Galveston's Sea Wall Which Saved the City
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The Galveston esa wall was completed recently at a cost of several million dollars to protect the city
from a storm such as, that which destroyed It in 10OO. The wall Is of concrete, several miles long and forty
iu uuo uuudrcd feet i!;h.
CCUPYINO the east end of an Island some
thirty miles long and from one to three
miles wide, with Its original ground sur
face less than five feet above the Quit of
Mexico, the City of Galveston is provided
by nature with practically no protection
against such furious storms as that which
recently swept over the city or that which on the mem
orable day of Sept. 8, 1900, caused the death of more
than 6,000 persons and destroyed property worth more
than $17,000,000. That the latest great assault of an
gry waters did not cause the loss of a single life with
in the city was due to the promptness and energy with
which the people of the Btrlcken city In 1901 set to
work to provide an effective barrier against another
awful calamity. -
The Galveston sea wall Is one of the triumphs of
re-enforced concrete construction. It extends along the
city's water front 17,593 feet (three and one-third
miles), and its top la seventeen feet above mean low
water of the gulf, or 1.3 feet higher than the highest
point reached by the flood that was driven over the
city by the hurricane of Sept. 8, 1900. The wall proper
Is five feet thick at the top and sixteen feet thick at
Its base, the front. being concave and the back vertical.
It is built on a foundation of plies that are driven
forty-three feet into the ground, the sea side of the
foundation being faced with sheet piles twenty-four feet
long, that provide a seamless surface against undermln-'
ing waters. In front of the wall for twenty-seven feet
seaward a massive bed of granite rip-rap three to seven
feet thick provide a further protection to the founda
tion. The wall itself, calculated to resist by Its weight
alone the shock of waves and the hydrostatic pressure.
Is backed by sand, filling extending Inland far enough
to provide a walk thirteen feet wide next to the wall
and a driveway thirty-eight feet wide. The surface of
the driveway Is on the new tp-ade of the city, which Is
being extended across the Island on a straight slope
to a point eight feet above the witers of Galveston Bay,
permanently raising the general level of streets and the
first floors of buildings.
The sea wall is built of concrete consisting of one
part of cement, three parts of sand and six parts of
crushed granite. Every three and one-half feet there
were placed in the wall re-enforced rods of corrugated
steel, one and one-half Inches square and ten feet long,
a short distance back of the curved surface and extend
ing diagonally in a straight line parallel to a tangent
to about the middle point of the concaved front. Three
engineers of national repute designed the wall Briga
dier General H. M. Robert, a retired army officer; Alfred
Noble, of Chicago, and C. Ripley. The grade raising
was carried on under the direction of Captain C. S.
Riche, for several years United States army engineer in
Chicago and for six years in charge of the government's
office in Galveston.
That their city Is now safe from any storms that
may occur is the exultant cry of Galvestonians. It is
true that the wind during the recent storm did not
reach nearly so high a velocity as in the great storm
of 1000, when the anemometer at the government sta
tion blew away after registering 100 miles an hour. In
that unprecedented fury of the storm king it is esti
mated the wind reached a velocity of 130 miles an hour.
Some observers consider It demonstrated, however.-that
Galveston is safe against any storm that is likely to
visit it for many years, considering that such calami
ties as the 1900 hurricane come, like the earthquakes
that devastate great cities, only once in centuries. Since
it was settled, in 1847, Galveston has been visited by
only bIx severe storms, and in none previous to that of
1900 was there a loss of more than three lives.
THE HAPPIEST HEART.
"Who drives the horses of the sun"
Shall lord It but a day;
Better the lowly deed were done,
And kept the humble way.
The rust will find the sword of fame,
The dust will hide- the crown;
Ay, none shall nail so high his name
Time will not tear it down.
The happiest heart that ever beat
Was in some quiet breast
That found the common daylight
sweet,
And left to heaven the rest
John Vance Cheney.
The Telegram
"Odd hand, my last," remarked one
of the bridge-players.
' He was a good-looking fair man,
with an eyeglass, who was not too
much absorbed in his game to find
time to glance at the girl in white who
sat on the sofa at right angles to the
card table. She seemed to have a great
deal to say to the man by her side.
He looked like a sailor, a man with a
keen, alert face, and far-seeing gray
yes. They talked in low tones out
of deference to the players. The game
went on.
"What a good game!" said one of
the men, as they rose. He stifled a
yawn, looking at the clock.
"Yes," replied the man with the eye
glass, absently. "Good game." He was
looking towards the sofa.
Their hostess glanced suddenly at
the clock. "My dear people," Bhe ex
claimed, "If any of us mean to hunt
to-morrow, we ought to go to our little
beds. I bad no Idea It was so late.
Ceorge has probably gone to sleep In
the smoking-room. Evle, are you bored
to death watching us?"
The' girl In white smiled demurely,
-"No, thanks, dear,"' she replied pret
tily. She did not look bored. .
They moved Into the hall where
there was a keen but silent competl
tion between the tailor and the man
with eyeglass to light and hand
the candles. Both turned at the same
moment to the girl in white.
"Naval or military?" whispered one
of the bridge-players In his hostess'
ear. She frowned at him as he handed
her a candle.
"Don't let George sit up all night,"
she remarked, generally. "Come,
Evle."
The soldier pressed the girl's hand
with an earnest good-night. The sailor
said nothing, but looked at. her with
those strangely far-seeing eyes of his.
"Good-night," she said softly and
Impartially to them both.
The two other men who had been
playing bridge had gone down the
corridor to the smoking-room and their
host. A whistled chorus of "Of course
I don't know, but I guess," came back
softly to the two men left in the hall.
The women's voices sounded faintly
upstairs, with the soft rustle of their
frocks. The sailor's eyes suddenly met
those of the other man and he held
out his hand.
"Good-night, old man," he said; "I'm
IMS
m
i -w.!.. whi nut" n;
SHE HAD A OBEAT DEAL. TO SAT.
going to turn In." He went upstairs
whistling.
In Ur own room the girl was read
ing n jfldter, a long letter, In a fern
lnln hand. She read and re-read it,
and then suddenly threw It into the
tire. . The flames curled round the
sheet Some words stood out very dis
tinctly: . .
-" told me, and of course
he knows. It's quits private, and not
to bs breathed a word about, yet But
he said It's almost certain that "
the flames burned out the name "will
get the money. And such a pile! He
is to have a wire to-morrow. Be sure
and not breathe a word." ,
The letter burned up quickly. A few
gray ashes dropped into the grate.
Outside an owl hooted mournfully.
The girl shivered, looking nervously
over her shoulder. Three words still
stood out distinctly on the charred
sheet: "Such a pile." - she
sat staring into the fire.
.
They all came in from hunting the
next evening, tired and pleased with
their day. There was the usual search
on the hall-table for telegrams, or
second-post letters. The man with the
eyeglass took up an orange envelope.
He looked his tall, straight best In
pink, mud-splashed as he was. He
read the telegram and an eager light
came Into his eyes. He gathered up
his letters, with .one quick glance at
the girl, and went upstairs.
"Come along, Evle, let's go and
change," said her hostess. She linked
her arm in the girl's, and they walked
together to the foot of the wide stair
case. But she suddenly remembered
a mesRage to be given, and turned
back into the hall again. Only the
sailor, was there as Bhe . . passed
through. He was gazing at the stair
case which the girl was ascending.
At the top she paused, stooped and
picked up something. It looked like
an envelope. She passed on to her
room quickly. The sailor's straight
brows were knit together, ne sat on
in the hall, staring into the Are, until
the girl came down again. She held
a pile of letters In her hand and was
going to the post box. Something
surely fluttered from her fingers as
she passed him. He stooped and
picked up an orange envelope. A name
stood out legibly.
. "You dropped this?" he sald, Inter
rogatively. She started, coloring vio
lently. ... v -
"I? Oh. no." He looked at her for
one puzzled moment, and her eyes fell
before his. She looked very young
and Drettv. The sailor laid the tlv
gram on the mantelpiece,, behind the
loud-tlcklng clock. Then he took the
girl's hand. . . . "But I am so very
sorry," she waa saying, regretfully, a
few momenta later. The soldier with
the eyeglass was coming downstair!
spick-and-span, and well brushed. Tht
sailor left the hall.
They drank their. healths that even
lng at dinner, and everyone said hon
pleased they were. The sailor, too
though his congratulations were brief
After dinner there was another an
nouncement to make. The man witl
the eyeglass spoke.
They chaffed him, and called him
the richest commoner In England, and
said what a thing it was- to have an
Unknown uncle who made fortunei
and then died conveniently in th
bush. And when the sailor's eyes nexl
met those of the girl, there was an
odd look of contemptuous pity in
them. But Evle's hostess was saying
to herself what a mercy It was ths
girl had chosen the right man before
she knew. . . . "She always liked
him best, I suppose," she remarked to
her husband the next day, as she
waved her hand to the departing
brougham. Evle had taken her soldier
to be- introduced to her family. "I
always thought it was the other,
George."
George nodded, being a silent man.
Behind them, in the hall, the sailor
was putting a piece of paper, lying
unnoticed behind the clock, Into the
Are. It looked like a telegram.
"TEACHER'S CLO'ES."
Little People Knew What They
Liked Bet In School.
for the most part immigrants asked
them not long ago to each think a
moment, and be readv to tell wht
thing In school they liked best The
first hand raised was Annetta's, and
ner answer came, at the nod of Der-
mission, with explosive enthusiasm.
it was:
"Teacher's clo'es!"
Being, as It were, alreadv accus
tomed to the unexpected In dealing
with her flock, teacher accepted this
reply as quite In the natural order of
things, and proceeded to turn It to
account She was glad, she said, that
Annetta liked her clothes, because shs
really took a good deal of pains to
have them nice. They were, she point
ed out, always very simDle: but aha
tried to choose DrettV colors, anil nhnva
all things, to keep them neat Nobody
could help sometimes tearing holes or
getting spots: but everybody nhnnld
clean the spots and darn the holes as
soon as possible. 'Indeed, a lady, or a
ladylike little girl, would feel very un
comfortable if she had to stay untidy
more than a little while. She added:
"See, I keep this little work-bag in
my desk, and I will always lend it to
any one who wants to mend her dress
In recess. Perhaps I might even some
times see a place that you could mend,
but hadn't noticed; would you like me
to tell you if I do? I am sure if there
was anything wrong with my clothes
that I could put right, I should wish
to be told."
The lure of the dainty work-bag and
the artful suggestion of reciprocity
worked admirably toward an increase
of tidiness for some days. Then came
a visit from a group of distinguished
educators. More chalk was needed in
the course of a blackboard exercise,
and teacher reached up for it to a
high shelf. As she turned, several
hands shot up, but she Ignored them
to finish the task in hand. Presently
she raised her arm high In using the
pointer. More hands -waved excitedly.
A moment later she did so again. An
netta could endure no more .
"Scusi, teacher," she cried, "but your
waist buttons will be all bust off if I
don't tell you! First It was one bust
off. and then it was two bust off, and
then it was one more bust off, and the
laBt one that busted went down the
register!"
It was a very flushed teacher, in a
becoming if semi-detached blouse, who
explained to three twinkling educatori
some additional points in her methods
upon which she had not expected t
dwell. Youth's Companion.
Not Ced to It.
The new teacher was beginning the
arithmetic lesson, says the London
News.
"Now, boys, listen to me. Suppose
John has five oranges and James
gave him eleven more. Then if. John
handed seven to George, how many
would he have left?"
Dead "silence and great perplexity
fell upon the class.
"Come, come; that's easy enough.
Well, my lad, what is it?" ;
"Please, sir," said one of the boys,
"we always does our sums in hap
pies.". . - ' -
Malcea a Living a Pawning Agent.
A woman who appeared In a Lon
don police court the other day was de
scribed as a "pawning agent" She
makes her living by pawning I'llnga
for her neighbors, who pay her a com
mission because they 'believe she can
secure, larger loans than they could.
Home Thought.
A street piano grinding out "Horns,
Sweet Home," Is apt to make a com
mercial man on a trip lonely until ha
remembers that his wife wrote she
waa In the midst of housecleaning.
Syracuse Post Standard.
Teacher What are heavenly bodies?
Jlmmle Good dead people.
"Did his widow succeed In breaking
his will?" "Yes; long before he died."
Kansas City Journal.
The Teacher Now, Johnny, you may
tell me how the earth Is divided. Tho
Pupil By earthquakes!
Ethel Jack simply raved over my
figure and my complexion. Maud And
Is he still In the asylum?
West End Do vnn relieve in tha
principle that money talks? Murray-
nin well, it says good-bye to me fre
quently. Town Topics.
Miss Wabash How delightfully
your sister nlavs? Mlsa Waldn Whv.
my dear, that's the man in the back
parlor turning the piano. Life.
"What is a chauffeur, Hans?" "A
chauffeur is a man who is smart
enough to run an auto, but too smart
to own one!" Kansas City Journal.
Johnny They're makineshinelesout
I o' cement now'days.. Dickey I don't
mind that so much, but If maw ever
geta a pair o' cement slippers I'- go
in to run away! .
"What period have you selected for
this historical novel?" asked the pub
lisher. "I shall not use periods," an
swered the author; "nothing but ex
clamation points."
"How did you contrive to cultivate
such a beautiful black eye?" asked
Brown? "Oh!" replied Fogg, who had
been practicing upon roller skates, "I
raised it from a slip."
"How do you recognize an Infant in
dustry?" "Like most infants," answer
ed Senator Sorghum, "it is recognized
Dy the amount of noise it makes when
it wants to be noticed."
"Your son closed his co'lege career
In a blaze of glory." "I should say he
did. The week before commencement
day he made a three-base hit with the
bases full." Detroit Free Press.
Friend I understand. Mrs. Stern,
that your daughter has married since
we last met. Miss Stern Yes, and been
divorced. Friend Ah! And who Is
the happy man? Boston Transcript
"Now, Tommy," said the teacher,
"you may give me an example of a co
incidence." "Why er why me fad
der and me mudder was both married
on de same day." Harper's Weekly.
"What Heinrlch! drinking again? I
thought you Intended to quit" "Ach l
dot Is so, yea But in der vords of
der saying, 'Der ghost vas vllllng, but
aer meat vas feeble. " Boston Tran
script .Gus What did you think of our
amateur theatricals, Miss Mamie?
Rather a rare entertainment was It
not? Miss Mamle-rWell er yes; It
wasn't very well done, to be sure.
Harper's Bazar.
"You want a speedy car, of course?"
"You bet" "How about a hill climb
er?" "Oh, I don't keer to go after pe
destrians to that extent. Just gimme
a machine that will get 'em on the
flat." Pittsburg Post
"We don't have dinner In the middle
of the day at our hoarding-house any
more." "You have lunch. I suDDose?"
"No, luncheon." "Well, that's the same
thing." "Oh, no, It Isn't! Lynch is a
light dinner, and luncheon a light
lunch." Puck.
"You can't make a man a gentle
man by calling him one," said the mor
alizer. "True," rejoined the thought
ful thinker, "but nine times out of a
possible ten you can please him and
thereby carry your point, and that is
more to the mimosa
Bridget Sure, now, yez don't mane
ter say -er livln' in a family phere
there aint no cat . Who kin ye blame .
things on? Ann The childer'.
Bridget Oh, It's foolin' ye are! .Ann
They aren't her own childer'; they're
the master's. New York Weekly
"Did you hear about the red, white
and blue wedding this morning?" "No
what about it?" "The bride waa In
red,, the bridegroom thought he had
left the ring at home and turned white,
and the bride's father, who had all the
bills to pay, looked exceedingly blue."
Stranger Zum Donnerwetter, now
you have cut my chin a second time
If you can't shave be than that
you will lose all your customers pret
ty qujek. Barber's Apprentice Not
at all! .i.am not allowed to shave
the regular customers yt, I only
shave strangers! London Tit-Bits.
Street Car Driver Me and that oft
horse has been working for the com
pany for twelve years now. Passeu-'
ger-That 1 The company must
think a great deal of you both. Street
Car DrlverWall. I dunno; last wee'
the two of us waa taken sick, and
: ' -- " " ior me norse and '
nocked me. Gld-up there now. BeUyl
-New York Tribune, '