The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-07-24
SAVED THE CITY
Galveston Secure Behind Her
Great Sea Wall.
WATER Is HELD BACK

The Texan Seaport Weathers Ter
rible Tidal Wave and Hurricane Of
Similar Proportions to One Which
Well-nigh Destroyed the City Nine
Years Ago.
Mans strength and skill were pit
| ted against the fury Of the elements
Wednesday and man won, when the
city Of Galveston, safely entrenched
behind her impregnable 17-foot sea
wall, withstood, with comparatively
trif1ing loss, tidal wave and hurri-
cane equal in intensity and destruc-
tive fore to the one which destroyed
the city on September 8, 1900.
The hurricane swept the entire
Gulf coast with an intensity and VIC
iousness that has seldom been equal
ed in country where destructive
storms are not unusual. 1t has it's
origin on the Atlantic coast and,
swinging westward and southwark,
devastated the entire Gulf coast even
as far South as Matagorda Bay. That
some lives were lost and that much
property was destroyed is the general
belief.
The hurricane struck Galveston
about II o'clock Wednesday morn
ing. The wind, attaining velocity
of nearly seventy miles an hour,
whipped the treacherous waters Of
the Mexican Gulf into a fury Of de-
struction. With the pent-up anger
of ten years of hate the waves blind
ly assaulted the grim parapets Of
stone which man had builded to re-
strain it's attacks. In vain 1t hurled
it's thousands of tons of water upon
the splendid breastworks. Only a
feeble burst of spray and little
water reached it's objective 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 ele-
vated, the waters had their way, but
they wrecked only deserted huts and
abandoned territory. In this section
80 no 81 whit &c nd cnorno1U
settled, the water rose to height Of
seven feet, but the warnings Of the
weather bureau had been needed and
the inhabitants had removed their
possessions out of the danger zone.
A hurricane for East Texas was
forecasted at the district weather
bureau in New Orleans early Wednes-
day morning, and warnings were sent
out. When wind and rain arrived
several hours later they found Gal
weston prepared. The inhabitants Of
the few scattered houses in the low
part Of the island had already sought
safety, and the vessels that had clear
ed and prepared to sail were riding
at anchor In the bay.
The fury of the storm soon abated
and the anxiety of those who enter
tanned fears of another tidal wave
were soon relieved. Small boys pad
ding around the flooded streets, even
before the heavy winds had died
down, presented a scene which dis
PEELED the alarm felt by the timid.
So short was the duration of the
storm that the Mallory Line steamer,
which was booked to sail for New
York shortly after noon, left on the
scheduled time.
Message OF Greeting.
The following message was issued
Wednesday night:
"The city of Galveston sends greet
ings to her sister cities, the people
! of the United States and of the world
in that, at this hour, it has passed
through a most formidable storm,
manifesting in its course some OF
the most violent incidents Of cyclonic
disturbances and its great sea wall
has completely vindicated fts eff
cheney and protected the city against
dangers from the seas, leaving such
insignificant damages as are incident
to all storms.
THE city, its great business inter-
ests and its people have safely pass
ed through a most severe hurrica INC.
the sea wall proving complete sue
cess. The city's great wharves and
shipping interests suffered no dam
age and not life was lost.
(Signed:) Lewis Fisher, Mayor;
e. o. Flood, President Chamber Of
Commerce; B. Adoune, Presiden-
| Maritime Association
|