Volume 17 , Issue 28

One Hundred Years Ago, Tuesday, 17 Aug. 1915

One hundred years ago today, 17 August 1915, Tuesday, The Guthrie Daily Leader, out of Guthrie, Oklahoma had the front page headlines: "Big Sea Wall Saves City From Destruction." Galveston was being reported as withstanding most severe storm within 15 years.

But the property damage would reach millions. The streets were five feet under water, wires down, and business paralyzed.

(by AP) Galveston, Texas, (Via wireless to Fort Sam Houston and telephone to San Antonia) - Galveston had passed through one of the worst storms within fifteen years and now is ready to repair the damage done by last night's hurricane (16 Aug. 1915).

Five feet of water stood in the city and was slowly draining off. Two fires that started early on 17 August 1915 were yet to be placed under control.

The transport McClellan, late last night broke from her moorings and drifted half a mile out to seaward.

The commercial wireless station was out of commission and the big aerial station at Fort Crockett was down.

Dallas, Tex., Aug 17 (1915) -- Will all cities and towns of southeast Texas isolated from the rest of the world, and one of the worst tropical hurricanes of a decade wearing itself out over the coastal prairies, the fate of Galveston, up to 3 o'clock was unknown, although experts believe that the storm center passed inland slightly west of the island city. Houston, Beaumont, Galveston and a group of lesser towns had also been cut off. Latest reports from Galveston the night before was to the effect that all was quiet but the streets were filled with rain water.

Galveston, Tex., Aug. 17 (1915) -- The tropical storm which struck Galveston, while very severe, had caused no serious damage and no loss of life at 6 o'clock Monday evening. Shortly after that report the wires went out. The Galveston sea wall, built as a precaution against such hurricanes, had withstood the fury of the storm and showed no signs of weakening. The storm struck the city late in the forenoon at velocity of 34 miles an hour. At noon it had increased to 60 miles an hour and during the late afternoon fluctuated between 60 and 70 miles an hour, blowing in a north-northwesterly direction.

At 8 o'clock the night before the highest velocity was sixty-five to seventy-three miles, with occasional jets blowing as high as ninety miles. The only damage thus far caused was the destruction of window panes and insecure woodwork on exposed buildings.

A heavy rain fell throughout the day and the streets filled with water to the curbing.

Waco, Tex., Aug 17 -- A Katy railroad report from Galveston says that one hundred feet of the causeway had been washed away.

Dallas, Tex., Aug. 17 -- Wires to Galveston went down at 6:20 p.m. The storm threatened also to cut off wire communication with Beaumont and several other Texas coast cities.
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