[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 103 (Thursday, September 7, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H7351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                100TH ANNIVERSARY OF GALVESTON HURRICANE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced a concurrent resolution 
in memory of the 100th anniversary of the devastating hurricane which 
struck Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900. The residents of 
Galveston showed great courage and sacrifice during that terrible 
storm, and I thought it was important for Congress to recognize that 
that same spirit is still present in the people who live there today; 
and I wanted to join them as they honor the memories of those who lost 
their lives on that historic day 100 years ago.
  In an era without radar, satellites or modern radio, the island of 
Galveston was quickly overtaken by vast waves, surging flood waters and 
powerful winds of more than 120 miles per hour. The hurricane that 
struck Galveston is the deadliest natural disaster in the history of 
the United States of America. It is estimated that more than 6,000 
people lost their lives in a matter of a few hours. Prior to the storm, 
Galveston was a thriving port community of 37,000 people and was dubbed 
the Wall Street of the West.
  Stories from the survivors of the storm are filled with displays of 
courage and self-sacrifice in the face of grave danger. One of the most 
famous is the one about the nuns who ran the orphanage. As the winds 
and storm tides got higher, it became obvious that the last building 
would collapse. The nuns tied the children to themselves with 
clothesline, eight or nine kids to each nun, in a sad, brave effort to 
try to save them. Three little boys survived the night by camping in a 
tree. All the rest died.
  Galveston never lost that resilient spirit and went on to build a 17-
foot seawall that staved off other fierce hurricanes. The city also 
pumped in millions of tons of sand from the Gulf of Mexico in order to 
raise the level of the city and its buildings to a safer height.
  This weekend, Galveston will be holding a ceremony commemorating the 
hurricane, honoring the memories of those who died, launching education 
efforts, and celebrating the rebirth of Galveston after the storm. My 
resolution extends those efforts to our Nation's Capital and to all the 
people of the United States. We should honor those who died in the 
storm and use the anniversary to continue improving hurricane 
forecasting and to make life safer and more secure along our coasts.
  My resolution recognizes the historical significance of the 100th 
anniversary of the hurricane, it remembers the victims, and it urges 
the President to issue a proclamation in memory of the thousands of 
Galvestonians who lost their lives and the survivors who rebuilt the 
city.

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