Swells from the hurricane began reaching Galveston on the morning of August 15, rising steadily before rising and roughening significantly after the evening of August 17. Rail service in southeastern Texas was disrupted as the storm made landfall; a train from the Southern Pacific Transportation Company bound for Galveston was stopped in Seabrook and overnight sleeping cars destined for Houston from Galveston did not complete their treks. The last interurban railcar evacuating people in Galveston was stranded in Virginia Point after a power line was cut by the storm. During the hurricane's passage, many Galveston residents took refuge in public buildings, including an estimated 5,000 people at the Union Depot. Streetcar, electric, and gas service were all suspended as the storm made landfall. Three fires during the storm exacerbated the damage, partially burning three buildings and causing more than $100,000 in losses. Galveston officials heavily censored initial reporting from local media in order to curtail the spread of false rumors, rejecting most telegraph queries for information. Telecommunications from the "Galveston News" were cut after 8:20 p.m. CST on August 16 (01:20 UTC August 17), with the last surviving communications wires downed in the city by 9:00 p.m. CST on August 16 (02:00 UTC August 17). The first reports from Galveston after the storm emerged on August 19.