Part IV: Cataclysm Summary and Analysis

August Rollfing was fighting his way back to the city. He had sat in the office to give men their paychecks, but not a single one had shown up to claim it. He went into a livery stable and sent a driver to pick up Louisa and the children and take him to his mother's house. When Louisa saw the buggy, she was ecstatic. She packed a hamper filled with clothing for everyone, but once she got into the buggy with her kids, there was no room for the hamper and she had to leave it behind. The water was too high to make it to Louisa's mother-in-law's home, however. Instead, she directed the driver to take her to her sister-in-law's home.

Dr. Young went into his house to watch the effects of the storm on Galveston...