As for the sickness, I don’t want to be too public, but recently I’ve had reason to understand the “chills” part of “chills and fever,” with the shivering and uncontrollable shaking, and I have greater empathy with the elders now. Bless the women who tried to take care of them as they were going through this, too.

I thought because of the Galveston storm reference, to just include a couple of the entries from my Grandfather’s journal, as one of the four Elders who were in Galveston for the storm:

September 8, 1900, Saturday. Could not work on account of storm. Could not go out of the room and at night the water from the bay came up all over town. We had to get outfo the room and move upstairs. I was 4 feet of water in the room and the wind so strong that it was blowing houses known all over town. The people all moved out but us Elders and the Lord spared us while the city was half destroyed.

September 9, 1990. Sunday. Galveston. Still on the turf after one of the most terrific storms that ever pased [passed] over the country. The sight that met my gaze this morning was terriable. Over half of the city destroyed and the other very badly damaged. The water and wind together played havack [havoc]. The report is that the loss of life will be in the thousands. They are hauling them in by the wagon load, food and water scarce as the water works system was destroyed and a good many cisterns filled.

September 10, 1900. Monday. Went round to see the sights . It is terrible to behold. They are hauling in dead bodies by the wagon loads. They have had to resort to sinking them in the sea to dispose of them. They are in such a condition that they can not keep them, so they take them by the shiploads, and take them out in the sea and sink them, rich and poor, white and black. I see many bodies lying amoungst the timber and where they had lodged.

It took the four elders a couple more days to find a way across the bay to Houston, as all the bridges were washed out. Finally, on the 11th they got to Houston, and met Elders Daniels and Shipp, and were able to get word out about their survival.