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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The wind was measured at what speed from the Galveston weather station in Part IV: Cataclysm?

2. What humanitarian arrived to help and sent a message that the situation had not been exaggerated?

3. How many passengers were on the train from Beaumont, Texas, traveling into Galveston during the storm?

4. Cuban forecasters indicated that they had correctly predicted that the storm would not __________.

5. When a train from Houston to Galveston became stalled, a team of men buried how many corpses found during the afternoon?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened following the attempts by Galveston to bury the dead at sea?

2. Describe the losses sustained by the Credo and Palmer families. How many were lost?

3. What lists appeared in the Galveston News following the storm? How are they described?

4. How does the author describe the events at Ritter's Cafe?

5. How does the author describe Rabbi Cohen's experiences of the storm?

6. What led to the entrapment of the Galveston-Houston train?

7. How does the author describe the arrival of the "Pensacola" in Galveston in Part V: Strange News?

8. What did Isaac Cline note about the waves in the morning of September 8?

9. Who was at fault for the inaccurate forecasting by the US Weather Bureau?

10. What were Dr. Sam Young's experiences like as the storm began flooding Galveston?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the atmospheric conditions discussed in "Spiderwebs and Ice." What are the different strata of the atmosphere? Why does rain not deplete hurricanes and tropical storms? What are the basic elements of hurricanes? How did the conditions of the 1900 hurricane compare with others in this century?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the conflicts between the US Weather Bureau and the local Cuban forecasters. How was Willis Moore to blame for the animosity between the two? How many lives were potentially lost as a result of egoism? How does the author express this thematically in the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the political climate of 1900 and the setting of Galveston at this time. What brochures or advertisements can be found which illustrate the "boom town" quality of Galveston? What "selling points" were used to draw both inhabitants and tourists to the city? How do these advertisements relate to those seen today for resort areas?

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