Show 6RAPIIIC PEN PICTURE OF TOE GALVESTON CAr ASTROP E From the Pen of Chief of Police E N Ketchum Who Was on Duty When the Storm StartedDetails Experience Ex-perience of Police Department I Galveston Oct3All day on Friday the wind blew steadily from the northwest north-west while the marestails from out of the southsoutheast Jiad a swish to the northeast at their tallends and notwithstanding the offshore wind the water was bunking against the south shore toward evening the Witches Brooms lost their Identity In a murky Sky SkyOn Saturday morning the water was still banking up against the south shore the northwest wind resisting Us push through the jetties making quite a bank of water on the beach By noon the water was well on shore and hunting hunt-ing out all the low places Some one sent In word for the patrol wagon to take a poor family from the southeast part of town Many people went out to the beach to watch the battle between the waves and windsfor as great rollers would I cap and burst on the bars of the beach coming on shore the north wind would catchup curling spray and curl It backwards back-wards offshore while ol > shore the ocean had the appearance of being higher than thc land The water continued con-tinued steadily rising and the wind toward to-ward afternoon seemed to haul In some ehat closer northward and to Increase In-crease In strength but It could not blowhard blow-hard enough to keep the water from gaining landward the bay on the north of Galvcston Island was by 2 oclock quite high So much had It Increased that It was by 3 p m forcing Its way through the sewers or storm drains In blocks from the wharves southward Into the city the wind Increasing all the time Its velocity Work was suspended sus-pended along the wharves quite early and people began hurrying home out of the rain that was now falling assisting as-sisting the rising tide to fill the streets more full of water About 1 PA m a call came Into the 1 station for a patrol wagon at East Winnie Win-nie and Sixth street responded to by Officer J T Rowan who had taken the seat on the box since 11 a m ns Officer Plummer the day driver had at that hour naked permission to proceed to his home because the water was rising quite rapidly In his neighborhood at Seventh and Church one block each north and west of the patrol call Officer Offi-cer J C Bird accompanied the call and When the wagon reached a point of observation ob-servation near the emergency they found It necessary to hunt for a boat as It was Impossible to reach the distressed dis-tressed with a vehicle Officer Plummer was not found by Bird and Rowan and the three went boating out people After clearing up this Immediate district Rowan and his wagon and companion returned to the police station and reported what had I happened Whqn asked why they did not remain longer with Plummer instead of leaving leav-ing their comrade to battle alone Bird said that there were two young men with Plummer and that they were solicitous I so-licitous for the Chief who was with 33 M Johnson holding the station f alone and besides It was a rainy afternoon I af-ternoon and payday and Idleness with I rain does not usually make all men the best natured Still the water rose In the streets nearly now deserted except by a few belated men and waterbound shop women off whom the hacks were now earning several dollars for carrying them to their homes Another patrol wagon call took the boys with Officer Jones the night driver on the box to Lucas terrace on Broadway and Beach where the water wa-ter was found to be too high for wagon and hordes The shades of night were now falling fall-Ing and the wagon and team on account ac-count of depth of water on the streets and uncertainty of fooling were sent to the barn while Johnston Rowan and Bird wero kept busy pulling frightened and drowning people out of the water and bringing them to the sratlon as a point of safety The storm having now increased td such violence with so much slate and broken glass in the air with so much slate and broken glass in the air it was not considered safe to be out on the street or exposed to the elements hence the day force coming off duty ati oclock hastened to their homes without reporting at the station In fact many of the men were stationed at points from which It would have been diflicult for them to have reached the station while the thoughts of the loved ones at home needing the care and assistance of the strong arm of father Impelled all who were out to hasten to their little homes mostly In the outlying districts where lands or rents were cheaper than in the more central part of the city The day sergeant after making his third quarter rounds had on account of his little sons sickness tending toward to-ward lockjaw I been sent home by the Chief while the deputychief was detained at home by the high water and moving his family to a point of safety As all of the night force had the same duty to perform there was none to relieve the Chief and his three faithful companions The wind at 7 p m had hauled around to northeast and the water had reached a depth of live feet alongside along-side the station on either side 6f which a narrow street passed through which a flying mlllrace of scathing foam huge planks sheds telephone poles boxes coal bins hats and flotsam and Jetsam of great variety was running At S30 the wind had hauled still further east and was now blowing In the east windows on the upper floor of the building as the more northerly winds had through those of the north end of the building There had been gathered by now about 400 persons young and old Into the hallway of the station and they packed as tight as herring In a box S R O was the order or-der of the night and the fact made the situation critical and nervous for as an Sx14 window would blow in and the glass crash on the floor like a clap of thunder close aboard this mass of humanity would grow frantic Especially was this so when occasionally occa-sionally four or five windows would follow each other in rapid succession These spasms would tax the master most severely to prevent a stampede of grown persons over the young and helpless and they the grown ones I GALVESTONS POLICE HEROES Patrolman John T Rowan Patrolman E M Johnson Patrolman J C Bird Io < L 1 i = 1 1 If r 1 I 4j f r 1 Y y + K t P tY r n 7r k T r Mi 4111 j sm tifi m a r 1 ktk t 1 Q t J i r pj4 q I jr f dlu 1 1 I t l fi iThr 1 1 I I I Il arm V 1 V PsSr f lH X > 1 A 1 1 1 1 r l I I 1 i I r 1 1 l J r r It r r I JiJj I M e4 fij r r f p i 9 J Eii Chief Edward Ketcham Here arc the heroes of Galveston police force who performed prortlelts of valor In rescuing women flat children during tho frightful hurricane that devastated that city Chief Ketchnm over his signature tells a graphic and thrilling story of that nights experience exclusively for our leaders I out Into the storm to their death presently pres-ently The partitions of the occupied floor began to waver necessitating the herding of this mass of humanity Into more circumscribed quarters and this had to bo done as the twostory part of the building began rocking jo violently that tho Chief feared the structure would be about his cars before be-fore he could crowd all Into the one story portion of the house Barely had he accomplished this task by shouting singing or ordering and t threatening when away went a portion por-tion of the forward or southern portion por-tion of the main building with a roar producing an effect on this mass of poor frightened mortals similar to that produced on a herd of closely penned cattle on a hill at the flash of lightning during a spring thunderstorm thunder-storm I The Chief then mounted the desk railing of the courtroom and promised I to get Into the mob with a club if quiet was not Instantly restored This had the desired effect and control was again had over the crowd There was yet to come the supreme test that of the falling walls of tho upper story and the Intumble of the roof which had long been expected We had not long to wait for at about 10 oclock when the wind had passed around south of cast away went the west wall at the stairway about the center of the main building and down came the whole roof with a crash This was the extreme moment mo-ment for an Instant the poor frightened fright-ened people went wild but the Chief was prepared for them for at this moment his voice wis heard above the howl of the storm In Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow Old Hundred had the deslrecV ffcct and these poor people were quieted again and for the Inst time for now the storm wind has hauled around nearly south and tbe awful sounds that had so harassed the nerves of the wi etched throng had ceased Though the wind was blowing at a fearful velocity the rocking of the J building had ceased as the old shack was now like a dismantled dis-mantled ship lying at a drag head onBut a few minutes later there came a demand for assistance by Capt Smith who had been some two hours at work on the wrecked building of Charlie Rettcrs located on the strand that had fallen In roof and two upper floors on a dozen or more refugees caught away from home and cut off by lack of transportation and high water The Captainhad been an hour battling through live feet of water for two blocks to claim the assistance of the police to extricate the balance of the Imprisoned party lifter he had already al-ready removed half a dozen Bring your sixes saws and lanterns boys and come as many as you can and he quick about IL for they cant last much longer he cried Almost In the time It takes to tell It this little gang of police leaving one In charge of prisoners and the mob joined Jack Abbott one of the men that God made with the I wind and current In their favor were soon cutting out the only white sur vlvor They doubled up like a jackknife Jack-knife among broken 2xl2s and floorIng floor-Ing with a ton of brick above him requiring an hours work of live men to liberate him Four negroes after this were freed from under the deathtrap When 1 oclock Sunday morning had arrived the storm was moderating and the water falling soma two or more I feet Rowan and Bird the two mar I ried men of tho three faithfuls wen now to go home which they did with those hopes and fears that were bound to fill the hearts of unselfish heroes whose devotion to duty had saved that night hundreds of lives for they had swam waded ridden and floated through the storm and every time they appeared at the station they brought in some one or more unfortunates unfortu-nates who would have perished without with-out their aid They now hastened to the points where the morning before they had left theft loved ones and on = their dovecotes to find alas that the mercllcaa hungry waves had paused over their peaceful little gardens nmi swept thurofrom thclr homes wlvtH I and darling little ones all i At late morning rollcall 9 oclock I thcs two brave fellows reported and when the Chief in his anxiety looked tat thom with Inquiring eye to learn I what cheer they saluted and only i said Captain wife and children arc gone mine Joo salt Bird hoi ho-i i Captains throat thickened he took the hand of each In his and giving them one warm grasp turned into his I office Such devotion to duty so unselfishly unselfish-ly I rendered surely entitles them to a I I great reward I Ofii forge of fiftytwo men rank and Ille four were drowned one with I i his entire family Half of tlfem lost the houses they owned Seven are I crippled yet all but one are on duty and he with broken ribs having lost father and mother and waN noirly I c I killed himself Irving to save them f l It 3rft i T3D N 1 IMf I t l IM-f Chief of Police Galveston f 1 |