The Mourning Wave

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The Mourning Wave: A Novel of the Great Storm, was released in September. Shortly afterwards, a copy was gifted to me by a friend who knew how much this book would be of interest to me.

William B. Murney, circa 1899. Photo courtesy of Rosenberg Library

William B. Murney, circa 1899.
Photo courtesy of Rosenberg Library

The Mourning Wave was written by Gregory Funderburk, a native Houstonian, former lawyer and, now, a minister at South Main Baptist Church in Houston.

Reportedly, Funderburk had been thinking about the Great Storm of 1900 for decades. As a child, he went to Galveston often with his family on vacations. He remembers staying at a hotel near Gaido’s and The Seawall one night during a terrible rainstorm. He recalls watching the storm and envisioning, even then, what it must have been like to be on the island that fateful night in 1900.

According to Funderburk, thoughts of the Great Storm stayed in his head for years before he set out to write this book.

The Mourning Wave recounts the frightening moments and hours of September 8, 1900, when the most deadly storm in American history made landfall on the beaches of Galveston Island. It tells the story and enormous challenges of three young boys as they struggled to survive the storm that destroyed their home, St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum, and killed all of its other inhabitants.

The surviving orphans were Will Murney, 14; Albert Campbell, 13; and Frank Madera, 12.

The book introduces readers to these and other real-life characters, as well as local and national historic figures on the scene during that time. It relates powerful recollections of the storm survivors — about their own struggles to survive, about their heartbreaks over the thousands of lost souls and about their shock and acceptance of the destruction of their homes, their city and their very ways or life.

At the same time, and importantly, The Mourning Wave offers guidance for anyone facing grief, uncertainty and anxiety in the aftermath of a tragedy. (So timely as our world continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.)

The Mourning Wave asks an important question: Can moments of beauty and redemption arise from chaos in a storm-driven world?

Children, nuns and priests on the steps of St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum, circa 1892. Photo courtesy of Rosenberg Library

Children, nuns and priests on the steps of St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum, circa 1892. Photo courtesy of Rosenberg Library

Opera House

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The Grand 1894 Opera House, located at 2020 Postoffice Street in Galveston’s Historic Downtown Cultural Arts District, has a very special place in the history of the island and in the hearts of its citizens.

The Grand was built in the Romanesque Revival style, with a seating capacity of 1,040. When it opened, it had the largest stage in the state of Texas (70’ x 37’ x 69’). Even today, a whisper on stage can be heard without a microphone. No seat in the audience is further than 70 feet from the stage.

The opera house survived the Great Storm of 1900 and another major storm in 1915, as well as Hurricanes Carla and Alicia and Ike. It has also survived years of neglect at various times in this illustrious history.

This year, in the middle of its 125th anniversary season, The Grand was forced to close because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But, knowing the determination of the people of Galveston, the closure is only temporary. When the time is right, the Grand 1894 Opera House will be filled to capacity once again, and all will be enjoying another great season of live performances on its stage.

In the meantime, we will remain patient and look forward to the upcoming season and another terrific lineup of shows and great experiences.

Community Commitment
In 1894, Henry Greenwall, a theater manager, raised 100,000 for the construction of the opera house, with substantial commitments made by a handful of prominent businessmen and civic-minded residents. And, when more than $8 million was raised between 1974-1990 for the Grand’s restoration, it was another remarkable community effort.

Support came from individuals, the business and corporate community, local government and, of course, included generous foundation support from around the state and nation. Chief among these were the generous leadership gifts of the Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund, The Moody Foundation, Houston Endowment and the subsequent gifts of George and Cynthia Mitchell to help complete the restoration.

  • The 1894 Grand Opera House is listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.

Lucas Apartments

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In 1887, Thomas Lucas, a bricklayer from Nottingham, England, designed and constructed a row of six attached houses on the corner of Broadway Boulevard and 6th street. Sadly, these houses - known as Lucas Row - were destroyed in the Great Storm of 1900. The destruction of such a substantial structure was so significant, the City of Galveston held a remembrance ceremony on the one-year anniversary of the storm at the site of Lucas Row.

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After the storm, Lucas picked up the bricks from the rubble and moved them to Broadway and 14th street, where his own modest wood-frame home had miraculously survived.

Between 1901 and 1906, Lucas built the East Building of what is now known as the Lucas Apartments, recognized as the first brick apartment building in Texas.

When the East Building was finished, Lucas moved his frame house to another lot on Broadway (since torn down) and began construction on the West Building. Between 1907 and 1908, he rapidly completed the West Building and connected the two structures with an open breezeway.  

Lucas worked without plans and, if you look closely, you can see he was not consistent in his work. Many of the windows have different treatments in the surrounding brick trim. The dimensions and elevations of the buildings are also slightly different.

The Galveston Historical Foundation views the Lucas Apartments as one of the most visible and important properties in the Victorian-era East End Historic District as it is the only structure that suggests the Art Nouveau style. This is clearly evident in the facade of the building which is decorated with large shell and coral patterned cast concrete. The structure was also constructed with load-bearing brick with large beams running the length of the building. This was a construction technique usually reserved for larger commercial buildings.

The Lucas Apartments, built by a pioneer artisan of Galveston, is a remarkable example of individual enterprise. Today, it is privately owned and operated as Casa Familia, a luxury rental option for families and groups.

It still stands at an important location on Broadway Boulevard - across from Bishop’s Palace and the Sacred Heart Church.

1900 Storm Statue

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Today, September 8, is the anniversary of the Great Storm of 1900 -the perfect day to re-visit the 1900 Great Storm Statue on The Seawall.

The 1900 Storm Memorial Statue was created by Galveston sculptor David W. Moore in memory of the more than 6000 men, women and children who died in the Great Storm of 1900.

The bronze statue, 10 feet in height, was installed at 4800 Seawall Boulevard on the storm’s 100th anniversary in 2000.

On any given day, those walking along The Seawall will stop to take a closer look at this statue and, perhaps, to offer a silent prayer for the thousands who lost their lives on that fateful night in 1900. At times, flowers are left at the base of the statue. When I see them there, I always wonder if they were left by descendants of those who died in the storm or by people, like me, who always become incredibly mournful when thinking about the many, many victims.

Storm of 1900
The Category 4 hurricane is recorded as the deadliest natural disaster the history of the United States.

The hurricane came ashore on Galveston Island on September 8, 1900 with 134 mile-per-hour winds and 15-feet storm surges. In addition to the enormous loss of life, it leveled took the 7,000 buildings and left 10,000 people homeless.

The disaster ended the Golden Era of Galveston. Potential investors in the city, so alarmed by the ravages of the hurricane, turned to Houston for new opportunities. .