The Great Galveston Disaster, Containing a Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times Page: 225
xiv, 17-536 p. : front., plates ; 24 cm.View a full description of this book.
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DOOMED CITY TURNED TO CHAOS. 225
"Every portion of the island was submerged and it seems a
miracle that the entire city was not swept away. At least twofifths
of the houses on the island have been razed to the ground.
Of the remaining three-fifths, at least half are damaged beyond
repair, while the others are all damaged to greater or less extent.
No house escaped without some damage and to have some idea of
the cyclonic nature of the storm it will be only necessary to state
that steel shutters on large business buildings were twisted around
as one would twist a small piece of copper wire.
" Large splinters were whirled about in the air like darts, and
many found lodgment in human bodies, no doubt producing
instant death. Oh, the horror and terror of that dismal night!
The wind howling, the sea roaring and lashing, houses falling
and crashing, men, women and children screaming; the shrieks
of dying animals; imagine it, if you can, and you may form a
faint idea of the situation at Galveston last Saturday night.
HUMAN VULTURES PILFERING AND LOOTINQ.
"Tuesday morning I passed a partially wrecked home, in the
door of which stood a young face and snow-white hair.
"'Saturday morning,' said the man who accompanied me,
'that woman's hair was dark brown; Sunday morning it had
turned to snow.' I did not doubt him, for he told me of the
woman's experience and how she had been saved as if by a miracle.
( But the woeful part of the terrible disaster has not yet been
told. Hundreds of human vultures, almost before the storm had
abated, began the work of pilfering and looting. Dead bodies
were robbed and in some instances fingers were cut off to secure
the rings that were on them. Most of these vultures were negroes,
and they kept up their horrible work all day Sunday and Sunday
night. Monday min ring martial law was declared, and those
placed on guard had strict orders to shoot all pilferers and looters.
Many met their just fate, and by Tuesday morning the looting
had almost ceased.
" Sunday the negroes refused to help bury the dead for either
love or money. But when martial, law was declared they were
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The Great Galveston Disaster, Containing a Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times (Book)
This book covers the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the United States' deadliest natural disaster. It includes accounts from survivors and eyewitnesses, and photos of the devastation.
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Lester, Paul. The Great Galveston Disaster, Containing a Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times, book, 1900~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth26719/m1/279/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.