Читать книгу The Great Galveston Disaster - Paul Lester - Страница 95

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Mrs. Bergman, wife of Manager Bergman, of the Houston Opera House, gave a thrilling account of her escape during the Galveston storm. She was summering in a cottage on Rosenberg avenue, two blocks back from the beach, at 10 o’clock on Saturday. The water was up about three feet, and she donned a bathing suit and proceeded to the Olympia to talk over the long distance phone to her husband at Houston. At the Olympia she was waist deep in water. At 2 o’clock the water about her house was so deep she became alarmed, and in a bathing suit she and her sister evacuated the high cottage they occupied.

The neighbors living in the next house, being old Galvestonians, laughed at them. Out of that family of fifteen there were saved three, and they only because they were down town. Mrs. Bergman and her sister started for the Central Telephone office, the water being from waist to armpit deep. Both are expert swimmers, and they buffeted the winds and waves for several blocks. Finally they spied a negro with a dray. They chartered him for two dollars to take them to the Central Telephone Station. After proceeding two blocks the mule was drowned, and all were washed off the dray, the negro being lost.

Mrs. Bergman and her sister, by wading and swimming, reached the telephone station, and found refuge until the firemen commenced to bring dead bodies into the building. Then they concluded to go to Belton’s livery stable, where Mr. Bergman kept his horse. This was the hardest part of the trip, although the distance was only 600 yards. It was in the heart of the city, and glass, bricks, slate and timbers flew in showers.

GALVESTON COURT HOUSE,

TREMONT STREET, SHOWING TREMONT HOTEL IN THE DISTANCE.

TEN FEET OF WATER COVERED THIS STREET

SHOOTING VANDALS ENGAGED IN ROBBING THE BODIES OF THE VICTIMS

DESTRUCTION OF GALVESTON GARTEN VEREIN, TWENTY-SEVENTH STREET AND AVENUE O

RESIDENCE SECTION—TENTH STREET BETWEEN WINNIE AND AVENUE H, GALVESTON

ST. MARY’S INFIRMARY, GALVESTON, AFTER THE FLOOD

WHARVES OF GALVESTON BEFORE THE GREAT TIDAL WAVE. STEAMSHIPS WERE DRIVEN ASHORE AND WRECKED

CARING FOR THOSE INJURED BY THE STORM AT GALVESTON.

TRAIN BLOWN FROM TRACK SHOWN BY DOTTED LINE.

At Belton’s they remained until next morning. At 6 o’clock Sunday morning, the storm having abated, they started back to their home. The only vestige of it or of the houses for blocks around was a hitching-post. All was a sandy waste. In the back yard lay a dead baby. This frightened them, but before going far on the way back they saw scores of dead bodies, and men, women and children maimed and bleeding, homeless and bereft of family.

It was an awful night and day they put in, with nothing on but bathing suits, and nothing to eat. Passing a store they saw the plate glass windows all broken. The background was lined with black cloth. This they seized, and securing a pair of scissors at the stable and needles and thread, they soon had two well-fitting and well-made gowns, which they wore until they reached Houston.