Part III: Spectacle Summary and Analysis

Gulf of Mexico: The Pensacola

Captain Simmons and his guests were hanging on for dear life as the ship seemed closer and closer to disintegration. Simmons' first officer felt they were in a confluence of storms—a hurricane from the east and a gale from the north. Mid-morning, the anchor broke apart and the ship was at the mercy of the waves that shoved the Pensacola towards Galveston. Obviously, Galveston was directly in the storm's path. There was nothing Simmons could do to warn the city.

The Beach: Delight

Both Isaac and his neighbor Dr. Young were on the beach at dawn on Saturday, observing the waves as they washed across the streetcar trestle that had been built over the Gulf. Dr. Young immediately sent a telegram to his wife who was en route to Galveston...