The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-08-20
400 Victims of the Hurricane
Which Swept the Gulf
Coast of Texas
1900 BUILDINGS
ARE DESTROYED
Aggregate Property Loss Estimated at
Not Less Than S25,0O0,O00 = Eight
Steamships Are Aground, Including
Interned Austrian Vessel.

Interned Austrian Vessel.
HOUSTON, Texas, August 20. = The
death list resulting from the hurricane
that devastated Galveston and the gulf
coast of Texas now exceeds 400. This
number includes 135 in Galveston and
on the island west of the city limits.
The property loss, based upon investi-
cations made by newspaper men both
in and out of Galveston, aggregates not
less than $25,000,00 This includes
the damage to crops in the gulf coast
section All agree that the property
damage in Galveston is greater than in
1900. A portion OF this loss is charge
able to the fires that followed the
storm.
Among the large buildings wrecked
by the storm is that of the Galveston
Wharf company, 4 landmark in the
city. Fires destroyed the Armour Pack
ing company 5 plant and the Mistrot
Dry Goods company's store and strip
ped the boulevard of hundreds of build
ings along the gulf side of the city
The total number of buildings destroy
ed in the city is estimated at 1.500.
Eight large steamers are aground,
including the interned Austrian vessel,
which was swept - miles into Gal
weston bay and landed on q reef Near
" hundred refugees were taken from
this vessel yesterday afternoon.
Little Looting in City.
Galveston is not under martial law,
but the mayor and the police depart
ment arc being assisted by Col Millard
f. Waltz, commanding the Fifth Bri-
I'gade, L. S. A. All saloons have been
closed and there has been very little
looting. This was stopped in its in
cipiency by the shooting of three ne
groes.
Speaking of conditions in Galveston
Mayor Fisher said:
| 1.-The sea wall has proven its eff
cheney, and Galveston, though staggered
: by the blow, is in good spirits The
! loss of life is comparatively small and
j the property loss Is not great in view
| of the severity of the storm. Water
will be plentiful by Friday night You
may say to the world that the cause
way will be rebuilt with as little delay
as possible. The approaches are dam
aged, but the concrete arches and sup
/ ports are intact.
The bodies of 25 persons were picked
up yesterday afternoon ON the west end
of the island, outside of the city prop
er Five hundred men are engaged in
the work of clearing up the wreckage.
This work will consume the greater
! part of two weeks and as it progresses
it is expected that additional bodies
viii be found On the dredge boat
IL
their lives and ON the tug Helen Hen
derson 90 are believed to have been
lost
The wharf is intact and suffered less
than in 1900. The heaviest damage by
the flood is in the business section of
the city, where water stood eight feet
on the floors of store buildings The
sea wall from Eighteenth to Thirty
sixth street is practically intact. In all
other places, except in front of the
Sealy hospital, the boulevard has beer
undermined by the water One large
hole in the west end of the wall was
made by a four-masted schooner which
was driven over the wall All of the
bath houses on the beach were washed
! over the sea wall.
r Houston Sends Food.
Houston officially rendered aid tc
| Galveston when q committee was sent
! I by Mayor Campbell to confer Will
-. Mayor Fisher. Arrangements we're mad,
to send flour, bread. rice and other pro
" visions. Fifty thousand loaves o.
bread were sent today The watc
: supply is insufficient, but this situatio,
! will be relieved in a few days. Sani
- 4arv conditions a-a had br+ +ha c+o +
health department has taken this mat
ter in hand.
t Gen. Bell, in command of the Seconc
i division, at Texas City, moved s
e wounded soldiers to Houston last nigh
on a special train, and 500 women an,
d children, the families of soldiers, wer
" brought to Houston to be cared fo
$ until conditions are normal. 1t is prob
It able that the government will find ney
> quarters for the entire division, an