Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1902 — BAD STORM IN TEXAS. [ARTICLE]

BAD STORM IN TEXAS.

GOLIAD IS DESTROYED AND MANY LIVES LOST. Hurricane Travels Up the Gulf Coast, Leaving; a Path of Destruction in the Southern and Western Parts of the Lpne Star State. It is believed that between 100 #nd 200 lives have been lost in a hurricane which swept southern and western Texas from the Red river to the lower gulf coast, a stretch of fully 600 miles. Of the fatalities nearly half occurred in Goliad, a town of 3,500 Inhabitants on the San Antonio river, sixty miles southwest of Houston. That place was almost entirely wrecked, and the most conservative estimate places the loss of life at seventy-four, while scores of persons suffered injuries. Other Cities Suffer, San Antonio, Austin, Mexla, Beeville and Fort Sam Houston suffered from the visitation, and it'is believed that the calamity will prove to be the worst that has befallen the gulf coast since the hurricane of 1900 and its accompanying tidal wave engulfed the city of Galveston. The first news of the disaster at Goliad was received at about 7 o’clock Sunday evening, when the long-distance telephone operator communicated to Houston the fact that a large-part of the town had been literally blown away. The most serious damage by the storm was in the northern and western parts of the town, which were little more than a mass of wreckage, in which there were known to be many bodies and from which scores of persons, all homeless and many of them injured, were sending out calls for assistance. Estimate# of Dead. Nearly every bouse in the town wan razed or badly damaged by the wind, which also wrought havoc to life. The most accurate reports of fatalities place them at seventy-four, and the injured are believed to number at least 200. Of the dead forty-seven are whites and thirty are negroes. The seriously injured are whites and negroes in about the same proportion. The court house, city hall, jail, postoffiee, churches and other public buildings are gone. A driving rain which followed in the path of the tornado was followed in turn by, a tremendous drop in temperature, adding to the misery of the survivors, houseless and unprepared to face such weather. The storm was wholly unexpected, notwithstanding that the day was stormy, and on that account its work was probably more destructive, for as terrific as Texas hurricanes generally are, there no doubt would have been some among the victims who could have found a safe refuge. Follows Gulf Coast. The cyclone followed the general line of the gulf coast, and the towns lying within about 100 miles of salt water were the principal sufferers in the southern part of the State. BeeviUe reports much damage to property, but no fatalities. In the eastern part of the State heavy rains fell, and the winds were high, but the storm was not cyclonic in character. The territory immediately to the west of Austin felt the visitation severely. Walter’s Park, a hamlet fourteen mile# to the northeast of the capital, was badly damaged, three score or more house# being blown down and many trees uprooted. In Austin a number of houses were unroofed, and the State institution for the blind was considerably damaged, though none of the inmates was injured. Loss iu San Antonio, The storm struck San Antonio at about 1 o’clock. The damage there is estimated at from $75,000 to SIOO,OOO. The wind reached a velocity of seventy-two miles an hour and contiuucd at that rate for nearly twenty minutes. It blew from the southeast aud then shifted to the southwest, the greatest velocity being from the latter point. t At Fort Sara Houston government property was damaged to the extent of $20,000, the doors being torn off the officers’ quarters and barracks. The West End Church was destroyed, entailing a loss of $5,000; Hartwell’s Hotel was damaged to the extent of $3,000. St. Louis College damaged $6,000 and the Academy of the Lady of the Sacred Heart $2,000. Damages to private residences will reach $40,000. Several persons were injured, but there were no fatalities.