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Show Galveston THE people of Galveston are certainly to be pitied; not only for the losses they have suffered, suf-fered, but for the hopes that the storm must have broken. .Fifteen years ago, after having been smitten by the great storm, they gathered up their courage and their energies and said: "We must defend ourselves against any future repetition repeti-tion of such a disaster. They built a seawall which engineers believed would be impregnable against any future assaults of seas angered under the lashings of the hurricane. But this last storm carried away a thousand feet of that wall and leaping over the portion that still held, played smash in the inner harbor and city. They had grown to feel secure behind their defenses. Will they ever again feel quite safe? In Spanish-American towns at the first shudder shud-der of an earthquake the inhabitants rush from their houses and flock to the public square. The fear of the monster which they are sure is sleeping sleep-ing near, and which, when it really awakens and starts on its march, churns cities to dust and crushes the lives out of all in its path; is always upon them. Will the people of Galveston learn to sleep on a like uneasy pillow? That insidious, constant fear is not good, for a race. It breaks down the nerves of a people, causes them to become easily excited and affects their steady judgment. This fear of the next storm will have its effect on Galveston, worse in the end than the preser-t losses, for it will keep men from investing and settling there. v At least we fear it will have that effect and for that there Is a deeper pity than for the losses already sustained. The calamity ought to draw new attention to Arensas pass, two hundred miles southwest of Galveston, on the coast. It is said that a safe harbor can be made there. In commerce two hundred miles is a long way, but the world is made and man must adjust himself him-self to it. At the beginning, had Houston been selected for the permanent city and work upon a ship canal been started, that would have been the chief port today. It may be necessary to adopt that plan after all, but to build the thirty miles of canal and make a basin for ships will be a gigantic gi-gantic work. We believe the general government would bear half the expense were it to be decided to construct it, for Texas is one of the greatest of states and her future commerce cannot be estimated. |