Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-09-15
GIGANTIC SEAWALL,
HOWEVER, HALTS
SERIOUS DAMAGE
Tropical Storm, With 65-
Mile an Hour Wind,
Hits City.
TWO THOUSAND FEET
OF BRIDGE WASHED OUT
Rail Communication With the
Outside World Is
Cut OFF.
DO. sINEsS IN BOATS
Refugees Flock to Highlands md
Are Chartered in Library and
School Buildings.
DO sINEss IN BOATS
Refugees Flock to Highlands and
are Chartered in Library and
School Buildings.
fBv Associated Prcss1

'AbN RS iON. TEN. Sept. l+-With
sHty-hvc-miie wind. high tides and
hea'! seas, the tropical storm struck
.'a!Feston this morning, tidewa,er
,;o I'm tne oaE hoodins the business Sec
.ioh OF the city and the north side %.
nc island with three feet OF wutcr
r.use waves broke harmlessly on the
snwa.a ds,,'., ; ana there was no material
udiHaSc from the wind. Shipping in
this vicinity wcathercd the storm. Tn.
wagon bridge across the bay vas nor
damaged. and tonish, VA o. -
traffic. '" ~
Two thousand feet OF tracks on the
cduse"ay and railroad bridge connect
ing Galveston with the mainland vas
cat!on "Ith tho outside world but
oothcials OF the Gult Colorado and santa
re railroad said this would be re-
paired within twenty four hours
Water early tonight still stood at
the curb in the streets for f1vc blocks
from 'he bay, and residents went about
necessary business in boats. top boots
and bathing suits. accepting the situa-
ton Sood-naturediy.
Galveston residents apparently re-
garded the approach OF the storm w tn
equantmity and took IT as a matter OF
course when Il struck. Al midnigh,
there was light wind and no rain.
nut the streets were practically de-
serted.
Crowd Watches Storm
Small crowds gathered on the boule-
ward which skirts the seawail. but
water backed in from the bay. refugees
began struggling through the streets.
carrying bundles and babies, some OF
them in night ra!ment.
y number Of refugees found shelter
in office buildings. Others were housed
in the courthouse. the public library
seers in top boots staggered about in
the wind and spray: The majority of
tho visitors had left the city yesier-
day on the advice OF beachfront hotel
rfefn pf n-s
tied their houses 4 small number OF
Galveston residents went with them.
Water standing in Market
Street. the center OF the business sec
tion. when some stores were thrown
open and emergency workers began
carrying merchandise TO the top floors.
water entered the buildings. Wheat
and other grain stored in elevators
awaiting export had been moving TO
the mainland for two days, and It IS
said there was little left 70 be dam.
aged. More than 100 trainloads OF
wheat was hauled out yesterday.
Driftwood Floats In Streets.
When day broke the rain. which for
Pieces of driftaGe hoatcd on the
waters in the streets. buggy and
an ice wagon appeared. and here and
Before noon the streets were car
nivai. Motorboats. sailboats, skiffs:
wagons and buggies passed back and
IL,
large Aimbers polcd their unwieldy
craft along. Boys pretended at hsh!ng,
ducked each other. peddled their
papers or turned some rsaults in the
streets.
Men and women in bathing suits.
some with raincoats flying in the wind.
straight back from their shoulders,
promenaded arm in arm.
Storm Along TcIns Coast.
Messages received tonight from Dali
las. TEX, said that wire communica-
tion was severed this afternoon with
brownsville. Corpus Christi and other
points in the Gulf coast region south
Of Victoria, Tex. There was no com
munication with Brownsville during
the day. but before the wires TO Cor
pus Christi failed. the storm in the
latter city was reported as serious
and tonight apparently reliable infor-
nation was received that there wac
six feet of water In the streets there
The Corpus Christi weather bureau
admitted that the situation was Sc
rious. The barometer at noon reg
istered 1900, and was falling rapidly
At p. NJ. the wind was blowing
sixty-fve miles an hour. Wire com
munication with Rockport and Arkan-
eas Pass was broken shortly after
noon.
brownsville and Point Isabel were
being swept by seventy-fve- mile IAN
hour wind late today. according to
wireless ge from Brownsville to
Communication WGS lost almost i'm
mediately with Brownsville, but the
Point Isabel wireless still was work
Qh