The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-07-23
SAVED BY SEA WALL
Galveston Not Damaged by
Tropical Hurricane.
SEVEN FOOT FLOOD HALTED.
Storm Broke Over Once Devastated
City at 6S Miles an Hour, but
Storm Warning Had Been
Sent Out.

Galveston. Tex, July 22.-Fortified
behind her seventeen foot sea wall and
elevated to point above the danger
line Galveston passed safely through
a hurricane that resembled the disas-
trOuS storm of 1900.
1t was the terrifying experience of
that flood that enabled the city to take
the precautions that saved it from q
like fate this time. Galveston had a
taste of food in 1888, but the great
disaster occurred on Sept s, 1900 The
food then, IA now, was the direct re-
suit of gulf hurricane, which blew
straight inshore with a velocity of
eighty miles an hour. The duration of
the storm was only five hours, but at
the end of that time property to the
value of $2O,OOO,OO0 had been de-
stroyed and 5000 lives had been lost.
In this last flood part Of the island
on which the city is situated was
again inundated, the overfowing sea
water reaching height Of seven feet
or more. That portion Of the island
which has been protected suffered
comparatively little harm. No lives
were lost and the property damage is
not large.
The tropical storm attained veloc-
ity of sixty-eight miles an hour and
shifted to the northwest, heaving the
waters of Galveston bay up against
the island and flooding that quarter
which had not been raised.
The water backed UP into the main
streets of the city, but the principal
damage was confined to the beach
front, where bath houses and pleasure
piers were swept away. Shipping was
undisturbed
The weather bureau had sent out
warnings and when the wind and rain
arrived Galveston was prepared. The
inhabitants in the low part Of the
island had already sought safety and
the vessels that had cleared and had
prepared to sail had safely anchored
in the bay.
The fury of the storm soon abatetl
and the anxiety of those who enter
tained fears of another tidal wave
was relieved.
A heavy dredge torn from its moor
ings was blown against the single
bridge that connects Galveston island
with the mainland, breaking the tele,
graph cables that were carried by the
bridge. AS result all manner of rll-
mors were soon rife throughout the
country to the effect that Galveston
had again suffered such a storm as
that which partly destroyed the city
nine years ago. 1t was not until com
munication was re-estublished that
these reports could be denied.
Few buildings were blown down, but
many warehouses were flooded, and
goods on the bottom floors of these
buildings were ruined
The storm covered a wide area
along the gulf coast. Some damage
is reported as far south as Matagordt
bay and as far east as the parish OF
Cameron, Louisiana.
A fishing pier seven miles from Gal
weston was demolished by wind anG
waves. Thirty or forty persons on i
We're rescued by the pilot boat Texa!
and brought to Galveston.
AS result of the damage to tn,
bridge communication by rail has beel
cut off. Crews are at work on it, ant
trains will go over the structure lat'
today. Tugboats are carrying passen
; gers, mail and freight across the ba!
- CoIunctnn at nrncnnt