from Braman's Information About Texas, 1858 The hurricane of September 8, 1900 left an estimated six thousand dead, but that is only a guess. It is the most awesome natural disaster in our nation's history. Galveston had a population of 40,000 at the turn of the century and was a major center of commerce before the hurricane covered the island from Gulf to Bay and laid it waste to the sea. This is what prompted the city to build the seawall that still stands. |