and all people have been urged to come from that city to Houston.
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF TWO HOUSTON WOMEN.
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.
TRANSPORT TO CARRY PROVISIONS.
Acting Secretary of War Meiklejohn issued orders placing the transport McPherson at the services of the Citizens’ Committee of the Merchants’ Association of New York for the immediate transportation of provisions donated for the relief of the storm sufferers at Galveston.
The people who had been raising contributions and supplies in New York asked President McKinley for a transport, and the War Department acted immediately on the request. It was expected that the McPherson would leave within seventy-two hours and sail direct for Galveston. It was suggested by the War Department that the relief committees of Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia and other cities in reach of New York by rail within a few hours, place themselves at once in touch with the Chairman of the Relief Committee of New York, in order that clothing, supplies and food might be forwarded promptly to the carrying capacity of the McPherson.
Austin, Tex., September 13.—Alvin and other points along the coast are crying piteously for aid. They say that they have been overlooked in the general relief fund and that with all their property destroyed, their hopes gone, no clothing, no provisions, they are fit subjects for the hand of charity along with the unfortunates from Galveston. Governor Sayers promptly wired them that they should be looked after.
Touching on the subject of needs of the flood sufferers and the funds being furnished him for the purpose, Governor Sayers stated to-day that it would take at least one million and possibly a million and one-half to render the assistance that would be beneficial to the flood sufferers. Many of them will have to be supported for possibly the next two months, and it will require an immense amount of money to do this, inasmuch as there are estimated to be 10,000 destitute at Galveston and fully twice that many along the main shore.
From points along the coast comes the report that a great amount of wreckage is being thrown up by the Gulf and hundreds of people have wandered miles down the coast, seeking among the wreckage for valuables. The household property of Galveston people is strewn from Rockport in Matagorda Bay along 200 miles of coast front. Every conceivable household article is to be found strewn along the sands. Valuables are literally lining the coast. Trunks, valises, bureaus, chests and the like are being deposited on the shore.
People are pouring up from the coast by the train load. Many are going to relatives in the central and northern part of the State, and others are stopping in Houston. Of course, this applies to the more prosperous class of the Galvestonians, if there can be any such now.
MONEY AND SUPPLIES FOR THE SUFFERERS.
The subscriptions in New York up to Thursday, the 13th, for the relief of the Galveston sufferers were:
Merchants’ Association, $52,099; Mayors’ Fund, $7000; New York
