New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-19
Gulf Coast Swept by Hur-
riCane and Tidal
Wave.
GALVESTON AGAIN
A WRECKED CITY
Five Hundred Buildings Blown
Down, Is Persons Killed
Death and Damage Common.
lBy Telegraph TO The Tribune.

lBy Telegraph TO The Tribunol
Houston, Tex. Aug. 18.-The known
death list in the tropical storm which
has swept the Gulf Coast for three
days mounted to 1S9 tonight, when a
newspaper correspondent of this city
arrived from Galveston, direct from the
scene of destruction, and gave the first
details Of the loss of life and property
Twenty-Five were drowned in Gal
weston and immediate vicinity; twenty
fve at Virginia Point, just across the
bay from Galveston; ffty-fve were lost
when the barge Sam Houston sank;
fifty-two were drowned at Texas City,
including twelve United States soldiers;
La Porte reports six deaths; Port Ar
thur, six; Seabrook, three; Morgan
Point, eight; Houston suburbs, two,
and Hitchcock, seven.
The death list at Galveston prob
ably will be increased, as many bodies
were seen floating in the water, few
of which so far have been recovered.
Five hundred buildings and homes
were actually destroyed in Galveston,
not including mahy which were badly
damaged. The buildings wrecked in
clude the big grain elevators near the
bay front, the contents of which were
lost. One thousand feet of the sea
wall which was depended upon to save
the city from destruction was washed
out in front Of the Gslvez Hotel, but
il is said the hotel itself has escaped
with slight damage.
Great Causeway Damaged.
The causeway, which cost s4,000,OOO,
is destroyed at both ends and 5000
feet of it was destroyed in the centre,
which will make it impossible for
trains to enter the city for about two
weeks. ... -
The victims lost when the Sam Hous-
ton sank. had fed TO the boat for
safety. Their loss was at first denied
by the city officials.
The large loss at Virginia Point was
caused when the Causeway Hotel there
collapsed. Seventy-fve persons had
fed there for safety, and only nifty
escaped. Others who were injured
NAV die. One man, driven insane by
the catastrophe, drew revolver ana
killed himself at the hotel while crowds
of women and children looked on.
One hundred men, women and chill
dren are still marooned on Red Fish
Reef. and 50 far it has been Impossible
to send them aid or supplies and their
suffering must be intense.
Fires have started, and 1t has been
impossible to control them because
there is no water service or power. The
greatest suffering has resulted from
lack of drinking water.
Despite conditions which have made
thousands homeless, Mayor Fisher has
issued a proclamation declaring that
outside help, either financial or in the
way If food or clothing, would not be
welcomed. He says the city neither
needs nor desires outside help, as II is
able to care for its own sufferers.
Town Under Martial Law.
The Santa Fe station has been nearly
destroved. The town has been 'aced
under strict martial law, and the SOL
diers at Fort Crockett arr patrolling
the streets and helping IN rescue work
The wind at Galveston reached We
locity of ninety-fve miles an hour, and
while il has subsided the danger Is
not yet over.
The loss of crops in South and Cen
tral Texas will reach at least SlO'OOO'-
600, as so per cent Of them have been
ruined. The property loss at Galveston
is roughly estimated at slO'Ooo'ooo'
The oil fields around Beaumont SUI
fered damage to the extent Of s5OO,OOO,
while several cities in East Texas, IN
cludi1g Port Arthur. Sabine and Sabine
Pass. suffered loss to the same extent.
For more than forty-eight hours
Galveston was wholly out of touch
with the world, except for a few feeble
wireless messages which told but scraps
of news. Soon after 6 o'clock Monday
night the wires went down. after sew
ersl dispatches to outside points
told of the increasing vigor OF the
storm which had been brewing all the
afternoon. From that time until late
to day only the wireless has been able
to send a few fragments OF fact from
the United States transport Buford to
the army wireless ststion at San An
tonic.
Despite the fact that thousand feet
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