Yesterday was the anniversary of the 1900 hurricane that wiped out a good portion of the island of Galveston, Texas. I couldn’t let that date go by without mentioning it. If you haven’t read much about it in history, let me tell you that it is an amazing, true story of devastation and horror and the courage and ingenuity of survivors.
I wish that people had done differently, that they had taken the rising sea waters as an ominous sign, that they had gone to St. Mary’s Church on the island which was one of the few buildings that survived the hurricane. But, of course, nobody knew that the hurricane was going to be that bad. And, when they did realize it, it was too late.
In some places, Galveston was only nine feet above the sea water. They had been hit by hurricanes before 1900, but this one was much, much worse than anyone could have imagined. Loss of life was estimated at 6,000 to 8,000. It’s impossible to comprehend such a disaster.
In the aftermath, some people left Galveston, but, many others stayed and, amazingly, they re-built. I can only admire the pluck, determination, courage, and resolve of Galveston citizens who built a concrete sea wall and raised the level of their island, including utilities and sidewalks, as well as buildings. Even St. Patrick’s Church, which weighed perhaps 3,000 tons, was lifted five feet. Slurry from the bottom of the harbor was used to fill in under the buildings, then the water drained away. Remember, this was before the days of mechanization. Mule power, man power, and ingenuity got the job done.
Many books have been written about the hurricane that roared ashore on a warm Saturday in September. The response of the citizens seems almost miraculous, but they did what would seem to me, almost impossible– they faced the aftermath and with much determination, they got the job done!
Speak Your Mind