The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-08-23
REDF[AMES
WERE HURLED
THROUGH AIR
THE PEOPLE OF GALVESTON
THOUGHT JUDGMENT DAY HAD
ARRIVED STORY OF STORM
TOLD BY ARDMoRE MAN.

In the Galveston storm of less than
week ago. one of the stories over
looked by the reports was the burning
of a quantity of crude oil. In the
dark hours of a dark night, when
there were no flashes of lightning, no
electric lights, the rain was not only
falling in sheets, but the water on
the ground was being picked up by the
hurricane currents and hurled through
the air, darkness was so thick that
one could feel it-a huge tank of crude
oil became ignited When the flames
rolled high in the heavens between the
gusts of wind, these flames were cut
off from the fire by the next gust and
hurled over the city. Persons looking
from their windows, saw the sheets of
flame passing over the city, they had
no idea of the source of the fire and
knew nothing of the origin of the
flames and the stoutest. hearted be-
lieved the judgment day had come.
F. A. Redmond, who is at the head
of the fuel oil department of the San
ia Fe was in Galveston at the home of
his sister, when the storm broke, he
saw the sheets of flame passing over
the buildings and recognized it as an
oil fire, but those unacquainted with
oil believed the elements to be filled
with flames and were momentarily ex-
pecting to be deluged with fire and
swept into eternity. Mr.. Redmond
went through the 1900 storm and went
through this one. The last one was
worse storm, and he says, he will
leave that city if he is there again
when the storm warnings are sent. His
sisters home is in the highest portion
of the city, and water stood about two
feet deep in her yard, while in some
of the business sections the water was
nine feet deep. The sea wall remain
| GU intact SdNtu llC tllg' lt
boulevard surrounding it was dam
aged. Undermining of buildings was
the cause of the losses outside of win
dows being crushed in and roofs being
taken off
| Mr.. Redmond tells second oil story
which is OF interest. At Texas City
two large tanks of the Pierce For
| dyce Oil Association were crushed in
like an egg shell could bee rushed in
the hand. The oil rose on top Of the
waves and as the water receded from
| Texas City, it left black coat Of oil
which covered every house, yard, barn,
store and street, and even the domes-
tic animals have a coating of oil.
Should a fire start in that city there
would be no way to save it.
The storm began Sunday evening
about 700 o'clock; by go O'Clock
gale was blowing and everybody went
down to the sea wall to see the waves
dash against it. At 800 o'clock Mon
day afternoon, the hurricane began
and had reached its height by 400
o'clock next morning. The wind was
straight, there was no tendency to
twist, the rain came in torrents, there
was an absence of lightning, there
would be moments of calm and then
the gusts would seem to come with
greater force, People there are ac-
customed to storms, they had faith in
the sea wall and they stood the power
full strain upon the nervous system
better than in 1900, but with that
there were many who were frightened
out of their wits.
Following the storm, the first pa
pers issued were on Thursday morn
ing. The print paper was wet and
the Galveston News issued paper
about the size of letter head, while
the Star issued an edition of yellow
paper, of little larger size.
1t will probably require a month to !
establish train service to the island. |
Mr.. Redmond arrived from Calves
ton at noon, Saturday.