New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-19
Many Injured When Storm
Strikes Texas City
Encampment.
TOWN IS WRECKED
AND UNDER WATER
u. S. Officers and Men Lose All
Property-Washington Gets
Wireless from Gen. Bell.
From The Tribune Bureau

washington, aug. lo.-l we've SOL
diers were killed, scores injured. and
the entire United States Army encamp-
ment at Texas City wiped out by the
storm and food that swept the Texas
coast Monday night. Railroad and
telegraphic communications are inter
rupted, and the meagre reports reach
ing the War Department to-day were
sent by wireless from the United
States transport Buford and relayed
from Houston.
zen of the dead soldiers, with the
names of their nearest relatives, are:
MURPHY, John j. private; brother. Thomas J..
Murphy, ia Prospect street, Lawrence, Mass
Watertown. y. Y.
sTANKEL. Joseph p. private: mother. Mrs. Anna
BOtZ, Baltimore.
sAAlET. Haimsn. private: cousin. Ralph ssmet.
10 Railroad Avenue. Freeport. Long Island
sEURAN, Paul A.. private; father. Paul A. seuran.
Houston. Ter.
MOORE. william H., corporal; mother, Mrs Annie
Moore Greensboro. Ga.
MITCHELL. Albert. private; father. stephen
Mitchell. S03 North Lee Street. Naldosts. "a
WATSON, 1hOmas A. prlNttcs idihsfs - n Wv
son. Carthage. y. c,
RIyAGE. Henry J., private; father. JACOB RiVase,
ll6 Spring Avenue. Troy. y. T.
BADER, cook. quartermaster corps. THE ad utanI
generals record shows no soldier of that name
at Texas city,
All were of Company NJ, 23d Infan-
try, with the exception of Bader.
Texas City Under Water.
Texas City is under from three to
five feet of water and is completely
swept away, except for the most sub
stantial buildings. The United States
army camp is destroyed, and officers
and men lost all property. The prin-
cipal danger now feared is shortage Of
water supply. as the reservoirs were
swept by the tidal wave and filled with
salt water and wreckage.
Galveston is completely cut of from
communication, but the sight of thou
sands of bales of cotton from Calves
ton warehouses floating in the bay
gives rise to the gravest conjectures.
The 25th Infantry, which was camped
on low ground in Galveston, is report
ed to have abandoned The camp and
moved to safe quarters. All indications
point TO very high water at Galveston.
Major General Franklin Bell, COM
handing the I'd Battalion, stationed
at Texas City, succeeded in reaching
Houston. He reports the storm worse
than in 1900, when the city of Calves
ton was practically annihilated. Rail
with Galveston, he
states, cannot possibly be restored
within a month. Supplies can be sent
there, however, from Houston by way
of the Ship Channel.
General Bells description of the eff
feet of the storm at Texas City fol-
lows:
Tidal wave and flood water COM
bined rose to a height of three to five
feet throughout Texas City and sur
rounding country.
All Camps a Total Loss.
"All camps are total loss, including
wooden structures; not a vestlge left.
The camp ground is now a lake. All
public and private property IN camp
is almost total loss, except animals,
transportation and ordnance equipment
on men. A few animals and consider.
able harness were lost; property of
every QtSGIlDNlOu 10 CNdkNAANh NhAbAbtA
out the city, and floating wreckage Is
piled up in the streets. The violence
of the wind was such that many water
craft of considerable size were blown
ashore and f0ated into tn city near
Bay Shore. The command is greatly
scattered seeking shelter during the
night.
storm still too violent to accom-
plish much this morning, except rescue
women and children and search for
dead and injured. A temporary hos
pital was established at the Southern
Hotel yesterday. Most of the dead
and injured were discovered and cared
for last night The most substantial
business houses and residences stood,
but some were unroofed and consid-
cradle number of small frame build
ings were blown down or floated into
the streets. Some are off foundations.
All temporary wooden buildings were
wrecked and the division quartermas-
ters store, tents and property are a
total loss. The depot quartermaster's
Texas City branch storehouse is un-
rooted and the property and supplies
soaked, but mostly disable.
hOduS
"Culverts and small bridges are
gone, roads generally impossible and
all railroads, telephone and telegraph
lines temporarily out of commission.
There is no communication with out
side. Nothing can be heard from Gal
weston. A large number of people are
homeless and without food, but the
visible supply will probably last until
it can be replenished. From Houston
| am furnishing food and succor to
the needy, regardless Of status"
After vainly attempting to reach
Houston yesterday General Bell man
aged to get through the flooded dis
trict and arrived ar Houston at 1880
this afternoon. A dispatch TO the War
Department, the last received from him
tonight, adds many particulars TO his
previous reports and describes condl-
lions between Houston and Texas City.
Conditions between here and Texas
City are very bad" the message says.
Not yet heard from Galveston, but
north of the bay all indications are
that the force Of the wind was great
err than in 1900. The great concrete
causewsy was seriously damaged
throughout and destroyed in sections.
Many demolished and badly damaged
houses, uprooted trees, drowned ami
mails and high water were observed en-
route. Numbers of mounted men had
TO go twenty miles inland the night of
the storm to reach land not covered by
water Most of the country between
Texas City and Webster is still a
shallow lake Of salt water
Wind Caused Great Damage.
"The terrific force Of the wind did
most of the damage IN Texas City.
Great loss and considerable suffering
resulted in the surrounding COUNTRY.
Il will certainly be impossible 10 re-
establish rail communication with Cal
weston in less than a month Supplies