Lindsey Graham

Galveston's gone.

The city's in ruins.

Every bridge, every railroad track on the island has been washed away clean.

The mayor deputized us to seek help.

Hundreds have died, maybe more.

Hundreds?

Oh, come on now.

It's clear you're worn out, and that's perfectly understandable, but I think things couldn't be that bad.

Oh, look, can we come aboard or not?

Be my guest.

You climb up into a passenger car with the rest of your party.

Heads turn immediately.

Men and women eyeing your soaked, salt-crusted clothes with a mixture of curiosity and alarm.

But it doesn't matter.

You'll know they'll finally understand when the tracks run out and they start seeing the bodies.

From Audible Originals, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American History Tellers.

Our history, your story.

On September 9, 1900, a small group of survivors of the Galveston hurricane set out on an emergency mission to Houston, commandeering a boat and a rail hand car in order to make their way 50 miles north.

With Galveston's telephone and telegraph lines down, and all bridges onto the island destroyed, they needed to tell the world that their city was in desperate need of relief.

Because back in Galveston, only 24 hours had passed since an unprecedented hurricane had struck the city.