The Great Galveston Disaster / Containing a Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times Including Vivid Descriptions of the Hurricane and Terrible Rush of Waters; Immense Destruction of Dwellings, Business Houses, Churches, and Loss of Thousands of Human Lives; Thrilling Tales of Heroic Deeds; Panic-Stricken Multitudes and Heart-Rending Scenes of Agony; Frantic Efforts to Escape a Horrible Fate; Separation of Loved Ones, etc., etc.; Narrow Escapes from the Jaws of Death; Terrible Sufferings of the Survivors; Vandals Plundering Bodies of the Dead; Wonderful Exhibitions of Popular Sympathy; Millions of Dollars Sent for the Relief of the Stricken Sufferers

by Paul Lester

ATTRACTED NO ATTENTION.

So many are the stories, so harrowing the details, and so miraculous the escapes that for the present the experiences of different persons on the night of the storm in Houston attracted no attention; in fact, if a person wished to tell of his experience in Houston that night he could scarcely find an interested listener.

Nevertheless, Mr. Fred. Chadly, who lives near the Arkansas Pass depot, came as near losing his life that fatal night as did any who passed through its fury in the city of Galveston and escaped. Mr. Chadly left the Capitol Hotel for home about 10 o’clock, not realizing the intensity of the storm.

After an hour’s fighting the strong wind and rain and dodging falling trees and flying debris of all kinds, he arrived at his house only to find the front door impregnably barricaded by a large fallen tree. Nothing daunted, however, Mr. Chadly immediately proceeded to make his way around to the back of the house and gain an entrance there.

He was walking in a crouching position with his head bent down so that the wind would not strike him squarely in the face, and was not looking ahead, therefore the large cypress cistern, as it tottered on its foundation preparatory to being blown down, escaped his notice until he was too late to dodge it. The cistern was blown over, turning twice in rapid succession, falling top downward directly over Mr. Chadly.

The cistern was about one-third full of water, but as Mr. Chadly was already thoroughly wet, the water made very little difference, as it soon ran out. Mr. Chadly called loudly for help, but owing to the pandemonium caused by the hurricane, no one heard him. The next morning the carpenter came to fix the cistern, and after raising it discovered Mr. Chadly, who was nearly smothered to death.