Isaac's Storm Read Free Page A

... toldusinunerringlanguagewascoming."
    ISAACTURNEDHISsulkyaroundandheadedbacktowardhisoffice.Thebreezewasnowhead-onandruffledthemaneofhishorse.Theoyster-shellpavinggavewaytoheavywoodenblocksandtheseimpartedtothesulkyabeatlikethatofaswiftlymovingtrain.ThenorthwindbroughtIsaactheperfumeofawakingcity:theclean,almostminty,smelloffreshlycutlumberfromtheHildenbrandplaningmill;coffeefromthebulkroastersinthealleybetweenMechanicandMarket;andalways,everywhere,thescentofhorses.
    AttheLevyBuilding,Isaacwalkedthethreeflightstothebureau,stoppedinsideforamoment,thencontinueduptotheroof.Totheeastandsouthhesawthesea;tothewest,thespiresofSt.Patrick'sChurch,stillunderconstruction.Thebureau'sstormflag,asinglecrimsonsquarewithasmallerblacksquareatitscenter,rippledfromatower.
    Thebarometershowedthatatmosphericpressurehadfallenonlyslightlyfromthenightbefore."Onlyone-tenthofaninchlower,"Isaacsaid.
    Nothinginthesky,theinstruments,orthecablesfromWashingtonindicatedastormofmuchintensity."Theusualsignswhichheraldtheapproachofhurricaneswerenotpresentinthiscase,"hesaid."Thebrick-dustskywasnotinevidenceinthesmallestdegree."
    Evenso,thedayfeltwrong.Ordinarily,offshorewindskeptthesurfandtidesdown,butnow,despitethebrisknorthwind,boththesurfandtidewererising.ItwasapatternnewtoIsaac.
    Hedrovehissulkybacktothebeach.Heagaintimedtheswells.Henotedtheirshape,theircolor,thearctheyproducedastheymountedthesand.Theywereheaviernowandpushedseawaterontothestreetsclosesttothebeach.
    IsaacreturnedtohisofficeandcomposedatelegramtotheCentralOfficeinWashington.Heendedthetelegram:"Suchhighwaterwithopposingwindsneverobservedpreviously."
    Isaac'sconcernwastemperedbyhisbeliefthatnostormcoulddoseriousdamagetoGalveston.HehadconcludedthisonthebasisofhisownanalysisoftheuniquegeographyoftheGulfandhowitshapedtheregion'sweather.In1891,inthewakeofatropicalstormthatGalvestonweatheredhandily,theeditorsoftheGalvestonNewsinvitedIsaactoappraisethecity'svulnerabilitytoextremeweather.Isaac,fatherofthree,husband,lover,scientist,andcreatureofthenewheroicAmericanage,wrote:"Theopinionheldbysomewhoareunacquaintedwiththeactualconditionsofthings,thatGalvestonwillatsometimebeseriouslydamagedbysomesuchdisturbance,issimplyanabsurddelusion."
    AtthetopoftheLevyBuildingtheanemometerspun.Thewindvaneshiftedeversoslightly.Theself-recordingbarometeretchedanothertinydecline.
    FAROUTTOsea,onehundredmilesfromwhereIsaacstood,Capt.J.W.Simmons,masterofthesteamshipPensacola,prayedsoftlytohimselfashorizontalspheresofrainexplodedagainstthebridgewithsuchforcetheyluminescedinabillionpinpointsoflight,likefireworksinagreen-blacksky.
    HehadstumbledintothedeadlieststormevertotargetAmerica.Withinthenexttwenty-fourhours,eightthousandmen,women,andchildreninthecityofGalvestonwouldlosetheirlives.Thecityitselfwouldloseitsfuture.Isaacwouldsufferanunbearableloss.Andhewouldwonderalwaysifsomeoftheblamedidnotbelongtohim.
    ThisisthestoryofIsaacandhistimeinAmerica,thelastturningofthecenturies,whenthehubrisofmenledthemtobelievetheycoulddisregardevennatureitself.

PART I The Law of Storms

THESTORM
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