New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-08-19

with sixty persons within it's walls,
was brought here last night by Rev.
e. j. Sloan of Houston Heights, and
Sheriff G.. ID Kemp of Wharton. Be
tween fourteen and twenty of those
in the building, according to these
men, probably lost their lives Sloan
and Kemp were aboard an interurban
train which became stalled on the
causeway amid q furious gale and
sea-
Forty eight passengers were aboard
and all sought refuge in the hotel.
a two story frame structure. The
motorman refused to leave his car.
The, party entered the hotel about
7 o'clock Monday night.
Separates With Roar.
AT ESQ o'clock Tuesday morning
the hotel building began to separate
with a roar" said Kemp.
"A moment later it had divided into
several parts and those inside were
struggling in the surging waters
Twenty members of the party never
were accounted for although some
of them may have escaped death"
Subsequent news reached here to
the effect that fifteen persons who
had escaped before the hotel COL
lapsed, sought refuge in a small
power house. Ten feet of water sur
rounded the place. They were with
out food, but the storm brought them
sustenance. Two live pigs, borne
along the turbulent waters, reached
the marooned party Tuesday. Then
came two cans of coffee and a barrel
of beer.
Life Saving Station Demolished.
Word was received here early to-
day that the life saving station at
Surf Side, several miles northeast Of
Freeport was entirely demolished.
Captain John p. Steinhart and his
helper were the only survivors. Mrs.
Steinhart, members of the crew and
some visitors, said to number nine
teen In all, are reported lost and res
cuers are working to locate them
Captain Steinhart is said to have
made heroic effort to save his wife
and had her clutched in his arms
while holding fast to post when a
gigantic wave tore her from his
grasp. The twelve-year-old daugh-
ter of the captain is reported to have
persisted.
Dredge Houston Sunk.
Beaumont, Tex, Aug. 19-The
dredge Sam Houston went down in
Galveston Bay during the storm with
56 men aboard, according to C. West
erlage, Jr, an employe of the North
American Dredging company, who
has just arrived at Virginia point, on
the tug Roam.
Captain James M. Trahan, of the
Bowers Southern Dredging company
who reached Beaumont early today
on his way from Galveston to Port
arthur. IN search of his family, de-
CARED that the only survivors of Hous-
ton, several Is number, had zeen pick
ed up when he left Galveston at noon
yesterday. Captain Trahan also stat
ed that the Bowers dredge San ia
clnto, with crew of fifty and the
company's tug No. 4, were missing
but he knew nothing of their fate.
Thirty persons who boarded a
steamer at Port Bolivar lighthouse
Monday night are believed to have
been lost when the vessel broke from
its moorings and drifted over into
the gulf, according to travellers who |
left Port Bolivar Tuesday afternoon |
and arrived here last night.
Marooned On Island.
New Orleans, Aug. 19.-Every eff |
oiI loudy was Delng MADE to reach |
Marsh Island, about $50 miles south
vest Of here, where more than 100
are believed either to be ma
'ooned or lost. Persons on the island
mostly are fishermen but several
parties of campers were known to
nave been there when the hurricane
ind accompanying tidal wave reached
hat vicinity Monday night and Tues
lay. The sea was still too rough
or the small craft at the nearest
points to make the trip.
Known Dead Less Than 100.
: Galveston, Tex, Aug. 19.-The total
missing and known dead from area
one hundred miles wide along the
Texas coast, extending on both sides
Of Galveston, today is 1913, with the
known. dead less than 100. Galveston
City and Island, though suffering pro-
small percentage of fatal
tiles, have sustained the heaviest prop
erty losses.