sam“The whole story will never be told, because it cannot be told.” This was the dispatch sent to the Associated Press office in Chicago from the manager of the Galveston News on September 12, 1900, four days after a catastrophic hurricane dealt death, desolation, and destruction to the thriving sand-barrier island located about 2 miles off the Texas coast. Known as “The Great Galveston Hurricane” or the “Great Storm of 1900,” it has gone down in history as the deadliest natural disaster in the United States.
“A summary of the conditions prevailing at Galveston is more than human intellect can master,” wrote the local news manager, R.G. Lowe. “Briefly stated, the damage to property is anywhere between $15,000,000 and $20,000,000. The loss of life cannot be computed. The help must be immediate.”…