The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-08-31
MARION PEOPLE
N GREAT FLOOD
AT GALVESTON
FL Travis Receives Letters
From Relatives Telling
Experiences.
more DIE THAN REPORTED
True Conditions Of the Dis
trict Have Not Been
Published.

Some OF the horFoFs OF Inc AeESHS
food IN Texas are wildly described
in letters just received in this city by
FL. Travis, Of the Central fire sta
ton, from relatives living in the food
ed district.
That GaIyeston's loss is far greater
than was reported at the time, that
many more died as the result OF the
food and storm than were listed IN
the official list is gathered from the
contents of the letters. The iollo"-
ing is a paragraph OF n OF the letters
written by Mr.. Travis sister showing
the true condition OF Galveston follow
ing the subsiding Of the waters:
'The only way anyone can get to
Galveston is by boat from Virginia
Point. People have to get permits be-
fore they can go to Galveston. Sol
diers are guarding the town and they
have It under martial law. lney
won't allow pictures taken and they
won't give outsiders anything 10 eat
unless they are unable to get away.
They don't want outsiders to know
how bad things were because 1t Wout
hurt the toWn-what IS left OF II. NO
n knows how many lives were lost
but do know that the number is lar
ger than published. When bodies are
found they are buried and nothing
said about them"
Some idea OF the experiences are al
so told in q letter written by J. f. ira
Wis to his daughter living in Houston
Texas. and forwarded on to this city.
M. Travis formerly lived on the East
Side, but is now in business a area
dIa, Texas, very near Galveston me
following extracts are taken from me
letter telling OF his troubles in Calves
tom during the food while he was Try
ing to reach his home:
On parting with you at the interur-
han station at Park Place. my inten.
fion was to get off at Dickinson ana
and son conveyance, OF if not. would
walk home. Got on at Dickinson about
ON time but could find no conveyance.
BY that time the storm had increased
with such violence that | thought II
not safe to risk walking home. TOOK
fine next car for Galveston. hoping 10
arrive there in time to take Inc %:oV
train for Arcadia, but on account Oh M
creased violence OF the storm ana Hu'
merous distractions OIL the track we
aid not reach Galveston until alter
1870. so my only hope was TO eaten
the $50 train, which was the last one
leaving the city. The wind was SO
strong and the water so deep tnat II
was almost impossible to keep on
one's feet. / saw men with sun cases
an and float in the water, but there
vras always some one else ready 10
helm them out. | was offered help
several times, but declined, as l
fbought | was able to swim through
IL l could not wade. reached inc sta-
ton all, right, but was informed una.
there would be no more trans GUY
You could not possibly imagine my
feelings at that time, knowing that
would have to remain in the station
until after the storm a over. re-
NAMED ON the first floor until We we're
driyen out-by the water and then made
NV way mn three dihts OF stairs.
sFfnding no room l continued to climo
until / reached the top OF the last
6irht and could obtain no Abundance
into,a room, SO had to spend the night
little narrow hallway n IN my
wet clothes, jammed up IN a mass %
negroes and Mexicans.
The storm reached its worst pc
tween two and three O'Clock N 'He
morning. at which time there was
about+seyen feet OF water out IN 'front.'
Al the station and nearly Y teet on
4 first floor. / had to stay there IN
IN after noon the next day without an
ounce OF anything to eat AMI by tnat
time I a getting some sick. n inc
sfternoon. when / thought the water
bad zone down enough to undertake
ii wade IN town, / took my hand bag
and started. On reaching the edge OF
fbe pavement / stood for several min
Ttes before / could get slffici ant cour-
age 10 take to the water as al una
time the wind and waves werH very
strong. / managed to wade across
waist deep, in water, and reached q
Telephone pole OF the corner nelu on
IL Il for several minutes and men
n5afa my way up town. After ~adlng
far an hour or more | reached q notel
md engaged a room for the night.
sner the night again on a cot in my
vet clothes. and in a narrow hallway
an the TOD floor and without 1000.
Next morning 1 found a small grocery
tore where 1 purchased a can OF
3 and some half rotten tomatoes
ali that | could get. After eating
nv alunch" 1 went down town as lar
ss / could get without wading, LOT !
was tired OF doing that. Bought SomG
nver:ripe bananas, and that was all l
ri TO eat until l reached home late
sn3the evening. / then went % the IN
ferurban station, where l was INFORM
"a that there would be no cars cross
ing the causeway for six or seven
DAYS, so / took my grip ana maae IoE
ne docks, thinking might ros the
baysto Texas City, which ! at last sue
ceeded in doing.
When nearly to Hitchcock mad 70
cross the Highland Bayou bridge
which was almost FIVE feet under a
er. Redthags had been placed al ootn
ends Of the bridge and was told nat
4 vould better not attempt to cross
81 there had just been two men drown
ed while trying to cross: Nothing
could keep me from crossing. When