444 HURRICANES ON THE COAST OF TEXAS 



loth. The wind increased steadily in force, with a falling barometer, 

 until 5 p. m. of the 16th, when it stood at 28.90. The northeast wind 

 of 82 miles per hour rose to a velocity of 88 miles at 5.15 p. m., but 

 later, as it steadily increased, its velocity at midnight must have 

 reached 100 miles. 



But the loss of propert}' least engrossed the attention of Indianola, 

 when the lives of all were for hours in the balance. Realizing the 

 situation, the strongest and best bent their energie- to the task before 

 them. During the forenoon of the 16th several hundred lives were 

 preserved by the removal of the inmates of damaged and weak houses 

 to the strongest and most protected buildings. Many people, women 

 and children especially, were thus safely transferred by life-boats. 

 Had it not been for these timely and well-directed efforts during the 

 da}', it is believed that more than one-half of the i)0[)ulation would 

 have perished. 



The following extracts from the official report of Sergeant C. A. 

 .Smith, Signal Corps, show the character of the storm later : 



" The rain and wind ])oth increased U)) to midnight, when the veloc- 

 ity must have l>een fully 100 miles per liour. This would have blown 

 in the doors and windows, coming in gusts as it did, l)ut for the pre- 

 caution which had l)een taken of securely boarding tliem up. Soon 

 after midnight a change in the tide W'as noticed ; it rose several 

 inches for a few minutes, and then began setting seaward rapidly. 

 This evidence of abatement was hailed with shouts of jov, and was 

 confirnied in a few minutes by the action of the wind, which grad- 

 uall_y l)acked to the north and northwest. 



■' The tide now swept out toward the bay with terrific force, the 

 wind having but slightly abated, and it was at this time that the 

 greatest destruction to life and ])roperty occurred. The buildings 

 remaining had l)een so loosened and I'acked l)y noilheast wind and 

 tide that the moment the "tremendous force was changed in a cross- 

 direction dozens of them toppled in ruins and were swept into the 

 bay. 



'■ It is a noteworth}' fact that the immense volume of water, which 

 for 18 hours poured over the l)each at Matagorda Bay until for 20 

 miles the back country of prairie was an open sea, occupied but the 

 short space of six hours to completely recede on the wind changing 

 to the northwest. 



"The morning of the 17th opened cool and cloudy, with a gale 

 still blowinji' from the northwest. We emerg-ed from our retreat at 



