The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-22

u
Galveston, July 2l.l-Man's strength. and
skill were pitted against the fury of the
elements today and man won, when the
city of Galveston, safely entrenched be-
hind her impregnable 17-foot sea wall,
withstood with comparatively trifing loss
a tidal wave and hurricane equal In in
tensty and destructive force to the one
which destroyed the city on September 8.
1900.
In Galveston and vicinity not single
life is believed to have been sacrificed,
but the material loss Is thought to be
quite extensive. The hurricane swept the
entire gulf coast even as far south as
Matagorda bay. That some lives were
lost and that much property was de-
stroyed is the general belief tonight With
wires down and railroad communication
destroyed the exact loss is impossible to
estimate.
Hurricane Strikes.
The hurricane struck the city about II
o'clock this morning. The wind, attain
ing velocity of nearly 70 miles an hour,
whipped the treacherous waters Of the
Mexican gulf into fury of destruction.
With the psnt-up anger of 10 years Of hate
the waves blindly assaulted the grim
parapets of stone which man had buflded
to restrain its attacks. In vain 1t hurled
It's thousands Of tons of water upon the
splendid breastworhs. Only feeble burst
of spray and little water reached It's OBJ
1ective and the beleaguered city lay calm
and safe behind the wall.
Outside the limits of the city where the
wall had not been reared. and where the
city had not been elevated the waters had
their way, but they wrecked only de-
serted huts.
In this section, which is low and sparse
ly settled, the water rose to height of
seven feet, but the weather bureau warn
ing had been needed and the inhabitants
had removed their possessions from the
threatened place.
Along the Coast.
The only anxiety expressed now Is for
the smaller towns, villages and summer
resorts with which the coast Is lined. In
the history Of other gulf storms, 1t has
been the villages that have suffered most.
The entire ,ulf coast Is low and offers
absolutely no protection from the storm
of waves Beautiful summer hotels and
handsome cottages dot the shore and
shelter thousands of care-free and happy
pleasure seekers. What their fate has
been or what It will be as the storm
sweeps on, no one can ten-yet.
There is no communication by wire with
the island city Of Galveston tonight. A
schooner torn from her berth by the
wind, smashed into the span of the one
bridge which connects Galveston with
the mainland, and severed the telegraph
and telephone cables, as well as rendered
unsafe the bridge. Tonight all communi-
cation with the world is by tugs.
AS far as could be ascertained late to-
night the damage done by the storm Is as
follows:
The Breakers and Murdoch bathhouses.
$4,000; Beach Fishing pier 1900; private
fishing pier, $1,000; Pettisons fishing >oier,
5000; rarpon pier. $4,000; damasS>fo un-
finished boulevard, t15.oco buildings along
boulevard. $1,000; building along the lower
section Of island 5000; United States gov
ernment and state property, s5000
The Santa Fe railroad announced late
tonight that trains would be running over
the bridge connecting Galveston with the
mainland by tomorrow morning.
Reminder Of Great Disaster.
Houston, July IA gentle breeze fans
Galveston tonight Peace and quietude
have settled down upon that city, which
today was visited by the worst storm 1t
has experienced since the tidal wave of
September, 1900. when millions Of dollars
worth of property and 5000 lives were
lost.
The staunch and massive sea wall. built
on the gulf side of the city after the