After the men had shown the heroism born in them, it was the turn of the women to show their mettle, and they did it, every one of them. The Sisters forgot the great danger of instant death and went about comforting and trying to ease the fears of the many who had come to their institution seeking safety. But even they shuddered with fear when they saw the house formerly occupied by the patients from the Santa Fe road, go down, burying the refugees whom they knew to be in the building, go down, not onto the ground, but into a boiling, seething mass of water—that water which seemed to vie with the wind in its destruction.
Then when the water kept rising and the wind increasing in velocity, until it seemed that nothing could stand before it, it was, indeed, a time to be afraid. This condition continued for several hours, which seemed days to those whose hope was in its abatement, until about midnight the waters began to subside and the wind to decrease in velocity.
It was not until between 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning, however, that the water had gone down enough to allow any one to venture out. When the water had receded enough for one to go outside, it was found that the Santa Fe wing of the hospital, which was a frame building, was a mass of wreckage and had washed over against the rear of the Infirmary building proper. Knowing that there were refugees in the building when it went down, there was fear for their safety.
IMPRISONED IN THE WRECKAGE.
At once men began a search and found the frightened and maimed refugees imprisoned down among the wreckage. The work of getting them out was begun. All were found to be alive except two, a child and a crippled woman named Mary Sweeny. Although the survivors were alive, they were horribly cut up and wounded, which was proof of the terrible night they had spent and of their awful experience.
Then daylight came to present a picture such as none had ever seen and none ever cares again to cast his eyes upon. The clean sweep of the waters and their horrible destruction was in full view, and to add to the awfulness of the picture, the water had left several bodies of its victims at the door of the Infirmary. The people then left, not to go to their homes, but to go to where their homes had been. Many returned on account of having no place to go, and for days stopped at the Infirmary, their wants being administered to by the good Sisters. Since then, that institution has been, as well as a hospital where the injured have been attended to, a house of refuge where those made destitute and homeless by the storm have stayed.
Martial law, which had been declared, was suspended at the earliest moment consistent with the peace and safety of the city, as will be seen by the following:
Headquarters Office, Galveston, Texas, September 20.—Hon. Walter C. Jones, Mayor of Galveston, Texas—Sir: “I have the honor to report that, in my opinion, the conditions upon which you based your proclamation declaring martial law in Galveston, have rapidly changed. Order has been restored, the energies of the city have been directed into the proper channels, and the moment is opportune for a return to civil processes.
“I would respectfully ask that you prepare to resume the functions of civil government within twenty-four hours.
“Such troops of the Texas volunteer guard as may be necessary will be retained here while needed to aid the civil authorities in maintaining order. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,