Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1915-09-17
THE GALVESTON FLOOD
Interesting Letter From Mrs
George Hayner, Of Galveston,
Relates Story Of Recent
Flood

Below we glVed portioH VI q
very interesting letter from Mrs.
George Hayner, of Galveston,
Texas, to her daughter. Mrs. }.
F. Cherry, containing a full ac-
count of the disastrous flood that
swept Galveston some days ago.
Space does not permit the print
ing of the entire letter, but we
are giving the most interesting
portions.
The evening paper gave
warning of the storm week be-
fore it came and a great many
people who went through the
1900 storm knew enough to get
out and fix some place of safety
before it got too bad. All Sat
urday night, August IA, it blew
very hard all night. All day
Sunday it was very damp and
cold and Sunday night about
twelve o'clock it started to rain
and blow very hard. By day
light Monday it was blowing a
gale and it was raining so hard
it looked like snow. About $3.50
the lady next door called me and
told me her sister had just called
up the weather man and he told
her the storm was then centered
at Sabine Pass and was due to
strike Galveston at $50. He al
so said if we would call him up
about 9:15, he would tell US just
where it was then. We did not
call after that, for | can tell you
at $50 it arrived and | thought
the island would be swept clean
every minute.
A little later saw men tax
ing children in their arms and
trying to hold on to others and
in some cases trying to help the
women too. | was looking at
all this when my phone rang
and some lady asked if the wa
ter was very high in the east end
where we lived. When she
rang off, that was three O'Clock,
| went to the window to see
what she meant when, heavens,
the water was coming up from
the bay a, mile a minute. | turn
ed and told the kids we had to
go to a higher building or be
drowned. when your father came
in the back gate with the horse
and carriage. He called to me
to put anything on and get in the
carriage and he would take US
to his boat or on the transport.
We got in and got as far as
Fourteenth and Strand, when
someone called; stop, Chief,
you will drown if you 60 anoth-
er foot" When he turned, the
water was over the horses back
and we thought she would give
out every minute. | had the
baby in my lap and the water
was up to my waist.
The water was gaining so
fast on US and the rain was fall
ling so heavily, we hardly knew
where We were. When we saw
a grey stone building, | said,
Let's get out here. About a
dozen men ran out andcalled to US
to come in there. By that time
the mares head was just above
water. Some men came out and
took us in and told George to tie
the mare in the yard of the old
Custom House. In a little while
the water began to come in Sc
fast, every one was told to &c
upstairs, and then | found we
were in the Eagles Club, a new
building finished aboutA month
ago.
, AS it grew dark it got worse
and all the men told your father
to cut the mare loose or she
would drown, so about sever
| o clock he said he would go anc
; turn her loose. When he got
half way down the lower stairs
8 he had to swim all the way ovel
and back. There was from
fifteen to twenty feet of watel
j in the streets. There was abou
a thousand people there, womer
and children, and we sat ther,
soaking wet and sick with fear
the wind blowing a gale, roof
J smashing up against the Club
!, no lights but dim candles, AM
Il one would think the very heaven
e were afire, the dreadful flashe
= of Tightening would come ever,
;, second or two. .........,..