This episode is a rebroadcast from last September in memory of those lost and in honor of the survivors of the 1900 Storm in Galveston, Texas. The storm is still to this day the deadliest natural disaster in United States history.
The episode is a combination of 4 episodes released in weekly chapters in 2022. Some contextual updates have been inserted throughout this episode.
Prepare to step back in time as we traverse the monumental events of the Great Storm of 1900, which left an indelible mark on the vibrant city of Galveston, Texas. Picture Galveston in 1900, a city of wealth and prosperity, home to numerous Texas firsts, is blissfully unaware of the impending disaster as the storm warning flag is hoisted by Isaac Cline, head of the Texas section of the United States Weather Bureau. The city and its inhabitants, uncertain of what lies ahead, continue their daily business.
As the dust settles in the aftermath of the worst natural disaster in US history, we take a look at the formidable task of rebuilding and shielding the city. From martial law being declared, to exhaustive rescue and cleanup efforts, and the mammoth undertaking of constructing a seawall and elevating the island, Galveston's resilience is awe-inspiring.
This episode is a rebroadcast from last September in memory of those lost and in honor of the survivors of the 1900 Storm in Galveston, Texas. The storm is still to this day the deadliest natural disaster in United States history.
The episode is a combination of 4 episodes released in weekly chapters in 2022. Some contextual updates have been inserted throughout this episode.
Prepare to step back in time as we traverse the monumental events of the Great Storm of 1900, which left an indelible mark on the vibrant city of Galveston, Texas. Picture Galveston in 1900, a city of wealth and prosperity, home to numerous Texas firsts, is blissfully unaware of the impending disaster as the storm warning flag is hoisted by Isaac Cline, head of the Texas section of the United States Weather Bureau. The city and its inhabitants, uncertain of what lies ahead, continue their daily business.
As the dust settles in the aftermath of the worst natural disaster in US history, we take a look at the formidable task of rebuilding and shielding the city. From martial law being declared, to exhaustive rescue and cleanup efforts, and the mammoth undertaking of constructing a seawall and elevating the island, Galveston's resilience is awe-inspiring.
In memory of those lost during the Great Storm. September 8th and 9th 1900, galveston, texas, on the eve of splintered dreams and eminence, engulfed September 8th 1900, a day that would change the Texas coast and the course of Galveston Island's distinct economic position and seemingly endless prosperity forever. A powerful hurricane, which struck Galveston with very little notice, left the island in the waters. The city's potential was no match for the momentum of a hurricane, with the storm surge exceeding the highest point on the island and winds at over 100 miles per hour. This hurricane is now known as the Great Storm of 1900 and is, to this day, the deadliest natural disaster in United States history.
Speaker 1:On September 7th 1900, the day prior to the Great Storm, the city was in the swing of summer. The island city of Galveston had grown from a small settlement on the coast of the newly formed Republic of Texas into one of the wealthiest cities in the United States. Galveston had experienced hurricanes and even severe storms that caused destruction, but nothing had deterred Galvestonians from continuing their lives on a barrier island on the Gulf coast of Texas. The impression of the general public, as well as numerous experts, was the island city of Galveston was an unrelenting powerhouse that would soon be a major metropolis of the southern United States. Affluent residents and wealthy tourists from all over the country visited Galveston to bathe and play in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The city, although a fraction of the population, was considered a premier cosmopolitan city comparable to San Francisco or New Orleans and even some of the prominent cities in the Northeast. It seemed as if nothing could stop the influx of fortune. In 1900, with a population of over 37,000, galveston boasted being the third richest city in the United States per capita. Throughout the late 1800s, with plentiful growth, wealth and prosperity, the island was home to numerous firsts in the state of Texas, such as the first electricity and the first telephones. Its natural deepwater channel made Galveston the most important seaport in Texas. By the turn of the 20th century, over a thousand ships were passing through the port of Galveston and roughly 60% of the state's cotton crop was exported through the port.
Speaker 1:As the population of the United States expanded towards the West Coast, galveston's capacity for imports provided a means to bring commodities, materials and people as close to the American West as possible. Multiple major rail lines started or ended on the booming island. Significant efforts were being made to expand the capacity of the port of Galveston to compete with a rapidly growing port city 52 miles north. That city is named Houston. The island was also the gateway into Texas for immigrants from all over the world. Galveston was, without a doubt, the most economically robust city in Texas. Up to the eve of the Great Storm, major hotels, elegant bars and delectable restaurants could be found throughout the city, and plenty of locals and visitors alike were willing to keep them busy. Daily trains from both Houston and Beaumont would make their way into the bustling city on the Gulf. The Beaumont rail line would travel across the Galveston-Balliver Ferry, which utilized a vessel with the capability to hold passenger rail cars. This rail ferry would cross the Galveston Ship Channel and land on the northeast side of Galveston Island. The rail line to and from Houston would cross a wooden railroad bridge into the north side of the island. Galveston Island was bustling all the way up until disaster struck.
Speaker 1:A man named Isaac Klein, head of the Texas section of the United States Weather Bureau, believed that, due to Galveston's unique position in the Gulf of Mexico, the island was in a safe zone from major hurricanes. In those days, storm forecasting was done through the National Weather Bureau in Washington DC and many weathermen were not trained to forecast events such as hurricanes. In 1900, the ability to track hurricanes was possible, but rudimentary. It required communication by telegraph from branches of the Weather Service back to the headquarters in DC. Essentially, the Weather Service relied on raw data from multiple locations To add layers of complexity to the centralized control of forecasting. Due to strain relations, the National Weather Bureau had cut ties with the Cuban Weather Service. Three days before the storm struck Galveston, it tore through the Caribbean and directly over Cuba. As a major hurricane entered the Gulf of Mexico, the Cuban Weather Service telegraphed the National Weather Bureau, but no heed was taken. The National Weather Bureau, lacking pertinent information from Cuba, believed the storm had instead tracked near Cuba and then turned northeast and was headed back into the Atlantic Ocean.
Speaker 1:Days before the impending storm, it was business as usual in Galveston. The characteristics that made the city attractive as a vacation destination and a pleasant place to live left it vulnerable to imminent disaster. However, you would be hard-pressed to find many people who believed this low-lying island sitting right on the Gulf Coast could fall into complete catastrophe. This idea was about to be put on trial. The highest natural elevation on the island was around 8 feet above sea level. On the evening of September 7, 1900, the tide seemed high and the waves were a little more aggressive than usual. Isaac Klein, the chief of the Texas branch of the National Weather Bureau, was well aware that something was off. Most Galvestonians went to bed without an inkling of an idea that it was going to be the last time they would be cozy in their barely higher than sea level homes. For the next day was September 8, 1900.
Speaker 1:Through the darkening skies and dropping barometers, the morning of Saturday, september 8, 1900, started like any other day for most Galvestonians. People went to work, the daily trains were running to and from Galveston, and the morning the talk of the town between the locals and tourists alike was the rising tide and rough waves. Isaac Klein, the chief of the Texas branch of the National Weather Bureau, had hoisted a storm warning flag the evening before. As the weather bureau began to wonder if there was in fact a storm in the Gulf of Mexico, galveston had no true protection from an impending storm. City leaders had discussed building a breakwater or seawall, but this decision never progressed beyond a vote. If there was a storm headed straight for Galveston, it was too late for effective preparations. God was spreading through Galveston that there could be a storm in the Gulf, but the chances that it was severe or would strike Galveston were slim, according to the National Weather Bureau and the experience of many Galvestonians.
Speaker 1:As the morning rolled on, kids were playing in the flooded streets and people were enjoying the cool breezes from a porch or through their open windows. Regardless of the storm warning, it was too late. For most, it was just another rainy summer day in Galveston. Unwitting passengers on the last train to the island finally rolled over the rail bridge by 9.45 am after having to transfer to another line when the conductor found the main set of tracks completely washed out. These passengers noticed that the waves in Galveston Bay were lapping just under the bottom of the rails of the track.
Speaker 1:After hearing the morning gossip of the storm warning flag being raised, many islanders expected, at worst, high tides and large waves that would appease the tourists and people living south of Broadway would have to bring their lawn furnishings up on the porch, which was somewhat normal when a storm rolled in every so often. By 11 am, crowds of tourists, children and locals began to form on the beach to watch the waves crash over the streetcar trestle. With every crashing wave a close observer may have noticed that the island seemed to be sinking into the gulf. By noon, the streetcars had quit running and the waves began lapping against the beachfront homes and buildings. Although the storm surge was pushing billions of gallons of water into Galveston Bay, effectively flanking the island from the bay side, the ornate Victorian buildings in downtown Galveston were full of restaurant and saloon goers. Employees filled offices, docks and warehouses, and grocers sold their goods. They could not anticipate the chaos.
Speaker 1:As murmurs of the high tides and increasingly violent waves traveled through the ranks of Galveston's residents and summer visitors. By the early afternoon the whipping wind had shifted and was the invisible indicator that it was too late to escape the cataclysm. There had never been an evacuation warning, only a storm flag raised the evening before Between Bay and the Gulf of Mexico had finally met at 15th Street and Broadway Storm. Experienced onlookers had never seen this kind of inundation in their lifetime. The crowds that were watching the giant waves crash into the beach had dissipated to find refuge from the increasing downpour. People, homes and commercial structures found themselves overwhelmed with saltwater. The rain was starting to become heavy, steady and horizontal. The men who had gone to work and left their wives and children at home were fortunate if they lived but a few blocks away, for this was the final chance to wade and swim through the flooded streets of Galveston to their loved ones. No one knew it yet by the next morning the island would be transformed into an inconceivable, soggy and splintered wasteland.
Speaker 1:By around 3 pm, people from the John Sealy Hospital on the far east end to St Mary's Orphanage on the westward portion of the city began their struggle to secure refuge. As the darkness of the storm closed in like nightfall. There was no longer any doubt that there was a storm in the gulf, and Galveston was the target. Those who had been comfortable the night before sought homes and buildings stronger than their own and attempted to traverse the torrential streets and win flung debris. People who decided to ride out the storm in their own home brought everything inside that they could. This included livestock cows, chickens, goats and pigs that filled small, cramped rooms that also held their kids, neighbors and strangers who begged to ride out the storm.
Speaker 1:The rising water was unrelenting. Most homes in Galveston were made of wood and it was common for many to chop holes in their floor to use the weight of the floodwater to keep their homes from floating off the foundation. This was a bold effort, but not enough to keep many homes intact, as the Gulf of Mexico found itself completely washing over Galveston Island while displaying the full force of mother nature. First wagons, barrels and large objects that were not secured began to float away. This made swimming extremely difficult. Next, slate shingles, which were popular in Galveston as they reduced the spread of fire, began to fly off roofs and indiscriminately slice, cut and slam into anything that was in their way, making deadly projectiles in over a hundred mile per hour wind. Then occupied houses began to crumble, flip over and wash away. People screamed and cried out for help, but the pleas were no match.
Speaker 1:Over the howling wind and driving rain as night fell and the storm ravaged the city crumbled, homes and possessions added to the chaotic soup that became the Galveston city streets. While pitch black and landmarks disappearing around them, survivors of the crumbled homes and buildings would climb onto anything they could, as they would float through the city streets. They would cling to roofs, trees or anything that would float and hang on for dear life. If they were lucky, they would be pulled into an open window and could ride it out until that building gave way, and then do it all over again. The storm raged through the night, collapsing homes, destroying buildings and hurling objects and structures. Many buildings in downtown Galveston had their roofs and top floors collapsed in by the storm. Nonetheless, many sought refuge in the sturdy buildings in downtown Galveston. There are first-hand accounts of people being rescued as they floated by second-story windows. Shipping vessels in the harbor that were tied to a pier were thrown around like toys by the waves. They were lucky to stay afloat as they were being slammed up and down against the docks. Regardless of where you were riding up the storm, you were going to witness mayhem. First-hand accounts remark on how the indescribable devastation caused people's self-control to give way, and screams of sorrow and despair rang through the evening wherever people happened to be hiding.
Speaker 1:Through the long night of September 8th into the early hours of September 9th, galvestonians lives were flipped upside down. The neighborhoods between the beach and Avenue N were completely decimated. The debris created from those destroyed homes piled up between Avenue N and Avenue M and created a type of wall. This wall slightly dulled the blows of the hurricane force waves for most of the buildings north of Avenue N. This, however, did not ensure survival for buildings on the other side of this wall of destroyed homes and debris. No residents escaped damage. No person was without loss. St Mary's Orphanage, which was located just a few hundred yards from the beach on the West End, lost all nuns and all but three of the orphans. People lost husbands, wives, kids, brothers, sisters, parents, and some made it out as the only surviving member of their family.
Speaker 1:As dawn arrived, the storm had passed and the water had receded, the devastation began to reveal itself. The Grand Island City, the Queen Jewel of the South, the Wall Street of the Southwest, had just experienced the deadliest natural disaster in US history. The experience of surviving the storm would have been a nightmare and for those who made it through, the horrifying ordeal had just begun. The bodies of people and animals covered the debris-lined streets. Prominent city landmarks had been wiped off the face of the earth. There was no communication to or from the outside world, as the telegraph poles and causeway had been completely wiped out. It would be days before the world would hear about the destruction in Galveston and weeks before substantial assistance could reach the island. In Galveston alone, it is estimated that over 6,000 people were killed during the storm. As the survivors emerged Sunday September 9th 1900, they would face Galveston's second greatest challenge March of Law, makeshift morgues and men working at Bayonet Point. These were the daunting first steps towards rebuilding Galveston and earning the title of a resilient city. Forever Galveston earning the badge of resilience.
Speaker 1:As Galvestonians emerged from their homes on the morning of September 9th, they witnessed an indescribable sight. The city of Galveston had been maimed and disfigured by the worst natural disaster in United States history, and An estimated 6,000 Galvestonians had been lost to the calamity, and the cost of the damage was in the tens of millions of dollars. Imagine walking through a city full of rubble, climbing over homes that had been decimated to sticks and piles of timber, with people crying for help all around you. The citizens of Galveston were in complete shock. They initiated rescue and cleanup efforts immediately throughout the city.
Speaker 1:For the survivors, the days that followed were excruciating. The storm had blown away the cloud cover and it was exceptionally hot. Communications and transportation to and from the island had been severed. Looters and thieves would scavenge through the wreckage and search for anything of value. City officials, police and military personnel gathered groups of civilians to mount a cleanup effort and instituted martial law on the island To prevent all-out chaos from the public. All of the surviving saloons were ordered to be closed, and looters and thieves would be executed on the spot.
Speaker 1:Downtown Galveston buildings and warehouses were utilized as makeshift morgues. Regardless of social status, all able-bodied men were forced some at Bayonet Point to work cleaning up the city and dispose of the masses of dead bodies. What was the payment for these working men? They were given as much whiskey as they could tolerate in order to follow through with the unimaginable task of placing unclaimed and unidentifiable bodies onto barges that were taken offshore and thrown into the Gulf. This effort would prove fallible, as most of the bodies washed back up onto the beach, adding to the horrific experience. The last resort was to commence mass cremations before the bodies began to decay and disease began to spread.
Speaker 1:Urgency was of utmost importance, as the city was no stranger to deadly pathogens. As word spread around the globe of the destruction of the Queen City on the Gulf, assistance in the form of money, food and supplies began to arrive to the staggering citizens. The city was in great need of water, food, kerosene, oil, candles and basic daily necessities. Several organizations set up relief camps on the mainland for destitute women and children. Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross, traveled to Galveston and distributed over $120,000 worth of relief supplies. Railroads all over the country hauled supplies to Galveston for free and even held competitions of what rail company supplies could reach the island first. Money and supplies were donated from all over the country and even the world. Galveston received donations from England, france, germany, canada and countless other countries.
Speaker 1:As the relief poured in and the cleanup process marched on, martial law was eventually lifted. Morale began to slowly improve as the city's infrastructure was restarted and rebuilt. The streetcars in Galveston were running by September 17. The grain elevator at the port was operational and loading grain onto ships by September 21. The port of Galveston exported their first shipment after the great storm. Over the next few months, galveston slowly crawled back to life. Restaurants opened, homes were built and entertainment venues made their way back into island life. A testament to the speed the city was rebuilt is the Grand 1894 Opera House. It was up and running by January 1901, only a few months after the storm. Many survivors and businesses lost most, if not everything they had to their name and many left Galveston never to return.
Speaker 1:City officials quickly diverted their discussion of how to rebuild the island and discussed options to protect Galveston from another horrific event such as the Great Storm, it can be hard to imagine that one of the most important cities in Texas would be sitting on a low-lying sandbar that is prone to major weather events. However, city leaders were focused on all the advantages that Galveston held, such as the port, the beach and the dynamic citizen base, and refused to abandon those attributes in an hour of misfortune. Bolstering the island's defenses and building a seawall to protect Galveston's assets had been debated for at least two decades prior to the Great Storm. At this point, the necessity was on full display for the world to see. Galveston was one of the most powerful economic drivers in Texas. Protecting this city from another catastrophe was imperative. The only way for Galveston to move forward was to move up. The decision was made to build a protective barrier and elevate the island. A plan to develop the seawall was born In conjunction with building of a seawall to protect from the power of hurricanes. Engineers from around the country would devise plans to raise the entire urbanized portion of Galveston Island to defend from Bayside Surge and flooding. In order to tackle these major projects, at one time the logical decision was made to add a third major project into the mix the ship channel and entrance to Galveston Bay was to be dredged to make way for larger vessels to call the port. The mud from the dredge project would be used as fill for the monumental grade project.
Speaker 1:In 1902, construction of the Galveston Seawall began. The initial seawall extended from 6th Street to 39th Street, a little over 3 miles. The project utilized a rail line with specialized and custom-built machinery. This custom machinery was made for concrete pouring and pile driving. The outer face of the seawall was built in a curved fashion to carry heavy waves upwards. Astonishingly, each foot of the seawall contains over 40,000 pounds of concrete with heavy stone riprap placed in front of the wall. This riprap breaks up the waves before it hits the wall. The first seawall project was completed in 1904.
Speaker 1:The initial grade-raising project began in 1903 and required dredging canals through the island and building customized dredges. The grade-raising was accomplished in square quarter-mile sections. Each of these sections was enclosed in a dike. Then all structures and utilities, such as streetcar tracks, fireplugs and water pipes were lifted. Around 2,000 buildings, homes and churches were raised and put on stilts. Hand-turned jackscrews were used to lift these structures. The sand fill was transported to residential districts through a 20-foot-deep, 200-foot-wide, 2.5-mile-long canal using four self-loading hopper dredges. After the fill was discharged and the areas to be raised, new foundations were constructed on top of the elevated surface. This monumental task was completed in 1911. In the event of the inevitable hurricane, the grade-raising and seawall project were designed for floodwater to drain from the 17-foot-high seawall into the harbor. It's important to keep in mind that, prior to the grade-raising, the highest point on the island was 8 feet above sea level, which had proven to be an inadequate elevation for Galveston's metropolitan prominence. The grade-raising not only reinforced the seawall, but also made way to improve drainage and sewage systems. The grade-raising and seawall project were one of the largest civil projects in the United States in the early 1900s.
Speaker 1:Galveston's post-storm facelift proved its worth during major hurricanes in 1909 and 1915. The city only faced minor damage in comparison with the 1900s storm. Although Galveston never saw the port or business district return to its pre-1900 glory, the city rebuilt and redefined itself in the years that followed the storm. This 1900 Galveston is even responsible for inventing a form of government that is used around the country today. In 1901, during the rebuilding period, a group of business leaders requested that the governor of Texas appoint a commission. The idea was for this commission of five to take charge of reassembling the city's imperative economic operations. Some city leaders and Galvestonians opposed this plan as it was viewed as undemocratic. The plan was altered to provide for a popular city election of two of the five commissioners. This city government system was adopted for the first time. This form of government is now known as a city commission or the Galveston plan, and went into effect in Galveston one year after the storm. This structure of government spread rapidly throughout Texas and other states between 1901 and 1920. This form of city government lasted in Galveston until 1960, when Galveston adopted a city council form of government.
Speaker 1:The Great Storm of 1900 not only destroyed the city of Galveston but changed the course of Texas history. In the years following the storm, the commercial center and major seaport in the region relocated to Houston. Galveston was never able to fully recover to its former glory, but today where's a badge of resilience? And this badge cannot be denied In memory of those lost during the Great Storm. September 8th and 9th 1900, galveston, texas.