In September of 1900, the most devastating natural disaster in US history occured when Galveston was decimated by a powerful Hurricane. Only 1/3 of the structures on the island were left standing, schooners lay scuttled in the streets, their masts looking like power poles in a black and white exhibit in the Rosenberg Library Exhibit. The stories of survival and loss are a timeless reflection of the human experience during any natural disaster. Eerily similar to similar tales elsewhere during Hurricane Ike or Katrina. When the storm cleared, over 6000 men, women and children perished. Teams of men were encouraged, then forced by gunpoint, to collect the bodies for mass burial at sea. Their recompense for such a grisly task was a tin cup beside an open barrel of whiskey beside the pier. As a result of this devastating event, the government of the city changed and citizens slowly rebuilt after agreeing to build a seawall (pictured below) and raise the height of the city by 15 feet or more, filling in much of the land with sand dredged from the Gulf of Mexico.Gal
After lunch, the day was growing short so I headed for the Bolivar Island free ferry. The ferry attendant waved me aside and inspected my fuel can. "You cannot have an empty fuel can, it must be filled at least half way with water." In my experience on over 30 ferries in the US, Canada and Mexico, I have never heard of such a silly rule. An empty canister under 12gal is usually okay with the USCG...but clearly not this woman. I pulled over and began to pour my nalgene bottle into the container. She screamed across the pavement "You cannot do that on the ferry landing". I pushed it onward a few more feet to an apartment complex, still in view, filled it and then was waved aboard just as the ferry loaded. Phew. On the plus side, I now have a rinsed out spare fuel can!St
Louisiana here I come...