EP 22 - 125 Years after the 1900 Storm: America's Deadliest Hurricane and the Vessels Impacted

"It would be impossible for any cyclone to create a storm wave which could materially injure the city." Meteorologist Dr. Isaac Cline, 1891.

Founded in 1839 on Galveston Island, the City of Galveston was a thriving seaport community. In 1899, Galveston was the biggest cotton port in the country, and the third busiest overall. Forty-five steamship lines served the city, among them the White Star Line connecting Europe to Galveston. By 1900 it was the 4th largest city in Texas and one of the wealthiest in the country.

On September 8, 1900, the deadliest natural disaster in American history occurred, when one of the worst Atlantic hurricanes hit Galveston. The Category 4 storm surge was between 8 and 15 feet. Wind speeds were estimated at up to 135 miles per hour. Residents had very little warning and the destruction of bridges and telegraph lines made evacuation to and communication with the mainland impossible.

The following day, messengers took a surviving ship to Houston to report on the disaster and request aid. While at first their estimate of 500 dead was considered an exaggeration, soon the magnitude of the tragedy became clear. Though the total number of casualties is unknown, estimates range from 6,000 – 12,000.
Join Education Director Aimee Bachari for a chat with PowerShips author Eric Pearson who details the undertold story of the vessels that encountered the storm not just in Galveston, but from its beginnings to the Caribbean and the aftermath in the Great Lakes and Canada. You'll also hear clips from an oral history with Katherine Vedders Paul, a storm survivor from Galveston, courtesy of the Rosenberg Library.

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