Posted on 09/08/2020 10:48:48 AM PDT by NRx
A documentary on the Great Hurricane of 1900 which remains the worst natural disaster (excepting pandemics) in terms of loss of life in American history.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtu.be ...
Wikipedia has a good article on the disaster for those interested...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900_Galveston_hurricane
The Galveston Bay area has had some rough luck over the years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster
I concur. It was an excellent read. This documentary draws heavily from the book.
I’ve read all of Erik Larson’s books (recently finishing his latest, on Churchill and the Blitz), except this one. Isaac’s Storm is next.
Isaac’s Storm is a great book. It got me fascinated in Galveston history.
Never try to build a great city on a sand bar.
Viva la BOI
My name is Andyman, and I approve this message.
Agree! Great read!
I thought about that this morning. I’ve got a couple of books on that and they used to have an attraction dedicated to the storm in Galveston on the Strand. One was you go into this dark room and they play what might have sounded and looked and felt like during the storm for those who had been thrown out of their destroyed homes. It was scary to say the least......RIP to all 6000 or so souls who didn’t make it......
Isaac’s Storm is a great book. It got me fascinated in Galveston history.
Never try to build a great city on a sand bar.
I’ve got Isaac’s Storm......amazing how they built that city so high after the storm......
Those poor children at the Orphange, very few things make me cry, but I was weeping as I heard that story.
Must have been due to GoreBull warming!
Shots of Galveston in the 1960s. A bit faded I must admit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDRXADEJuKo
I had an aunt who lived in Galveston in the 1960s and she was wealthy enough that she always went elsewhere from July/August to October. The weather was always hot and humid, and some of the storms she did experience went from small to giant in hours over very warm water in the Gulf. She said everything was insured and she saw no reason to do anything else.
Galveston, before this wipe-out was THE SEAPORT CITY for Texas and the west. Probably richer than New Orleans and definitely richer than any other Gulf Seaport of that era. Afterwards, the money moved to Houston, although we have seen that even there it gets real bad.
There was a folk-style song about that storm back in the sixties, IIRC:
Mighty Day
The Chad Mitchell Trio
I remember down in Galveston,
When storm winds swept the town,
The high tide from the ocean, Lord,
Put water all around.
Chorus:
Wasn’t that a mighty day? (A mighty day)
A mighty day. (A mighty day)
A mighty day, great God that morning
When the storm winds swept the town.
The winds began to blowin’.
The rains began to fall.
The lightning shafts were cracklin’, Lord,
And the thunder started to roll.
CHORUS
The trumpets warned the people,
They better leave this place.
But never meant to leave there homes,
Till death was in their face.
The seas began to rollin’.
The ships they could not land
I heard a captain crying, God,
Please save this drowin’ man.
CHORUS
The trains they all were loaded
With people leavin’ town.
The tracks gave way to the ocean, Lord,
And the trains they went on down.
The waters like some river,
They went a-rushin’ to and fro.
I seen my father drownin’, God,
And I watched my mother go.
CHORUS
Now Death, your hands are icy.
You’ve got them on my knee.
You took away my mother now,
You’re coming after me.
CHORUS
Wasn’t that a mighty day? (A mighty day)
A mighty day. (A mighty day)
A mighty day, great God that morning
When the storm winds swept the town.
At one point in the early morning the entire island was underwater to a depth of 20 feet.
As a break from Russian history i read a book on Texas City explosion in 1947.
For some interesting Galveston history, do a search on “Maceo Crime Family.” Their wing of the Mafia ruled Galveston and the immediate area for decades. One of their grandsons is Tillman Firtitta, owner of the Golden Nugget casinos, jillions of restaurants and the Houston Rockets. The several Vic and Anthony’s steak houses are named for two of the Maceo family, Fertitta’s uncles.
The Balanese room was a Las Vegas type hang out on the island. Same family I think.
ZZ Top did a song about it, on "Fandango".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.