The Great Galveston Disaster, Containing a Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times Page: 88

88 THE GULF CITY A MASS OF RUINS.
"The waters of the Gulf and the winds spared no one who
was exposed. Whirling houses around in its grasp the wind piled
their shattered frames high in confusing masses and dumped their
contents on top. Men and women were thrown around like so
many logs of wood.
ALL SUFFERED INJURY.
"I believe that with the very best exertions of the men it will
require weeks to obtain some semblance of physical order in the
city, and it is doubtful if even then all the debris will be disposed of.
"There is hardly a family on the island whose household has
not lost a member or more, and in some instances entire families
have been washed away or killed.
"Hundreds who escaped from the waves did so only to become
the victims of a worse death, being crushed by falling buildings.
"Down in the business section of the city the foundations of
great buildings have given way, carrying towering structures to
their ruin. These ruins, falling across the streets, formed barricades
on which gathered all the floating debris and many human
bodies. Many of these bodies were stripped of their clothing.
"Some of the most conservative men on the island place the
loss of human beings at not less than 7500 and possibly IO,OOO.
The live stock on the island has been completely annihilated.
"I consider that every interest on the island has suffered. Not
one has escaped. From the great dock company to the humblest
individual the loss has been felt and in many instances it is irreparable.
In cases where houses have been left standing the contents
are more or less damaged, but in the large majority of cases
the houses themselves did not escape injury."
At fifteen minutes to four o'clock in the afternoon of Thursday
the i3th, for the first time since Saturday afternoon at twenty-six
minutes after four o'clock, Galveston was in telegraphic communication
with the outside world, although not open for business completely.
The cable left Chicago on Sunday morning and was laid
across the bay, and several thousand telegraph poles on the main-