HISTORICAL GAZETTE: Read about Galveston hurricane of 1900, which killed 6,000 to 12,000 people September 12, 2008
Posted by John in History.Tags: 1900, Books, cyclones, deadliest hurricanes, Erik Larson, Films, Galveston (Texas), Galveston Hurricane of 1900, Great Galveston Hurricane, historical newspapers, Houston TX, Hurricane Ike, Isaac Cline, Isaac's Storm, Joseph Sayers, Movies, natural disasters, Sean Astin, September 10, September 8, September 9, The 1900 Storm, The Evening Gazette (Cedar Rapids Iowa), The Galveston Flood, The Great Storm
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Image via Wikipedia FROM THE EVENING GAZETTE – MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1900:
DEATH RIDES ON WIND AND WAVE.
Galveston, Texas, Swept by Furious Storm From the Gulf — Loss of Life Variously Estimated From One to Three Thousand — Waves Drive Inland For Miles Carrying Death and Destruction — Other Towns Isolated and Worst Feared — Relief Trains Pass Hundreds of Bodies Thrown up by the Sea.
Austin, Tex.. Sept. 10 — Information has just reached me that about 3,000 lives been lost at Galveston, with enormous destruction of property. No information from other points.
JOSEPH D. SAYERS, Governor.
HAVOC BEYOND WORDS.
First Reports Give Dim Idea of the Disaster
Houston, Tex., Sept. 10 — The West Indian storm, which reached the gulf coast Saturday morning, wrought awful havoc In Texas. Reports are conflicting, but it is known that an appalling disaster has befallen the city of Galveston. where, it is reported, a thousand or more lives have been blotted out and a tremendous property damage incurred. Meager reports from Sabine Pass and Port Arthur also indicate a heavy loss of life, but these reports cannot be confirmed at this hour. …
Submerged by the Sea … Asylums and Hospitals Wrecked … Scenes of Awful Panic … Bodies Counted by Hundreds … Sea Runs Mountain High … Many Texas Towns Probably Blotted Out by the Disaster … Sabine Pass Isolated … Galveston Without Water, In Darkness and Despair … Dawn Reveals Horrors …
Also, a New York Times story here: Great Disaster at Galveston
‘Galveston Hurricane of 1900′ at Wikipedia
Related IMDB trivia about Sean Astin, who starred in the recent, Iowa-filmed ‘Final Season’:
[Sean Astin] Announced at the Texas Film Festival on 22 February 2003 that he has optioned the book “Isaac’s Storm” [by Erik Larson] and is planning on shooting an epic film centered around the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. …
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Anamosa State Penitentiary in historical New York Times; Tales of lynch mobs, bigamist or twin, woman who hid gender, more… July 16, 2008
Posted by John in Biography, Crime/Courts, History.Tags: 1883, 1887, 1888, 1892, 1916, Anamosa (Iowa), Anamosa State Penitentiary, historical newspapers
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Link provided yesterday by Anamosa State Penitentiary Prison History Web site.
From the archives of the New York Times
1929 Gazette front pages during week of record flood (record until today, that is) June 11, 2008
Posted by John in History, Weather.Tags: Cedar Rapids (Iowa), Flooding, floods, historical newspapers
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The Evening Gazette and Republican – March 18, 1929
(Click on images to see full size scans.)
The Evening Gazette and Republican – March 19, 1929
The Evening Gazette and Republican – March 20, 1929
The Evening Gazette and Republican – March 21, 1929
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Regent Michael Gartner includes Cherry Sisters of Cedar Rapids in South Dakota commencement speech May 13, 2008
Posted by John in Education, History, Music.Tags: Colleges & Universities, commencement addresses, Dave Rasdal, Don Hanson, F.W. Faulkes, Frank Fritz, Fred Faulkes, higher education, historical newspapers, Jessie Cherry, La Porte City (Iowa), Michael Gartner, opera houses, Oscar Hammerstein, riots, The Cherry Sisters, University of South Dakota
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From Press & Dakotan:
Gartner’s third story involved the a performing act in Iowa called the Cherry Sisters. These five sisters couldn’t act, dance or sing. They managed, instead, Gartner said, “to exert a ghastly fascination over their audiences. And that was exactly what the great Oscar Hammerstein was looking for.”
Gartner explained that back in 1896, Hammerstein was in debt, and going broke, and the acts he brought to Broadway weren’t doing well.
According to Gartner, Hammerstein said, “I tried the best, now I’ll try the worst. So he sent for the Cherry Sisters from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.” …
“As you go through life, as you build relationships, as you take risks, you’re liable to have a few cabbages thrown at you along the way,” Gartner said. “There are always folks who are against things, and those folks will be shooting arrows, if not throwing melons, at you and your plans.” …
For additional information about the Cherry Sisters see Dave Rasdal’s interesting column in yesterday paper (or related blog post) about 90-year-old Don Hanson, who talked with the Cherry Sisters.
Here’s a Gazette account of an ugly scene at a Cherry Sisters performance in 1895:
The Cherry Sisters
La Porte, Aug. 26 — Last Saturday evening occurred one of the must disgraceful riots ever witnessed in La Porte City’s opera house. The Cherry Sisters occupied the boards for the evening and quite a large audience was drawn out by the La Porte City cornet band. The crowd began hissing and howling the moment the show commenced and kept it up throughout. Toward the Iast it became worse and worse and when Miss Jessie Cherry came out with her song and roast on Editor Faulkes of the Cedar Rapids Gazette the climax was reached. Onions, cabbage and rotten watermelon rinds were showered upon the stage and then a pail of dirty black water was thrown at her from the back window of the stage. During all the show a terrible din was kept up with tin pans, horns, etc. Miss Jessie Cherry became exceedingly wrathy at this stage of the performance and came down in front and struck Frank Fritz over the head with a stove poker. Fritz “made a joyful noise” and the crowd all made a rush for the front of the hall. The rest of the performance was a blank as nothing could be heard except the loud talking and hissing of the audience.
After the performance was over Fritz swore out a warrant for Miss Jessie Cherry before Mayor Holph and she was arrested and fined $5 and costs amounting to $7.30.
The mob all stood around the opera house which was locked until after 12 o’clock waiting for the sisters to return to the hotel but they did not up to that time so the crowd dispersed. It is thought that several arrests may follow this morning.
1962, 1966 Gazette about Grover ‘Rusty’ Wells, navy crewman in Greenland plane crash (on today’s cover) April 17, 2008
Posted by John in History, Military.Tags: airplane crashes, Cedar Rapids (Iowa), digitized microfilm, Grover Wells, historical newspapers, missing planes, Rusty Wells, U.S. Navy
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From January 14, 1962 Cedar Rapids Gazette:
Push Plane Search; C.R. Man in Crew
The search continued over the Greenland icecap Saturday night for a U.S. navy Neptune plane carrying a crew of 12, among them a Cedar Rapids man. Grover E. Wells.
Operations were hampered by 75-mile-an-hour winds and low visibility, according to a telegram received late Saturday by the man’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Wells of 1435 N St. SW.
The missing plane took off Friday morning from Keflavik airport on the northwest tip of Iceland. It was spotted on radar at 10:45 a.m. Friday 270 miles northwest of Keflavik.
Operations are being concentrated in the Denmark Straits, the war department telegram said.
While the search continued, Wells’ wife, Nancy, prepared to enter a Jacksonville, Florida, hospital for the birth of the couple’s third child. Two daughters, Wanda Lee, 3, and Marjorie, 2, were to stay with their mother’s sister.
Wells, 24, attended McKinley School and enlisted in the Navy in 1955. He is an aviation ordnanceman.
In addition to the missing son, the Wellses have 4 children: Bob, Donna, Carol and Roger, all living in Cedar Rapids.
From September 17, 1966 Cedar Rapids Gazette:
Find Body of Missing C.R. Airman Wells
The body of a Cedar Rapids man, Grover E. Wells, has been discovered on Kronborg Glacier in Greenland, where he died nearly five years ago in a plane crash.
Wells, 24, an aviation ordnanceman, was one of 12 men aboard a U.S. navy Neptune plane which disappeared over the Greenland icecap Jan. 12, 1962, on a flight out of Keflavik, Iceland.
A British research expedition reported Friday that it had discovered the bodies of 12 airmen. The defense department Saturday listed them as those of the missing Neptune crew.
Wells, 24, attended McKinley school and enlisted in the navy in 1955.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Wells, lived at 1435 N St. SW at the time of the tragedy. They have since moved to Portland, Oregon.
The airman’s two daughters, Wanda Lee and Marjorie, were 3 and 2 at the time of the crash and his wife, Nancy, was preparing to enter a Jacksonville, Fla., hospital for the birth of their third child.
He was also survived by four brothers and sisters, Bob, Donna, Carol and Roger.
Today’s Gazette article quotes brother Bobby Wells saying “He was an excellent guitar player.” Here’s an October 5, 1954 Cedar Rapids Gazette article about a Grover Wells providing music for a birthday party:
BIRTHDAY PARTY GIVEN
FOR PATRICIA GOODALL.Patricia Goodall was honored on her thirteenth birthday at a party given by her mother, Mrs Robert Goodall, Monday evening at their home, 1216 Tenth Street SE. The 15 guests spent the evening playing cards and dancing. Jimmy Burgess and Grover Wells furnished the music.
Guests included Nancy Bammert, Nancy Goodall, Rosalie Vavra, Carol Hathaway, Carolyn Perry, Jackie Brubaker, Waneva Benda, Alice Clark, Jim Zacek Billy Clark, Darrell Goodall, George Hawley, Dale and David Goodall, and Larry Goodall.
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