Descendants of Herman Adolph "Franz" Drewa
First Generation
1. Herman Adolph 'Franz'1 Drewa was born in Danzig, (Gdansk, Poland ), Prussia 1840. Herman died September 8, 1900 in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas, at 60 years of age.

Herman Adolph Franz Drewa
Circa
1875
The above photograph is the only known photograph of Herman Adolph. I located it among still unidentified 1900 flood remains and had it digitally enhanced from a 1 by 1 inch tin type.
The
fact
that
Vernon Henry Drewa was named for his grandfather by Edward F. Drewa indicates
his family knew him more as Henry. Herman ( also used Harry and Henry) Adolph
Franz (Franziske) Drewa appears in different historical documents as Harry or
Henry.
married Georgine Wilhelmina Roselle Scheiber in Houston, Harris County, Texas, October 24,
1868. Georgine
was born in Kurhessen, Germany January 16, 1850.
Georgine was the daughter of John Scheiber.
died January 20, 1917 in Galveston, Galveston
County, Texas, at 67 years of age.
body was interred January 22, 1917 in Lakeview
Cemetery, Galveston, Texas.
Wilhelmina Roselle was commonly called "Rose". One
Family member has stated that she arrived from her home in the Kurhessen region
of Germany. However ship documents indicate that she departed from Bremen in
1860 with her parents and were from Scharthofen, Germany.
Her only daughter was named after her.
Jan. 10, 1993:
Information received this date from Mr. Bill Bond of Lakeview Cemetery,
Galveston, Texas advised that she was disinterred from Lakeview and moved to
Hitchcock, Texas in 1951, to the Charles Louis Drewa family plot. Charles was
one of her sons. Kurhessen is a region north of Frankfurt. It was under a King
in the 19th century when it was changed.
August 3, 1997:
Death certificate number E620346 on Wilhelmina notes that she was 67
years of age at death. Her fathers name was John Scheiber.
This conflicts with previous data from the Rosenburg Library that she was
a Schneider. Or maybe they were used interchangeable.
s occupation: Grocery/Fruit Stand Business in
Galveston, Texas. From different
Drewa family records/documents, Herman was born in 1840, 1846/7 or 1849.
Grandson, Louis H.
Drewa said in his taped interview that he was born in 1849 in Bremerhofen,
Germany. However, ship records in
Hamburg, Germany indicate he sailed from Bremen or Bremerhofen, and was born in
Danzig, Prussia ( Poland ). He married in 1867 to Wilhelmina Roselle Schneider
(Schreiber). Roselle died in Galveston on January 1, 1917.
NOTE: These dates have now been corrected with the proof of statements provided to the census taker by Herman Franz in 1900.
I also located in the Rosenberg Library (Galveston), that all Gulf Ports
were closed in 1860 due to the Civil War. They
reopened in 1865. “New Homes in a
New Land” by Geue mention; that numerous ships arrived during 1861.
The
Galveston 1891-92 City Directory listed: Herman A. Drewa, Screwman, 1221 Market
and also 616 E. Church.
In 1882-1885 City Directory, address listed as between 12th
and 13th .
In
the 1882-1883 City Directory, he was listed as Harry Drewa, Screwman, 616
Church.
In 1896-1897 City Directory listed: Harry Drewa, Screwman 1028 Ave. M.
Edward
F. Drewa, Contg. Plasterer, 1703 27th Charles Drewa, Pressfeeder/Knapp
Bros.,h .
H. A. Drewa.
September
1, 1997:
I received the following information from Mrs. Nancy Royce, 1208 Shady
Oak, Dickenson, Texas, 77539. Mrs.
Royce is a registered genealogist.
In
the 1900 Census returns, Galveston County, Texas. Page 146, Supervisor’s Dist.
11, E. D. 140, Sheet 9. Ave. M/11th Street #1028.
H.
A. Drewa Head WM Jan 1840, age
60, mar. 30 yrs.
Can
read, write, and speak English.
Wilhelmina
wife WF Jan 1851, age 49 mar. 30 yrs.
Carl Son
Sept 1880, age 19 b.
Texas
Henry
Son Sept 1889, age 10
b. Texas
William Son Sept
1892, age 7 b.
Texas
E. D. 132, Sheet 9, line 18 1703/177/197
Edward
Drewa head WM June 1871,
age 28, married 9 yrs.
Sophia
wife WF Aug 1872, age 27, married 9 yrs.
Sedonia Dau
Sept 1891, age 8
b. Texas
Edwin Son
Mar 1893, age 7
b. Texas
Milton
Son May 1896,
age 4 b.
Texas
Steffen Son
Jan 1899, age
1 b.
Texas
1910
Census Returns, Galveston County, Texas Supervisors Dist.
7, E. D. 29, sheet 3, 16
Apr. 1910 12
17th Street.
Wilhelmina
Drewa head WF Age 57 widow 5 children, 5 living
William H.
Son, age 18, Texas, Germany, Germany
Early
Texas Death and Legal Records from Joseph Franklin’s Diary and John
Griffin’s Sexton records.
Mrs.
Henrietta Steffens, wife of Doct. Steffens, died at Galveston, age 48,
August 22, 1886. J. F, Diary 79-0035 Rosenberg Library, Galveston,
Texas.
Lakeview
Cemetery Records Vol. III 1917-1929 - Galveston Co. Genealogy Society.
Drewa_ _ _ _ _ _ , b. Springfield, Mo.
d. 9 May, 1922 is disase: Hanging,
late residence: Galveston. Undertaker:
J. Levy and Bro. Buried:
11 May, 1922. Sec. E, Block #40,
Lot E ½ of 4. Sec: F., age 30, Place of death: 1704
K. Inquest by Alex Gomez JP - Mrs.
E. W. Drewa.
(NOTE:
This was Maude Bludworth
Drewa, who was Uncle Edwin’s first wife. She was preceded in death by
two month old, Edwin Drewa, Jr).
Drewa,
Wilhelmina b. January 16, 1850,
Germany. d. 20 Jan. 1917,
Galveston, Texas. Sex: F, Age:67, Marital Status: Widow
Place:
312 17th St. Disease:
Oedemic Pulmonium; Physician: O. F. Peters. Undertaker:
W. D. Branan & Co; Buried
22 Jan. 1917. Sec. E., Block 12.
NOTE:
Researcher in checking records found that Wilhelmina
was re-interred at Galveston Memorial Park, Hitchcock, Texas by her son William.
I verified this with Galveston Memorial Park.
Supervisor
Dist. 7, E. D. 45, Sheet 10, 26 Apr
1910 2703 Ave. O.
Edward
F. Drewa head WM age 40, married 19 years. Texas,
Germany, Germany
Sophia
wife WF age 38, married 19 years. 5 children, 5 living.
Texas, Germany, Germany.
Sedonia
dau age
19 b. Texas
Edwin
son age
17 b. Texas
Milton
son age
14 b.
Texas
Steffen
son age 11 b. Texas
Vernon
son age
3 ½ b. Texas
Ships
records show that an Adolph Drave, age 24 immigrated on Brig. Canestuis on 19
Dec. 1848.
According
to the Polish librarian at Rosenberg the name Drewa should be Drave (W is
pronounced as a V) or more correctly Drzewo which means Tree in Polish)
Galveston
County, Texas Marriages - -- Courthouse
Ed.
F. Drewa
Sophia Steffens
10 Feb 1891 K47
Charles
L. Anita H.
Klaussen
14 Oct 1902
Q250
Edward
W. Maude
Bludworth
10 Aug 1914
Y145
Milton
C. Ruth F.
Seelhorst
27 June 1917
1-418
Steffen
A. Aline C.
Anderson
22 Mar 1922 6-496
William
H. Lenore Hunter
5 Apr 1921 5-424
Wilhelmina
H. B. Masaus 17 Jan 1894 L-260
Sept.
1, 1997:
*
Herman A. Drawer -- Georgine W. R.
Schreiber 24 Oct
1868 D-141
(This
is Herman Adolph and Georgine Wilhelmina Roselle Schreiber, my great grand
mother and father . Marriage record
is in the possession of GGrandson. /s/ Vernon H. Drewa Jr.)
1870
Census Returns, Galveston County, Texas Page 278:
Ferdinand Stephens 46 Hanover
Physician
Henrietta
31 female Hanover
Emile 14 male Hanover
Agnes 9 female Texas
Herman
8 male
Texas
Ferdinand
3 male
Texas
Henry
1 male
Texas
City
of Galveston Directory.
1875/76 - First directory. No Drewa
1876/77 - No Drewa
1877/78
- No Drewa
1878
- No Drewa
1880/81
- No Drewa
1881/82
- Henry Drewe, screwman, r. 616
Winnie bet. 12 & 13
1882/83
- Harry Drewa , screwman, r. 616
E. Church
1888/89
- Edward Drewa plasterer, bds:
Louis Muller Sr.
Louis Muller Sr. 616 E.
Church bet. 12 & 13.
Herman A. Drewa (H. A. Drewa
& Co.) bds. Louis
Muller Sr.
H. A. Drewa & Co. (Herman
A. Drewa & Jacob Richter)
fruit, vegetable & ice dealers, 205 E. Market bet. 20 & 21.
1896/97
- Charles Drewa
printfeeder, Knapp Bros. h.
H. A. Drewa
Edward F. Drewa cont. plasterer r. 1703 27th
Harry A. Drewa screwman r. 1028 Ave. M.
January
2000: Located from the Galveston, Texas 1900 Storm Records, List of Victims.
Drewa, H. A. (Herman Adolph
Drewa)
Herman
Adolph 'Franz' Drewa
and Georgine Wilhelmina Roselle Scheiber
had the following children:
+
2
i. Edward Frederick2 Drewa
was born June 14, 1870.
3
ii. Wilhelmina Roselle Drewa
was born in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas,
May 28, 1873. Wilhelmina
died October 10, 1959 in Galveston, Galveston
County, Texas, at 86 years of age.
married Hans B. Musaus
in Houston, Harris County, Texas, January 17,
1894.
was born in Kristiansund, Norway June 26, 1857.
Hans
died April 10, 1938 in Galveston, Galveston
County, Texas, at 80 years of age.
body was interred April 11, 1938 in Odd Fellows
Cemetery, Galveston, Texas. Hans married Wilhelmina Drewa, and as far as is known, no children were
conceived from this union. Hans was
an ex-Norwegian sailor. He worked for his room and board before his marriage, at
the Rosenberg Library in Galveston as a custodian. He did other work in bars and later at a couple of mechanic
jobs. In 1930, he was a lab attendant at the Texas Medical Center.
He and his wife Minnie first show up in a Galveston directory in 1921.
No other information has been obtained at this writing. He was interred
at the Galveston Odd Fellows Cemetery adjacent the Oleander Cemetery on Broadway
Ave., in Galveston, Texas. Researcher has written to the Galveston Odd Fellows
Lodge and to the State for death certificate, but to date no answer.
His wife, Wilhelmina passed away October 10, 1959.
Wilhelmina Roselle Drewa Masaus Wilhelmina was known in Galveston as
"Minnie". She married a
Norwegian sailor by the name of Hans B. Masaus. It is known that he worked at
the Rosenberg library for his room and board prior to his marriage to Minnie.
They did not have any known children. (However;
a Masaus was attended the funeral of Sedonia Drewa Carder. Harry, William,
Menny and Hans were saved in the 1900 storm by a horse pulling them to a house.
They cut holes in a floor. The house floated 12-14 blocks.) William and
Harry were her brothers. She was born on May 28, 1873 and died October 30, 1959.
She was 86 years of age. Her
cause of death was Cerebrovascular Thrombosis due to Hypertensive and
Arteriosclerotic Vascular Disease. She
was buried Nov. 1, 1959 at the Evergreen Cemetery, but her brother William had
her re-interred at his family plot at Hitchcock Cemetery in Hitchcock, Texas.
She died at the University of Texas Medical Hospital after being in the Hospital
one day. August 8, 1997. I never heard my parents or any other member of the
family mention her. Since my grandfather, Ed. F. Drewa and grandmother, Sophia
Steffens Drewa died in the 30's and 40's respectively, one might think my Aunt
Sedonia (Donnie) Drewa Carder and she would have got together or been close.
Minnie resided at 3215 Ave. P
(Rear) at her death. This is only
five blocks from the Steffens-Drewa home place at 2701 Ave. O. Her husband,
Hans, was 16 older than she.
+ 4
iii. Charles Louis Drewa
was born September 6, 1879.
5
iv. Harry Lewis Drewa
was born in Galveston, Galveston Co., Texas
September 25, 1888.
died January 23, 1969 in Dallas, Dallas Co.,
Texas, at 80 years of age. His
body was interred January 25, 1969 in Sparkman/Hillcrest,
Northwest Highway, Dallas, Texas.. He
married
in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas.
Rose was born in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas.
died in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.
Harrys
occupation: Retired Jeweler, Dallas, Texas.
6
v. William Herman Drewa
was born in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
September 25, 1891. William
died March 9, 1951 in Galveston, Galveston
County, Texas, at 59 years of age.
married Lenora E. Hunter
in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas.
Lenora
was born in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
December 3, 1895. Lenora
died August 1969 in Galveston, Galveston County,
Texas, at 73 years of age.
body was interred August 1969 in Galveston
Memorial Park, Hitchcock, Texas. Lenora
E. Hunter Drewa last known address of Lenora before her death was 1923 Ave Q and
a ½ . As annotated in
William Herman Drewa documentation, they had no children. She is interred
at the Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Texas with her husband. .
Williams
occupation: Retired Santa Fe Railroad in Santa Fe Railroad, Galveston, Texas.
William was Chief Claim Clerk for 39 years of the Galveston Office of the Santa Fe Railroad. He belonged to the El Mina Shrine, Galveston Scottish Rite and Masonic Lodge
#297. He and his wife Lenora Hunter had no children. Both are interned at Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Texas.
The following is from the obituary section of 03-09-1951 Galveston
news-paper:
Funeral services will be held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at J. Levy & Bro.. funeral home for William Henry Drewa 59, Chief Claim Clerk for the Santa Fe Railroad in Galveston who died Friday at his residence, 4923 Ave. Q and a half. Mr. Drewa, a lifelong resident of Galveston, was born here Sept. 25, l891, and was an employee of the railroad for 39 years. The Rev. Edward V. Long, pastor of First Lutheran Church, will officiate at services. Graveside rites will be conducted at Galveston Memorial Park by Tucker Lodge 297 of which, Mr. Drewa was a member. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Lenora Hunter Drewa, two brothers, Charles Drewa of Galveston and Harry Drewa of Dallas; and a sister, Mrs. Minnie Masaus of Galveston." He and his brother Harry, sister Minny and her husband were saved from floating to sea during the Galveston 1900 storm by a horse pulling them near a floating house. They cut holes in the floor enabling it to fill with water and slow the floating down. It continued to float 12-14 blocks.
Second Generation
2. Edward Frederick2
Drewa (Herman Adolph 'Franz'1) was born in Galveston,
Galveston County, Texas, June 14, 1870.
died at his home June 15, 1935 in Galveston, Galveston
County, Texas, at 65 years of age.
body was interred June 1935 in Hitchcock, Texas,
Hitchcock, Texas.
married Sophie Marie Adolphine Steffens
in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas, February
11, 1891.
was born in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
August 30, 1872. Sophie was the
daughter of Ferdinand Christoph Steffens
and Henrietta Luedeuke
.
died June 4, 1948 in Galveston, Galveston
County, Texas, at 75 years of age. body was interred in Hitchcock, Texas.
Edward
died of a heart attack in his daughter’s ( Sedonia Carder) arms. She was
tending to him and had just raised his shoulders ( he was laying in bed), when
he died. He is interred at the
Galveston Memorial Park in the Ed. F Drewa family plot.
Edward was one of five children of Herman and Wilhelmina Roselle Drewa.
He had three brothers; Harry L., Charles Louis, and William H., and a
sister Wilhelmina “Minnie”. Ed
began working at his father’s produce and ice store in l886.
He lived with his parents who rented from Louis Muller Sr. In l888 he met
Louis Muller, Sr’s son, Alfred Muller, a Galveston architect, and was able to
get construction work through him. Edward
found he enjoyed working with plaster and began training as a plasterer on some
of Alfred Muller’s building projects. (Alfred Muller was, after Nicholas J.
Clayton, Galveston’s best known architect. He was educated at the Royal
Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin and arrived in Galveston in 1886.
He designed the Galveston City
Hall and Market House. Among his buildings still in existence are the Galveston
Orphans Home, the Letitia Rosenberg Home, and the J. C.
Trube House. He died in 1896 in a typhoid fever epidemic.)
Ed Drewa and Sophie Steffens were married in 1891. Their first child,
Sedonia Drewa, was born that same year. (marriage records: Book K, p.47.)
In l893, Edward began a concrete, plaster and cement business at 1703 27th
Street, the address of the house before it was turned to face Avenue O. In April
of l896 he contracted with Edward Schulz and Ernst Ditze to demolish Dr.
Steffens’ office and the rent property on Ave. O and to build two frame houses
exactly alike. They were to be
built for $2000.00 and to have five rooms and a hall, slate-roofs, and be eight
feet above the ground.
After the hurricane of September 8, 1900,
Drewa worked on repairs to buildings damaged by the storm.
In 1903, he was given the contract by the Galveston County Commissioners
to build the sidewalks along the first stretch of Galveston Sea wall.
On the sea wall extension from 26th to 29th streets
he built the sidewalks as subcontractor to Kelso-Vautrin.
My
father, Vernon H. Drewa was led to believe, that most Drewa were lost in the
1900 storm with the exception of his Aunt Minnie, Harry Drewa of Dallas, and
Louis Drewa of Sequin, Texas. I believe this is what Dad had been brought up
knowing. From my graduation until
he passed away, he always wanted me to delve into his Ancestry.
I first started collecting information in 1948 after my grandmother’s
death and got a great many notes when I was receiving my Top Secret
Clearance from the Navy Department. Also some information while on duty
with Navy Intelligence and Atomic Energy Commission. It was only after my
youngest daughter (Kristi L. Drewa Lucas) volunteered to go to Galveston to help
me clear up some loose ends that I have been able to put this together.
For her help, I’ll be forever grateful. My most fervent wish would be
that Dad were alive to know the true Drewa history and the many wonderful
relatives I have met that descended from his grandfather and grand-mother;
Herman “Franz” Drewa and Roselle Schneider.
(Galveston County Commissioners’ Court Minutes, February 16, 1906.
Edward F. Drewa for concrete sidewalk, curbing and drain.). In
anticipation of the grade raising, (Of the entire city. Galveston Island was
raised an average of eight feet.), Drewa demolished the south rental property
and built a small house for himself on the alley at the rear of his property
(Family and business records found in the house by the present owners:
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Reesby, who were the driving force
for the 2701 Ave. O. homestead as well as the two adjacent homes ( which
grandpa built ) being placed on the National Historical Register.)
In
1905, before filling for the grade raising was pumped onto the lot, Drewa turned
the house to face Ave. O instead of 27th street (Galveston
City Directories, 1894-96, Sanborn Fire
Map 1912, Galveston Texas History Center, Rosenberg Library).
He
used the ceilings of his house to train his sons in the art of plastering and to
demonstrate their skill with potential plaster patterns to his clients.
As a room would become filled with various patterns,
Drewa would select a favorite and the remainder would be removed;
then the ceiling of the room would be completed to match the chosen
design.
In
1921, Edward Drewa, after many
years in business in Galveston as E. F Drewa, Plasterer, changed the name of the
firm to Edward F. Drewa and Son; taking
his son Edwin as a partner. He was
active in civic affairs in the city. He
ran for alderman in 1926 (on Democratic ticket).
He was secretary and president of the Builder’s Exchange of Galveston
and a director of the Peoples Loan and Homestead Co. ( Family business records).
The ledgers for the meetings of the Galveston Builder’s Exchange,
Galveston Texas History Center. Rosenberg
Library. Political broadsides and Circulars Collection,
1898-1927.

Grandpa (Ed. F.) and Grandma (Sophie) Drewa on day of Edwin William
Drewa, Jr. Funeral. November 9,
1921. Galveston, Texas.
All
of the family had married and left to homes of their own by 1927.
In 1935, Edward Drewa died
leaving his estate for the upkeep of the family home (Courthouse Probate
Minutes, Book 102, p. 401). His will stated, as Ferdinand and Henrietta
Steffen’s had, that as long as any member of the immediate family needed to
live in the home, they would be permitted to do so. (Probate Minutes, Book 153,
Page 307., and Probate minutes, Book 187, page 163).
As mentioned perhaps in other write-ups, the property that the 2701 Ave.
O and the adjacent two plats originally belonged to Ferdinand.
Obituary
Notice from the Galveston Newspaper, dated 6-15-35:
EDWARD F. DREWA
CLAIMED BY DEATH
Retired Contractor Dies in
65th Year
Edward
F. Drewa, 65, retired contractor for the past ten years and first vice president
of the Galveston Building and Loan Co. and Second vice president of the Peoples Loan and Homestead
Co., died at his residence, 2703 Ave. O, at 9 o’clock Saturday morning.
Mr.
Drewa was a native Galvestonian, having
been born on the island on June 14, 1870. He
had resided in Galveston all his life and celebrated his 65th
birthday yesterday.
Until
his retirement about ten years ago, Mr. Drewa was a cement and plastering
contractor.
Surviving
are his wife, Mrs. Sophie Drewa; a daughter, Mrs. Paul E. Carder,
both of Galveston; four sons, E. W. Drewa of Galveston; M. C.
Drewa of Houston, S. A. Drewa of Kilgore and V. H. Drewa of Fort Worth; a
sister, Mrs. H. B Masaus of Galveston; three brothers, William H. Drewa and
Charles Louis Drewa, both of Galveston; Harry Drewa of Dallas; eight
grandchildren and other relatives. Funeral
arrangements will be announced later by J. Levy and Brothers. “

Edward Frederick Drewa, Circa 1918, Galveston, Texas
Sept.
10, 1997:
The following is information researched in Galveston Daily News,
Wednesday, August 18, 1915.
I have heard, as many of the Drewa descendants must have heard, about the
1900 devastating Hurricane. I also
got dad to tell me in detail of the 1915 Storm as he recalled it.
Though dad was 9, and what he saw, was through a child's eyes, he spoke
with a great deal of accuracy as depicted in
the following news articles. He
spoke of Grandpa, Ed. F. Drewa and his brother Edwin putting the horse, cow and
chickens on the stage of the Garten Verein (German for Garden Association).
Dad said his father wasn’t taking any chances since he knew what had
happened in the 1900 storm. Though
it was later learned that the water at the 2701 address just did get into the
basement. When Grandpa had
the house turned from facing 27th Street after the 1900 storm and facing Avenue
O., he raised the house and put a “cistern” in the basement area.
After taking care of animals, Grandpa loaded his family into a 1914 Buick
touring car and took them to a Hotel on Strand Street in downtown Galveston.
This wound up being a bad choice, because he took the brunt of the storms
fury.
Dad said; Grandpa and Edwin jacked up the Buick on large wooden blocks in
front of the Hotel. Some 2 - 3
feet. However, that did little good, because the water from the
storm eventually rose to the second story of the Hotel. Dad spoke of seeing some “Blacks” riding debris in
the streets and seeing them cut rings from drowned women’s fingers and gold
from their mouth if they could get to them easily.
Police were shooting from the downtown rooftops attempting to stop the
looting. Apparently, it did little
good.
Dad never said what happened to the Buick.
But he did say that Grandpa used the buggy and horse to get to and from
work. He didn’t say for how long.
He did mention that Uncle Paul (Carder) and Aunt Donie (Drewa) came with them.
They had just been married in January of 1915.
Headlines from “The Galveston Daily News”, dated August 18, 1915 reads:
NO MORE LOSS OF LIFE IS DISCOVERED;
STORM RENDERS CAUSEWAY IMPASSABLE; MUST CONSERVE FRESH WATER SUPPLY
The great Galveston causeway, constructed at a cost in excess of
$2,000,000, which since the spring of 1912 has served as the island’s gateway
to the mainland is impassable. Not
only that but damage to the work is believed to be so severe that a virtual
rebuilding will be necessary before trains can pass.
The only authentic news brought so far from the causeway vicinity was
received late yesterday evening. A
party of telegraph and telephone men and representatives of
The News, in an effort to reach Virginia Point by boat in order to
establish communication with the outside world , succeeded in attaining to a
position about one mile east of the causeway before being forced to put about
and return in order to save the launch from destruction by wind and wave.
As well as could be observed by those in the party, long stretches of the
solid concrete construction at both ends of the causeway had been carried away
completely. The central structure,
composed of concrete arches, together with the lift bridge appeared to be
intact.
Apparently Galveston’s only hope for communication with the mainland
until piling can be driven for the laying of railroad trestles will be by boat.
As man of the harbor craft are in commission, however, and as boats from
other points on the coast will be summoned, it is expected that efficient
service soon will be established.
For the first time in sixty hours the sun shown over storm-swept
Galveston this morning, and nothing more than a brisk breeze from out of the
southwest remained of the great winds which, for two days, screamed across the
island.
Bright skies brought a revival of spirits to tired thousands, although
revealing more clearly the ugliness of the havoc wrought by wind and water in
all parts of the city, and the attention of all was turned at once to the
many problems of remedying the damage and relieving the more pressing
necessities of life created through new problems brought about by the hurricane.
The cleaning out and righting of residences turned topsy turvey by the
elements and the provision of food and water for the city became the matters of
first importance and the energy of a large portion of the population was turned
in this direction. Siege was laid,
and is now being laid to all sources of food supply.
Most of the grocery stores opened from business and endeavored to supply
the demand with such goods as remained undamaged by water.
While there is an abundance of canned and preserved food of all kinds on
the shelves and in the warehouses of grocers, the chief demand at the present
time is for fresh meats, eggs and bread. No
milk, of course, is to be had, except from privately owned dairies, and it
probably will be several days before the need is met.
Wholesale grocers have assured the retail merchants that they have an
abundance of undamaged goods on hand, thus relieving any fear of food famine in
the city, and these stores will be gotten out for distribution as rapidly as
possible. Cash, however, is so far the only medium of exchange recognized,
credit systems having been for the time being discarded.
Although food undoubtedly will be plentiful for all emergencies, the
water supply is a matter of more grave concern and citizens are urged to
conserve all private supplies to the utmost of their ability as it is impossible
to predict when the city water mains will be restored as the extent of damage to
the submarine mains is as yet unknown.
Cut off completely from communication with the mainland and the outside
world since the full fury of the storm swooped down upon the city an destroyed
telephone and telegraph wires Monday night the city is now bending every effort
toward getting messengers across the bay. The
first effort, made yesterday afternoon by telephone and telegraph men, proved
futile, the bay still being too rough for safe navigation, but two more boats
put out for Virginia Point this morning, as well as a boat bound for Houston,
all of which, it is believed, will reach their destination.
As soon as messages can be gotten to Houston, relief expeditions will be
organized, and it is thought that it will be a matter of comparatively few hours
until boats will be on hand with large supplies of fresh food, water and milk,
as well as to transport any passengers inland who may desire to go.
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Death Roll Not Increased
The list of known dead as result of the storm had not increased this
morning over that of yesterday afternoon, totaling six persons, although there
is a report of the finding of the bodies of two women near Fort Crockett.
Of the six, two are positively identified.
Mrs. Wilmina Hern, aged 52, was found drowned on Tenth street between
Avenues H and I yesterday morning. Her
home was at 1702 Winnie, and during the height of the storm she and several
relatives sought to go to the Rosenberg school from the home of her son-in-law,
William Lawson. She was with her
small son, and when caught in the deep water told him to go ahead.
When the party reached the school, Mrs. Hern was missed and the body was
found early the next morning. She is survived by five sons and three daughters, all living in Galveston.
The other body positively identified is that of Ernest Roehl, who lived
at 728 Ave. H. He also was drowned Monday night, attempting to reach his
home and take his family to safety, after having left his small son at the
Rosenberg Library.
A man thought to be named Brown, and known to be a Southern Pacific dock
worker, was found drowned at Fortieth and Ave. Ho yesterday morning.
His body and that of Mr. Roehl are held at the Malloy Undertaking
Company, which also is holding the
body of an unidentified negro found at Twenty-seventh and Post Office Streets.
The body of Mrs. Hern and those of two unidentified white men found at
Fortieth and Strand are being held at the morgue of J. Levy & Bro.
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Investigations made this morning reveal the fact that the city waterworks
system is badly damaged and it is not know when sufficient repairs will have
been made to again supply water through the mains.
Further investigation revealed that only a small supply remains on hand
at the city standpipe, which, together with any private supplies from cisterns
and tanks, virtually constitutes the fresh water now to be had on the island.
In view of this situation citizens are urged, and warned by city
officials to conserve whatever water they may be able to obtain to the utmost of
their ability. As long as the
supply lasts at the city standpipe water will be given to those who apply with
vessels in which to remove it.
Every effort of the city force will be bent upon repairing damage to the
water mains and relieving the situation as early as possible.
The big mains which spanned the bay as a part of the causeway have been
broken beyond hope of immediate repair and the only hope left for
re-establishing service from the mainland is the submarine mains, which have not
been used for some time.
Efforts to bring water from this source this morning proved futile and it
is feared that the mains may have been broken at some point under the bay,
although city officials express hopes of locating the trouble where it may be
quickly remedied.
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PUBLIC MASS MEETING TODAY
Mayor Fisher has called a meeting of the city commission, the advisory
committee and all interested citizens to assemble at 3 o’clock at the Cotton
Exchange today to discuss conditions necessary to be met in the present
emergency. He is particularly
anxious that a large representation of laboring interests be present.
The meeting will be brief and everyone who has the welfare of Galveston
at heart is urged to be present.
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Fire
Again Menaces City
Shortly before 6 o’clock this morning, fire was discovered in the
building occupied by the Fred C. Pabst Real Estate Company, at 2304 Strand and
before it was controlled it had destroyed four building.
They were the ones in which it originated, the Blum Notion Company
adjoining it on the west; the building occupied by J. F. Scinsheimer & Co.,
and the warehouse of the Armour Packing Company, facing on Ave. I.
At 10 o’clock this morning no estimate on the loss could be obtained,
but it will doubtless run above $100,000.
The building in which the fire started and that of the Blum Notion
Company were each two-stories in height. The
other two buildings were three stories in height.
In the corner building, occupied by the Seinsheimer Company, were also
the office of the United States Cotton Company and the Knights of Columbus hall.
The fire was beyond control when discovered and swept through the
building occupied by the Pabst Company, destroying the Armour building before
the first was gutted. It then
spread to the building on either side and destroyed them within about two hours. All four were completely wrecked.
The building occupied by the Galveston Dry Goods Company, adjoining the
Blum Notion Company, on the west, withstood the flames.
Fortunately several windows in the east wall of the building had been
bricked in, and at 10 o’clock Fire Chief Gernand did not think there is
further danger from the fire.
The fire department fought the flames to the vest of its ability,
although severely
handicapped. The engines pumped the
water from the street, which was about eighteen inches deep.
This was partly sea water, which prevented the engines developing much
power. The fireboat, which was in
slip 23, was powerless on account of not having
steam. Its steam had been drawn in preparation for inspection by the
state fire department. The flames
for a time threatened the Mallory Pier.
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Yesterday’s issue of The Galveston News, appearing on the streets about
7 o’ clock in the evening, was eagerly awaited by citizens and visitors, who
congregated about those places where lights gleamed beacons of hospitality.
Detailed accounts of the storm, with an estimated damage report, together
with other interesting facts connected with the hurricane of Monday night, were
contained in the paper.
Methods strongly resembling those of ancient days to the print shop were
brought into play to get out the paper in order that the unwritten law of daily
newspapers, “never miss a day,” would not be broken.
It wasn’t. Every bit of
the work done by power machinery under ordinary conditions was done by hand.
The news has missed but two days in its existence in getting out a paper
of some kind---those being during the catastrophe of
1900.
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A big demand for skilled labor of all kinds will be growing in Galveston
for the next few months, according to representatives of the different crafts
here, as all moving of wreckage, repairing of electric wires and transportation
facilities, building and excavating, automobile and machinery repair work which
will be necessary before conditions again approach normal will amount to several
million dollars.
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The city hall assumed this proportions of a combined dairy and stock farm
during the height of the storm, and yesterday afternoon visitors to the building
were amazed to see on the first floor two calm eyed representatives of the
species bovine, contentedly chewing away as they gazed innocently at the throngs
of people who passed. Several
horses also found shelter on the steps of the building.
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Other Fires
The fire this morning was the third since the breaking of the fire alarm
system and high water. Monday night
the O. K. Laundry at twentieth and Post Office streets was burned.
The laundry building was completely destroyed.
The office of the Direct Navigation Company was completely destroyed.
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Losses On Water Front Heavy
Damage to the water front of Galveston, to ships and craft in port and to
stocks of cotton and other exports will run into the hundreds of thousands.
It is impossible, at this hour, to ascertain the extent of this damage,
but it is possible to deduce, from a casual survey of the water front, that the
damage will heavy.
Every steamship in the harbor, with the exception of two or three vessels
of foreign register have been more or less damaged.
Four ocean liners are around on Pelican Spit, two of them, the names
unknown, having been blown aground from the Texas City side.
Probably the greatest damage has been to small boats, hundreds of them
are either at the bottom of the channel, or blown high and dry, hundreds of
yards ashore.
There is great apprehension for the crews of three dredges, that were at
work in the bay when the storm broke, and that have not been reported.
Wooden sheds of the Galveston Wharf Company, from Twentieth street to
Pier 40, have been more or less damaged. The
shed at Pier 21 was demolished. Further
west, every shed has lost a roof or part of its sides.
Much cotton, in concentration sheds, is exposed, but is believed that
this damage will not be heavy.
Stocks of wheat concentrated here are reported undamaged.
No attempt to bring ships that arrive within the next two or three days
to the docks will be made, until the extent of the fill in the channel and the
location of the wrecks in the channel, has been made.
It is probably that no traffic, with the exception of small boat traffic,
will move until the entire bay and channel has been sounded and surveyed.