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

TREETOPS INTERRUPTED PROGRESS OF TRAINS.

“At Thompson,” said Prof. Mally, “the train crew stopped to water and cool off a hot box, and by the time we started again the wind was blowing a gale. There is no wagon road along the windward side of the right of way from Thompson to Duke or Clear Lake. The result was that as we passed along we were kept in constant suspense of disaster by the treetops, which were being bent over so as to rasp the windows as the train passed on.

“At several places we had to stop and cut off the tops of all trees in order to get through. We finally reached Duke, which was out in the open and prairie section. Here it was impossible to proceed farther, and the train stopped to await the end of the storm. We remained here until about 3 o’clock in the morning and tried to get to Alvin. The first station out was Arcola. The dwellings in this locality were a complete wreck, and only the depot remained standing.