Program Information

It was September 7, 1900. The citizens of Galveston, Texas slept--peacefully unaware they were about to become actors in one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.

A Moment in Time is a brief, exciting and compelling journey into the past. Created to excite and enlighten the public about the past, its relevance to the present and its impact on the future, A Moment In Time is a captivating historical narrative that is currently broadcast worldwide.

Transcript

Lead: It was September 7, 1900. The citizens of Galveston, Texas slept--peacefully unaware they were about to become actors in one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.

Intro: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.

Content: Weatherman Isaac Cline took a leisurely stroll, admiring the colorful streets and sandy white beaches of Galveston, Texas. He had been in the resort town for 11 years and working for the U.S. Weather Service for 18. That Friday he had gotten some worrisome news. A major hurricane was headed his way. Strange. The sky was blue, and the barometric pressure had fallen only slightly.

He went back to the house, to his wife Cora, pregnant with their fourth child. That night the waves became stronger, heavy swells pounded the beach where sand dunes had once protected the city. There had been talk of reconstructing the protective seawall, but many were opposed because they thought it would detract from the city's appearance. The following day, some went to the beach as usual. The adults swam in the heavy surf while the children played nearby. As one local described it, "For a while, even ladies were wading in the water, thinking it was fun. The children had a great time." The fun ended abruptly when the bathhouse collapsed and people began to flee the pounding waves. Heavy rains pelted the area, wind raged through the streets, and the barometer plunged to a record low.

Fearing the worst, Isaac Cline gathered his family to ride it out. Debris, bricks, mortar, and telephone wires were being picked up as if by some giant in a temper tantrum, but the greatest destruction would come from the storm surge, water pushed by wind, which began to inundate the defenseless low-lying city. Isaac held his wife while their three daughters hung onto their Uncle Joe. At the height of the storm, a nearby streetcar trestle was ripped from its moorings, picked up, and slammed against the Cline home. The house creaked, tipped and broke into thousands of pieces. Joe grabbed two of his nieces and jumped to safety through a window. He looked back to find the rest. They were not there.

Next time: Galveston reborn.

At the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts.

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