Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-17
Galveston and Other Texas
Towns Damaged by
Storms.
WATER IN STREETS
FIVE FEET DEEP
Damage to Property and Loss Of
Crops Enormous-Measer Reports
Received by Wireless and Gathered
From Fleeing Residents Indicate
There Has Hssn No Loss Of Life
Houston and Other Towns in Path.

Dallas, Tex, Aug. 17.-Only meager
information was available at noon to-
day concerning the tropical storm that
yesterday struck the Texas coast,
flooding Galveston, and then swept in
land, doing heavy damage to crops
and farms.
SO far as known no lives were lost.
Galveston, Houston and Beaumont,
three Of the principal cities of south
Texas, were still cut off from wire
communication. A brief wireless mes
sage which said that Galveston. after
weathering one Of the worst storms in
fifty years, was under five feet Of wa
ter. brought the only definite informa-
ton in several hours concerning
the fate Of the coast city, concerning
which many rumors have been afioat.
The Galveston dispatch made no
mention of loss Of life. 1t said the five
feet Of water in the streets was drained
away and that fires, probably the re-
suit OF food damage. had been placed
under control Il said also that the
United States transport Mcclellan had
broken from her mooring and drifted
half q mile to sea. The wireless sta
tions at Port Arthur and Fort Crockett
were reported out Of commission.
Many Fis> City.
About 5000 persons are estimated to
have left Galveston for Houston and
other points during the thirty-six
hours preceding s o'clock last night,
fleaing from the stOrM
Hundreds of residents Of other small
coast towns were reported also to have
left their homes and hurried to safe
places away from the coast, but there
have been no reports that the storm
did damage to any of these places.
Sabine and Sabine Pass were cut off
from communication with the outside
world. At the same time the wires
failed to Beaumont, and conditions
there are uncertain, but it was report
ed early today that haif the popa:si-
ton Of about 1000 in the two places
had left.
Many bath houses and small build
ings were blown down at these small
towns. however. this was the extent OF
the damage, according to reports. Not
a single life was lost, according to q
report at o'clock this morning.
Victoria early yesterday afternoon
reported the destruction of few
small houses and nothing farther was
heard from there during the night.
Greatest Damage to Crops.
Houston, Beaumont. Galveston and
group of smaller towns were cut off
and for a time all lines to San Anto-
nio and Austin were out, but commu-
nication with these. latter was re-es-
tablished. Reports from Galveston
last night by late arrivals in Houston
told of comparative quiet among the
people.
The streets Of Galveston were re-
ported filled with rain water, but the
level Of the sea water was several feet
below that Of the city last night Earl
Ter reports Of water from the sea run
ming thru the streets were believed to
have be1n incorrect.
The .eatest damage is that to
crops Ind farms along the coastal
plain. It is believed most of the people
have taken advantage Of government
warning and escaped.
causeway Damaged.
No direct word concerning the sea
wall and causeway upon which CAL
veston's existence in storm times de-
pends has como from the city ITSELF
Reports from various sources, how
ever state that large sections Of the
causeway. which connects the city
with the mainland, have been blown
away. Ono report said that a large
vessel had been blown thru the cause
way. At the offices Of the Santa Fe
railway at Temple, Tex, 1t was said
that two work trains had been ORDER
ed to the coast to help in repairing the
damaged causeway.
Like Storm Of 1900.
While wire communication with
Beaumont and Houston remained cut
on, little anxiety was felt for those
cities as they are some distance from
the coast and are believed safe from
high gulf waters.
While moro definite reports concern
Ing damage along the coast were
awaited, the storm apparently had
swept inland. No definite reports COM
csrning inland storm havoc were avail
able. United States weather bureau
officials said that from reports the
storm must have moved inland in a
noethwesterly direction west Of Cal
weston, heading for central Texas
Barometric disturbances, the weather
observers said, Indicated that the
stpem path might be similar to that Of
the great storm Of 1900, which swept
over Galveston. destroying tho lives Of
5000 persons, and then went north
thru Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa.
81 Sea Wall Saves City.
:, In addition to Galveston. Houston
aud Beaumont q group Of lesser cities
were cut OF from communication with
tho outside world but the greatest
anxiety was felt for Galveston. Per-
its M S.