Question

this time there was no murmur in the air, no warning of approaching danger. even the watchful press, that knows so much before it ever happens, slumbered quiet and deep, till the hissing wires shrieked the terrifying word—galveston.
then we learned that, as at port royal, the sea had overleaped its bounds and its victims by thousands were in its grasp.
in all the land no one slept then. to us it was the clang of the fire-bell, and the drop of the harness. the red cross clans commenced to gather.
read the excerpt from a story of the red cross.
why does the author most likely include this description?
to show the contrast between the peaceful silence and the devastation
to show that journalists know more about what happens than anyone
to show the quick response of firefighters and rescue workers
to show the power of nature in dangerous situations

Explanation:

The text first describes a peaceful, quiet scene ("no murmur in the air", "slumbered quiet and deep") and then suddenly mentions the disaster ("the sea had overleaped its bounds and its victims by thousands were in its grasp"). This is a clear contrast between the peaceful silence before and the devastation of the disaster. The mention of the press "slumbered" doesn't emphasize journalists knowing more (it's more about the lack of warning). There's no mention of firefighters or rescue workers' quick response in this description. While nature's power is shown in the disaster part, the main literary device here is the contrast set - up by the initial peaceful description.

Answer:

to show the contrast between the peaceful silence and the devastation