The
story of Austin College is survival. The Texas landscape is littered
with failed private institutions of higher education. It’s a miracle
that AC is not one of them. AC is one of only two colleges (Baylor the
other) who trace their origin during the antebellum period in Texas and
survived continuously through Civil War and Reconstruction. The
difficulties of poverty and disease were so great in the 1870s, that it
forced a move to Sherman. But AC survived.
The panic of 1893
was a struggle for the school; so was the Great War and flu epidemic of
1918. Sacrifice, flexibility, and long overdue reform such as the
admission of women allowed AC to live to fight another day. Many other
institutions failed in this area; the athletic opponents of Austin
College a century ago are a long list of unfamiliar names.
During the Great Depression, creative financing on a shoestring budget
reached legendary proportions. The college was fighting to continue its
mission with bubble gum and duct tape. So drastic was the decade that a
merger with Trinity and move to San Antonio was in the works. But a
surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, a war effort, and new prosperity saved
the Roos once again.
Luck explains some of the survival, but a
good deal of credit goes to people. Wise financial decision-making by
administration, faculty, and trustees can buy time, and time is often
the difference between drowning or riding out the storm. Former Board
members knows a lot about riding out storms.
The next Roo Tale
tells the story of the family of AC Trustee William Nelson (W.N.) Scott.
A Roo who called Galveston home, his family spent the summer of 1900
in Virginia and returned to the island just one day before the arrival
of the Great Galveston Storm of 1900. Up to 12,000 souls may have
perished in the greatest natural disaster in American history. The
Scott family was not among them. The story kicks off with a prologue on
Saturday, August 31st, 7 chapters from September 1st to September 7th,
and a final epilogue on the 119th anniversary of the storm.
Scott
was the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Galveston. For
nearly 180 years, the church has stood at the corner of 19th and Church
Street. FPC Galveston has survived fires, floods, war, and the worst
hurricane ever witnessed by Americans. It was established by Austin
College founders Daniel Baker and John McCullough. It’s also the island
church of former AC Trustee Lee Dean Ardell,
who celebrated its restoration from damage caused by Hurricane Ike in
2008. Austin College knows survival, and so does First Presbyterian.
The tale is dedicated to all former and current members of the Austin
College Board of Trustees. All do the work that Trustees have done at
AC for 170 years: oversee the financial decisions necessary to ensure
that the school weathers the next storm and emerges on the other side. I
know some of the current Board. Holly Mace Massingill is a friend in
Austin, and Todd Liles I’ve known since my days as a student. Others
have become online friends through much of the Roo Tale writing. But,
there are still many I have yet to meet. I hope to do so in the future.
Thanks to the AC Board of Trustees for the work that you do. Here’s to
another 170 years of Austin College, and the hope that the Roos will
emerge from the next big storm relatively unscathed……..just like the
family of former Trustee William Nelson Scott.
Evacuate the coast Florida. Dorian’s on its way.
Tomorrow’s prologue is a good one. Have a great weekend everybody.
Friday 8/30: Dedication: AC Board of Trustees Saturday 8/31: Prologue: Bent Creek and The Song “Galveston” Sunday 9/1: Chapter 1: Virginia to Galveston Monday 9/2: Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm Tuesday 9/3: Chapter 3: Viene La Tormenta Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
The Austin College Board of Trustees
David R. Corrigan, Chair Becky R. Sykes, Vice Chair Brian Ainsworth Greg Almond Joy Apple Scott Austin Brent E. Christopher Reggie Coon William M. Crook Joan Darden Bill Douglass Craig B Florence Michael N. Foster, Jr. Sarah Gunderson James J. Hartnett Jeannine Hatt Jim Jarratt Ron Kirk Todd Liles Patricia Manning-Courtney Holly Mace Massingill James W. “Wes” Moffett Peter Munson Sally Nation Kirk L. Rimer Ann Ross Joe Sanders Steven S. Schiff Ronald T. Seal Rebecca Simmons Karl Travis Gail Utter Tom Welfelt Ruth Whiteside
What the heck is the point of a liberal arts degree?
I’ll tell
you my answer. To become Renaissance women & men. Shoot, you
don’t even need a degree for that. But it probably helps. Life gets in
the way though. The day to day logistical grind of family and
occupation is in stark opposition to a Renaissance life. Sometimes it
feels like a losing battle.
In the depths of the 1930s Great
Depression, my favorite economist John Maynard Keynes made some
startling claims. “Do not worry about this current downturn,” he said.
Within 100 years time, America would be five times as wealthy. This
prediction was correct. His second prediction was not.
“Americans will request this five-fold increase in wealth in the form of
both monetary and non-monetary demands,” he claimed. Citizens would
only be two to three times as wealthy, because they would also demand
more time to pursue more leisure and worldly activities. Nope.
Americans work long hours just as before. Whether by poor choice or
political weakness, we live less like the Renaissance than we could.
Still, a lot of folks try their darndest to do so. Whenever I see
someone in my circle pursuing such a task, I immediately become a fan.
It doesn’t even have to be an interest of mine. I tip my cap.
Some people write like me. Others devote time to charity and service.
Many are involved with public education or health, while some volunteer
for relief organizations or migrant assistance. I have artist friends
who can create amazing works out of nothing. I’ve got musician friends
who are this close to becoming legendary singer / song writers.
You may already be familiar with the band “Bent Creek.” The Grayson
County band is a fixture at locales north of Dallas that prefer live
music. I got to hear them play live at the 25th Homecoming reunion of
my Austin College Class of 1992. Members of the band include:
Brent Hollensed: lead vocals and rhythm guitar Ben Vincent: fiddle, steel guitar and electric guitar Claude Webb Jr.: lead guitar and vocals Chris Reeves: drums Jeff Youree: mandolin, guitar and vocals Larry Cox: bass and keyboard
Three of the six members of Bent Creek are Austin College Kangaroos.
Ben Vincent is an AC grad, as are Claude Webb and Brent Hollensed.
Claude and Brent can both be found in the Austin College Hall of Honor
for coaching and football, respectively.
This summer’s Roo Tale
writing is a story about an Austin College family that rode out the
great Galveston hurricane of 1900. The father, an Austin College
Trustee, spent a harrowing night with his three children on the 3rd
floor of their Galveston home as hell arrived and their world collapsed
around them. One of his three kids was an Austin College alumnus, class
of 1900. The story is all done, and kicks off tomorrow.
There’s
a famous tune about Galveston. Written by Jimmy Webb and performed by
Glen Campbell, the song “Galveston” is a fast-moving song about a
Vietnam soldier’s desire to get back home. Released in 1969, the song
hit #1 and won all sorts of accolades.
The story of surviving
the 1900 Galveston hurricane is a terrifying and tragic tale. To tell
this AC story well with music would require a slow-moving, reflective
tune. Earlier this summer, I had an idea. Why not go and look for a
slower version of the song “Galveston?” Then, I had an even better
idea. Why not ask Bent Creek, a band with Austin College ties, to
record a version for this Austin College story?
I asked Claude
& Brent what they thought about the idea, and I was thrilled to hear
they liked it. Bent Creek headed to the studios and recorded a version
of “Galveston” just as I imagined. It’s fantastic. I’ve set the music
to photos of Galveston from both now and then. Many of the photos you
will recognize if you have been following the previews.
If you
have not heard Bent Creek perform live, make an effort to do so. See
their page and site in the comments for appearances. If you know an
individual or business looking for live music, reach out to Bent Creek
to arrange a gig. Bent Creek, thank you for contributing to this story.
I’m a fan of the music you perform, and the Renaissance lives y’all
are living. Looking forward to your next show.
The next Roo Tale
kicks off tomorrow! It’s called: It’s called: “1900: Austin College,
& the Greatest Natural Disaster in American History.”
Enjoy the video. We’ll see you tomorrow.
Friday 8/30: Dedication: AC Board of Trustees Saturday 8/31: Prologue: Bent Creek and The Song “Galveston” Sunday 9/1: Chapter 1: Virginia to Galveston Monday 9/2: Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm Tuesday 9/3: Chapter 3: Viene La Tormenta Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
“Galveston, oh Galveston. I still hear your sea winds blowin’”
“Galveston” – Jimmy Webb
Houston’s Corner, Virginia sits just an hour south of the nation’s
capital. There, in 1848 on an early fall day in September, William
Nelson (W.N.) Scott was born.
Scott was raised in a family of
privilege. A great-grandfather on his father’s side arrived from
Presbyterian Scotland and acquired a significant amount of land in
Virginia. A great-grandfather on his mother’s side was Col. William
Cabell, a Virginia friend of Thomas Jefferson. The Cabell family worked
closely with Jefferson to establish the University of Virginia.
After the devastation of the Civil War, Scott enrolled at Washington and
Lee College (then Washington College) in 1865 at the age of 17. There,
at Lexington, VA, he earned a Divinity degree and made preparations for
a career as a Presbyterian minister in his home state. He married
Margaret Hanna in 1872; the union produced four children: Agnes (b.
1873), Mary (b. 1874), Nannie (b.1877), and William Jr. (b. 1879).
During the year of William Jr.’s birth, Scott received an intriguing
offer from Texas. He was asked to become Pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church in Galveston, TX. Scott accepted. The entire
family moved from the mountains of Western Virginia to the beaches of
Galveston. After 1880, Galveston would be home for the Scott family.
First Presbyterian of Galveston, established in 1840 by Austin College
founders Daniel Baker and John McCullough, is one of the oldest churches
in Texas. The original structure was replaced in 1873 with the
building that still stands today. Reverend R.F. Bunting, who had
replaced McCullough years earlier, presided over the construction of the
new building. In 1880, it was Bunting’s time to retire; Scott was
given the reins.
Life was good to the Scott family in Galveston.
The town was thriving in the late 19th century, and quickly becoming
one of the most important cities in the South. The Strand earned its
nickname of the “Wall Street of the South,” and the Port of Galveston
was one of the nation’s largest. By the end of the century, Galveston’s
population would number nearly 50,000. The arrival of new residents
often found their way to First Presbyterian, where they would listen to
Reverend Scott’s sermons on Sunday morning.
Reverend Bunting
passed in 1891, and Scott spoke to the congregation about his
predecessor’s impact on both the Galveston community and his own
decision to move to the city. The Scott family had become prominent
members of the city by then, participating in civic life and involved
with the education of their growing children. As the 1880s gave way to
the 1890s, Reverend Scott saw his interests grow from the small island
he called home to the entire state of Texas, and from his congregation
to higher education. A Presbyterian minister in Texas interested in
Presbyterian higher education would naturally find his way to the oldest
Presbyterian college in the state.
By the early 1890s, Reverend William Nelson Scott was increasingly looking north: to Austin College in Sherman, TX.
Friday 8/30: Dedication: AC Board of Trustees Saturday 8/31: Prologue: Bent Creek and The Song “Galveston” Sunday 9/1: Chapter 1: Virginia to Galveston Monday 9/2: Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm Tuesday 9/3: Chapter 3: Viene La Tormenta Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm
“You’re just headed for trouble Don’t say you haven’t been warned You’d better get out on the double It’s just the calm before the storm.”
“Calm Before the Storm” – Restless Heart
The 1893 Chicago World Fair was an international hit, setting
attendance records and attracting millions. Reverend Scott was there.
The Galveston News reported on Scott’s trip that spring from Galveston
to Chicago. Scott would be traveling north a good deal during the
decade.
Austin College, founded in 1849, had finally achieved a
secure financial footing by the time of President Samuel Luckett’s
tenure in the 1890s. Scott’s brother Charles, a native Virginian
himself, had joined the AC faculty in 1889 as a professor of Chemistry.
Reverend Scott himself joined the Board of Trustees at the suggestion
of Luckett in the early 1890s, and visited the Sherman campus in
November of 1894. The Galveston Daily News reported on his trip. Also
mentioned in the same newspaper that day: a challenge to Austin College
from the Longhorns of the University of Texas:
“A challenge has
been received from the state university football team, asking for a
game. Austin College has a good football team and has been wanting for
some time to meet the university team, but the executive committee of
our college has passed a rule forbidding the team to play match games,
which kills the game at Austin College.”
UT & AC had both
played unofficial games on Thanksgiving Day 1893, the first college
football games in the state of Texas. UT’s attempt to schedule a game
against Austin College on Thanksgiving Day 1894 would fail because of
President Luckett’s reluctance to sanction. Instead, the Longhorns
scheduled a game against Texas A&M, the first in a long Texas
rivalry.
Texas A&M followed that game against the Longhorns
with a match against Galveston Ball High School. Played at the Denver
Resurvey Grounds (27th & Seawall) on the island, the Aggies defeated
Ball 14-6 and secured the first win in program history. Two years
later, Texas A&M traveled to Sherman to face Austin College and
earned its first victory over a collegiate opponent. When the Great
Storm of 1900 arrived in Galveston, the Denver Resurvey Grounds were
completed inundated and destroyed.
The Scott family affiliation
with Austin College began to pick up significantly. Son William Jr.
turned 18 and left for Sherman as a student in the fall of 1896. As a
freshman, he was a member of the Austin College football team that
battled against Texas A&M in the first official AC football game.
Reverend Scott found himself with a brother teaching and a son studying
in Sherman, and also with recurring Board of Trustees duties. The
center of gravity for the good Reverend was pulling him north to Dallas
& Sherman.
William Jr.’s years in Sherman were defined by
AC athletics. As a junior, he was a member of the 1898 AC football team
that fell to Texas A&M in College Station. He was a starter his
senior year on the 1900 AC baseball team that traveled to Austin and
lost a decision to the University of Texas. Nicknamed “Bully,” William
Jr. was also Editor-in-Chief of the 1900 AC Chromascope and President of
the Athenaeum Literary Society.
Scott’s greatest success, however, came on the tennis court. From the 1899 AC Chromascope:
“By his agility and nimbleness, Scott won the tennis championship. Mr.
Scott is practically a new man but his cuts, lobbying and volleying
surpass everything in the history of Austin College.”
Reform came
to the AC Board of Trustees during the academic year of 1899-00. A
resolution was passed by the Board which disqualified Trustees with
immediate family members on the Austin College faculty. Because of his
brother’s position with the faculty, the resolution meant that Reverend
Scott’s term on the Board would come to an end after 1900 commencement
exercises.
No objection was raised from Scott, as his son would
be graduating with the Class of 1900. Scott also harbored some desire
to spend more time in Galveston, or possibly even return permanently to
his native Virginia. Simpler times may have been desired by the Scott
family as the late 1890s had been a very trying time. Reverend Scott’s
wife Margaret had passed unexpectedly in 1897, as had daughter Mary in
1899.
Nevertheless, the surviving members of the Scott family
were in Sherman for graduation in 1900. Son William Jr. received his
diploma, as Reverend Scott, brother Charles, and sisters Agnes and
Nannie looked on. At the conclusion of ceremonies, the family boarded a
train for Virginia. They frequently spent summers near Staunton in the
1890s to avoid the extreme heat of Galveston. The Scotts arrived in
late May, and enjoyed the mild summers of Western Virginia surrounded by
old friends and family. As August turned to September in the year
1900, the family boarded a train to return home to Galveston, just as
they had every summer.
Their departure from Virginia was
uneventful, a calm before the storm. Their arrival in Galveston would
be very poorly timed.
Friday 8/30: Dedication: AC Board of Trustees Saturday 8/31: Prologue: Bent Creek and The Song “Galveston” Sunday 9/1: Chapter 1: Virginia to Galveston Monday 9/2: Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm Tuesday 9/3: Chapter 3: Viene La Tormenta Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
“Mira, mira. Alla. Viene una tormenta.” “What did he just say?” “He said there’s a storm coming.”
– Terminator (1984)
Erik Larson did not even intend to write about Galveston.
Larson is famous for a number of thrilling works of non-fiction. “The
Devil in the White City” focuses on a mass murderer during the Chicago
World’s Fair attended by Reverend Scott. “Dead Wake” follows the doomed
Lusitania during World War 1 just years before Reverend Scott’s
passing. In the late 1990s, Larson was initially interested in writing
about the demise of Rice University founder William Marsh Rice. He
accidentally stumbled upon the 1900 Galveston storm as the Centennial
approached however, and never looked back. In 1999, “Isaac’s Storm” was
finished. The story of William Marsh Rice has Roo ties; so too does
“Isaac’s Storm.”
The book retraces the path of Galveston’s Isaac
Cline, a gifted meteorologist who nevertheless was blinded by the hubris
of the times. In spite of many years of Cuban expertise on the topic
of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, it was believed by Cline and other
Americans that Atlantic hurricanes always turned north and never entered
the Gulf. It was a blind faith that would prove disastrous in 1900.
The Scott family boarded a train in Virginia on Monday, September 3rd,
and began the long, slow return home to Galveston. That very day, the
1900 Galveston hurricane struck southern Cuba. At landfall, the storm
was merely tropical storm strength with few prospects of causing
catastrophic damage. It meandered along the southern coast of Cuba for
about a day; Cuban meteorologists reported the storm moving west, while
Americans in New York and Washington began to broadcast the “inevitable”
turn north. For the next few days, East Coast weathermen told
Americans from Georgia to New Jersey to prepare for the storm’s arrival.
Perplexed coastal residents were baffled when sunny skies consistently
began to appear. Where was the storm?
It was in the Gulf and strengthening.
By Wednesday, September 5th, the storm had entered the Gulf of Mexico
and had reached Category 1 status; the Scott family departed Kentucky
that same day. On Thursday, September 6th, the storm dramatically
strengthened to a Category 3 as the Scotts arrived in Houston. On
Friday, September 7th, the Scott family awoke for the short train trip
from Houston to their home in Galveston; out in the Gulf, the storm of
the century had intensified to an awe-inspiring Category 5. With gusts
in excess of 150mph, it was now on a direct course for the city. The
eye was headed just west of the city, leaving Galveston to suffer the
full force of storm surge from the dirty (right) side of the eye.
The train carrying the Scotts slowly made its way south, before
arriving at Galveston Bay. It crossed the passenger railway bridge,
turned east, slowed, and finally arrived at the Galveston train station
on the corner of 25th and Strand. It was mid-afternoon, and the weather
was perfect. Reverend Scott and children Agnes, Nannie, and recent
Austin College graduate William Jr. all made the 1-mile walk from the
train station to their home east of the First Presbyterian church on
Ball Street (Avenue H). They were thrilled to finally be home.
The Galveston skies along their walk would have been spectacular.
Isaac Cline later reported that the sky was brilliant shade of orange,
unlike anything he had ever seen. The colors seemed to foreshadow that
something incredible…….or forbidding…….might be approaching. Weary from
their journey, they retired early and looked forward to a peaceful fall
at home on the island. They fell asleep that Friday evening to clear
Galveston skies with a light breeze from the north.
That night the Scott family had no way to know. There was a storm coming the very next day. “Viene la tormenta.”
The Saturday, September 8th edition of the Galveston News is a
fascinating read. The news of the day ranges from political events in
China to sporting events in Texas. There is nothing about any
approaching storm, let alone the greatest natural disaster in American
history. Galveston residents were caught completely by surprise on
September 8th as the weather worsened consistently hour by hour.
Because of the destruction caused by the 1900 storm, there would not be
another edition of the Galveston News for nearly an entire week.
In his book “Isaac’s Storm,” Erik Larson reviews the September 8th
edition of the Galveston News, with special emphasis on the absence of
the approaching storm. Larson also notes the arrival of the Scott
family in that very same September 8th newspaper. Yes, an Austin
College Kangaroo graces the pages of Larson’s work.
From “Isaac’s Storm:”
“Saturday’s paper noted, for example, that a boy name Louis Becker had
left town on Friday to attend school in Carthage, Missouri [and] the
Reverend W. N. Scott of the First Presbyterian Church returned on Friday
from a summer away in cooler Virginia. In just a few hours, these
reports of Friday’s arrivals and departures would take on an entirely
different cast, and [would] be seen instead as stories of miraculous
escape………….and tragic bad timing.”
Friday 8/30: Dedication: AC Board of Trustees Saturday 8/31: Prologue: Bent Creek and The Song “Galveston” Sunday 9/1: Chapter 1: Virginia to Galveston Monday 9/2: Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm Tuesday 9/3: Chapter 3: Viene La Tormenta Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
“I heard the sound of a thunder, that roared out a warnin’ Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world.”
“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” – Bob Dylan
The Scott family had gone to sleep on Friday under clear skies. By Saturday morning, a hard rain had begun to fall.
Galveston residents were not concerned. In fact, they were delighted.
The morning rain and wind were producing incredible surf, and residents
made their way down 25th street by trolley to watch the show. The
trolley tracks turned parallel with the beach at the end of 25th, and
children were watching in awe as the waves began to crash over the
rails. Some families even braved the sand and water. But not the
trolleys; the crashing surf forced the trains to stop just north of the
beach. The Austin College family of W.N. Scott may have been among
them; their house stood just a short walk from the beach.
Galveston had seen bad storms before, and it was assumed this storm
would be no different. The worst in memory occurred in 1886, when
Galveston was hit with the remnants of a hurricane that made landfall at
Indianola 120 miles to the west. Other storms would periodically flood
the city or cause significant wind damage. The city took the blows in
stride.
There was simply no deflating the confidence of Galveston
residents. So much progress had been witnessed since Austin College
founder Daniel Baker had landed at the tiny town in 1840. By 1900,
Galveston could rightly claim its title as the state of Texas’s most
valuable economic and financial center. In the spirit of the times,
Galveston’s prosperity was viewed in almost social Darwinian terms.
Nothing, not even forces of nature, could stop the juggernaut.
By late morning, the city began to flood.
This too did not cause much fear. A few knowledgeable residents became
somewhat concerned when they realized that the flood waters near the
beach were very salty; usually Galveston flooded from the somewhat
fresher bay side. Others were dismayed when the Strand began to flood
at the same time as neighborhoods near the beach. North winds were
carrying Galveston Bay water south, while surge was pushing the Gulf of
Mexico north.
Nevertheless, downtown Galveston went about its day
as if nothing unusual were occurring. Businessmen ventured around the
Strand, dodging rising waters and accepting a solid drenching. As
lunchtime approached, they gathered at restaurants like Ritter’s cafe
along the Strand to conduct business and discuss weekend activities
after the storm had passed.
The rain was increasingly relentless
as noon approached, and the downpour was soon joined by a new companion.
Wind. The gusts picked up significantly at high noon, reaching as
high as 75 mph. As the lunchtime crowd dined at Ritter’s, the sound of
the wind grew increasingly ominous. Glass windows began to randomly
shatter in nearby stores, and patrons suddenly stopped chatting.
Discussions began about whether to stay put or return home to families.
Without warning, a huge gust of wind tore open the roof of Ritter’s
café and shifted the walls. The floors above, now unsupported, gave way
and crashed onto the patrons below. Flood waters soon followed.
Those not instantly crushed by the building soon drowned in the rising
tide. After the noon destruction at Ritter’s Café, Galveston’s
complacency was over. Galveston became concerned.
Reverend Scott
had visited First Presbyterian Church that morning as the weather
turned south. Now, he began to fear for the safety of his three kids
and quickly returned home to wait out the worst of what the wind had to
offer. At any moment, the howling of the Gulf breezes might mercifully
dissipate.
The winds, however, had only begun to blow.
Friday 8/30: Dedication: AC Board of Trustees Saturday 8/31: Prologue: Bent Creek and The Song “Galveston” Sunday 9/1: Chapter 1: Virginia to Galveston Monday 9/2: Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm Tuesday 9/3: Chapter 3: Viene La Tormenta Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind
“Yes, and how many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? Yes, and how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, and how many deaths will it take ’til he knows That too many people have died?”
“Blowin’ In the Wind” – Bob Dylan
The morning of September 8th, 1900 in Galveston, TX had been a defiant
calm. By the afternoon, the atmosphere had changed to a mixture of
panic and reassurance. Gusts approaching 100 mph were suddenly carrying
lethal debris south from the bay, and wind fueled surge had begun to
destroy structures along the shoreline. The bathhouses over the beach
had stood as long as anyone could remember, but they were the first to
go. Disbelief greeted their departure. Flood waters soon destroyed the
first row of Galveston residencies along the shore.
Amidst the afternoon panic, decisions were made which proved to be life and death.
A train which had departed Beaumont fought its way towards the end of
the Bolivar peninsula in ever worsening weather. There, passengers were
to cross to Galveston via ferry. When the ferry captain abandoned the
effort due to impossible conditions, passengers faced a choice: either
return to the train and make their way back to Beaumont, or climb the
nearby lighthouse and ride out the storm at higher elevation. Wind
knocked the retreating train from its tracks and surge overcame its
occupants. None who chose the train survived. Those who sought refuge
in the lighthouse, however, lived to see blue skies again.
St.
Mary’s Orphanage stood on the beach, near the corner of present day
69th and Seawall. As the wind picked up and the water began to flood
the structure, the nuns faced an excruciating choice: either abandon
the orphanage with the children for higher ground, or climb to the top
floors and face the worst the ocean had to offer. The nuns and orphans
tied themselves to each other, and prayed for deliverance. Tragically,
the orphanage was completely wiped away by the powerful surge later that
evening. Three orphans survived by clinging to Oak trees with water
raging all around; all others sadly perished.
The Scott family
also had a decision to make. They could either hunker down on the third
floor of their three-story residence, or they could flee to the refuge
of the steeples of Scott’s First Presbyterian Church. In the end, the
Scotts decided to stay at home and ride out the storm. With hindsight,
it was probably the wrong decision. Their home was closer to the beach
than the church, and was dramatically more vulnerable to the strength of
the encroaching Gulf. On September 8th, 1900, the steeples of
centrally located First Presbyterian were probably the best sanctuary on
the island.
As the late afternoon approached, it was clear that
this storm would be the worst the city had ever seen. North winds had
damaged much of the Strand, and south winds were already pushing the
Gulf two blocks deep from the beach. In spite of the destruction and
despair, most residents were still confident that by late afternoon the
storm would reach its peak. Surely the de-escalation would happen any
minute. Surely the winds would begin to die. Surely the waters would
start to recede. The respite would finally come.
Galveston
residents had no idea at the time, but the eye of the hurricane was
still over four hours away. For the next four hours, the despair and
panic of Galveston would be replaced with death. All of it would occur
in total darkness, as if the sun itself were abandoning the city to the
depths of hell.
The Scott family, sheltered on the third floor
of their home on Ball Street (Avenue H), could hear the howling wind
that afternoon. They could see the rising surge on their own street,
and listened in fear to the shattering of wood and glass all around.
Their own house creaked and shook with increasing violence as the hours
passed that late afternoon.
But that was nothing compared to the
terror that was to come after sunset. In the darkness, the gusts and
surge would reach such strength that eventually the Scott family would
no longer be able hear the wind and water at all. The wind and surge
were destroying block after block of houses with ease, that debris was
accumulating like a mountain. That mountain of debris was slowly being
pushed closer and closer to the island’s center, and the sound was
horrifying. It was the sound of this encroaching “mountain” that struck
true terror into the residents of Galveston.
The Scott family
could hear the arrival of their eventual demise. The awful sound of a
Mount Everest of wood, iron, nails, and glass was growing to incredible
decibels as the pile drew closer and closer to Ball Street. Each block
of houses and the occupants within were being swallowed whole by their
own neighbors. Soon, the mountain would reach Ball Street and would
wipe the Scott house clean off the map. There was nothing to do but
wait for the inevitable.
Rain and wind had wreaked havoc during
the daylight hours of September 8th, 1900. Total darkness, however,
would bring the real story of the hurricane.
Friday 8/30: Dedication: AC Board of Trustees Saturday 8/31: Prologue: Bent Creek and The Song “Galveston” Sunday 9/1: Chapter 1: Virginia to Galveston Monday 9/2: Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm Tuesday 9/3: Chapter 3: Viene La Tormenta Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane
“Here Comes The Story Of The Hurricane”
“Hurricane” – Bob Dylan
The high point of Galveston island in 1900 was 9 feet. By late
afternoon of September 8th, the surge had still failed to reach that
level. A few structures south of downtown and north of Broadway
miraculously remained only moderately damaged by the rising waters. The
Scott family home on Ball Street was one of them. It sat between
downtown and Broadway, and was still standing as waters raged all
around. The neighborhood of the Scott family had taken the best punch
of the storm so far.
But after sunset, the 1900 Galveston Hurricane came to take its victims.
From late afternoon until the eye made landfall at 8pm local time, wind
and surge wiped 80% of the city clean, and left the final 20% dazed and
barely coherent. Gusts exceeding 150mph pushed the sea over 16 feet
high, inundating the entire city. The surge not only doubled in size,
it came on fast.
Eyewitnesses all reported that just after 6pm,
the storm surge increased by an incredible four feet within FOUR
SECONDS. From “Isaac’s Storm,” by Erik Larson:
“Something else
caught Isaac’s attention, as it did the attention of nearly every other
soul in Galveston. ‘I was standing at my front door, which was partly
open, watching the water, which was flowing with great rapidity from
east to west,’ he said. Suddenly the level of the water rose four feet
in just four seconds. This was not a wave, but the sea itself. For
those inside the house, it was a moment of profound terror.”
The explanation was the wind.
For hours, Galveston had been hit by surge fueled by the dirty side
winds from the south. As the eye approached, the winds shifted from the
south to the east. The damage wreaked by the south winds left the
easterlies free to bring the entire sea directly into the city. Houses
which had only slowly succumbed to the Gulf suddenly began to fall like
helpless dominoes as the Gulf of Mexico claimed the land.
For the
Scott family on Ball Street, it would have felt like the beginning of
the end. Reverend Scott and his kids Agnes, Nannie, and William Jr. had
sought refuge on the third floor of their three-story house. The first
floor was already partially submerged, and the winds from the east
quickly brought the ocean into the second floor. Soon, their house
would collapse. Scott and the children would be thrown into the sea
with the rest of the city, sure to drown. Huddled together in the small
confines of the third floor, they braced themselves for the end.
While they did so, they continued to endure the most terrifying sound
imaginable. Galveston survivors all later told the press that more than
anything else……..more than the rising waters or the harsh winds……….the
sound of the ever growing mountain of debris moving closer and closer
struck true terror. There was no escape from the mountain.
An
historical map of the 1900 storm’s destruction shows the damage wrought
by the storm. All of the city south of Broadway simply ceased to exist.
The Scott family could hear the mountain approach from the south,
growing louder and higher as it claimed yet another row of victims. By
6pm, the mountain had advanced to Broadway itself, covering half the
island. Then, the wind shifted and came from the east. The sea rose
dramatically, all of the city flooded, and the mountain of debris began
to arrive instead from the east.
Closer and closer it crept
towards the Scott family home, an unforgiving devil growing stronger by
the minute. The mountain consumed 12 full blocks on its westward
course. By 8pm, it had arrived at 12th street and stood a mere four
blocks from the Scott home. In the darkness, the family had no idea how
close the mountain was. They could only know that much of their home
was underwater, that the walls and ceilings were struggling to remain
upright, and that the mountain which would claim them seemed to be right
next door. The Scotts likely made their peace with God, and prayed
that the end would come quickly.
As they prayed, the eye of the hurricane passed over the island just west of the city.
The peak had finally arrived.
The mountain slowed, then stopped. The flood waters crested at 16
feet, then began to slowly recede. The power of the wind started to
drop off ever so slightly. To the Scotts, it became increasingly clear
that they had somehow made it. The house had taken a beating. It was
leaning, creaking, and severely damaged. It was, however, still upright
and standing.
Against all odds, the Scott family had ridden out the greatest natural disaster in American history.
Friday 8/30: Dedication: AC Board of Trustees Saturday 8/31: Prologue: Bent Creek and The Song “Galveston” Sunday 9/1: Chapter 1: Virginia to Galveston Monday 9/2: Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm Tuesday 9/3: Chapter 3: Viene La Tormenta Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm
“You know, the year of 1900, children, Many years ago Death came howling on the ocean Death calls, you got to go”
“Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm,” – African American Spiritual, Early 1900s Texas
The sun rose on Sunday, September 9th. W.N Scott and children Agnes,
Nannie, and William Jr. had been up the entire night, and were still
traumatized by the experience. Now, 12 hours after the eye had passed,
the morning weather allowed Reverend Scott to take into account what
remained of his city. He could not have possibly been prepared for what
he saw.
A famous photo of the Galveston disaster shows four
damaged houses on Sealy Ave. (Avenue I) between 12th and 13th streets.
The photo is taken from a surviving house on Ball Street (Avenue H), the
street where the Scott family home was located. Nothing remains south
or east of the houses; the mountain of debris took every piece of
humanity up to these homes as its sacrifice. The Scott family house
sits a mere four blocks to the right (west) of this photo.
The
Scott family’s arrival in Galveston had been announced in the September
8th edition of the Galveston News. The Great Storm would prevent
publication of the newspaper for an addition five days, until September
13th. When that edition was finally released on the streets of a
devastated city, residents were able to read of the promise of
assistance from cities across the state of Texas.
One of those cities was Sherman, TX:
“Sherman, Tex., Sept. 11 – This afternoon Mayor [A.A.] Fielder sent the
following message to Governor Sayers: J.D. Sayers, Governor, Austin:
Draw for $2815 for the relief of Galveston and the coast country, in
addition will ship to the mayor of Houston $500 in clothing and
supplies. The people of Sherman fully realized the awful condition of
affairs at Galveston and along the storm-swept coast and will use every
measure to extend [assistance].”
Fielder Park, located just
south of the AC campus, is named for the former Sherman mayor who
offered to assist his fellow Texans in Galveston.
The bulk of the
Scott family still lived in Virginia and North Carolina. Reverend
Scott was eventually able to telegram his family the news: the family
had survived the storm. From the September 14th Statesville (NC) Record
and Landmark:
“Statesville people generally were of course
interested and concerned about the dreadful disaster at Galveston, but
some of them had more than a general interest. Rev W.N. Scott, a
brother of Rev. Jno. A. Scott, is pastor of the First Presbyterian
church of Galveston. Mr. Scott has received a telegram from his brother
stating that he and his family are safe.”
From the September 14th Richmond (VA) Times:
“The many friends and former congregation of the Rev. W.N. Scott will
be relieved to know that he and his three children are safe, although no
further particulars are given in the telegram received this morning
from Rev. Leavell of the First Presbyterian church of Houston. Dr.
Scott and his three children were due to arrive in Galveston from
Kentucky via Houston on the night of the storm, and it is presumed that
they had arrived in Galveston just as the storm broke on that doomed
city.”
The September 15th edition of the Houston Post noted that
Reverend Scott was likely injured during the storm, and had to undergo
emergency surgery:
“Rev. W.N. Scott, of the Presbyterian church,
was in bed from a surgical operation and could not get out until this
morning. He thinks the loss of lives among his members will not exceed
twenty-five. His church and the Grace Episcopal church are the only two
protestant churches left standing in the city.”
The September
16th Galveston News mentioned that the Scott family was safe, and
interestingly noted that while First Presbyterian was too damaged for
services, Scott would hold services there for all denominations anyway:
“Dr. W.N. Scott and family returned last week from Virginia, where they
spent the summer. All the family are safe, but the First Presbyterian
church, of which Dr. Scott is pastor, is unfit for service. The
services in the chapel of the First Presbyterian church will be held at
11 o’clock that morning. All denominations are invited to attend this
service.”
Up to 12,000 Galveston residents perished in the Great
Storm of 1900. Most of those who survived were homeless. The Scott
family immediately turned their efforts to recovery. They housed
residents seeking shelter, and worked with relief organizations that
began to stream onto the island. The Presbyterian Church itself became a
refuge for residents for some time, housing and feeding Galvestonians
of all denominations and faiths. Children who had lost their parents
became a priority:
From the September 17th edition of the Galveston News:
“Rev. J.B. French of the Broadway Presbyterian church, Fort Worth, is
at the residence of Dr. W.N. Scott in this city. He will return to Fort
Worth in a day or two, and is ready to take back with him any orphans
who are in need of a home.”
Above all else, the Scott family
became determined to restore a sense of normalcy to the shell-shocked
residents of Galveston, TX…….even if that meant continuing with joyous
celebrations postponed by the storm. From the October 5th edition of
the Houston Post:
“At 8 o’clock last night Mr. Gustavus Ebert and
Miss Barbara Nicholson were united in marriage by Dr. W.N. Scott at the
latter’s residence. Before the elements played their havoc here Miss
Nicholson lived at Nineteenth and N1/2. They were to have had a pretty
marriage in November and a long bridal tour had been planned. But the
best laid plans of mice and men often go awry and the home of the then
Miss Nicholson was razed by the storm and all her belongings were lost.”
Normalcy for Galveston would take time, but would eventually return.
The Scott family wouldn’t be around to see it, however. After the
trauma of 1900, the Scotts were done with Galveston.
Friday 8/30: Dedication: AC Board of Trustees Saturday 8/31: Prologue: Bent Creek and The Song “Galveston” Sunday 9/1: Chapter 1: Virginia to Galveston Monday 9/2: Chapter 2: Sherman: The Calm Before The Storm Tuesday 9/3: Chapter 3: Viene La Tormenta Wednesday 9/4: Chapter 4: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall Thursday 9/5: Chapter 5: Blowin’ In The Wind Friday 9/6: Chapter 6: The Story Of The Hurricane Saturday 9/7: Chapter 7: Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
Sunday 9/8: Epilogue: 119th Anniversary of the 1900 Galveston Storm
“I clean my gun, and dream of Galveston.”
“Galveston” – Glen Campbell
Want to hear the most amazing statistic about the Galveston hurricane of 1900? Here it is.
Hurricanes occasionally hit Canada. Not often, and not with much
punch. But it happens. Of the ten deadliest hurricanes to hit Canada,
nine made landfall in Canada itself. One, however, made landfall at
Galveston. The storm of 1900.
The 1900 Galveston hurricane
weakened as it turned east over the Midwest. Still causing death and
destruction, it actually strengthened again to a Category 1 hurricane as
it entered Ontario, Canada. By the time the remnants departed for the
Atlantic, the storm which had destroyed Galveston had also caused an
estimated 100-200 fatalities in America’s neighbor to the north.
For the Scott family, 19 years in Galveston was enough. As the city
began to get back on its feet, Reverend Scott made the decision to move
his family back to his native Virginia. He accepted a pastorship in
Staunton, well inland and far from the dangers of the coast.
From the May 21, 1901 edition of the Galveston News:
“At the request of the pastor and congregation the relations long
existing between Rev. W.N. Scott and the First Presbyterian Church of
Galveston were severed and Dr. Scott was dismissed from the Brazos
Presbytery of Texas to the Lexington Presbytery of Virginia.”
“Resolved, that in the removal of Dr. Scott to Virginia our church in
the State of Texas loses one of its most eminent members and the First
Presbyterian Church of Galveston its faithful, devoted and successful
pastor. That we hereby record our great love for and our perfect
confidence in Dr. Scott. That we commend him in all confidence to the
love and esteem of the Second Church of Staunton, VA to which he goes as
pastor. That we extend to the First Church of Galveston our sympathy
in this great loss.”
Before Scott departed, he preached one final
service from the First Presbyterian Church pulpit. In a fascinating
example of community, pastors from recently destroyed churches of other
denominations declined to preach, and instead encouraged their flock to
attend First Presbyterian. From the May 25th, 1901 edition of the
Galveston News:
“Dr. W.N. Scott will fill the pulpit at the First
Presbyterian Church Sunday morning and evening, that being the last
service he expects to be here. Dr. Scott will leave for Staunton, VA,
Monday evening. The pastors of the First Baptist and Central Methodist
Churches will hold no services Sunday morning but have invited their
congregations to attend the First Presbyterian Church as an act of
courtesy to Dr. Scott, who closes Sunday as pastor of more than 19 years
in the city. This is a mark of respect not often shown in places as
large as Galveston and attest the friendly feeling entertained for Dr.
Scott by people of all denominations in this community.”
William
Nelson Scott, Jr. had graduated from Austin College in 1900 as a college
tennis champion, and had survived the Great Storm of 1900 alongside his
father and two sisters. In Virginia, the Roo son of the Reverend would
become sick and tragically pass in 1905. Gone way too soon, the 1905
AC Chromascope devoted an entire page to its former editor William Scott
Jr. in memoriam.
Reverend William Nelson Scott would spend
another 18 years in Virginia, as the pastor of the Staunton Presbyterian
church. He passed in 1919, at the age of 70. His obituary mentioned
the family’s survival of the Great Storm of 1900; it also mentioned that
he was survived by his brother Charles Carrington Scott, chemistry
professor at Austin College. Scott’s career on the AC faculty spanned
35 years; the C.C. Scott Chemistry Club is named in his honor.
It’s hard to imagine the scale of the devastation witnessed by Austin
College Trustee William Nelson Scott and his three children on the
morning of September 9th. It was even difficult for Clara Barton, the
founder of the American Red Cross who arrived to assist with recovery.
In September of 1900, Barton tried her best to describe the devastation:
“The churches, the great business houses, the elegant residences of the
cultured and opulent, the modest little homes of laborers of a city of
nearly forty thousand people; the center of foreign shipping and
railroad traffic lay in splinters and debris piled twenty feet above the
surface, and the crushed bodies, dead and dying, of nearly ten thousand
of its citizens lay under them.”
“It was one of those
monstrosities of nature which defied exaggeration and fiendishly laughed
at all tame attempts of words to picture the scene it had prepared.”
Galveston is the land of hurricanes. Eventually, a storm rivaling the
Great Storm of 1900 will hit the city again. The city has survived
these blows however, and remains. Galveston, like Austin College
itself, is a story of survival.
On December 31, 1939, the
Galveston News celebrated the 100th anniversary of the First
Presbyterian Church. The church was one of few that had survived the
1900 hurricane; it still stands today. The piece traced the origin of
First Presbyterian back to Austin College founders Daniel Baker and John
McCullough. It also included the stories of those First Presbyterian
pastors who followed.
Directly below Austin College founder
Daniel Baker, the Galveston News placed the photo of Austin College
Trustee William Nelson Scott.
Hope you enjoyed this Roo Tale.
More good ones to come. I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit down
from all of this hurricane destruction and am ready for a good football
story.
