El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-06-30

= at low tide and il curves inward. 50 that
It throws back the waves in a great cur
tain like spray as they dash against II N
times OF storm In front Of this wall Is Al
apron Of huge granite blocks which break
the waves as they come in. raoDing rns
Ordinary high tide OF its force
The wall is II feet wide al the base ana
II contains so much material that II II
could be loaded into box cars the train
required to haul il would u as long as
the distance between Pniladelphia ard
Baltimore The workmanship Is such that
the whole wall looks like mass Of solid
white stone. firm enough 10 outlast the
The seawau was but little injured by
the storm OF 1915. which tore out the ends
of the csuzeway connecting Galveston
island with the mainland The causewzy
Itself cost more than S2-o0o.0e0 and II
viii take another million and half 10
make it so that II will be absolutely safe
against the storms OF the future Today
the breaks have been repaired by piles
forming trestie which eonnects tns
mainland and the remaining sections OF
concrete; and the trains cross 70 the
island upon this track which Is half WOOD
and half stone The hurricane Of two
years ago left a track Ike that OF an
earthquake Great sections OF stone bal
ustrades lie half drowned in the sea and
some Of the remains remind me OF the
ruins OK Baaibek-
When Destruction swept Over City.
The building Of the great wall and the
caussTay was accompanied by the raising
Of the city OF Galveston You remember
the story OF the storm OF September. 1900
Before that Galveston was the richest city
OF the southwest. and ii was a common
saying that you could not start q peanut
stand anywhere in Texas without consult
ing the capitalists OF Galveston The town
had $1,000 or 4O.0ea people and Million
aires were thicker than the bales Z cot
ton now on the wharves- The place was
noted for its beautiful homes and fine
business section
Then out Of the Caribbean sea. some
VII re in the vicinity Of Martinique island
Sprang up a cloud no bigger than the
hand Of man. and with II a hurricane
which crossed over the American Medit-
erranean as that sea is called. and enterbd
the Gulf OF Mexico II gathered speed
as 1t flew, ard IL was hurled upon Calves
ton while travelling Al the rate OF 10
miles hour As il nearsd the island Il
plunged into the sea and rolled up the
waters OF the gulf. making a great tidal
wave that flooded the city. drowned one
fourth OF more OF its inhabitants and
ground some OF its homes to pebbles and
mstchwood- Il absolutely destroyed more
than 1000 buildings and from 5000 to To-
900 people Twenty million dollars worth
OF property was wiped out by the wind
and the flood and the people 80 fright
ened that about 10000 OF those remaining
left the island for good
City Is Restored and Made Higher.
Then came one OF the wonders OF civic
spirit and municipal creation which hess
been associated with Galveston from thSL
time to this The population left came to
gether and decided not only TO rebuild the
drowned city but to raise IL up so high
that II would be out OF danger fruun sim
liar attacks in the future. They hired the
best civil engineers Of the country TO ad-
wise them and give them the plans. They
bonded themselves for more than $4,000
900 and later got congress 70 help them
They put q great canal through the island
and brought IN sand from the sea They
raised the houses upon stills and put new
foundations beneath them The whole
town was raised II lifted itself Up by its
boot straps. II were. to from six to
IS feet above sthe old level. and filled in
the space below. so that today you could
not tell that II is not built upon virgin soil
At the same time the great wall was
10 keep out the ocean New
yyhzrves and docks were erected and to-
day Galveston IS bigger. stronger. better
and more beautiful than ever before It
is a city OF wide streets. with long lines
OF palms running through them and ce-
nent driveways on each side II has mag
nificent homes. up TO date Business sec
ton and public buildings and schoolhouse1
which would be a credit to any nother1
city OF three times its size