Post by Fusioner on Sept 25, 2005 17:43:54 GMT -5
www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/12731066.htm
'Words can never tell just how awful it was'
By WILL KRANER
Special to the Star-Telegram
On Sept. 7, 1900, a government weather report came in that a great storm was coming toward Galveston in a wild manner. It warned the people to protect themselves against it, or leave the island.
Not many of the people gave heed to this warning because in 1885 a similar warning was given and the storm did not amount to anything. The people thought it would be the same about this one. A few of them left and went to higher grounds, but I was one that did not think anything about it and so remained there.
Next morning, Sept. 8, I thought I would go to the wharf and see about the water. I got a streetcar and went to the wharf. The water was a great deal higher than usual, splashing over the wharf in places.
A government steamer was trying to leave out, but the waves were so high that it was forced back each time. I returned to town about 10 a.m. The wind was very high, and it was raining. I stayed in town until noon, then returned home. Water had begun to rise in our yard, and the wind had grown stronger.
On the beach, water had risen pretty high, and some of the houses were beginning to be in danger of being washed away.
About 2 p.m. I went to milk the cow because I saw that we were going to have to leave pretty soon. I waded in water about knee-deep to the cow shed and then had to push the bucket in water under the cow in order to milk her. I milked hurriedly and returned to the house.
I went into our back yard, and our stove wood was floating around in the yard. I got on some large poles and floated around a while, as my clothes were already wet. I had not yet realized the danger we were in. I went into the house and changed my clothes.
We then began making preparation to leave, as the water was about three feet deep. We put on all the clothes we had because we knew we would get wet. My brother-in-law had three children, whom we were going to have to carry with us. We closed all doors and windows and left. We went to a house about two blocks away, and all the time the water was rising and the wind was blowing harder. We went to the second story of the house and stayed for a while. There were 17 people in the house at that time.
We were sitting in the room when I thought of some money we had left at our house -- about $300 in all. My brother-in-law and I decided to go after it.
We went to the front porch and found that the water was waist-deep. It was hard wading, as the wind was blowing hard against us and small drifts [of debris] were floating on the surface of the water. We were at the house quite a while gathering up some clothes for the smaller ones and arranging things against the storm.
When we started back, the water was much higher, and in places we were forced to swim.
This was about 3 p.m. We returned to the upper part of the house and found all the people in one corner. About 7:30 there were many drifts floating; the water was now about 12 feet deep and nearly to the second floor. We knew that the houses close to the beach were gone and that ours might be next.
About 8 that night when all was silent, there was a crash. The walls on all sides seemed to fall apart, and the roof fell on us. We were out in the water now and had to stay under until the roof passed over us. My brother-in-law, a little boy and I caught the roof.
I never caught sight of any of my other relatives after this.
We were floating in a southwest direction. We drifted out over the trees, leaving the island behind us. We were traveling at a fast rate; the waves were as high as a house. One of the waves came along and turned the roof over which we were riding on. My brother-in-law came to the top, but we never caught sight of the boy anymore.
We were rocking around on the housetop, holding the best we could, when I caught sight of a light. I got up and started toward it, not thinking where I was. I stepped in a window, and my brother-in-law happened to catch me before I fell through. I managed to get out, but my foot was cut very bad.
About the time we got steady again, a large piece of timber came along and hit my brother-in-law on the head. I caught him and tried to hold him, but a huge wave came along and upset the housetop, and he was gone. I never saw him again.
I managed to secure another drift, as they were very thick. I was under water much of the time. The saltwater had made me sick to a certain extent.
Everything in the way of household goods could be seen floating on the water. There were no livestock to be seen floating in the water. My clothes were about torn off and my pants became entangled, and I was almost drowned.
A cold rain was falling, and it felt like hail because of the great velocity with which it was falling. The seawater kept me from getting so cold. Until now the wind had been from the northeast, carrying me in a westerly direction into mid-ocean.
Sometime in the night, the wind changed and carried me back to land. My foot was giving me much pain from the cut, and I was weak from the loss of blood.
After the change of wind, the ocean was somewhat calmer than before. All the drifts seemed to disappear, and there was nothing to cling to. I swam for quite a while and finally found a telephone pole. It was very difficult to ride, as it would turn over each time that I could get on it.
I tried to drown myself. I would stick my head under the water, but when my lungs were filled with the saltwater, I would come to the top. I soon found that I did not have that courage, so again I boarded the pole and went to sleep, as I was exhausted. I suppose that I must have slept about two hours.
I was awakened by my foot dragging on the ground. It was very dark, and I made sure that it was land before I let go of the pole. I crawled a few feet from the water and again lay down. I was awakened often by the cold showers that passed over. I picked up some scrap lumber and constructed a small pen. I was in the water about eight hours.
The next morning when I awoke, the sun was about two hours high. Close to my side was a big goose. I stood up and tried to collect my senses and find out where I was. All of my clothing had been torn off during the storm. At this time I did not think much about my relatives, as my mind was blank.
I looked about in every direction and discovered a house about one-half mile away. I wrapped a piece of matting that I had slept on about me and started toward the house.
I limped very badly from the cut on my foot. I went to the house and asked for some clothing. The man took me into his house, gave me some pants and some bread and water, as their food had all been wet from the high water. They had barely escaped death.
The man was very kind and took me upstairs and gave me a table to sleep on, as they had only one bed. There were five others who landed there -- four white boys and a Negro. They were about in the same condition as I. For the next few days, all I did was sleep and eat the bread and water.
None of my relatives were ever found, and only one of the persons who was in the house was found; she had hung on a wire fence and was cut to pieces. She was identified by her jewelry.
There has been a great deal written about the storm, but words can never tell just how awful it was.
Note: Kraner later went to Brenham seeking work and unexpectedly encountered his sister Anna on a sidewalk. He had not known that she had left town to visit friends and had missed the storm.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Will Kraner, grandfather of Arlington resident Peggy Minor, recounted the storm to another relative before his death in the 1950s.
This episode, which Will Kraner recounted to Les Treat, was published in J.M. and Velma Baker's "Baker Families Along the GAARTX Trail" (Centex Press, Belton).
'Words can never tell just how awful it was'
By WILL KRANER
Special to the Star-Telegram
On Sept. 7, 1900, a government weather report came in that a great storm was coming toward Galveston in a wild manner. It warned the people to protect themselves against it, or leave the island.
Not many of the people gave heed to this warning because in 1885 a similar warning was given and the storm did not amount to anything. The people thought it would be the same about this one. A few of them left and went to higher grounds, but I was one that did not think anything about it and so remained there.
Next morning, Sept. 8, I thought I would go to the wharf and see about the water. I got a streetcar and went to the wharf. The water was a great deal higher than usual, splashing over the wharf in places.
A government steamer was trying to leave out, but the waves were so high that it was forced back each time. I returned to town about 10 a.m. The wind was very high, and it was raining. I stayed in town until noon, then returned home. Water had begun to rise in our yard, and the wind had grown stronger.
On the beach, water had risen pretty high, and some of the houses were beginning to be in danger of being washed away.
About 2 p.m. I went to milk the cow because I saw that we were going to have to leave pretty soon. I waded in water about knee-deep to the cow shed and then had to push the bucket in water under the cow in order to milk her. I milked hurriedly and returned to the house.
I went into our back yard, and our stove wood was floating around in the yard. I got on some large poles and floated around a while, as my clothes were already wet. I had not yet realized the danger we were in. I went into the house and changed my clothes.
We then began making preparation to leave, as the water was about three feet deep. We put on all the clothes we had because we knew we would get wet. My brother-in-law had three children, whom we were going to have to carry with us. We closed all doors and windows and left. We went to a house about two blocks away, and all the time the water was rising and the wind was blowing harder. We went to the second story of the house and stayed for a while. There were 17 people in the house at that time.
We were sitting in the room when I thought of some money we had left at our house -- about $300 in all. My brother-in-law and I decided to go after it.
We went to the front porch and found that the water was waist-deep. It was hard wading, as the wind was blowing hard against us and small drifts [of debris] were floating on the surface of the water. We were at the house quite a while gathering up some clothes for the smaller ones and arranging things against the storm.
When we started back, the water was much higher, and in places we were forced to swim.
This was about 3 p.m. We returned to the upper part of the house and found all the people in one corner. About 7:30 there were many drifts floating; the water was now about 12 feet deep and nearly to the second floor. We knew that the houses close to the beach were gone and that ours might be next.
About 8 that night when all was silent, there was a crash. The walls on all sides seemed to fall apart, and the roof fell on us. We were out in the water now and had to stay under until the roof passed over us. My brother-in-law, a little boy and I caught the roof.
I never caught sight of any of my other relatives after this.
We were floating in a southwest direction. We drifted out over the trees, leaving the island behind us. We were traveling at a fast rate; the waves were as high as a house. One of the waves came along and turned the roof over which we were riding on. My brother-in-law came to the top, but we never caught sight of the boy anymore.
We were rocking around on the housetop, holding the best we could, when I caught sight of a light. I got up and started toward it, not thinking where I was. I stepped in a window, and my brother-in-law happened to catch me before I fell through. I managed to get out, but my foot was cut very bad.
About the time we got steady again, a large piece of timber came along and hit my brother-in-law on the head. I caught him and tried to hold him, but a huge wave came along and upset the housetop, and he was gone. I never saw him again.
I managed to secure another drift, as they were very thick. I was under water much of the time. The saltwater had made me sick to a certain extent.
Everything in the way of household goods could be seen floating on the water. There were no livestock to be seen floating in the water. My clothes were about torn off and my pants became entangled, and I was almost drowned.
A cold rain was falling, and it felt like hail because of the great velocity with which it was falling. The seawater kept me from getting so cold. Until now the wind had been from the northeast, carrying me in a westerly direction into mid-ocean.
Sometime in the night, the wind changed and carried me back to land. My foot was giving me much pain from the cut, and I was weak from the loss of blood.
After the change of wind, the ocean was somewhat calmer than before. All the drifts seemed to disappear, and there was nothing to cling to. I swam for quite a while and finally found a telephone pole. It was very difficult to ride, as it would turn over each time that I could get on it.
I tried to drown myself. I would stick my head under the water, but when my lungs were filled with the saltwater, I would come to the top. I soon found that I did not have that courage, so again I boarded the pole and went to sleep, as I was exhausted. I suppose that I must have slept about two hours.
I was awakened by my foot dragging on the ground. It was very dark, and I made sure that it was land before I let go of the pole. I crawled a few feet from the water and again lay down. I was awakened often by the cold showers that passed over. I picked up some scrap lumber and constructed a small pen. I was in the water about eight hours.
The next morning when I awoke, the sun was about two hours high. Close to my side was a big goose. I stood up and tried to collect my senses and find out where I was. All of my clothing had been torn off during the storm. At this time I did not think much about my relatives, as my mind was blank.
I looked about in every direction and discovered a house about one-half mile away. I wrapped a piece of matting that I had slept on about me and started toward the house.
I limped very badly from the cut on my foot. I went to the house and asked for some clothing. The man took me into his house, gave me some pants and some bread and water, as their food had all been wet from the high water. They had barely escaped death.
The man was very kind and took me upstairs and gave me a table to sleep on, as they had only one bed. There were five others who landed there -- four white boys and a Negro. They were about in the same condition as I. For the next few days, all I did was sleep and eat the bread and water.
None of my relatives were ever found, and only one of the persons who was in the house was found; she had hung on a wire fence and was cut to pieces. She was identified by her jewelry.
There has been a great deal written about the storm, but words can never tell just how awful it was.
Note: Kraner later went to Brenham seeking work and unexpectedly encountered his sister Anna on a sidewalk. He had not known that she had left town to visit friends and had missed the storm.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Will Kraner, grandfather of Arlington resident Peggy Minor, recounted the storm to another relative before his death in the 1950s.
This episode, which Will Kraner recounted to Les Treat, was published in J.M. and Velma Baker's "Baker Families Along the GAARTX Trail" (Centex Press, Belton).
