How many lives were lost in the 1900 Storm will never been known. The census taken in June showed that Galveston had a population of 38,000. Outside the city limits, down the island, there were 1,600 persons living. The dead in the city exceeded 5000, and the dead living outside of the city limits mounted to 1200. This frightful mortality - 75% - outside the city is explained by the fact that most of the people there lived in frail structures and had no places of comparative safety to take refuge in. On the mainland district, across the bay, at least 100 person perished. It is safe, therefore, to state that at least 7,000 lives were lost.
In some cases, entire families were blotted out. In others,
the strong perished and the weak survived. Of the various branches
of one family, 42 were killed. In another household, 13 of fifteen
family members were killed.
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No estimate can be considered accurately. The estimates ranged from $25,000,000 to $50,000,000.
The water had extended across the island, and
had been six feet deep in the rotunda of the Tremont Hotel, and six feet
deep in Market Street. Sheds along the wharves were either wrecked
or had lost their sides and were of no protection to the contents.
The east end portion of the city, which was the residence district, was
practically wiped out of existence. On the west end, which faces
the Gulf on another portion of the island, much havoc was done. The
beach was swept clean of structures, the bath-houses destroyed, and many
of the residences were in total wrecks.
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