Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-19
TEXAS STORM DEAD
ESTIMATED At 400;
LOSS, $1O,0OO,0OO
Correspondent Says Many
Lives Lost in Shipping
on Galveston Bay.
WATER FRONT is WRECKED,
MANY HOUSES DESTROYED
People in Need Of Food and Drink
Due to Flood Through
Causeway.
PROVISION STORES SOAKED
Water Supply Cut Of and Fires Burn
Themselves Out-Fourteen Bodies
Recovered in City-Bay
Front Suffers.
PROVISION STORES SOAKED

SAN ANTONIO, Tex, August
1o.-The total number of lives
lost in Texas and at sea along the
Texas coast as result of the
tropical storm may reach 400, ac-
cording to information brought to
San Antonio this morning by
Charles S. Hayden, staff corre-
spondent of the Light, who re-
turned today from Houston and
Galveston. Mr.. Hayden was sent
to Galveston Monday night, and
was in the first boat to reach the
stricken city from the mainland.
Up to noon Wednesday only
fourteen bodies had been recov-
cred at Galveston, and it is be-
1ieved doubtful if many more
than this were drowned in the
city itself. The heaviest loss OF
life, according to information
brought by Mr.. Hayden, will be
found to have been sustained by
the shipping and dredges an
'chored out in the bay. The total,
including those lost in the city,
from ships and the lowlands Of
Galveston may reach $50 to 900.
( The exact number, however,
probably never will be known.
With the deaths reported in Vir-
ginia Point. Texas City, La Porte,
Houston and other nearby coast
cities, it is believed the grand total
will approximate 400 lives.
Wind 90 to 1874 Miles an Hour.
Mr.. Hayden said the force of the wind
at Galveston during the height of the
hurrcan ranged from 80 to 124 miles
an hour.
Thanks to the ample warning given
by the United States weather bureau as
to the approach of the storm, coupled
with a realization as to what this
in the storm of 1900, thousands of peo-
pie who remained in Galveston left
their homes Monday night and sought
refuge in the buildings in the heart of
the city. The fremont. Royal, Panama
and Galvez Hotels were crowded to ca
pacity, while the upper floors of the
Santa Fe station. American Bank
building and the Rosenberg Library
also held thousands.
Hayden said that despite their esti-
mate that the property loss may reach
sI0.oo0,O0O. the citizens of the city are
jubilant because tAe sea wall has done
its duty and stands intact.
Great holes have been torn in the
pavement of the boulevard just inside
the sea wall for practically the entire
distance from 7th to 18th streets, and
dermined.
Water which flowed in from the bay
Monday afternoon did almost as much
damage as the sea-
Bay Front Wrecked.
From one-half to two-thirds of the
buildings which lined the bay front
have been wrecked and most of the
buildings about the docks are little
better than ruins. This. however. is
attributed to the wind, as the piling
on which these buildings were erected
still stands.
Back of the sea wall. in the vicinity
of fremont street all the smaller
frame buildings have been wrecked or
wrenched from their foundations. All
bathhouses-the Breakers. Surf and
Nurdock with piers ex-
tending out into the gulf, have been
washed away, and a big -masted
schooner hurled in from the gulf, lies
half way across the sea wall. The
saiIors from this vessel were rescued
by soldiers at Fort Crockett.
There have been three disastrous fres
in Galveston since the storm. The first
of these. which broke out in the o. X.
Laundry near the Santa Fe depot oc-
CURED early Tuesday morning. This
building, with the one adjoining. was
burned to the ground. Later a fire
started In the store of the Galveston
Dry Goods Company, and at noon w ed
nesday there was a fire In the ware
house of the Direct Navigation Con-
p.ny 1t is estimated that these three
res alone caused damage of approx
.u.ately $2J0, ,000 in excess OF that Great
LG by The storm.
Later reports received at Texas City
,.lid the are was subsequently gotten
,.ul1er control by the use of engines
pumping water from the streets.
Needs of People.
The greatest need of Galveston now OF
the 20, 900 or more people who remained
there during the storm Is food and wa.
Ter. AT noon Wednesday 1t was report
sed there was scarcely enough water t.
last another day, and much of thi.
would be required for baking bread
Nearly all the stores of groceries were
water soaked. packages of cracker.
bringing a price of SO cents each.
Efforts to supply these people will
| provisions and water are being made a.
rapidly az possible. Both ends of th'
causeway were washed out, and 1t will
be several weeks before direct rail con
nection can be resumed.
In the meanwhile, however, severa
(Coptinued on Third PaSe)