Of Wind and Water 



Stream for a while out of its course, and even to 

 force the waters back so as actually to reverse 

 the current. Once the volume of water, thus 

 checked by a terrific gale, was heaped up some 

 thirty feet above the proper level, which of 

 course caused a fearful deluging of the land. 



The above words had not been long written, 

 when papers told us of the awful hurricane of 

 September, 1900, in U.S. Texas. A deep cyclone 

 passed over the devoted town of Galveston, the 

 direction of the wind suddenly changing as the 

 centre of the cyclone went by : and the heaped- up 

 waters from either side coming together poured 

 their united volume over the land. 



That was a flood which "turned the city into 

 a raging sea." Buildings were levelled ; houses 

 fell like packs of cards ; vessels were carried 

 miles inland ; men and women and children 

 perished by thousands. When the lessening 

 wind allowed the waters to retire, an inch-deep 

 layer of slime was found over everything. 



Such facts as these help to show how vast is 

 the power of moving air over the ocean. 



As a strong wind blows, the upper layer of 

 water slips along in obedience to its push ; and 

 fresh lower surfaces are bared to the same in- 

 fluence. Also, the movement of the upper layer 



63 



