Isaac's Storm Read Free

arrivedtospendhisvacationwithhisgrandfatherinacottageoffBroadway,halfadozenblocksfromIsaacCline'soffice."TheGulfbreezecooledthecityatnightfall;oneofthemostbeautifulbeachesintheworldoffereddelightfulsurf-bathing;andyousaweverybodythereintheafternoons,bathing,promenadingordrivingincarriagesonthesmooth,crispsands."HelefttownonSaturday,September1,exactlyaweekbeforeIsaac'striptothebeach,verysadtoleave.HelookedbackwithlongingashistrainclickedoverthelongwoodentrestletothemainlandandhisnewfoundfriendsrecededintothesteamrisingfromGalvestonBay."Thatcityasitwas,"hewrote,"Ineversawagain,norsomeoftheboysandgirlsIknewthere."
    WherecriticsmostfaultedGalvestonwasforitslackofgeophysicalpresence.Thecityoccupiedalong,narrowislandthatalsoformedthesouthernboundaryofGalvestonBay,spannedbythreerailroadtrestlesandawagonbridge.Itshighestpoint,onBroadway,was8.7feetabovesealevel;itsaveragealtitudewashalfthat,solowthatwitheachone-footincreaseintide,thecitylostathousandfeetofbeach.JosiahGregg,oneofAmerica'smostcelebratedtraveler-raconteurs,wroteinhisdiaryinNovember1841ofhearingaboutapastfloodinwhich"thisislandwassocompletelyoverflowedthatasmallvesselactuallysailedoutoverthemiddleofit."Hedidnotbelievethestory.Hecouldsee,however,thatsomedayfloodingmight"evenendangerlives."
    Regardlessofone'sview,thefactwasthatGalvestonin1900stoodonthevergeofgreatness.Ifthingscontinuedastheywere,GalvestonsoonwouldachievethestatureofNewOrleans,Baltimore,orSanFrancisco.TheNewYorkHeraldhadalreadydubbedthecitytheNewYorkoftheGulf.ButcityleadersalsoknewtherewasonlyroomontheTexascoastforonegreatcity,andthattheywereinawinner-take-allraceagainstHouston,justfiftymilestothenorth.Asof1900,Galvestonhadthelead.Theyearbefore,ithadbecomethebiggestcottonportinthecountryandthethird-busiestportoverall.Forty-fivesteamshiplinesservedthecity,amongthemtheWhiteStarLine,whichprovidedservicebetweenGalvestonandEuropeandinjustoveradecadewouldloseagreatshiptohubrisandice.Consulatesinthecityrepresentedsixteencountries,includingRussiaandJapan.AndGalveston'spopulationwasgrowingfast.OnFriday,September7,IsaachadreadintheNewsthefirstbriefreportontheGalvestoncountofthe1900census,whichfoundthatthecityhadgrown30percentinonlytenyears.
    Galvestonnowhadelectricstreetcars,electriclights,localandlongdistancetelephoneservice,twodomestictelegraphcompanies,threebigconcerthalls,andtwentyhotels,themostelegantbeingtheTremont,southofIsaac'soffice,withtwohundredocean-facingrooms,fifty"elegant"roomswithprivatebaths,anditsownelectric-powerplant.
    Whatmostmarkedthecitywasmoney.Asearlyas1857Galvestonhadachievedareputationasacosmopolitantownwithapassionforfinethings.OneofitsFrenchchefsdistinguishedhimselfwithafusionoffrontierandContinentalcuisinethatfeatured"beefsteakgoddamalamode."By1900,thecitywasreputedtohavemoremillionairespersquaremilethanNewport,RhodeIsland.MuchoftheirmoneywasvividlyondisplayintheornatemansionsandlushgardensofBroadway,thecity'spremierstreet.
    ThecityofferedeverythingfromsextosacksofTidalWaveFlour.Forthegrievingrich,thegiantliveryandfuneralworksofJ.LevyandBrothersofferedaveryspecialoption:"Achild'swhitehearseandharness,withwhitehorses."
    WINDOWSWEREOPENinallthehousesIsaacpassed,andthisimpartedtothecityanauraofvulnerability.Suddenlythenoiseofthesulky'swheelsseemedmorejarringthanreassuring.OrdinarilythegreatbathhousesattheendofthestreetwouldhavebrightenedIsaac'smood,buttodaytheylookedswollenandworn;theyfloatedoncushionsofgreenishmistlikecastlesfromthemindofPoe.
    IsaacdroveuntilhehadaclearviewoftheGulf,thenstoppedthesulky.Hestood,pulledouthiswatch,andbegantimingthelonghillsofwaterthatrolledtowardthebeach.Thecrestsofthewaveswerebrownwithsand,butonthesurfacebetweencreststhespindriftlaidintricatepatternsofshocking-whitelace.
    Isaacknewthelow-pressurecenterofthestormhadtobesomewhereofftohisleft,outintheGulf.Itwasafundamentaltenetofmarinenavigation,oneheexplainedduringalectureattheGalvestonYMCAonaSaturdayeveningin1891.Largecrowdsgatheredforsuchtalks.Theyconsumedthespokenwordthewaylatermenwouldconsumetelevision.Inthenorthernhemisphere,Isaactoldhisaudience,thewindsoftropicalcyclonesalwaysmovecounterclockwisearoundacentralareaoflowpressure."Standwithyourbacktothewind,"hesaid,"andthebarometerwillbeloweronyourleftthanonyourright."
    Theswellscameveryslowly,atintervalsofonetofiveminutes.Tolayobservers,thisslowpacemighthaveseemedreassuring.Infact,theslownessmadetheswellsfarmoreominous,aprincipleIsaaconlyvaguelyunderstood.Manyyearslaterhewouldwrite,"Ifwehadknownthenwhatweknownowoftheseswells,andthetidestheycreate,wewouldhaveknownearliertheterrorsofthestormwhichtheseswells