Not to sensationalize Ike, or cause concern, because it's not warranted, but let's look back just over 108 years ago, when a renowned scientist of the day, Isaac Kline, a resident of Galveston, who believed that he knew all there was to know about the motion of clouds and the behavior of storms (and who was, as blasphemous as it may sound, a student of the work of Matthew Fontaine Maury), said that the idea that a damaging hurricane could hit Galveston was "an absurd delusion." He said that on Sept. 7, when, because of cabled reports of danger and damage, in the wake of a storm in the Gulf, there was debate about the necessity of evacuating Galveston, which he insisted there was not. Reportedly his brother, Joseph, also a scientist, disagreed and there was a rift between them after it turned out that Joseph was right. The book, "Isaac's Storm," which Texas students read, vividly describes the days before, during, and after the storm, through Isaac's eyes, using journals, letters, telegrams, news reports and survivor testimonies. The TV weather hype is getting old so I checked out the turn of the last century hurricane on the internet and learned that Galveston was, at that time, one of the most advanced cities in Texas - first to have telephone, electric lights, privately owned bank, Post Office, law firm, railroad, opera house. After the 120 mile winds of the unnamed storm, and the water that covered the island, conservative estimates indicate 6,000 casualties from the 37,000 residents. Afterwards, Galveston built the seawall, which still stands. It is 16 - 20 feet wide, 17' feet tall and more 10 miles long - 1/3 of the ocean front. They also raised the island itself. Times have changed. The evacuation of Galveston was orderly and timely. By this time tomorrow, it will be pretty much over and we all hope for the best, especially for the people who have property on the coast.
Not to sensationalize Ike, or cause concern, because it's not warranted, but let's look back just over 108 years ago, when a renowned scientist of the day, Isaac Kline, a resident of Galveston, who believed that he knew all there was to know about the motion of clouds and the behavior of storms (and who was, as blasphemous as it may sound, a student of the work of Matthew Fontaine Maury), said that the idea that a damaging hurricane could hit Galveston was "an absurd delusion." He said that on Sept. 7, when, because of cabled reports of danger and damage, in the wake of a storm in the Gulf, there was debate about the necessity of evacuating Galveston, which he insisted there was not. Reportedly his brother, Joseph, also a scientist, disagreed and there was a rift between them after it turned out that Joseph was right. The book, "Isaac's Storm," which Texas students read, vividly describes the days before, during, and after the storm, through Isaac's eyes, using journals, letters, telegrams, news reports and survivor testimonies. The TV weather hype is getting old so I checked out the turn of the last century hurricane on the internet and learned that Galveston was, at that time, one of the most advanced cities in Texas - first to have telephone, electric lights, privately owned bank, Post Office, law firm, railroad, opera house. After the 120 mile winds of the unnamed storm, and the water that covered the island, conservative estimates indicate 6,000 casualties from the 37,000 residents. Afterwards, Galveston built the seawall, which still stands. It is 16 - 20 feet wide, 17' feet tall and more 10 miles long - 1/3 of the ocean front. They also raised the island itself. Times have changed. The evacuation of Galveston was orderly and timely. By this time tomorrow, it will be pretty much over and we all hope for the best, especially for the people who have property on the coast.
Comments
You are so clever! Please relinquish those dreams of higher education and come back to duhwoolans! For once, I'm happy you're so computer communicative. I love to get posts and they are, oh, so rare. This isn't the first time I've benefited from your computer skills - where would I have been without you last May?? And, you explained to me about quotation and parentheses punctuation. Explained it several time, in fact. Endlessly helpful, you are.
No respect, I tell ya.
I would gladly come back to that easy life. This is the first time EVER that I can say I'm behind on my reading, and I don't want to catch up. I'm shocked, SHOCKED!
Oh, and enjoy your week off. :) My family's in Austin cuz they were sick of the whole power situation. Or lack thereof.