The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-08-19
HUNDREDS FLEE
FROM GALVESTON,
FEARING FLOOD
Sea Wall Saves City Lashed by
Hurricane.
WIND BLOWS rs MILES HOUR
Texas Coast Towns Struck by Ter
rifle Wind and Rain Storm
No Lives Reported Lost in
Galveston.

wind blowing rs miles an hour water
filling the streets, the light and power
plant out of commission the people Of
Galveston are fleeing from the city on
every train. Practically every town
along the Texas gulf coast reports sim.
liar conditions. Although the actual
| damage at this time is confined to a
| few houses blown over and no known
| loss of life the situation is growing
worse with such alarming rapidity
that fear of another disaster is eX-
| pressed everywhere and all precau-
lions possible taken to meet disas-
| ter.
Families Rescued in Boats.
Both the Western Union and Postal
| Telegraph companies have closed their
| Offices, quitting work when their Of
! fees were flooded with six inches Of
full of water and boats are running
! through the streets carrying families
| to positions of better safety.
Water Halted by Wall.
The water has not broken over the
sea wall, however, and the sea wall
has not been damaged according to
Galveston reports by telephone. The
water backed into the streets from the
| lower end of the island. This sea wall.
which once before, in 1909, stood a
! severe test OF storm, is II feet high,
| sloping and at some places is so feet
wide, forming a boulevard, The dis
aster of 1900 in which 5000 persons
| lost their lives started in exactly the
same manner. The loss of life then
was due chiefly to the f. : that houses
were knocked against each other and
! destroyed by wind and wave. Should
the wind get much higher and the wa
ter deeper many houses will be blown
over and knocked together.
Censorship Is Established.
The manager of the Postal in leav-
ing his office declared he would stay
no longer as he must leave to protect
his own family. A strict censorship
also has been established as the Gal
weston officials fear that false rumors
will be given out. Both telegraph com
panies have countless messages on
file for sending and thousands of 9TH
ers from all over the country were
turned down. While loss of life may
be caused it will not be due to destruc-
ton of the big sea wall for it's wreck
ing is almost an impossibility as 1t is
built as part of the mainland, the level
of the island being level with the wall.
Many Leave on Trains.
Rafroad offices here report that hun.
dreds have fed to stations in an effort
to get out of the city, but others. in
Guiding some of the most prominent
citizens, declare they will remain TO
show their faith in the city, even if it
costs their lives. After the disaster
of 1900 the population of Galveston
dropped from 10000 to 10000.
Refugees in Second Story Of Station.
At seven o'clock the Santa Fee office
reported that water stood in it's Gal
weston station four feet deep. Crowds
of refugees are in the second story of
the building.
Ten Houses Demolished.
Ten houses were blown over at Vic,
toria. Captain Bolivar, including the
Bolivar peninsula, are cut off and a
large number of persons are trapped
by the water. In Houston the fire de.
partment took down all electric signs
in anticipation of damage by wind
which Is 40 miles an hour here.
Three Towns Are Deserted.
The towns of Sabine and Sabine
Pass have been deserted as well as
Port Lavaca. Refugees say that 9th
ers are trapped Water is reported in
streets of every coast town from Cor
nus Christi to Orange