men, their wives or the seven
children who made up the party. Oneself
me Herbert creole, is another missing.
THE SINKING PIER.
Graphic tales of their battle with the
waves are told by those who were swept
from the Tarpon Fishing pier, of Calves
ton, into the gulf, who were rescued cling
ing to bits of wreckage along the beach
near Morgans Point.
Captain Bettison, owner of the pier,
with his wife, are among those yet
unaccounted for and counted dead. While
the little bungalow in which the party
sought shelter when the storm broke was
gradually going to pieces. Bettison disre-
garded his own safety and prepared the
others for their coming battle with the
water. He adjusted life preservers and
gave each minute instructions.
Ray G. Teetshorn, of Houston, tells an
interesting story. 1t was shortly after
midnight of Wednesday, Mr.. Teetshorn
declared that the first real alarm for the
safety of the pier was felt. 1t was ten
hours later that it gave away and the
party of ten were cast into the water.
shortly before the building sank we
WENT TO the TOOIs 1eelSnOfn.
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
1.-The building dent down easy--in fact,
simply crumbled beneath us-and we
struck the water easy. Everybody
scrambled for himself. 1 think all of US
started off on some wreckage and the
wind and tide carried us through the
water, while the high sea beat us and
the rollers broke over and beneath us.
The arst piece of wreckage l got onto
crumbaed and broke and 1 fished around
and finally got onto mattress, which
soon became water-soaked and sank
Then scrambled about and finally crawl
ed onto a piece of timber about II feet
long and l stuck to this until picked up.
1--WE drifted toward the quarantine
barge wreck opposite the quarantine sta
ton in the channel and tried to steer our
selves to it, when we first struck the
water, but the tricky wind and current
drove us away and we drifted out in an
other direction.
II could not keep my eyes open, so I
concluded to stick to the raft until it
gave way with me. l don't know where
they picked me up. Night came on and we
saw nothing of any boat. felt sore
under the arms where the life-preserver
was on me and 1 am tired and weak,
but otherwise feel pretty we'll.
Late Wednesday afternoon, while float
ing up the bay can came close to me
which 1 grabbed and found that it con-
tanned apples. This was a God-send.
Then found the water was so rough that
1 could not open il, but I hung on and
last night managed to get out my knife
and cut a hole in the can, drinking the
Juice and eating most of the apples.
THE raft managed to finally stick
to was three-cornered and it kept me
busy sticking to it, l could not possibly
steer it and 1t would get broadside to
the waves and turn over and over. 1 es-
innate that 1 was under the raft fully
a hundred times. I cannot swim stroke
and it was the life-preserver that saved
me from drowning.
PRAISES MISSING CAPTAIN.
Captain Bettison was a cool fellow in
such a crises, and went about giving
instructions just what to do. With our
life-preseryers on and discording all sur
plus clothing and luggage, we went to the
roof to be prepared for the worst, which
came later. The poor unfortunate with
cork legs, discarded them early in the
day, but don't know what became OF
him."
Charlie Johnson, a negro cook, one of
those washed ashore, tells pitiful tale.
When the pier crumbled he took his
wife under his arm and supported Da-
Wis, the crippled man, on his back and
swan for some floating wreckage. A piece
of timber knocked his charges from him,
both floating out of his sight
The crippled man was among those res
cued clinging to a bit of wreckage. The
woman was drowned, her body being
washed ashore.