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diff --git a/old/60105-0.txt b/old/60105-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0342392..0000000 --- a/old/60105-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,22560 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Great Galveston Disaster, by Paul Lester - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The Great Galveston Disaster - Containing a Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times Including Vivid Descriptions of the Hurricane and Terrible Rush of Waters; Immense Destruction of Dwellings, Business Houses, Churches, and Loss of Thousands of Human Lives; Thrilling Tales of Heroic Deeds; Panic-Stricken Multitudes and Heart-Rending Scenes of Agony; Frantic Efforts to Escape a Horrible Fate; Separation of Loved Ones, etc., etc.; Narrow Escapes from the Jaws of Death; Terrible Sufferings of the Survivors; Vandals Plundering Bodies of the Dead; Wonderful Exhibitions of Popular Sympathy; Millions of Dollars Sent for the Relief of the Stricken Sufferers - - -Author: Paul Lester - - - -Release Date: August 16, 2019 [eBook #60105] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT GALVESTON DISASTER*** - - -E-text prepared by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 60105-h.htm or 60105-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/60105/60105-h/60105-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/60105/60105-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/greatgalvestondi00lestrich - - -Transcriber’s note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). - - - - - -[Illustration: IN MEMORIAM OF GALVESTON’S DEAD SEPTEMBER 8TH 1900] - -[Illustration: - - RICHARD SPILLANE - - EDITOR OF THE “GALVESTON TRIBUNE” AND ASSOCIATED PRESS CORRESPONDENT, - WHO WAS CHOSEN BY THE MAYOR AND CITIZENS’ COMMITTEE TO SEIZE ANY - VESSEL IN THE HARBOR AND CONVEY TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD THE NEWS OF THE - GREAT DISASTER] - - - - - THE GREAT - GALVESTON DISASTER - CONTAINING A - Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern - Times - INCLUDING -VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF THE HURRICANE AND TERRIBLE RUSH OF WATERS; IMMENSE - DESTRUCTION OF DWELLINGS, BUSINESS HOUSES, CHURCHES, AND LOSS OF - THOUSANDS OF HUMAN LIVES - THRILLING TALES OF HEROIC DEEDS; PANIC-STRICKEN MULTITUDES AND - HEART-RENDING SCENES OF AGONY; FRANTIC EFFORTS TO ESCAPE A HORRIBLE - FATE; SEPARATION OF LOVED ONES, ETC., ETC. - Narrow Escapes from the Jaws of Death - TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS OF THE SURVIVORS; VANDALS PLUNDERING BODIES OF THE - DEAD; WONDERFUL EXHIBITIONS OF POPULAR SYMPATHY; MILLIONS OF DOLLARS - SENT FOR THE RELIEF OF THE STRICKEN SUFFERERS - - - BY PAUL LESTER - Author of “Life in the Southwest,” Etc., Etc. - - With an Introduction by - RICHARD SPILLANE - Editor “Galveston Tribune” and Associated Press Correspondent - - PROFUSELY EMBELLISHED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE - DISASTER - - - - - Entered According to Act of Congress, in the Year 1900, by - Horace C. Fry - In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PREFACE. - - -Thousands of men, women and children swept to sudden death. Millions of -dollars worth of property destroyed. Scenes of suffering and desolation -that beggar description. Heroic efforts to save human life. The world -shocked by the appalling news. Such is the thrilling story of the -Galveston flood, and in this volume it is told with wonderful power and -effect. - -There have been many disasters by storm and flood in modern times, but -none to equal this. In the brief space of twelve hours more persons lost -their lives than were killed during a year of the war between the -British and the Boers or during a year and a half of our war in the -Philippines. - -The calamity came suddenly. Galveston was not aware of its impending -fate. News of an approaching cyclone produced no alarm. Suddenly word -was sent that the hurricane was bending from its usual course and might -strike the city. Even then there was no sudden fear, no hurrying to -escape, no thought of swift destruction. In a moment, in the twinkling -of an eye, the city waked up to the awful fact that it was to be -engulfed by a tidal wave, and buried in the flood of waters. - -The news of the overwhelming disaster came as a shock to people -everywhere. Bulletin boards in all our cities were surrounded by eager -crowds to obtain the latest reports. Many who had friends in the -stricken city were kept in suspense respecting their fate. With bated -breath was the terrible calamity talked about, and in every part of our -country committees of relief were immediately formed. The magnitude of -the disaster grew from day to-day. Every fresh report added to the -intelligence already received, and it was made clear that a large part -of the city of Galveston, with its inhabitants, had been swept out of -existence. - -This work furnishes a striking description of a great city of the dead. -It depicts the terrible scenes that followed the calamity, the fate that -overtook the victims, and the agony of the living. It tells of the -heroic efforts of the survivors to save their homes and families, and -recover from the terrible blow. - -It tells of a thousand of the dead towed out and buried at sea and of -many hundreds cremated on shore; of the vandals who rushed in to strip -lifeless bodies, unterrified by the scenes of horror on every hand; of -United States soldiers shooting the robbers on sight and putting an end -to their horrible sacrilege. - -The story of the appalling horror, the oncoming of the cyclone, the -rising waters threatening the city, the inhabitants overtaken by the -flood and cut off from escape, thousands hurried to death, chaos -everywhere, recovery of bodies ravaged by thieves, all this is vividly -told in this volume. - -The work contains thrilling stories by eye-witnesses. In this volume the -survivors speak for themselves. They tell of the sudden danger that -paralyzed thousands and made them helpless against the onslaught of the -tempest. - -They tell of separation from those who were attempting to afford relief -and how futile all efforts were against the fury of the waves. They tell -how their homes and places of business, their hospitals, school-houses -and churches were swept away as in a moment. - -There were splendid examples of courage and heroism. The graphic -description of the great disaster contained in this book thrills the -reader. Amidst the alarm, the threatening death, the overwhelming flood, -he sees how nobly men struggled to save their families and their -fortunes. He seems to ride on the crest of the waves and witness with -his own eyes the terrible tragedy. - -Our Government at Washington was quick to come to the rescue. It ordered -tents to be provided and issued rations by the tens of thousands for the -survivors. The chords of sympathy which make all men akin vibrated -through every part of the civilized world. - -Thousands of helping hands were stretched out toward Galveston. Millions -of dollars were given for the relief of the sufferers. This volume is a -complete and authentic account of the great calamity told by the -survivors. - - - - -[Illustration] - - Introduction - - - BY RICHARD SPILLANE. - -[RICHARD SPILLANE, editor of the “Galveston Tribune,” was chosen by the -Mayor and Citizens’ Committee to seize any vessel in the harbor and make -his way as best he could to such point as he could reach, so as to get -in touch with the outside world, tell the story of the tragedy and -appeal to mankind for help. He crossed the bay during a squall, the -little boat in which he sailed being in imminent danger of swamping, -having been stove in during the hurricane. He reached Texas City after a -perilous trip, then made his way over the flooded prairie to Lamarque, -where he found a rail road hand-car. With this hand-car he managed to -reach League City, where he met a train coming from Houston to learn -what fate had befallen Galveston. On this train he reached Houston, -where after sending messages to President McKinley and Governor Sayers, -he gave the news in detail to the newspapers of the nation.] - - -In the world’s great tragedies, that of Galveston stands remarkable. In -no other case in history was a disaster met with such courage and -fortitude; in no other case in history were the people of the whole -world so responsive to the call for help for the helpless. - -There prevails a belief that Galveston is subject to severe storms. That -is a mistake. There have been heavy blows, and there have been times -when the waters of the bay and the Gulf met in the city’s streets, but -the storm of September 8, 1900, is without parallel. The best proof of -this statement is furnished by the old Spanish charts of three hundred -years ago. They contain as landmarks of Galveston Island the sign of -three great trees—oaks—that stood three hundred years ago in what is -known as Lafitte’s grove, twelve miles down Galveston Island from the -city. These oaks withstood the storms of three centuries. They were -felled by the fury of the storm of September 8. - -The storm of September 8th did not, as has been supposed, come upon the -city without warning. The same storm, less ferocious perhaps, had swept -along the South Atlantic coast several days before. It had its origin in -that breeding place of hurricanes, the West Indies, and, after swirling -along the Florida and Carolina shores, doubled on its tracks, entered -the Gulf, came racing westward and developing greater strength with each -hour, and centered all its energies upon the Texas coast near Galveston. - -On September 7th there was official warning of the approach of a severe -storm, but no one expected such a tempest as was destined to devastate -the city. Such warning as was given was rather addressed to mariners -about to go to sea than to those living on shore. - -Simultaneously with the approach of the hurricane was a great wind from -the north, known locally as a “Norther.” This developed at Galveston -about 2 A. M., on September 8th. The approaching hurricane from the east -and southeast had been driving a great wall of water toward the shore at -Galveston. The tremendous wind storm from the north acted as a counter -force or check to the hurricane element. - -The north wind blew the water from Galveston Bay on the one side of the -city and the storm in the Gulf hurled its battalions of waves upon the -beach side of the city. - -Early in the day the battle between these two contending forces offered -a magnificent spectacle to a student of scenery of nature. As long as -the north wind held strong the city was safe. While the winds dashed -great volumes of water over the wharves and flooded some streets in the -business portion of the city and the waters of the Gulf on the other -side of the city encroached upon the streets near the beach there was no -particular fear of serious consequences, but about noon the barometer, -which had been very low, suddenly began to drop at a rate that presaged -a storm of tremendous violence. - -Following this came the warning that the wind would, before many hours, -change from the north to the southeast and to the fury of the wall of -water being driven upon Galveston by the approaching hurricane would be -added all the tremendous force of the wind that had previously acted as -a partial check to the Gulf storm. - -To those who previously had no fear, the certainty that the wind would -change came as the first real note of warning. With the first shifting -of the wind the waters of the Gulf swept over the city. Houses near the -beach began to crumble and collapse, their timbers being picked up by -the wind and waves and thrown in a long line of battering rams against -the structures. Men, women and children fled from their homes and sought -safety in higher portions of the city, or in buildings more strongly -built. Some were taken out in boats, some in wagons, some waded through -the waters, but the flood rose so rapidly that the approach of night -found many hundreds battling in the waters, unable to reach places of -safety. The air was full of missiles. - -The wind tore slates from roofs and carried them along like wafers. A -person struck by one of these, driven with the fearful violence of the -storm, was certain to be maimed, if not killed outright. The waves, with -each succeeding sweep of the in-rushing tide, brought a greater volume -of wreckage as house after house toppled and fell into the waters. So -tremendous was the roar of the storm that all other sounds were dwarfed -and drowned. During the eight hours from 4 P. M. until midnight, the -hurricane raged with a fury greater than words can describe. What height -the winds reached will never be known. The wind gauge at the weather -bureau recorded an average of 84 miles an hour for five consecutive -minutes, and then the instruments were carried away. That was before the -storm had become really serious. The belief, as expressed by the -observer, that the wind averaged between 110 and 120 miles an hour, is -as good information as is obtainable. - -Nothing so exemplified the impotency of man as the storm. Massive -buildings were crushed like egg shells, great timbers were carried -through the air as though they were of no weight, and the winds and the -waves swept everything before them until their appetite for destruction -was satiated and their force spent. - -A remarkable feature about the storm is the disparity in the depth of -water in different portions of the city, and the undoubted fact that the -waters subsided on the north side of the city hours before they did on -the south side. - -These peculiarities are explained by the topography of the island. -Broadway, which marks the center, or middle of the city, proper, is on -the ridge, from which the land slopes on one side, toward the bay and on -the other, toward the Gulf. The waters from the Gulf passed over this -ridge and swept on toward the bay during the most furious stages of the -storm, but the full energies of wind and water were directed upon that -portion of the city between the Gulf and the Broadway Ridge. Of the -lives lost in the city, 90 per cent. were in the district named. - -How many lives were sacrificed to the Storm King will never be known. -The census taken in June showed that Galveston had a population of -38,000. Outside the city limits on Galveston Island there were 1,600 -persons living. The dead in the city exceeded 5000. Of the 1600 living -outside the city limits, 1200 were lost. This frightful mortality—75 per -cent.—outside the city is explained by the fact that most of the people -there lived in frail structures and had no places of comparative safety -to take refuge in. In the mainland district swept by the storm, at least -100 persons perished. It is safe, therefore, to state that at least 7000 -lives were lost. - -Of the property damage no estimate can be considered accurate. The -estimates range from $25,000,000 to $50,000,000. - -Of marvelous escapes from death, of acts of supreme heroism, of devotion -and courage beyond parallel, the storm developed many instances. In some -cases whole families were blotted out, in others the strong perished and -the weak survived. Of the various branches of one family, 42 were -killed, while in one household 13 out of a total of 15 were lost. - -Such a scene of desolation as met the eyes of the people of Galveston -when day dawned Sunday, September 9, has rarely been witnessed on earth. -Fifteen hundred acres of the city had been swept clear of every -habitation. Every street was choked with ruins, while the sea, not -content with tearing away a great strip along the beach front, had piled -the wreckage in one great long mass from city end to city end. Beneath -these masses of broken buildings, in the streets, in the yards, in fence -corners, in cisterns, in the bay, far out across the waters on the -mainland shores, everywhere, in fact, were corpses. Galveston was a -veritable charnel-house. To bury the dead was a physical impossibility. -Added to the horror of so many corpses was the presence of carcasses of -thousands of horses, cattle, dogs and other domestic animals. - -To a people upon whom such a terrible calamity had been visited, now -devolved a duty the like of which a civilized people had never been -called to perform. To protect the living the dead had to be gotten rid -of with all speed, for with corpses on every side, with carcasses by the -thousands, and with a severe tropic sun to hasten decomposition, -pestilence in its most terrible form threatened the living if the dead -were not removed. - -The tumbrels that rumbled over Paris streets with the gruesome burdens -that came from Robespierre’s abattoir had little work compared with the -carts and wagons of Galveston in the days that followed the awful storm. -It was at first determined to bury the dead at sea, but the procession -of the dead seemed neverending, and the cargoes that were taken to the -deep and cast upon the waters came back with the tides and littered the -shores. Then it was decided to burn the dead. - -Ye who know not the horror of those days, who took no part in the -saddest spectacle that man ever witnessed, may well shed tears of -sympathy for those whose human tenement blazed on the funeral pyre in -street or avenue, or whose requiem was sung by the waves that had -brought death—but shed tears, too, for the brave men who faced this most -gruesome duty with a Spartan courage the world has never known before. - -The dead past has buried its dead. - -For a week Galveston was under martial law. There was no disorder. There -was some robbing of the dead by ghouls. This was checked by a punishment -swift and sure. - -The city rose from its ruins as if by magic. Street after street was -cleared of debris. A small army of men worked from early morn until the -shadows of night descended, to lift the city from its burden of -wreckage. Then, when danger of epidemic seemed passed, attention was -turned to commerce. The bay was strewn with stranded vessels. Monster -ocean steamers weighing thousands of tons had been picked up like toys, -driven across the lowlands, and thrown far from their moorings. One big -steamship was hurled through three bridges, another, weighing 4,000 -tons, was carried twenty-two miles from deep water, and dashed against a -bayou bluff in another county. - -The great wharves and warehouses along the bay front were a mass of -splintered, broken timbers. - -But the mighty energy of man worked wonders. Marvelous to say, under -such conditions, a bridge 2⅛ miles long was built across the bay within -seven days and Galveston, which had been cut off from the world, was -once more in active touch with all the marts of trade and commerce. An -undaunted people strove as only an indomitable people can strive, to -rehabilitate the city. - -The signs of the cripple are still upon the city, but every hour brings -nearer the day when the crutches will be thrown away and Galveston, -which by nature and by man was chosen as the entrepot for the great -West, will rise to a loftier destiny and a more enduring commercial -prosperity than seemed possible before she was tried in the crucible of -disaster. Longfellow says: - - Our lot is the common lot of all, - Into each life some rain must fall, - Some days must be dark and dreary. - -The dark and dreary days were crowded into Galveston’s life with horror -unspeakable. It is an inexorable law of nature that after the storm -comes the radiance of a glorious sunshine. - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - PAGE - - First News of the Great Calamity—Galveston Almost Totally - Destroyed by Wind and Waves—Thousands Swept to Instant Death 17 - - - CHAPTER II. - - The Tale of Destruction Grows—A Night of Horrors—Sufferings of the - Survivors—Relief Measures by the National Government 29 - - - CHAPTER III. - - Incidents of the Awful Hurricane—Unparalleled Atrocities by - Lawless Hordes—Earnest Appeals for Help 42 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - The Cry of Distress in the Wrecked City—Negro Vandals Shot - Down—Progress of the Relief Work—Strict Military Rules 61 - - - CHAPTER V. - - Vivid Pictures of Suffering in Every Street and House—The Gulf - City a Ghastly Mass of Ruins—The Sea Giving Up its Dead—Supplies - Pouring in from Every Quarter 86 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - Two Survivors Give Harrowing Details of the Awful - Disaster—Hundreds Eager to Get out of Galveston—Cleaning up the - Wreckage 107 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Not a House in Galveston Escaped Damage—Young and Old, Rich and - Poor, Hurried to a Watery Grave—Citizens With Guns Guarding the - Living and the Dead 129 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Fears of Pestilence—Searching Parties Clearing away the Ruins and - Cremating the Dead—Distracted Crowds Waiting to Leave the - City—Wonderful Escapes 146 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Story of a Brave Hero—A Vast Army of Helpless Victims—Scenes that - Shock the Beholders—Our Nation Rises to the Occasion 167 - - - CHAPTER X. - - Details of the Overwhelming Tragedy—The Whole City Caught in the - Death Trap—Personal Experiences of Those Who Escaped—First - Reports More than Confirmed 191 - - - CHAPTER XI - - Galveston Calamity—One of the Greatest Known to History—Many - Thousands Maimed and Wounded—Few Heeded the Threatening - Hurricane—The Doomed City Turned to Chaos 212 - - - CHAPTER XII - - Thrilling Narratives by Eye-witnesses—Path of the Storms Fury - Through Galveston—Massive Heaps of Rubbish—Huge Buildings Swept - into the Gulf 234 - - - CHAPTER XIII - - Refugees Continue the Terrible Story—Rigid Military Patrol—The - City in Darkness at Night—Hungry and Ragged Throngs 257 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - Dead Babes Floating in the Water—Sharp Crack of Soldiers’ - Rifles—Tears Mingle With the Flood—Doctors and Nurses for the - Sick and Dying 273 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - Family in a Tree-top All Night—Rescue of the Perishing—Railroad - Trains Hurrying Forward With Relief—Pathetic Scenes in the - Desolate City 293 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - Startling Havoc Made by the Angry Storm—Vessels Far Out on the - Prairie—Urgent Call for Millions of Dollars—Tangled Wires and - Mountains of Wreckage 318 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Governor Sayres Revises His Estimate of Those Lost and Makes it - 12,000—A Multitude of the Destitute—Abundant Supplies and Vast - Work of Distribution 340 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - An Island of Desolation—Crumbling Walls—Faces White With - Agony—Tales of Dismay and Death—Curious Sights 360 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Thousands Died in Their Efforts to Save Others—Houses and Humans - Beings Floating on the Tide—An Army of Orphans—Greatest - Catastrophe in our History 371 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - The Storm’s Murderous Fury—People Stunned by the Staggering - Blow—Heroic Measures to Avert Pestilence—Thrilling Story of the - Ursuline Convent 391 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - Unparalleled Bombardment of Waves—Wonderful Courage Shown by the - Survivors—Letter from Clara Barton 416 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - Galveston Storm Stories—Fierce Battles with Surging Waves—Vivid - Accounts from Fortunate Survivors—A City of Sorrow 440 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - Heroic Incidents—Arrival of Relief Trains—Hospitals for the - Injured—Loud Call for Skilled Labor 461 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - One Hero Rescues Over Two Hundred—Traveler Caught in the Rush of - Water—Report of a Government Official—How the Great Storm - Started 477 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - Storms of Great Violence Around Galveston—Wrecked Cities and Vast - Destruction of Property—Appalling Sacrifice of Life 497 - - Imprisoned by the Storm 509 - - Names of the Victims of the Great Galveston Horror 517 - -[Illustration: - - HOTEL GRAND AND ITS ENVIRONS—GALVESTON] - -[Illustration: - - BRINGING THE INJURED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT] - - - - - CHAPTER I. - First News of the Great Calamity—Galveston Almost Totally Destroyed by - Winds and Waves. Thousands Swept to Instant Death. - - -The first news of the appalling calamity that fell like a thunderbolt on -Galveston came in the following despatch from the Governor of Texas: - - -“Information has just reached me that about 3000 lives have been lost in -Galveston, with enormous destruction of property. No information from -other points. - - “JOSEPH D. SAYRES, Governor.” - - -This despatch was dated at Austin, Texas, September 9th. Further -intelligence was awaited with great anxiety in all parts of the country. -The worst was feared, and all the fears were more than realized. Later -intelligence showed that the West Indian storm which reached the Gulf -coast on the morning of September 8th, wrought awful havoc in Texas. -Reports were conflicting, but it was known that an appalling disaster -had befallen the city of Galveston, where, it was reported, a thousand -or more lives had been blotted out and a tremendous property damage -incurred. Meagre reports from Sabine Pass and Port Arthur also indicated -a heavy loss of life. - -Among those who brought tidings from the stricken city of Galveston was -James C. Timmins, who resides in Houston, and who is the General -Superintendent of the National Compress Company. After Mr. Spillane he -was one of the first to reach Houston with news of the great disaster -which had befallen that city, and after all he reported it was evident -that the magnitude of the disaster remained to be told. - -After remaining through the hurricane on Saturday, the 8th, he departed -from Galveston on a schooner and came across the bay to Morgan’s Point, -where he caught a train for Houston. The hurricane, Mr. Timmins said, -was the worst ever known. - -The estimate made by citizens of Galveston was that four thousand -houses, most of them residences, were destroyed, and that at least one -thousand people had been drowned, killed or were missing. Business -houses were also destroyed. These estimates, it was learned afterward, -were far below the actual facts. - -The city, Mr. Timmins averred, was a complete wreck, so far as he could -see from the water front and from the Tremont Hotel. Water was blown -over the island by the hurricane, the wind blowing at the rate of eighty -miles an hour straight from the Gulf and forcing the sea water before it -in big waves. The gale was a steady one, the heart of it striking the -city about 5 o’clock in the evening and continuing without intermission -until midnight, when it abated somewhat, although it continued to blow -all night. - - - WORST HURRICANE EVER KNOWN. - -The water extended across the island. Mr. Timmins said it was three feet -deep in the rotunda of the Tremont Hotel, and was six feet deep in -Market street. Along the water front the damage was very great. The -roofs had been blown from all the elevators, and the sheds along the -wharves were either wrecked or had lost their sides and were of no -protection to the contents. - -Most of the small sailing craft were wrecked, and were either piled up -on the wharves or floating bottom side up in the bay. There was a small -steamship ashore three miles north of Pelican Island, but Mr. Timmins -could not distinguish her name. She was flying a British flag. Another -big vessel had been driven ashore at Virginia Point, and still another -was aground at Texas City. At the south point of Houston Island an -unknown ship lay in a helpless condition. - -The lightship that marks Galveston bar was hard and fast aground at -Bolivar Point. Mr. Timmins and the men with him on the schooner rescued -two sailors from the Middle Bay who had been many hours in the water. -These men were foreigners, and he could gain no information from them. - -A wreck of a vessel which looked like a large steam tug was observed -just before the party landed. In the bay the carcasses of nearly two -hundred horses and mules were seen, but no human body was visible. - -The scenes during the storm could not be described. Women and children -were crowded into the Tremont Hotel, where he was seeking shelter, and -all night these unfortunates were bemoaning their losses of kindred and -fortune. They were grouped about the stairways and in the galleries and -rooms of the hotel. What was occurring in other parts of the city could -only be conjectured. - -The city of Galveston was now entirely submerged and cut off from -communication. The boats were gone, the railroads could not be operated, -and the water was so high people could not walk out by way of the bridge -across the bay, even were the bridge standing. - -Provisions were badly needed, as a great majority of the people lost all -they had. The water works’ power house was wrecked, and a water famine -was threatened, as the cisterns were all ruined by the overflow of salt -water. This was regarded as the most serious problem to be faced. The -city was in darkness, the electric plant having been ruined. - - - BODIES FLOATING IN THE BAY. - -There was no way of estimating the property damage. The east end portion -of the city, which was the residence district was practically wiped out -of existence. On the west end, which faces the gulf on another portion -of the island, much havoc was done. The beach was swept clean, the -bath-houses were destroyed, and many of the residences were total -wrecks. - -Among the passengers who arrived at Houston on a relief train from -Galveston was Ben Dew, an attache of the Southern Pacific. Dew had been -at Virginia Point for several hours, and said that he saw 100 to 150 -dead bodies floating out on the beach at that place. - -Conductor Powers reported that twenty-five corpses had been recovered by -the life-saving crew, many of them women; that the crew had reported -that many bodies were floating, and that they were using every endeavor -to get them all out of the water. The water swept across the island, and -it is presumed that most of these were Galveston people, though none of -them had been identified. - - - LOST WIFE AND SIX CHILDREN. - -One of the refugees who came in on the relief train and who had a sad -experience was S. W. Clinton, an engineer at the fertilizing plant at -the Galveston stock yards. Mr. Clinton’s family consisted of his wife -and six children. When his house was washed away he managed to get two -of his little boys safely to a raft, and with them he drifted helplessly -about. His raft collided with wreckage of every description and was -split in two, and he was forced to witness the drowning of his sons, -being unable to help them in any way. Mr. Clinton says parts of the city -were seething masses of water. - -From an eye-witness of the vast devastation we are able to give the -following graphic account: - -“The storm that raged along the coast of Texas was the most disastrous -that has ever visited this section. The wires are down, and there is no -way of finding out just what has happened, but enough is known to make -it certain that there has been great loss of life and destruction of -property all along the coast and for a hundred miles inland. Every town -that is reached reports one or more dead, and the property damage is so -great that there is no way of computing it accurately. - -“Galveston remains isolated. The Houston Post and the Associated Press -made efforts to get special trains and tugs to-day with which to reach -the island city. The railroad companies declined to risk their -locomotives. - -“It is known that the railroad bridges across the bay at Galveston are -either wrecked or are likely to be destroyed with the weight of a train -on them; the approaches to the wagon bridge are gone and it is rendered -useless. The bridge of the Galveston, Houston and Northern Railroad is -standing, but the drawbridges over Clear creek and at Edgewater are -gone, and the road cannot get trains through to utilize the bridge -across the bay. - -“Sabine Pass has not been heard from to-day (September 9th). The last -news was received from there yesterday morning, and at that time the -water was surrounding the old town at the pass, and the wind was rising -and the waves coming high. From the new town, which is some distance -back, the water had reached the depot and was running through the -streets. The people were leaving for the high country, known as the -Black Ridge, and it is believed that all escaped. Two bodies have been -brought in from Seabrooke, on Galveston Bay, and seventeen persons are -missing there. - -“In Houston the property damage is great, a conservative estimate -placing it at $250,000. The Merchants’ and Planters’ Oil Mill was -wrecked, entailing a loss of $40,000. The Dickson Car Wheel Works -suffered to the extent of $16,000. The big Masonic Temple, which is the -property of the Grand Lodge of the State, was partly wrecked. Nearly -every church in the city was damaged. The First Baptist, Southern -Methodist and Trinity Methodist, the latter a negro church, will have to -be rebuilt before they can be used again. Many business houses were -unroofed. - - - MANY TOWNS DEMOLISHED. - -“The residence portion of the town presents a dilapidated appearance, -but the damage in this part of the city has not been so great as in some -others. The streets are almost impassable because of the litter of shade -trees, fences, telephone wires and poles. Much damage was done to window -glass and furniture. Many narrow escapes are recorded. - -“Another train has left here for Galveston, making the third to-day. The -two preceding ones have not been heard from, as all wires are -prostrated. - -“Meagre reports are arriving here from the country between Houston and -Galveston, along the line of the Santa Fe Railroad. The tornado was the -most destructive in the history of the State. - -“The town of Alvin was practically demolished. Hitchcock suffered -severely from the storm, while the little town of Alta Loma is reported -without a house standing. The town of Pearl has lost one-half of its -buildings. - -“L. B. Carlton, the president of the Business League of Alvin, and a -prominent merchant there, reports that not a building is left standing -in the town, either residence or business. Stocks of goods and house -furniture are ruined, and crops are a total loss. Alvin is a town of -about 1200 inhabitants. - - - SANTA FE TRAIN BLOWN FROM THE TRACK. - -“The Santa Fe train which left here at 7.55 Saturday night, the 8th, was -wrecked at a point about two miles north of Alvin. The train was running -slowly when it encountered the heavy storm. It is reported that the -train was literally lifted from the track.” - -A thrilling story was told by two men who floated across from Galveston -to the mainland. It came in the form of a telegram received at Dallas -from Houston: - -“Relief train just returned. They could not get closer than six miles of -Virginia Point, where the prairie was covered with lumber, debris, -pianos, trunks, and dead bodies. Two hundred corpses were counted from -the train. A large steamer is stranded two miles this side of Virginia -Point, as though thrown up by a tidal wave. Nothing can be seen of -Galveston. - -“Two men were picked up who floated across to the mainland, who say they -estimate the loss of life up to the time they left at 2000.” - -The above message was addressed to Superintendent Felton, Dallas, and -comes from Mr. Vaughn, manager of the Western Union office at Houston. -The Missouri, Kansas and Texas north bound “flyer” was reported wrecked -near Sayers. - -The office of the Western Union Telegraph Company at St. Louis was -besieged with thousands of inquiries as to the extent and result of the -terrible storm that cut off Galveston from communication with the rest -of the world. Rumors of the most direful nature come from that part of -Texas, some of them even intimating that Galveston had been entirely -wrecked and that the bay was covered with the dead bodies of its -residents. Nothing definite, however, could be learned, as the Gulf city -was entirely isolated, not even railroad trains being able to reach it. -All the telegraph wires to Galveston were gone south of Houston, and to -accentuate the serious condition of affairs the cable lines between -Galveston and Tampico and Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, were severed; at least -no communication over them was possible. - -The Western Union had a large number of telegraph operators and linemen -waiting at Houston to go to Galveston, but it was impossible to get them -there. San Antonio was being reached by El Paso, in the extreme -southwestern portion of the State, a procedure made necessary by the -prevailing storm. - - - WATER BLOWN COMPLETELY OVER THE CITY. - -Mr. Joyce, another refugee from Galveston, made the following statement: - -“The wind was blowing Saturday afternoon and night at about seventy-five -miles an hour, blowing the water in the Gulf and completely covering the -city. The people of Galveston did not think it was much at first and -kept within their homes, consequently when the wind began blowing as it -did and the water dashed against the houses, completely demolishing -them, many lives were lost. I have no idea how many were killed, but -think there will be several thousand deaths reported, besides many -people whom we will know nothing about. - -“I was in the storm which struck Galveston in 1875, but that one, bad as -it was, was nothing in comparison with Saturday’s.” - -The following account of Galveston will be of interest to readers in -connection with the great disaster that has ruined that once prosperous -and thriving city. - -Galveston is situated on an island extending east and west for twenty -seven miles, and is seven miles in its greatest width north and south. -No city could be in greater danger from such a horrible visitation as -has now come to Galveston. In no part of the city, with its former -38,000 population, is it more than six feet above the sea level. - -The flat condition not only points to the desperate situation of the -people at such a time as this, but their danger may be considered -emphasized when it is known that exactly where the city is built the -island is only one and one-quarter miles wide. - -On the bay, or north side of the city, is the commercial section, with -wharves stretching along for nearly two miles, lined with sheds and -large storage houses. Then, in that portion of Galveston, there are -three elevators, one of 1,500,000 bushels capacity, one of 1,000,000 and -the third of 750,000. - - - A BRIDGE TWO MILES LONG. - -The island from the north side is connected with the mainland by -railroad bridges and the longest wagon bridge in the world, the latter -nearly two miles in length. In 1872 the entire east end of the city was -swept away by the tidal wave that followed a terrific storm that swept -the Gulf coast for three days. Then the eastern land, on which buildings -stood, was literally torn away. The work of replacing it has since been -going on, and Fort Point, that guards the entrance to the harbor, has -since been built, and on its parapets are mounted some of the heaviest -coast defense ordnance used by the government. By the force of the storm -of 1872 six entire blocks of the city were swept away. - -It is on the south side of the city, beginning within fifty yards of the -medium Gulf tide, that the wealthy residence portion of the city is -located, and which was the first part of Galveston to be stricken by the -full force of the storm and flood. All of the eastern end of the city -was washed away, and in this quarter, between Broadway and I street, -some of the handsomest and most expensive residence establishments are -located. There was located there one home, which alone cost the owner -over $1,000,000. Most of the residences are of frame, but there are many -of stone and brick. In the extreme eastern end of the city there are -many of what we call raised cottages. They are built on piling, and -stand from eight to ten feet from the ground as a precaution against -floods, it being possible for the water to sweep under them. - -Any protection that has ever been provided for the Gulf side of the city -has been two stone breakwaters, but many times, with ordinary storms -coming in from the Gulf, the high tidewater has been hurled over the low -stone walls right to the very doors of the residences. From Virginia -Point, six miles from Galveston, in ordinary conditions of the -atmosphere, the city can be plainly seen. If it is true that Galveston -cannot be now seen from the Point, then the conditions of the people in -the city must be indescribably horrible. In short, a large part of the -city is obliterated and has disappeared. - - - VAST AMOUNT OF MONEY INVESTED. - -Many millions of dollars are invested in the wholesale and retail -business of the city. On Strand street alone there are ten blocks of -business establishments that represent an invested capital of -$127,000,000. Market street is the heavy retail street, and there, in -the heart of the flooded district, the losses cannot but reach away into -the millions. The fact, as indicated by the despatches, that water is -standing six feet deep in the Tremont Hotel, furnishes startling -evidence to me that Galveston has been, indeed, dreadfully visited. The -hotel is in almost exactly the centre of the city. Two years ago -Galveston did the heaviest shipping business in cotton and grain of any -Southern city. When I was at home two shiploads of cattle were leaving -the port on an average every week. - -Dr. H. C. Frankenfeld, forecast official of the Weather Bureau, gave an -account of the West India hurricane that travelled through Texas. The -first sign of the storm was noticed August 30 near the Windward Islands, -about latitude 15 degrees north, longitude 63 degrees west. On the -morning of August 31 it was still in the same latitude, but had moved -westward to about longitude 67 degrees, or about 200 miles south of the -island of Porto Rico. At that time, however, it had not assumed a very -definite storm formation. It was central in the Caribbean Sea on the -morning of September 1st, evidently about two hundred miles south of -Santo Domingo City. - -It had reached a point somewhere to the southwest, and not very far from -Jamaica, by September 2d. The morning of September 3d found it about 175 -miles south of the middle of Cuba. It had moved northwestward to -latitude 21 degrees and longitude 81 degrees by September 4th. Up to -this time the storm had not developed any destructive force but had -caused heavy rains, particularly at Santiago, Cuba, where 12.58 inches -of rain fell in twenty-four hours. - - - OMINOUS PROGRESS OF THE STORM. - -On the morning of the fifth, the storm centre had passed over Cuba and -had become central between Havana and Key West. High winds occurred over -Cuba during the night of the fourth. By the morning of the sixth the -storm centre was a short distance northwest of Key West, Fla., and the -high winds had commenced over Southern Florida, forty-eight miles an -hour from the east being reported from Jupiter, and forty miles from the -N. E. from Key West. At this time it became a question as to whether the -storm would recurve and pass up along the Atlantic coast, a most natural -presumption judging from the barometric conditions over the eastern -portion of the United States, or whether it would continue northwesterly -over the Gulf of Mexico. - -Advisory messages were sent as early as September 1st to Key West and -the Bahama Islands, giving warning of the approach of the storm and -advising caution to all shipping. The warnings were supplemented by -others on the second, third, and fourth, giving more detailed -information, and were gradually extended along the Gulf coast as far as -Galveston and the Atlantic coast to Norfolk. - -On the afternoon of the fourth the first storm warnings were issued to -all ports in Florida from Cedar Keys to Jupiter. On the fifth they were -extended to Hatteras, and advisory messages issued along the coast as -far as Boston. Hurricane warnings were also ordered displayed on the -night of the fifth from Cedar Keys to Savannah. On the fifth storm -warnings were also ordered displayed on the Gulf coast from Pensacola, -Fla., to Port Eads, La. During the sixth barometric conditions over the -eastern portion of the United States so far changed as to prevent the -movement of the storm along the Atlantic coast, and it therefore -continued northwest over the Gulf of Mexico. - -On the morning of the seventh it was apparently central south of the -Louisiana coast, about longitude 28, latitude 89. At this time storm -signals were ordered up on the North Texas coast, and during the day -were extended along the entire coast. On the morning of the eighth the -storm was nearing the Texas coast, and was apparently central at about -latitude 28, longitude 94. The last report received from Galveston, -dated 3.40 P. M., September 8, showed a barometric pressure of 29.22 -inches, with a wind of forty-two miles an hour, northeast, indicating -that the centre of the storm was quite close to that city. - - - ALWAYS IN DANGER DURING A HURRICANE. - -At this time the heavy sea from the southeast was constantly rising and -already covered the streets of about half the city. Up to Sunday morning -no reports were received from southern Texas, but the barometer at Fort -Worth gave some indications that the storm was passing into the southern -portion of the State. An observation taken at San Antonio at 11 o’clock, -but not received until half-past five, indicated that the centre of the -storm had passed a short distance east of the place, and had then turned -in the northward. - -Situated as Galveston is, with much of the shore but a few feet above -the mean high water, there is so scant a margin of safety that, as was -the case on the South Carolina Sea Islands on August 27, 1893, and among -the bayous of Louisiana in October of the same year, any abnormal tide -means death and destruction. Sabine Pass is a mere sand spit, and -Galveston Island itself is but a few feet above the ocean level at the -best, and is but three feet above high tide in many places. As the great -storm wave raised by the cyclonic winds of the average hurricane may -easily have a crest of from eight to nine feet, for a city such as -Galveston this would be most ominous. - -Such a fate as an inundation during the prevalence of a hurricane has -been forecast for the island city, whose population according to the new -census is 37,789, many of whom live under conditions that invite loss of -life in case of a tidal overflow. And yet, though such a disaster has -been foreseen and forecast, the inertia of one’s adherence to normal -life and duties is such that even in the face of specific warning it is -not likely any number would flee to the mainland. On September 8th, for -instance, the Weather Bureau, which had not lost track of the storm, -very correctly pointed out that the hurricane was moving northwestward -slowly, towards the Texas coast, Port Eads, La., giving a wind velocity -of fifty-six miles an hour. Storm warnings were ordered for the eastern -Texas and middle Gulf region, and high winds were specifically forecast -for the coast of eastern Texas. More the Bureau could not do, but it -looks as if its warnings were in vain. - - - THE FATEFUL WINDS GATHERING FORCE. - -Unfortunately for Galveston, the slow movement of the hurricane was an -additional menace, since this meant the longer pounding of the vertical -winds of high velocities. As most readers know, the hurricane is a storm -which has two entirely distinct motions. It is a great cyclonic whirl in -which the winds blow into and about the centre at great velocities, -while its motion along its track may be comparatively slow. - -In the present case it took the hurricane four days to cross the Gulf -from Key West to Galveston, which was at a rate of about twelve and -one-half miles an hour. Its rotary winds, however, even a hundred miles -from the centre on Friday, were raging at a rate of over fifty miles, -and as the vortex passed directly and slowly over Galveston, the -buffeting of the winds beginning on Friday evening and continuing far -into Saturday, must have been terrific. Moreover, as the whole of -Galveston is built up of frame houses without cellars on uncertain -foundations, the evil possibilities must be obvious. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - The Tale of Destruction Grows—A Night of Horrors—Sufferings of the - Survivors—Relief Measures by the National Government. - - -The following graphic account of the terrible disaster is from the pen -of an eye-witness, written within twenty-four hours after the city was -struck by the hurricane: “No direct wire communication has been -established between Dallas and Galveston, and such a connection is not -likely to be established earlier than to-morrow. The gulf coast, back -for a distance of approximately twenty miles, is one vast marsh, and in -many places the water is from three to ten feet deep, making progress -toward the stricken city slow and unremunerative in the matter of direct -news. - -“Although Dallas is 300 miles from Galveston, all efforts for direct -communication centre here, as it is the headquarters of the telegraph -and telephone systems of the State. Hundreds of linemen were hurried to -the front on Saturday night and Sunday morning from this city to try to -put wire affairs in workable order. - - - WIND STORM OF GIANT FORCE. - -“Less than half a dozen out of approximately half a hundred wires -between Dallas and Houston have thus far been gotten into operation. -This is because the wind storm extended inland with terrific force for a -distance of 100 miles, and destroyed telegraphic, telephonic and -railroad connections to such an extent as nearly to paralyze these -channels of communication. With the best of weather conditions, it will -require several weeks to restore these systems to anything like their -normal state. - -“Nothing like definite and tangible information is likely to be received -from Galveston earlier than Wednesday or Thursday. All reliable -information that has been received up to this hour comes from the -advance guard of the relief forces and the linemen sent out by the -railroad, telegraph and telephone companies. - -“None of these reports place the number of dead at Galveston at less -than 2000; some of them predict that 5000 will be nearer the mark. No -one places the property loss at Galveston at less $10,000,000, while -Manager Vaughn, of the Western Union office at Houston, wires Manager -Baker at Dallas: ‘Galveston as a business place is practically -destroyed.’ When the waters shall have receded it is feared Manager -Vaughn will be found to be a wise prophet. Along the coast for 100 miles -either way from Galveston is a district that is nearly as completely -isolated as is Galveston itself. In this territory are not less than 100 -cities, villages and hamlets. Each of these as far as heard from reports -from two to twenty dead persons. - - - OVER SEVEN HUNDRED CORPSES FOUND. - -“In a radius of approximately twenty miles from Virginia Point, the -centre of railroad relief operations, up to late this afternoon more -than 700 corpses had been washed ashore or picked up from the main land. -Hitchcock, Clear Creek, Texas City, Virginia Point, Seabrook, Alvin, -Dickinson and half a dozen other points midway between Houston and -Galveston compose one vast morgue. - -“Down along the coast toward Corpus Christi and Rockport all is silence. -Not a word had come from there up to this evening. The first news from -that section is likely to come from San Antonio, as that is the most -directly connected point with that section of the Gulf. An awful -calamity, it is feared, will be chronicled when the report does come. - -“Telegraphic communication was opened late this afternoon with Beaumont -and Orange on the other extreme end of the Gulf to the eastward of -Galveston. The joyful news was contained that those two towns and Port -Arthur were safe, but in the territory adjacent, forty miles wide and -100 miles long, many lives are believed to have been lost and immense -property damage sustained. - -“Conservative estimates of the property losses, including commercial and -other material interests at Galveston and Houston, put the total at from -$40,000,000 to $50,000,000 for the State. This includes the damage to -cotton, which is placed at 250,000 bales. John Clay, one of the foremost -men in the cotton trade at Dallas, addressed wire inquiries to all -accessible points in the cotton growing districts of Texas concerning -crop losses. He states they will reach ten per cent. of the State’s -crop. Spot cotton sold at ten cents per pound on the market, an advance -of half a cent a pound over Saturday’s best figures. - - - RELIEF WORK STARTED. - -“Relief work for the Galveston sufferers started in Dallas vigorously on -receipt of an appeal from Governor Sayers. The City Council appropriated -$500. A mass meeting of citizens appointed soliciting committees, as did -also the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias. Fully $10,000 in cash had -been subscribed by night. - -“A special train was started for Houston over the Houston and Texas -Central Railroad carrying committees of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias -and citizens to render aid and distribute relief in the storm districts. -At the request of many persons in Dallas a telegram was sent to Governor -Sayers by J. C. McNealus, Secretary of the Dallas County Democratic -Executive Committee, asking the Governor his idea as to calling an extra -session of the Legislature. Governor Sayers this evening replied as -follows: - -“‘Telegram received. I will do nothing until I can hear directly and -authoritatively from Galveston except to call upon the people to render -assistance.’ - -“As there is approximately a surplus of $2,000,000 cash in the State -Treasury, it is reasoned that the citizens of Texas would endorse the -Governor’s action should he conclude to call a special session to -furnish public relief to the stricken sections of the State. - -“A bulletin received at the Houston and Texas Central headquarters from -the headquarters of the company in Houston stated that a courier from -the relief force had just arrived. He stated that signal reports from -men sent forward to Galveston Island to the relief parties on the main -land read: - -“‘Sixty dead bodies in one block. Six hundred corpses recovered and 400 -more reported. People dying from injuries and sickness and for want of -fresh water. Survivors threatened with starvation and disease. Doctors, -nurses and fresh water needed at once.’ - -“The telegraph offices at Dallas have been besieged all day with men and -women anxious to hear from friends who were in Galveston when the -hurricane came on. Messages of inquiry have poured in from all parts of -the United States. More than 10,000 messages were piled up in the Dallas -offices to-day from local and outside parties, and every telegraph -operator has been kept busy as long as he could work. The offices have -uniformly had to inform the customers: ‘We can’t reach Galveston; can -only promise to forward from Houston by boat as early as possible.’ -Notwithstanding discouragements of this kind, the customers have almost -invariably insisted on having their messages sent. Some of the scenes at -the local telegraph offices have been very pathetic. - -“A telegram was received from E. H. R. Green, son of Hetty Green, dated -at Rockport, stating that Rockport had not been damaged by the storm, -and that the visitors at the Tarpon Club House, on St. Joseph’s Island, -were safe. This news lessens the fear felt for the safety of the people -living along the coast in the vicinity of Rockport and Corpus Christi. - -“Houston and Texas Central Railroad officials at noon received bulletins -from their general offices in Houston that the loss of life will reach -3000 in Galveston. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas relief forces near -Galveston and along the coast telegraphed at noon that the loss of life -will not be less than 5000 and may reach 10,000.” - - - THE CITY IN RUINS. - -Richard Spillane, a well-known Galveston newspaper man and day -correspondent of the Associated Press in that city, who reached Houston -September 10th, after a terrible experience, gives the following account -of the disaster at Galveston: - -[Illustration: - - FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, GALVESTON, AFTER THE STORM] - -[Illustration: - - WRECKAGE OF CARS OF GRAIN—GALVESTON] - -[Illustration: - - AVENUE L AND TWENTY-SIXTH STREET, SHOWING THE URSULINE CONVENT, THE - REFUGE OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE] - -[Illustration: - - RUINS OF THE GAS WORKS AT THIRTY-THIRD AND MARKET STREETS] - -[Illustration: - - BURYING BODIES WHERE THEY WERE FOUND] - -[Illustration: - - AVENUE L AND FIFTEENTH STREET—SHOWING DESTRUCTION DONE BY THE - HURRICANE] - -[Illustration: - - TANGLED MASS OF RUINS ON NINETEENTH STREET] - -[Illustration: - - VOLUNTEERS REMOVING DEBRIS ON TWENTY-FIRST STREET, LOOKING SOUTH] - -“One of the most awful tragedies of modern times has visited Galveston. -The city is in ruins, and the dead will number many thousands: I am just -from the city, having been commissioned by the Mayor and Citizens’ -Committee to get in touch with the outside world and appeal for help. -Houston was the nearest point at which working telegraph instruments -could be found, the wires as well as nearly all the buildings between -here and the Gulf of Mexico being wrecked. - -“When I left Galveston the people were organizing for the prompt burial -of the dead, distribution of food and all necessary work after a period -of disaster. - - - CITY TURNED INTO A RAGING SEA. - -“The wreck of Galveston was brought about by a tempest so terrible that -no words can adequately describe its intensity, and by a flood which -turned the city into a raging sea. The Weather Bureau records show that -the wind attained a velocity of eighty-four miles an hour when the -measuring instrument blew away, so it is impossible to tell what was the -maximum. - -“The storm began at 2 o’clock Saturday morning. Previous to that a great -storm had been raging in the Gulf, and the tide was very high. The wind -at first came from the north, and was in direct opposition to the force -from the Gulf. Where the storm in the Gulf piled the water up on the -beach side of the city, the north wind piled the water from the bay onto -the bay part of the city. - -“About noon it became evident that the city was going to be visited with -disaster. Hundreds of residences along the beach front were hurriedly -abandoned, the families fleeing to dwellings in higher portions of the -city. Every home was opened to the refugees, black or white. The winds -were rising constantly, and it rained in torrents. The wind was so -fierce that the rain cut like a knife. - -“By 3 o’clock the waters of the Gulf and bay met, and by dark the entire -city was submerged. The flooding of the electric light plant and the gas -plants left the city in darkness. To go upon the streets was to court -death. The wind was then at cyclonic velocity, roofs, cisterns, portions -of buildings, telegraph poles and walls were falling, and the noise of -the wind and the crashing of buildings were terrifying in the extreme. -The wind and waters rose steadily from dark until 1.45 o’clock Sunday -morning. During all this time the people of Galveston were like rats in -a trap. The highest portion of the city was four to five feet under -water, while in the great majority of cases the streets were submerged -to a depth of ten feet. To leave a house was to drown. To remain was to -court death in the wreckage. - -“Such a night of agony has seldom been equaled. Without apparent reason -the waters suddenly began to subside at 1.45 A. M. Within twenty minutes -they had gone down two feet, and before daylight the streets were -practically freed of the flood-waters. In the meantime the wind had -veered to the southeast. - - - VERY FEW BUILDINGS ESCAPED. - -“Very few if any buildings escaped injury. There is hardly a habitable -dry house in the city. When the people who had escaped death went out at -daylight to view the work of the tempest and floods they saw the most -horrible sights imaginable. In the three blocks from Avenue N to Avenue -P, in Tremont street, I saw eight bodies. Four corpses were in one yard. - -“The whole of the business front for three blocks in from the Gulf was -stripped of every vestige of habitation, the dwellings, the great -bathing establishments, the Olympia and every structure having been -either carried out to sea or its ruins piled in a pyramid far into the -town, according to the vagaries of the tempest. The first hurried glance -over the city showed that the largest structures, supposed to be the -most substantially built, suffered the greatest. - -“The Orphans’ Home, Twenty-first street and Avenue M, fell like a house -of cards. How many dead children and refugees are in the ruins could not -be ascertained. Of the sick in St. Mary’s Infirmary, together with the -attendants, only eight are understood to have been saved. The Old -Woman’s Home, on Roosenburg avenue, collapsed, and the Roosenburg -School-house is a mass of wreckage. The Ball High School is but an empty -shell, crushed and broken. Every church in the city, with possibly one -or two exceptions, is in ruins. - -“At the forts nearly all the soldiers are reported dead, they having -been in temporary quarters, which gave them no protection against the -tempest or flood. No report has been received from the Catholic Orphan -Asylum down the island, but it seems impossible that it could have -withstood the hurricane. If it fell, all the inmates were, no doubt, -lost, for there was no aid within a mile. - - “The bay front from end to end is in ruins. Nothing but piling and the -wreck of great warehouses remain. The elevators lost all their -super-works, and their stocks are damaged by water. The life-saving -station at Fort Point was carried away, the crew being swept across the -bay fourteen miles to Texas City. I saw Captain Haynes, and he told me -that his wife and one of his crew were drowned. - - - WRECKAGE SWEPT ACROSS THE BAY. - -“The shore at Texas City contains enough wreckage to rebuild a city. -Eight persons who were swept across the bay during the storm were picked -up there alive. Five corpses were also picked up. There were three -fatalities in Texas City. In addition to the living and the dead which -the storm cast up at Texas City, caskets and coffins from one of the -cemeteries at Galveston were being fished out of the water there -yesterday. In the business portion of the city two large brick -buildings, one occupied by Knapp Brothers and the other by the Cotton -Exchange saloon, collapsed. In the Cotton Exchange saloon there were -about fifteen persons. Most of them escaped. - -“The cotton mills, the bagging factory, the gas works, the electric -light works and nearly all the industrial establishments of the city are -either wrecked or crippled. The flood left a slime about one inch deep -over the whole city, and unless fast progress is made in burying corpses -and carcasses of animals there is danger of pestilence. Some of the -stories of the escapes are miraculous. William Nisbett, a cotton man, -was buried in the ruins of the Cotton Exchange saloon, and when dug out -in the morning had no further injury than a few bruised fingers. - -“Dr. S. O. Young, Secretary of the Cotton Exchange, was knocked -senseless when his house collapsed, but was revived by the water, and -was carried ten blocks by the hurricane. A woman who had just given -birth to a child was carried from her home to a house a block distant, -the men who were carrying her having to hold her high above heads, as -the water was five feet deep when she was moved. - -“Many stories were current of houses falling and inmates escaping. -Clarence N. Ousley, editor of the Evening Tribune, had his family and -the families of two neighbors in his house when the lower half crumbled -and the upper part slipped down into the water. No one in the house was -hurt. - -“The Mistrot House, in the West End, was turned into a hospital. All of -the regular hospitals of the city were unavailable. Of the new Southern -Pacific Works little remains but the piling. Half a million feet of -lumber was carried away, and Engineer Boschke says, as far as the -company is concerned, it might as well start over again. - - - EIGHT OCEAN STEAMERS STRANDED. - -“Eight ocean steamers were torn from their moorings and stranded in the -bay. The Kendall Castle was carried over the flats at Thirty-third -street wharf to Texas City, and lies in the wreckage of the Inman pier. -The Norwegian steamer Gyller is stranded between Texas City and Virginia -Point. An ocean liner was swirled around through the west bay, crashed -through the bay bridges, and is now lying in a few feet of water near -the wreckage of the railroad bridges. - -“The steamship Taunton was carried across Pelican Point and is stranded -about ten miles up the east bay. The Mallory steamer Alamo was torn from -her wharf and dashed upon Pelican flats, and against the bow of the -British steamer Red Cross, which had previously been hurled there. The -stern of the Alamo is stove in and the bow of the Red Cross is crushed. -Down the channel to the jetties two other ocean steamships lie grounded. -Some schooners, barges and smaller craft are strewn bottom side up along -the slips of the piers. The tug Louise, of the Houston Direct Navigation -Company, is also a wreck. - -“It will take a week to tabulate the dead and the missing and to get -anything near an approximate idea of the monetary loss. It is safe to -assume that one-half the property of the city is wiped out, and that -one-half of the residents have to face absolute poverty. - -“At Texas City three of the residents were drowned. One man stepped into -a well by a mischance and his corpse was found there. Two other men -ventured along the bay front during the height of the storm and were -killed. There are but few buildings at Texas City that do not tell the -story of the storm. The hotel is a complete ruin. The office of the -Texas City Company was almost entirely destroyed. Nothing remains of the -piers except the piling. - -“The wreckage from Galveston litters the shore for miles and is a -hundred yards wide. For ten miles inland from the shore it is a common -sight to see small craft, such as steam launches, schooners and oyster -sloops. The life boat of the life-saving station was carried half a mile -inland, while a vessel that was anchored in Moses Bayou lies high and -dry five miles up from La Marque. - - - MULTITUDES SWEPT OUT TO SEA. - -“From Virginia Point north and south along the bay front, at such places -as Texas City, Dickinson, Hitchcock, Seabrook, Alvin and a dozen small -intermediate points, the number of dead bodies gathered up by rescue -trains and sailing craft had reached at noon more than 700. This is only -a small scope of the country devastated, and it is feared the death list -from the storm will ultimately show not less than 5000 victims. Hundreds -have been swept out to sea who will never be accounted for. Two mass -meetings were held at Dallas, and many thousands of dollars were -subscribed for the relief of the Texas Gulf coast storm sufferers.” - -The towns of Sabine Pass and Port Arthur, news from which was anxiously -awaited, passed through the terrific storm virtually unscathed. At Port -Arthur the water spread over the town, but it did not reach a depth -sufficient to destroy buildings. The town pleasure pier was washed away -completely, as was also the pier in front of the Gales and Elwood Homes. -The dredge Florida, property of the New York Dredging Company, which cut -the Port Arthur Channel, sunk at the mouth of Taylor Bayou. No other -property of consequence was injured. - -At Sabine Pass the water reached a depth of about three feet, but -nothing except small buildings near the water-front were washed away. -Several mud-scows and sloops were washed ashore. The Southern Pacific -wharves and warehouses were not damaged in the least. The railroad -between Beaumont and Sabine Pass was under water for a distance of -twelve miles, but not more than four miles were washed out. The -life-saving station of Sabine Pass was washed from its blocks, but the -light tower was not damaged. There was considerable damage at Sabine -Pass by water rising into the streets. - - - ARMY TENTS AND RATIONS FOR THE SUFFERERS. - -The officers of the National Government took steps at once to render all -possible aid and assistance to the flood-sufferers of Texas. The -President sent telegrams of sympathy to the Governor of the State and -the Mayor of Galveston, and promised to render all possible relief. -Adjutant-General Corbin also telegraphed instructions to General -McKibbin, commanding the Department of Texas at San Antonio, to proceed -to Galveston and investigate the character and extent of the damage -caused by the hurricane, and to report to the Secretary of War what -steps were necessary to alleviate the sufferings of the people and -improve the situation. - -Battery O, First Artillery, which garrisoned Fort San Jacinto, was -commanded by Captain William C. Rafferty. First Lieutenant Lassiter was -on detail duty at West Point, but the Second Lieutenant, J. C. Nichols, -was with his company during the storm. Acting Secretary of the Treasury -Spalding ordered two revenue cutters, one at Norfolk and one at -Wilmington, N.C., to proceed at once to Mobile, Ala., and there await -orders. They were needed in supplying food and tents to the -storm-sufferers. - -Governor Sayers, of Texas, applied to the War Department for 10,000 -tents and 50,000 rations for immediate use for the sufferers. Acting -Secretary Meiklejohn issued an order granting the request. The tents -were sent from San Antonio and Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. A large -portion of the rations was procured at San Antonio. - - - AN APPEAL FROM HOUSTON. - -The following telegrams passed between the White House and Texas: - - -“Houston, Texas, September 10.—William McKinley, President of the United -States, Washington, D. C.: I have been deputized by the Mayor and -Citizens’ Committee of Galveston to inform you that the city of -Galveston is in ruins, and certainly many hundreds, if not a thousand, -are dead. The tragedy is one of the most frightful in recent times. Help -must be given by the State and Nation or the suffering will be -appalling. Food, clothing and money will be needed at once. The whole -south side of the city for three blocks in from the Gulf is swept clear -of every building, the whole wharf front is a wreck and but few houses -in the city are really habitable. The water supply is cut off and the -food stock damaged by salt water. All bridges are washed away, and -stranded steamers litter the bay. When I left this morning the search -for bodies had begun. Corpses were everywhere. Tempest blew eighty-four -miles an hour, and then carried Government instruments away. At same -time waters of Gulf were over whole city, having risen twelve feet. -Water has now subsided, and the survivors are left helpless among the -wreckage, cut off from the world except by boat. - - “RICHARD SPILLANE.” - - -“Washington, September 10.—Hon. J. D. Sayers, Governor of Texas, Austin, -Texas: The reports of the great calamity which has befallen Galveston -and other points on the coast of Texas excite my profound sympathy for -the sufferers, as they will stir the hearts of the whole country. -Whatever help it is possible to give shall be gladly extended. Have -directed the Secretary of War to supply rations and tents upon your -request. - - “WILLIAM MCKINLEY.” - - -A copy of this telegram was sent to the Mayor of Galveston as well as to -Governor Sayers. - - -“Austin, Texas, September 10.—The President, Washington: Very many -thanks for your telegram. Your action will be greatly appreciated and -gratefully remembered by the people of Texas. I have this day requested -the Secretary of War to forward rations and tents to Galveston. - - “JOSEPH D. SAYERS, - “Governor of Texas.” - - - CLARA BARTON READY FOR RELIEF WORK. - -Miss Clara Barton issued the following appeal in behalf of the Texas -sufferers: - - -“The American National Red Cross, at Washington, D. C., is appealed to -on all sides for help and for the privilege to help in the terrible -disaster which has befallen Southern and Central Texas. It remembers the -floods of the Ohio and Mississippi, of Johnstown, and of Port Royal, -with their thousands of dead and months of suffering and needed relief, -and turns confidently to the people of the United States, whose sympathy -has never failed to help provide the relief that is asked of it now. -Nineteen years of experience on nearly as many fields renders the -obligations of the Red Cross all the greater. The people have long -learned its work, and it must again open its accustomed avenues for -their charities. It does not beseech them to give, for their sympathies -are as deep and their humanity as great as its own, but it pledges to -them faithful old-time Red Cross relief work among the stricken victims -of these terrible fields of suffering and death. - -“He gives twice who gives quickly. - -“Contributions may be wired or sent by mail to our Treasurer, William J. -Flather, Assistant Cashier Riggs National Bank, Washington, D. C.; also -to the local Red Cross committees of the Red Cross India Famine Fund, at -156 Fifth avenue, New York City, and the Louisiana Red Cross of New -Orleans, both of whom will report all donations for immediate -acknowledgment by us. - - “CLARA BARTON, - “President National American Red Cross.” - - -Miss Barton telegraphed Governor Sayers, at Austin, Tex., as follows: - -“Do you need the Red Cross in Texas? We are ready.” - - - THE DESTRUCTION INLAND. - -Later details show that from Red River on the north to the Gulf on the -south and throughout the central part of the State, Texas was -storm-swept by a hurricane which laid waste property, caused large loss -of life, and effectually blocked all telegraphic and telephonic -communication south, while the operation of trains was seriously -handicapped. - -Starting with the hurricane which visited Galveston and the Gulf coast -Saturday noon, and which was still prevailing there to such an extent -that no communication could be had with the island to ascertain what the -loss to life and property was, the storm made rapid inroads into the -centre of the State, stopping long enough at Houston to damage over half -of the buildings of that city. - -Advancing inland, the storm swept into Hempstead, fifty miles above -Houston, thence to Chappell Hill, twenty miles further; thence to -Brenham, thirty miles further, wrecking all three towns. Several persons -were killed. - -The Brazos bottom suffered a large share of damage at the hands of the -hurricane, and was swept for fully 100 miles of its length, everything -being turned topsy-turvy by the high winds, and much destruction -resulting to crops as well as farmhouse property. The winds were -accompanied by a heavy rainfall, which served to add to the horror of -midnight. The telegraph and telephone companies have large forces of men -trying to rig up wires to Galveston. The storm seems to have swept all -the tableland clear of everything on it, razing houses to the ground and -tearing up trees by the roots. It also swept into the mountain gorges -and there inflicted the worst damage, and considerable loss of life was -reported from that section. From Southwest Texas and points along the -Gulf to the city of Galveston the reports were alarming. A number of -parties summering at various points along the coast were not heard from. -The cotton was nearly ruined, as the storm swept the cotton-belt. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - Incidents of the Awful Hurricane—Unparalleled Atrocities by Lawless - Hordes—Earnest Appeals for Help. - - -On September 11th, the Mayor of Galveston forwarded the following -address to the people of the United States: - - -“It is my opinion, based on personal information, that 5000 people have -lost their lives here. Approximately one-third of the residence portion -of the city has been swept away. - -“There are several thousand people who are homeless and destitute. How -many, there is no way of finding out. Arrangements are now being made to -have the women and children sent to Houston and other places, but the -means of transportation are limited. Thousands are still to be cared for -here. We appeal to you for immediate aid. - - “WALTER C. JONES.” - - -On the same date the following statement of conditions at Galveston and -appeal for aid was issued by the local relief committee: - -“A conservative estimate of the loss of life is that it will reach at -least 5,000, and at least that number of families are shelterless and -wholly destitute. The entire remainder of the population is suffering in -a greater or less degree. Not a single church, school or charitable -institution, of which Galveston had so many, is left intact. Not a -building escaped damage, and half the whole number were entirely -obliterated. There is immediate need for food, clothing and household -goods of all kinds. If nearby cities will open asylums for women and -children, the situation will be greatly relieved. Coast cities should -send us water, as well as provisions, including kerosene, oil, gasoline -and candles. - -“W. C. Jones, mayor; M. Lasker, president Island City Saving Bank; J. D. -Skinner, president Cotton Exchange; C. H. McMaster, for Chamber of -Commerce; R. G. Lowe, manager Galveston News; Clarence Owsley, manager -Galveston Tribune.” - -The white cotton screw men’s organization held a meeting and tendered -their services, that of 500 able bodied men, to the public committee to -clear the streets of debris. Big forces went to work, and the situation -was much improved so far as the passage of vessels was concerned. The -city was patrolled by regular soldiers and citizen soldiery. No one was -allowed on the streets without a pass. Several negroes were shot for not -halting when ordered. - -The steamer Lawrence arrived here early on the morning of the 11th, from -Houston, with water and provisions. A committee of one hundred citizens -were aboard, among them being doctors and cooks. W. G. Van Vleck, -General Manager of the Southern Pacific Railroad, arrived at the same -time. He thought it would be possible to establish mail service from -Houston to Texas City by night, with transfer boats to Galveston. - - - BODIES BEING BURIED IN TRENCHES. - -It was found to be impossible to send bodies to sea for burial. The -water receded so far, however, that it was possible to dig trenches, and -bodies were being buried where found. Debris covering bodies was being -burned where it could be done safely. - -Work on the water works was rushed, and it was hoped to be able to turn -a supply on in the afternoon. - -Outside of Galveston smaller towns were beginning to send in reports as -telegraphic communication improved, and many additions to the list of -the dead and property losses were received. Richmond and Hitchcock each -reported sixteen lives lost. Alto Loma, Arcadia, Velasco, Seabrooke, -Belleville, Areola and many other towns had from one to eight dead. In -most of these places many houses were totally destroyed and thousands of -head of live stock killed. - -The railroads alone suffered millions of dollars in actual damage, to -say nothing of the loss from stoppage of business. The International and -Great Northern and Santa Fe had miles of track washed out, and the -bridges connecting Galveston with the mainland must be entirely rebuilt. - -The following is the description of an eye-witness on September 11: -“Galveston is almost wiped off the earth. Fifteen thousand persons are -homeless. The loss of life will reach into the thousands. Bodies are -piled everywhere. - -“When daylight broke over the expanse of floating bodies, rubbish heaps -and ruins were all that remained of the prosperous city. A few leading -citizens assembled in several feet of water at a street corner and -called a meeting at the Tremont Hall, to which they adjourned. A -committee of Public Safety of fifteen leading citizens was formed, and -Colonel J. H. Hawley, one of the best known men in Texas, was made -chairman. He, with Mayor Walter C. Jones and Chief of Police Edward -Ketchum, formed a triumvirate, with absolute power, and declared the -city under martial law. - - - MILITARY FORCES AND SPECIAL POLICE. - -“They issued a commission to Major L. R. D. Fayling, which made him -commander-in-chief of all military forces and special deputies of -police, and only subject to the orders of the Mayor and the Chief of -Police. Major Fayling was authorized to requisition any men or property -he may require for his force, and his receipt will be honored by the -city of Galveston and any such property paid for by the city. - -“As soon as Major Fayling received his authority he collected a handful -of half-naked, barefooted soldiers, clothed them, supplied them with -food and put them under command of Captain Edward Rogers. Around this -nucleus of a force he has built up to meet the necessities of the -situation his present force of three full companies of volunteer -soldiers and a troop of cavalry. - -“A horde of negroes and whites—even white women—were in the ruins of the -city. They were robbing the dead and dying, killing those who resisted, -cutting off fingers to obtain rings and ears to obtain earrings. Drunken -men reeled about the streets intimidating citizens. - -“Chief of Police Ketchum ordered the sale of liquor stopped, and began -to swear in hundreds of special policemen to rescue the wounded, feed -the living and convey the dead to a hundred different morgues. He worked -for thirty-six hours without going home to inquire about his family’s -fate, which was in doubt. When told he should do so he replied, -characteristically, ‘God will be good to me and mine, for I am going to -be good to others.’ - - - THE STENCH UNBEARABLE. - -“The stench from the dead by Monday morning was unbearable. The -triumvirate ruling the city pressed citizens into service to take the -dead out in barges and bury them in the Gulf. The soldiers impressed -into service, at the point of the bayonet, every wagon that came along -and every negro to assist in throwing the dead into the sea. It was -impossible to give other burial. - -“From the stench which pervades the city it is apparent that hundreds of -bodies yet lie under the ruins. The sun is hotter than in July. The -regular soldiers, who had been working for two days with bloody feet, -were utterly exhausted by Monday evening, and were assembled by Captain -Rafferty and put in a hastily extemporized hospital, which was formerly -a church. Their places were filled by Major Fayling with new recruits, -whom he drafted on the streets and supplied with arms and equipment from -the local armory. - -“Every part of the city was patrolled by 6 o’clock in the evening. Among -many other incidents of last night was the besieging of the squad -guarding St. Mary’s Hospital. They were surrounded by a horde of armed -negro thieves. Several hundred shots were exchanged. Sergeant Camp -killed four negroes with his rifle, and about ten or twelve were killed -by the squad. The soldiers have since been picketing the city, doing -fourteen hours’ duty without rest. Every hour during the night a fresh -negro shooting was reported at headquarters. - -“The tug ‘Juno’ and the propeller ‘Lawrence’ brought 2000 gallons of -water here from Houston but the supply is not enough to go around, and -half the population is without any water. Breakfast at the $4 per day -hotel Tremont was served to a fortunate few to-day, and consisted of a -small piece of bacon and a single cup of coffee. The hotel was untenable -yesterday, and guests were refused. It is jammed to-day with local -citizens who have been made homeless.” - -G. W. Ware, teacher of penmanship in a Dallas educational institution, -was in Galveston during the hurricane. He reached Dallas on Tuesday, the -11th and made the following statement: - - - WORK OF HEARTLESS CRIMINALS. - -“It was a godsend, the placing of the city under martial law. The -criminal element began looting the dead, and the cold blooded commercial -element began looting the living. The criminals were stealing anything -they could with safety lay hands on, and the mercenary commercial -pirates began a harvest of extortion. The price of bacon was pushed up -to 50 cents a pound, bread 60 cents a loaf, and owners of small -schooners and other sailing craft formed a trust, and charged $8 a -passenger for transportation across the bay from the island to the -mainland. - -“Mayor Jones and other men of conscience were shocked at these -proceedings, and the Mayor decided that the only protection for the -citizens would be to declare martial law, confiscate all foodstuffs and -other necessities for the common good, and thus stop the lootings and -holdups. - -“The price of bread was reduced to 10 cents a loaf, bacon was placed at -15 cents a pound, and the price of a voyage across the bay was set at -$1.50 a passenger. A book account is being kept of all sales of -foodstuffs, and other transactions and settlements will be made at the -scheduled rates.” - -Mr. Quinlan, General Manager of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, -said: - -“It is in such cases as this Galveston disaster that the barbarity in -some men is seen. I have seen enough in the last two days to convince me -that a large element of civilized mankind are veneered savages. My -policy would be to take nobody into Galveston except such persons as are -absolutely needed to administer to the distressed. Thousands of -residents of Galveston ought to be brought out of there as fast as boats -can bring them to the mainland, and establish them in charity or -detention camps on high ground, where they can get pure air and water -and receive attention which cannot be given to them on the island. - -“I hope Governor Sayres will find authority to enforce some such policy. -This relief work is going to be an all-winter task. Persons who have -lost homes and places of business must be taken charge of until they can -properly take care of themselves.” - - - THE FINANCIAL OUTCOME. - -The effect that Galveston’s disaster may have upon the financial -obligations of that city was an interesting topic among local -financiers. Whether the bonds will be paid when due or whether interest -default will result when coupons are presented is a mooted question in -certain circles. J. B. Adone, banker, of Dallas, and former member of -the old banking firm of Flippin, Adone & Lobit, of Galveston, said -concerning these points: - -“Galveston’s bond and interest obligations will be promptly met, I feel -sure. If left to their own resources in the face of the present -calamity, the people of Galveston and their public officials would be -probably temporarily embarrassed, but there will be no repudiation or -defalcation. The people of Texas will respond to the needs of Galveston -in her present terrible affliction, and out of the moneys contributed -the city’s financial credit will be protected if this course should be -found necessary.” - -Pursuant to the proclamation of Mayor Brashear, issued Sunday night, a -citizens’ meeting was held in the city council chamber at Houston and an -organization effected for the relief of the victims of the storm. The -following telegram was received by the Mayor from Governor Sayres: - - -“Austin, Texas, Sept. 10.—I have taken the liberty of directing that all -supplies of food and clothing for Galveston be shipped to you. Will you -undertake to forward them when received to Galveston for distribution? -Answer quick. - - “JOSEPH D. SAYRES, Governor.” - - -Mayor Brashear immediately replied that all supplies would be -distributed where mostly needed. A telegram from Areola was received, -and there were twenty-five persons there, mostly women and children, in -urgent need of relief. - - - TENTS AND RATIONS SENT. - -Orders were issued by the War Department at Washington, for the -immediate shipment to Galveston of 855 tents and 50,000 rations. These -stores and supplies were divided between St. Louis and San Antonio. This -represented about all such supplies as the Government had on hand at the -places named, but it was stated at the Department that the order could -be duplicated in a day. - -Mayor Van Wyck, of New York, issued an appeal to the citizens of New -York, on the 11th, for help for the sufferers of Galveston, heading the -appeal with a $500 subscription. - -The Mayor also sent the following telegram to Mayor Brashear, of -Houston, Texas: - - -“Hon. S. E. Brashear, Mayor, Houston, Texas.—In response to your -telegram I have issued a call to the people of the city of New York to -contribute to the relief of those afflicted by the disaster at -Galveston. Please express to the Mayor of Galveston the profound -sympathy of the people of New York for the people of Galveston in this -hour of their distress. - - “ROBERT A. VAN WYCK, Mayor.” - - -Ten doctors and twenty nurses from Bellevue Hospital, New York, -volunteered to go to Galveston and help care for the injured and sick. -They left New York by special train in the evening. - -The following cablegram was received by the American representative of -Sir Thomas Lipton: - - -“Very grieved to see press reports here regarding fearful calamity -befallen Galveston. Sufferers have my deepest and most heartfelt -sympathy. If getting up public subscription will be glad to give $1000. - - “LIPTON.” - - -[Illustration: - - POST OFFICE STREET, SHOWING HARMONY CLUB BUILDING AND MASONIC TEMPLE] - -[Illustration: - - DESTRUCTION AT AVENUE I BETWEEN EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH STREETS] - -[Illustration: - - TAKING BODIES ON THE RAILROAD BARGE FOR BURIAL AT SEA] - -[Illustration: - - BURNING WRECKAGE TO CREMATE DEAD BODIES] - -[Illustration: - - SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD ON SOUTH TREMONT STREET] - -[Illustration: - - WRECK OF THE CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, THE LARGEST IN GALVESTON] - -[Illustration: - - WRECKAGE ON THE WHARF, PIER 20 SPANISH STEAMER IN THE BACKGROUND] - -[Illustration: - - SCENE AT AVENUE K AND SIXTEENTH STREET—HOUSE OVERTURNED BY THE WIND] - -This was a graceful act of sympathy from the gallant yachtsman who made -the spirited attempt to capture the cup from the New York Yacht Club, -and although failing, became a universal favorite in this country. - -Official reports from Galveston to Governor Sayres at Austin, on the -11th, were that 400 bodies had been identified. 200 more were in an -improvised morgue awaiting identification, and many more were thought to -have drifted out to sea, and their identity will never be known. - - - CONDITIONS THAT BEGGAR DESCRIPTION. - -A telegram from Adjutant General Scurry, who was at Galveston, to the -Governor, was as follows: - -“Have just returned from Texas City with several Galveston parties, who -assure me that conditions there beggar description. Accounts have not -been exaggerated. While a portion of the provisions has been destroyed -by water sufficient on hand to relieve immediate necessities. The -citizens seem to have the situation well in hand. United States troops -and Company C., volunteer guard, with citizens, patrol the streets to -prevent looting. - -“I requested W. B. Wortham to go to Galveston from Texas City for the -purpose of advising me of the city’s most urgent needs, and I returned -here to report and ask for further instructions. I respectfully suggest -that the distress is too great for the people of Galveston, even with -the assistance of Houston, to stand, and that a general appeal for help -would be welcomed. The estimate of 10,000 destitute does not seem to be -excessive. - -“From reports reaching the Governor this morning it will be necessary to -co-operate with the Federal troops to place all the mainland opposite -Galveston, as well as the island, under martial law. - -“Thieves have begun to enter the city for the purpose of pilfering the -bodies of the dead. The Governor has been informed that the commander of -the Texas troops has been ordered to Galveston by the Federal -authorities, and the Governor will lend him every assistance possible -with State militia to keep vandalism down. There is only one road -operating to the coast from Houston, and that will be placed under -military supervision temporarily. - -“Governor Sayres was in receipt of a telegram from Miss Barton, of the -Red Cross Society, offering the assistance of that association if -necessary, and he replied that he would call on the society if he found -that its help was needed. - -“A large number of State militia tents were shipped from Austin to -Galveston for temporary use on the island. - - - MONEY BEGINNING TO POUR IN. - -“Governor Sayres received upward of 1000 telegrams during the day from -parties in the East and West offering assistance to the flood sufferers -at Galveston, and from various portions of the State reporting the -collection of money and supplies. During the day Governor Sayres -estimated that the receipts in money from collections in Texas would -amount to $15,000, though from reports a great deal of money has been -sent direct to Galveston instead of coming through the Governor, and the -amount may be much larger than that stated. - -“Quite a number of Eastern newspapers are wiring the Governor offering -to establish themselves as bureaus for relief funds if desired and -asking what they can do to relieve the situation. A telegram from New -York informed the Governor that two relief trains of supplies had left -New York for Galveston. The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce wires that it -will send any relief desired that it can give. Chicago, Philadelphia, -St. Louis and several other points did likewise.” - -Acting Secretary Meiklejohn of the War Department at Washington -authorized the chartering of a special train from St. Louis to carry -quartermaster’s and commissary supplies to the relief of the destitute -at Galveston. - -The following telegram was received: - - -“Galveston, Texas, Sept. 9, 1900.—Quartermaster General, Washington. I -report terrific cyclone with an eleven foot tide. All improvements, -temporary buildings, property and stores at both Jacinto and Crockett -destroyed and swept clean. - - “BAXTER, Quartermaster.” - - -A second telegram followed: - - -“Galveston, Texas, Sept. 11, 1900.—Referring to my telegram of -yesterday, via Houston, I urgently recommend that fair compensation be -made to contractors for their losses, and that they be relieved of their -contracts. If fortifications are rebuilt at or near their present sites -I urgently recommend that quarters for troops be purchased and built on -higher ground in the city, centrally located. Wharves destroyed; all -railroad bridges swept away and building operations of any nature cannot -be resumed under six weeks or two months.” - - - A VOICE FROM JOHNSTOWN. - -Mayor Woodruff, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, issued the following -proclamation: “Later and more definite information of the fearful -destruction of life and property at Galveston and other places in Texas -recalls to our attention the awful calamity in Johnstown and vicinity -eleven years ago. Whole squares of homes have been swept away, hundreds -of dead are lying unburied and thousands of people destitute. This would -be a fitting time to show our gratitude for what the world did for us in -the hour of need. Any contributions left at the banks in this city will -be acknowledged and promptly forwarded to the authorities in charge of -the work of relief. Already over $200 without any call for aid has been -subscribed to a relief fund.” - -A special despatch from Galveston tells the following story of the great -calamity, showing that scarcely a building was undamaged or a family -that did not lose one or more members. It is roughly estimated that the -death list will approximate 6,000 and the property loss will be many -millions. Scarcely a building in the city escaped injury and the loss on -stocks of goods cannot be estimated. All the extreme eastern and -southern part and the western portion, south of avenue Q, to the Gulf, -is either washed away or demolished and the dead are thrown in every -direction. These are being rapidly gathered up and taken to temporary -morgues on the strand. - -Whole families are, in many instances, wiped out of existence. There is -scarcely a family in the district mentioned that did not lose one or -more members, while the hospitals are crowded with wounded beyond their -capacity, and the county court house is being converted into a hospital -for their care. - -The Catholic hospital down the island, was completely demolished. All -the Sisters and ninety inmates were drowned. - -The waves dashed over and flooded Fort San Jacinto, demolishing the -barracks, officers’ quarters, and drowning fourteen privates, two -buglers, and First Sergeant of Company O, First Artillery. - - - BUILDINGS DESTROYED BY THE FLOOD. - -The Opera House, City Hall, Masonic Temple, Moody’s Bank Building, -Knapp’s publishing house, and Ritter’s saloon and restaurant, on the -strand, are wrecked. From the latter seven dead bodies were removed from -beneath the debris. - -Parties are engaged in removing the debris of the Knapp Building. -Beneath they expect to find the body of Oscar Knapp, senior member of -the firm. Richard D. Swann, cashier of John D. Rogers & Co., was drowned -during the height of the storm while heroically attempting to rescue two -ladies from drowning. It will be days before the full extent of the -frightful disaster is known or a correct list of the dead is obtainable. -A meeting of citizens was held to-day and a general committee, with the -Mayor as chairman, was appointed. Sub-committees on Finance, Relief, -Burial of the Dead, and Hospitals were appointed, and are now actively -at work to relieve the distress prevailing and give decent burials to -the dead. - -The terrific cyclone that produced such a distressing disaster in -Galveston and all through Texas was predicted by the United States -Weather Bureau to strike Galveston Friday night and created much -apprehension, but the night passed without the prediction being -verified. The conditions, however, were ominous, the danger signal was -displayed on the flag staff of the Weather Bureau, shipping was warned, -etc. The southeastern sky was sombre, the Gulf beat high on the beach -with that dismal thunderous roar that presaged trouble, while the air -had a stillness that betokens a storm. From out of the north, in the -middle watches of the night, the wind began to come in spiteful puffs, -increasing in volume as the day dawned. - -By ten o’clock Saturday morning it was almost a gale; at noon it had -increased in velocity and was driving the rain, whipping the pools and -tearing things up in a lively manner, yet no serious apprehension was -felt by residents remote from the encroachments of the Gulf. Residents -near the beach were aroused to the danger that threatened their homes. -Stupendous waves began to send their waters far inland and the people -began a hasty exit to secure places in the city. - - - TWO GIGANTIC FORCES AT WORK. - -Two gigantic forces were at work. The Gulf force drove the waves with -irresistible force high upon the beach, and the gale from the northeast -pitched the waters against and over the wharves, choking the sewers and -flooding the city from that quarter. The streets rapidly began to fill -with water, communication became difficult and the helpless people were -caught between two powerful elements, while the winds howled and rapidly -increased in velocity. - -Railroad communication was cut off shortly afternoon, the track being -washed out; wire facilities completely failed at 3 o’clock, and -Galveston was isolated from the world. The wind momentarily increased in -velocity, while the waters rapidly rose and the night drew on with -dreaded apprehension depicted in the face of every one. - -Already hundreds and thousands were bravely struggling with their -families against the mad waves and fierce wind for places of refuge. The -public school buildings, court house, hotels, in fact any place that -offered apparently a safe refuge from the elements, became crowded to -their utmost. Two minutes of 6.30 P. M., just before the anemometer blew -away the wind had reached the frightful velocity of 100 miles an hour. -Buildings that had hitherto stood tumbled and crashed, carrying death -and destruction to hundreds of people. Roofs whistled through the air, -windows were driven in with a crash or shattered by flying slate, -telegraph, telephone and electric light poles, with their masses of -wires, were snapped off like pipe stems, and water communications were -broken. - -What velocity the wind attained after the anemometer blew off is purely -a matter of speculation. The lowest point touched by the barometer in -the press correspondents’ office, which was filled by frightened men and -women, was 28.04½; this was about 7.30 P. M. It then began to rise very -slowly, and by 10 P. M. had reached 28.09, the wind gradually subsiding, -and by midnight the storm had passed. The water, which had reached a -depth of eight feet on the strand at 10 P. M, began to ebb and ran out -very rapidly, and by 5 P. M. the crown of the street was free of water. -Thus passed out one of the most frightful and destructive storms which -has ever devastated the coast of Texas. - - - ADDITIONAL DETAILS. - -The city is filled with destitute, bereft and homeless people, while in -the improvised morgues are the rigid forms of hundreds. Whole families -are side by side. - -The city beach in the southwestern part of the city was under ten feet -of water, and the barracks there are destroyed, the soldiers having a -marvelous escape from drowning. Many substantial residences in the -western and southwestern part of the city were destroyed, and the death -list from there will be large. - -A heavy mortality list is expected among the residents down the island -and adjacent to the coast on the mainland, as both were deeply flooded, -and the houses were to a great extent insecure. The heaviest losers by -the storm will be the Galveston Wharf Company, the Southern Pacific -Railway Company, and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company, -and the Texas Lone Star Flouring Company. - -Additional details by tug from Galveston show that west of Thirty-third -street the storm swept the ground perfectly clear of the residences that -once stood upon it and piled them up in a conglomerated mass five blocks -back on the beach, strewing the piling with the debris and the bodies of -its many victims. Many of these were lying out in the afternoon sun and -were frightful to look upon. The fearful work of the storm was not -confined to the district along the beach, but took in all the district -in the city and the Denver resurvey, but it was near to the beach that -most destruction to human life occurred. - -The waves washed away the Home for the Homeless, and it is thought that -the inmates, consisting of thirteen orphans and three matrons, were -drowned. Out in the Denver resurvey the destruction was terrible, and -victims of the storm were many. The government works were greatly -damaged, the buildings on the beach were washed out into the Gulf and -their occupants are thought to have perished. - - - COMMUNICATIONS ALL CUT. - -In the north part of the west end the damage was great also, almost -every building being damaged to some extent, and many completely -wrecked. The cotton and lumber yards in that section of the city were -completely razed, and much valuable machinery is ruined. However, the -loss of life was not nearly so great in that district as it was out -towards the beach. - -A special to the “News” from Galveston brought to Houston by the tug -“Brunswick” gave the following additional particulars of the storm: - -“The big iron oil tank of the Waters-Pierce Oil Company was picked from -the Fifteenth street pier and carried to Thirteenth street. The old -Union Depot, in recent years used as the office of the superintendent of -the wharf yards, was dashed to pieces, as were numerous small frame -buildings along the wharf front. Men were sent out Sunday morning to -report the condition of the bridges across Galveston Bay, but were -unable to reach them. - -“Telegraphic communication was also cut off on Saturday. The linemen who -went out Sunday reported that the railroad bridges were all washed away, -and there was not sufficient material in Galveston to rebuild the -telegraph lines. The cables under the channel are gone. The lines will -have to be built to the city from the mainland. Strenuous efforts were -made on Sunday to repair the damage to the Mexican cable, but on account -of the sea being high it was impossible to pick up the lost end of the -cable. - -“Thousands of telegrams were filed at the telegraph office during the -day, with the expectation that they would be sent to Houston for -transmission, but the captain of the only small tug available would not -venture on the trip with a new crew, his engineer and fireman having -been lost, while tugs which might be hired were of too deep draught to -go up the bayou. - - - IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT. - -“In the business district not a building escaped injury. The Grand Opera -House is caved in, and the fourth story of the Hotel Grand, a part of -the same building, was blown off. The third story of the City Hall was -blown away. The three story building of the Ritter Cafe was demolished, -and crashed into the rear of the News Building. The fourth story was -torn from the Moody Building, at Twenty-second street and the strand. -The Masonic Temple was partially unroofed and the tower torn away. The -upper stories of the Harmony Club Building were caved in, and the frame -building across the street was demolished. - -“Among other buildings damaged or destroyed was the Galveston Orphans’ -Home, all the children being reported unhurt. The Sacred Heart Church, -one of the largest churches in the city, is a total wreck. St. Mary’s -University, adjoining it is considerably damaged, and the athletic -building was destroyed. The First Baptist Church is a wreck. The -parsonage adjoining St. John’s Methodist Church was wrecked. The Ball -High School building is badly damaged.” - -“Over thirty persons were rescued from St. Mary’s Infirmary but quite a -number perished. A mother and child, a Mexican woman and child and an -elderly lady, while going to the cotton mills, were drowned. While the -mill was crowded with people the tower fell in, killing and injuring -several persons. Over one thousand persons sought shelter in the County -Court House. A lady and child from St. Louis, names not ascertained, who -were visiting the family of police officer John Bowe, were lost. Mrs. -Burns, mother of motorman Burns, and daughter, also perished, motorman -Parker, wife and children, were killed. Mrs. Benhill and child were -drowned. - -“Three undertaking establishments are all being utilized as morgues, and -a fourth morgue was opened in a large building on the Strand. Some of -the draymen at first refused to haul more than one body at a time, -demanding the price for a full load for each trip. On Sunday evening, -however, the few who made this demand agreed to bring as many bodies as -their carts would hold. Owing to the streets being full of debris it is -only possible to use the two-wheeled carts. - - - CARING FOR THE DEAD. - -“Many of those who escaped tell of thrilling experiences. Mr. and Mrs. -James Irwin got out on the roof of their dwelling. They were seated on -the side of the comb, and when the building blew over they floated off -separately on sections of the roof. Mrs. Irwin was on the raft alone all -night. Mr. Irwin, who had found refuge at the Ursuline Convent, and who -despaired of seeing his wife again, heard a cry for help. Hoping to -rescue a human being, he pulled off through the water, and was surprised -and overjoyed to find his wife still afloat on the roof. - -“The city is not without a water supply, but it is in total darkness. -The city street railroad has suspended business, much of its track being -washed out. It will be a month before cars can be operated by -electricity, but horse car service will be substituted at the earliest -possible moment. The plant of the Galveston Gas Company is partially -demolished, and is out of commission. Those who use gas for fuel are -helpless. Fire wood was swept away, but there is plenty of drift wood to -be had. - -“Several members of the police force were lost, and others lost their -families. The force is greatly reduced in numbers, and at present is -insufficient to meet the demand upon it.” - -The foregoing is a horrifying account, truthful and not over-drawn. In -fact, the picture is far short of the reality. - - - RESISTLESS POWER OF THE HURRICANE. - -It is a misnomer to call the violent revolving storm which devastated -the city of Galveston and the adjacent coast of Texas a cyclone. It was -in reality a hurricane, and more specifically what is known to -meteorologists as a West Indian hurricane. A hurricane has a much -smaller centre or diameter than a cyclone, travels with far greater -rapidity, and its blasts often reach a velocity of 100 miles an hour. -The hurricane of the West Indies, which is really born in the heated -waters of the South Atlantic, and which as a rule curves when it reaches -the Yucatan Channel and follows the course of the Gulf Stream, decreases -in intensity as it travels further north, broadens in diameter, and -becomes the cyclone of the North Atlantic. - -It is a curious feature of the Galveston hurricane that, like the great -hurricane of September, 1889, which devastated Vera Cruz, it did not -follow the course of the Gulf Stream, but curved westward instead of -eastward, after passing the Yucatan Channel, and rushed in upon the -Texan coast. Galveston was not up to this time considered as within the -hurricane belt, and its awful visitation is proof that the laws of -storms have exceptions to their rules. - -The late Padre Vines, of Havana, the venerable and learned Jesuit -priest, who made a lifelong study of the birth and course of West Indian -hurricanes, was accustomed to warn by cable the many friends that he had -among the captains of the vessels plying to and from West Indian ports -of the approach of hurricanes and their probable course. - -In September, 1889, he cabled to Captain Joshua Reynolds, commanding one -of the Ward steamers, and who was just leaving Vera Cruz for New York, -that a hurricane was approaching from the eastward, and that he would -better steam slowly to and past Progresso and let the great storm pass -up and along the Gulf Stream. Captain Reynolds acted in obedience to the -warning, but this particular hurricane, like the one that struck -Galveston, curved to the westward instead of to the eastward, after -passing the Yucatan Channel, overcame an area of high barometer that, -hung over the Mexican coast, and rushed into Vera Cruz, carrying death -and destruction in its wake. Captain Reynolds and his ship safely -weathered the hurricane and were received at Havana with great -rejoicing, where it had been thought they were lost. - -It was in 1859 that still another West Indian hurricane curved the wrong -way and swept the waters of the Gulf over Last Island, then the great -summer resort of Southern society, situated a few miles west of the -mouth of the Mississippi off the coast of Barataria. Those who wish to -obtain some conception of the horrors attending the Galveston hurricane -should read Lafcadio Hearn’s story of “Chita: The Romance of Last -Island,” in which that skilled word painter depicts the scenes of the -awful tragedy which decimated the households of the South. - - - STIRRING APPEALS FOR HELP. - -One of our leading journals made the following timely comments upon the -Galveston calamity and the urgent necessity for quick help: - -“The cry for help which comes from the stricken city of Galveston and -the surrounding country is a moving appeal which should receive the -readiest and most generous response. The extent of the disaster which -has overtaken the city and the coast country of Texas has not been -over-drawn, it seems, in the reports from the scene, and it would be -impossible to exaggerate the horror of the catastrophe and the distress -and suffering that follow in its wake. - -“A fair city of 38,000 inhabitants was wrecked in a night. Thousands of -men, women and children were drowned or killed in the wreckage of the -flooded, crumbling city; whole families suddenly blotted out; the great -mass of the survivors bereft of their habitations, goods and clothing, -and by the wreck of business houses and the stoppage of industry -deprived of the means of earning subsistence for a long time to come. No -one need hesitate about making a contribution to alleviate the suffering -of Texas on the grounds that others will give enough to supply all -needs. - - - TERRIBLE SUFFERING AND MISERY. - -“However generous or lavish may be the aid proffered, it will not be -enough to repair the mischief of that storm, and however prompt the aid -may be, it will not be quick enough to prevent terrible suffering and -misery. Delay in providing for the impoverished and homeless means peril -to more lives, deprivation and sickness, and, under the most favorable -circumstances in getting aid to the district, thousands are fated to -undergo the severest suffering. - -“Fortunately, the Government has stepped in and, through the War -Department, is lending prompt and effective aid. Tents and rations are -being rushed to Galveston with all possible speed, and private -liberality and relief committees are coming to the rescue. The scope of -the Government’s efforts will be limited to such supplies as are -available in the War Department, and, in addition, vast quantities of -food, clothing and medicines are needed, doctors and nurses are -required, and a large sum of money is an absolute necessity to pay for -these things and to form a fund for the purpose of maintaining relief -until the sharp period of distress shall be tided over. Our city, in -every cause that appeals to benevolence and humanity, has always been in -the forefront of the generous, and, in such a case as the Texas -disaster, the city’s liberality should be maintained. The Citizens’ -Permanent Relief Committee has taken steps to render aid to the -hurricane sufferers, and, through that useful and beneficent -organization, every person in this vicinity will have the opportunity to -join in giving aid for a purpose which must excite universal pity and -sympathy.” - - - - - CHAPTER IV. -The Cry of Distress in the Wrecked City—Negro Vandals Shot Down—Progress - of the Relief Work—Strict Military Rule. - - -The situation on the third day after the flood was vividly described a -visitor to the city as follows: It is plainly apparent that as a result -of the Galveston disaster, a task confronts the public authorities such -as neither Texas nor any other State has ever before had to grapple -with. - -Human nature at its worst has had opportunity for the display of its -meanest passions, and relentless measures have been rendered necessary. -Looters and vandals have ignored all moral restraints, and gunpowder has -had to be used unsparingly to subdue the savagery being practiced. It is -learned on unquestionable authority that the soldiers under Adjutant -General Scurry have to-day (Wednesday the 12th) slain no less than -seventy-five men, mostly negroes, guilty of robbing the dead. - - - POCKET FULL OF HUMAN FINGERS. - -One of these had in his pocket twenty-three human fingers with costly -rings on them. The fingers had been cut from the victims of the storm -found on the beach or floating in the waters of Galveston Bay. - -W. McGrath, Manager of the Dallas Electric Company, and representing -large Boston interests in Texas, returned from Galveston direct. He -says: “The only way to prevent an epidemic that will practically -depopulate the island is to burn the bodies of the dead. The Governor of -Texas should call an extra session of the Legislature and appropriate a -million or half a million dollars, or whatever amount is needed. The -situation must be taken intelligently in hand to save the State from a -possible epidemic. Before I left Galveston about 4,000 bodies had been -found. Eleven hundred had been tied together in bunches and sunk into -the sea. Last night some fresh water was found by forces of men who -explored the ground until the principal main of the city water works was -found. Tons of rubbish were removed and the main tapped. I believe the -water question is solved for the present, but money, clothing, wholesome -bread, ice, drugs, etc., are needed.” - -A bulletin from Galveston, via. Virginia Point and Houston, received -here at 11 A. M., says: - -“The situation grows worse every minute, water and ice needed. People in -frenzy from suffering from these causes. Scores have died since last -night, and a number of sufferers have gone insane.” - - - THE STORY INCREASES IN HORROR. - -A despatch from Houston summed up the situation as follows: Houston is -now being rapidly filled with refugees from Galveston. Stragglers have -been arriving every few hours, and this afternoon a trainload of some -eight hundred reached the city thoroughly worn out and disheartened, -each with a tale of woe and harrowing experiences. Contrary to the usual -thing in chronicling catastrophes of the present character the story of -Galveston grows worse as the time progresses and the facts become known. -Each chapter is more appalling than its predecessor, and the burden of -death becomes heavier as the hours roll on. The estimates of the loss of -life have grown from 1,000 to 8,000, and even the latter figure is said -to be too small in the opinion of many of the survivors. - - - ACTUAL LOSS WILL NEVER BE KNOWN. - -The actual loss will never be made known. The storm overwhelmed entire -families, who were swept into the Gulf with the wreckage of their homes. -The bodies may gradually be thrown on the sands, but identification will -be impossible. The committees are endeavoring to compile lists of both -dead and living, but they will not be accurate, as many mistakes have -already been made and the living reported dead. Registers have been made -and posted in the city in order to facilitate this feature of the relief -work. - - - DISPOSING OF THE DEAD. - -So far the efforts of the searchers have necessarily been confined to -the open places, and it will be some time before the dead swept into the -fields, the alleys and the gullies are gathered and laid away for good. -The city is one awful stench of decaying animal matter. Nearly every -animal on the island was killed, and the thousands of human remains -still scattered beneath the vast piles of debris add to the danger of -the situation. Too much time was lost in consigning the dead to the sea, -and the workers were compelled by the exigencies of the situation to -pile the corpses where found, and cremate them as well as this could be -done. - - - PEOPLE DELAYED FLIGHT TOO LONG. - -Oswald Wilson, editor of the _Texan_, who arrived with the refugees, -says that the situation cannot be painted any blacker than it really is. -Fully one-third of the city has been destroyed absolutely and every -building damaged. He says that one reason that the loss of life was so -excessive was due to the fact that they delayed leaving their homes -until too late. The water rose rapidly for several hours until the -centre of the city was six feet deep and the outlying section covered to -a depth of over ten feet. The people of Galveston were accustomed to -high water, although they had never witnessed so great an inundation, -but their fears were calmed by the fact that during this period the wind -had not risen above thirty miles an hour, and every year they had seen -this condition during the equinoctial periods. - - - REALIZED THEIR PERIL TOO LATE. - -Men waded about the city laughing at the rise of the water for hours, -for the sea gradually encroached during the morning, and it was only -when they realized the bay was forcing its contents to meet the tide -from the Gulf that they lost their confidence that the present was but -another attempt of the elements to create a disturbance, and seriously -endeavored to reach a point of safety. Then it was too late, for the -tide swirled in the streets and the wind had begun rapidly to increase -in violence. It howled and screamed in great gusts, which increased in -strength every minute, and one by one the houses along the Gulf front -and in the Denver resurvey and about Fort Point began to go to pieces -and pile one against the other. - -The waters were filled with debris and the debris with men, women and -children seeking to save their lives. Wading was impossible, save in the -centre of the city, and the unfortunates were swept to and fro, dashed -by the waves and bruised by the flying fragments, until death resulted -in one form or another. Many were the deeds of heroism, but rescuers and -all fell victims to the storm, for human efforts were unavailing. - - - MORE HORRORS DETAILED. - -J. C. Roberts, of the firm of Behring Brothers, Houston, was sent to -Galveston to learn of the family of his employers. His journey was -arduous, for he was one of the first. Arriving in the city worn out, he -entered a little drug store and asked for whisky. He was refused. A -doctor was present and gave him a prescription for the stimulant. The -druggist charged $2.50 for the whisky, and the doctor $5 for his -services. He landed at Galveston at Twentieth street, and walked through -dead bodies. - -His description of the scenes is horrible in the extreme. The dead were -everywhere. They were scattered on every hand, and nearly all in a -complete state of nudity. He saw an Italian woman standing in the street -holding in her hand the foot and leg of an infant severed from the -little body. She was unclad, but alive and insane, and refused to leave -the pile of debris which contained the remains of her little one. - -Roberts witnessed one of the guards shoot five negro looters. He -observed one of the men robbing a dead body. The man refused to desist -and the guard shot him dead as he knelt on the sands. Four companions of -the ghoul started to assault the guard, when he threw himself on his -stomach, and, firing rapidly, killed them all. - - - NINETY NEGROES EXECUTED. - -It is said that ninety negroes have been executed for robbery, and it is -unsafe for any one to stir at night unless provided with a passport from -the officer in charge. A description of the burning of the dead and the -burial at sea is beyond reproduction. All sentiment is at an end. It has -become a matter of self-protection and in order to avoid pestilence -rapid disposal of the corpses is necessary. Several loads of lime have -been sent from here, with other disinfectants. The people of Galveston -have had no bread since the storm save what little has been sent from -Houston. A cracker factory opened its doors Sunday and sold its entire -contents in a short time. Some food was left after the storm, but this -is rapidly being distributed. - -Bonfires are burning all over the city. They are the funeral of a -thousand festering corpses cast back upon the shore at high tide -yesterday. Cremation has become a necessity to prevent an epidemic. The -negroes refuse to work, and the townspeople are paralyzed with fright -and suffering, or are making preparations to leave the doomed island. - -The first train to carry refugees to Texas City, seven miles across the -bay, was announced this morning, and since daylight a thousand men, -women and children have been crowding into catboats, lifeboats, sloops, -schooners and a single steamboat, the Lawrence, all bent on escaping -from the city. Nearly all of them have lost some member of their -families. The women wear no hats, are unkempt and ill-clad. They look as -if haunted. - - - THE CITY OFFICIALS IN A LIVELY QUARREL. - -The situation has gotten beyond the control of the authorities. The -powers in control have been quarreling. Last night at 7 o’clock every -citizen soldier under command of Major Fayling was called in, disarmed -and mustered out of service. Chief of Police Ketchum then took charge, -and the Major was relieved of his command. During an hour and a half the -city was unguarded. Negro looters held high carnival. - -As the Major’s work was unusually brilliant, the citizens are furious. -This morning the situation from the police standpoint is improved. A -hundred of the State militia of the Houston Light Guards, Houston -Artillery and Houston Cavalry have arrived. They are patrolling the west -end of the city. General McKibbin, Commander of the Department of the -Gulf, and Adjutant General Scurry, of Texas, are on the ground, and are -advising with Mayor Jones and the Chief of Police Ketchum. - -In all other respects the city is worse off than on the morning after -the tragedy. A terrible stench permeates the atmosphere. It comes from -the bodies of a thousand unburied dead festering in the debris, that -cannot be removed for weeks on account of the paucity of laborers. Every -tide brings scores back to the shore. During the early part of yesterday -trenches were dug and the bodies thrown into them, but it soon became an -impossibility to bury all, and the health authorities decided upon -cremation as an expedient. - - - WORK OF THE RELIEF COMMITTEE. - -At a meeting of the Relief Committee held this morning reports were -received from the various wards. The chairman called for armed men to -assist in getting labor to bury the dead and clear the wreckage, and -arrangements were made to supply this demand. - -The situation in the city to-day is that there are plenty of volunteers -for this service, but an insufficiency of arms. There have been two or -three small riots, but the officers have managed to quell them. The -committee rejected the proposition of trying to pay for work, letting -the laborers secure their own rations. It was decided to go ahead -impressing men into service, if necessary, issuing orders for rations -only to those who worked or were unable to work. - -All of the ward chairmen reported the imperative need of disinfectants. -A committee was appointed to sequester all the disinfectants in the -city, including the lime which escaped wetting, and to obtain more. -Houston was called upon for a barge load of lime. - - - WORK AT THE WATER WORKS. - -Work on the water works had not progressed so satisfactorily as had been -hoped for. The men did not work last night. Chief Engineer Reynolds has -not been at the works since yesterday morning. Alderman McMaster took -charge of the work to-day. The machinery has been cleared of the debris -and the pipes found to be badly damaged, and plumbers, steam fitters and -boiler makers are at work on them. Mr. McMaster says he thinks it will -be possible to turn water into the mains to-morrow. - -All saloons were closed by the Chief of Police on Sunday. At a meeting -of the General Committee with the city officials to-day, the policing of -the city was discussed. Mayor Jones announced that Adjutant General -Scurry would take charge of the situation with the soldiers and citizen -soldiery. The city is patrolled by about 2,000 police officers, special -officers, soldiers and deputy sheriffs. Deputy Chief of Police Amundsen -is acting as Chief. Chief of Police Ketchum is engaged in other work -outside of the police department. - - - STRICT POLICE RULES. - -No liquor is permitted to be sold under any circumstances, unless -ordered by the chairman of one of the committees or by a physician, who -must state that it is to be used for medicinal purposes. All persons not -having business on the streets after dark must be identified before they -will be allowed to pass. Unless identification is forthcoming they are -arrested. No person is allowed to work in or about any building unless -he has a written permit signed by the Chief of Police or Deputy Chief. -No person is permitted to carry furniture or other property through the -streets unless he has a written permit from the proper authority. No -gambling is permitted, and any violations of this rule are prosecuted to -the fullest extent. - -During the storm Saturday night the young men of the Boddiker family, -with the aid of a skiff, rescued over forty people and took them to the -University building, where they found shelter. - -The organization of forces under the able administration of General -Scurry was observable on every hand, and the chaotic condition of the -city was being supplanted by a vigor of action that portended -restoration in the near future. Private enterprise went to work and the -people took heart. - - - NURSES FROM A DISTANCE. - -The very presence of nurses was a sign that the calamity had attracted -the attention of the world at large, and the city would not be left to -succumb to the dire and terrible disaster that has overtaken it. - -One of the local journals said: “Merchants are cleaning up their stores -and repairing their injured buildings; property owners are seeking -everywhere to obtain men and materials with which to restore their -shattered habitations. Hope has by no means departed. In a brief time -the sound of the locomotive will be heard upon the island, freight will -be pouring up to the ship’s side, and the mechanic and artisan will find -remunerative employment for years to come. Out of the destruction of the -greatest wind and tide force that ever played upon the American -continent, there has arisen already a feeling that what a week ago was -regarded as an irretrievable disaster, will yet prove the starting point -of a remodelled and reinvigorated Galveston. The whole world is behind -us in generous sympathy and noble beneficence.” - - - GOVERNOR SAYRES ON THE SITUATION. - -Governor Sayres made the following statement to the Associated Press on -the flood situation: - -“Conditions at Galveston are fully as bad as reported. Communication, -however, has been re-established between the island and the mainland, -and hereafter transportation of supplies will be less difficult. The -work of clearing the city is progressing fairly well, and Adjutant -General Scurry, under direction of the Mayor, is patrolling the city for -the purpose of preventing depredations. The most conservative estimate -as to the number of dead places them at 2,000. Contributions from -citizens of this State and also from other States are coming in rapidly -and liberally, and it is confidently expected that within the next ten -days the work of restoration by the people of Galveston will have begun -in good earnest and with energy and success. Of course, the destruction -of property has been very great—not less than $10,000,000, but it is -hoped and believed that even this great loss will be overcome through -the energy and self-reliance of the people.” - -During the day the contributions have fairly deluged the Governor, -upwards of $100,000 having been received. Among the large contributors -are to be noted the Standard Oil Company, with $10,000; St. Louis -Commercial Club for a like amount, and the Huntington interests for -$5,000. - - - THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM. - -This afternoon Governor Sayres received the following official report -from General Manager Trice, of the International and Great Northern -Railroad, who is conducting the operations of the relief corps at -Galveston: - - -“To Governor Sayres, Austin, Tex.—Your message of yesterday received. -The cars containing the tents and rations were turned over to the barge -line this morning and forwarded to Galveston, arrangements having been -made for all freight to be handled by barges hauled by tugs from Clinton -to Galveston, and passengers by our line to Texas City, and by boats -from Texas City to Galveston. This is the best arrangement that can be -made, and it prevents delay to either the freight or the passenger -service, for, if we handled the freight with the passengers to Texas -City, to transfer from the cars to the boats would cause too much delay -to the passenger service. - -“We brought in one train, consisting of about three hundred Galveston -people, to Houston to-day, and will get another trainload to-night, -mostly women and children, which will make about 600 that we will get -out of Galveston to-day. The passenger and freight service between -Houston and Galveston is all free for sufferers, and we are issuing -transportation to all points north of Houston to all sufferers not able -to pay their way. - - “L. TRICE.” - - - ADJUTANT GENERAL SCURRY’S ESTIMATE. - -The following report was also received from Adjutant General Scurry: - - -“Governor Sayres, Austin.—Mayor of Houston ordered Houston military -companies here, sixty-five men and officers came. Thirty more come -to-morrow. Mayor of Galveston directed me to take command. Streets -patrolled for purpose of preventing thieving. Work of clearing the city -progressing fairly well. - - “THOMAS SCURRY, Adjutant General.” - - - LOSS OF LIFE AND DAMAGE AT OTHER POINTS. - -Governor Sayres began receiving reports from various points along the -Gulf coast, which would indicate that there has been great property -damage done for several hundred miles, and that the list of Galveston -fatalities and suffering will be largely augmented. Down the coast from -Galveston, the town of Dickinson was laid waste and five people killed. -The towns of Alvin, Alta Loma, Texas City and Brookshire, are wrecked -and hundreds are destitute. Richmond is so badly demolished that it will -require weeks to clear the town. - -Missouri City and Stafford, just opposite, were entirely demolished, and -the few remaining people at these places have no homes to cover their -heads. Bay City, in Matagorda county, is reported wrecked, with much -loss of life, though no official report has been made to that effect. -Patton, Rollover, Bolivar Point, Quintana, Sugarland, Belleville, -Wharton, Fair View, Missouri City, Sartartia, Arcola and El Campo are -all reported heavy sufferers both in point of property destroyed and -lives lost. Owing to the fact that the telegraph service is still badly -crippled, Governor Sayres cannot ascertain the exact number of dead at -the points named, but it is approximated at 500. - - - BOATS FOR TRANSPORTATION. - -The Governor was informed that quite a number of tugs from New Orleans -and other available points had either arrived or were on the way to -Galveston, and the transportation problem would soon be solved so far as -the getting people from the island to the mainland was concerned. - -Hundreds applied to Governor Sayres for permits to go to Galveston, but -he refused all, saying that there were already too many people there. - - - THE DEVASTATION APPALLING. - -The Quartermaster’s Department at Washington, received the following -from Galveston: - - -“Quartermaster General, Washington: Referring to my telegrams of 9th and -10th, I have, subject to approval, suspended the Crockett construction -contracts, and again urgently recommend that contractors be paid for -labor and material in place and on the ground. All swept away and lost -beyond recovery. Fortifications at Crockett, Jacinto and Travis all -destroyed and cannot be rebuilt on present sites. Recommend continuance -of my office here only long enough to recover Crockett office safes and -morning gun, when located; also to close accounts and ship my office and -recovered property where directed. I fear Galveston is destroyed beyond -its ability to recover. Loss of life and property appalling. - - “BAXTER, Quartermaster.” - - - VESSEL ORDERED TO GALVESTON. - -President McKinley received a telegram from Governor Sayres, of Texas, -asking that a light draft vessel be sent to Galveston to assist in the -communication between the island and the mainland. The message was -referred to the Treasury Department, and an order was issued to the -revenue cutter Winona, at Mobile, to proceed to Galveston without a -moment’s unnecessary delay. The Lighthouse Board also ordered the -lighthouse tender Arbutus, then at New Orleans, to clear at once for -Galveston. - -Captain Shoemaker, Chief of the Revenue Cutter Service, is apprehensive -as to the fate of the cutter Galveston, which was anchored in Galveston -harbor at the beginning of the storm. It is assumed that she put to sea, -but as three full days have elapsed since she was heard from there are -fears for her safety. - -The relief work, now under full sway at Houston, is along two lines—to -succor those who cannot leave Galveston and to bring out of the city all -those who can and are willing to leave. - -Mayor Jones and the citizens’ committee of the island city are urging -that only those shall be permitted to enter Galveston whose presence is -imperative, and transportation lines are straining every nerve in order -that they may accord the privilege to those who are pleading to get away -from the scenes of horror and desolation around them. - -Hundreds of people have come to Houston from the four points of the -compass, anxious to get into the stricken town, but since the exodus of -islanders has begun many of these have concluded to remain here rather -than run the risk of missing on the way those for whom they are in -search. - - - ATTEMPT TO SUM UP THE LOSSES. - -News has gradually been reaching here of the immense losses along the -coast beyond Galveston. Damage difficult to estimate in dollars and -cents has been done in a wide stretch of territory, and many human lives -have been lost besides those which were wiped out in Galveston and its -immediate vicinity. Based on reports believed to be accurate, the -following statement is probably as near correct as can be arrived at at -this time: - - Place. Lives lost. Property loss. - - Galveston 8000 $10,000,000 - Houston 2 300,000 - Alvin 9 100,000 - Hitchcock 2 75,000 - Richmond 3 75,000 - Fort Bend county 19 300,000 - Wharton 40,000 - Wharton county 8 100,000 - Colorado county 250,000 - Angleton 3 75,000 - Velasco 50,000 - Other points in Brazoria county 4 30,000 - Sabine 40,000 - Patton 10,000 - Rollover 10,000 - Wennie 10,000 - Belleville 1 50,000 - Hempstead 1 15,000 - Brookshire 2 35,000 - Waller county 3 100,000 - Arcola 2 5,000 - Saratatia 5,000 - Other points 100,000 - Dickinson 7 30,000 - Texas City 5 150,000 - Columbia 8 15,000 - Sandy Point 8 10,000 - Near Brazoria (convicts) 15 1,000 - Damage to railroads outside of Galveston 200,000 - Damage to telegraph and telephone wires outside of Galveston 30,000 - -Damage to cotton crop, estimated on average crop of counties affected, -50,000 bales at $60 per bale; total, $3,000,000. Losses to live stock -cannot be estimated, but thousands of horses and cattle have been killed -all over the storm district. - - - RELIEF PUSHED FORWARD NIGHT AND DAY. - -Relief for those stricken in the awful calamity is now beginning to pour -in from all over the country. Relief committees are being organized, and -food, clothing and money raised to be sent here as rapidly as the -special trains can carry the supplies to the people so sorely in need of -them. - -The Relief Committee here announces that the subscriptions in cash are -in excess of $15,000, and that in addition to the provisions which have -been forwarded from here the Federal Government has ordered 50,000 -rations, which are now on their way from San Antonio. Lieutenant -Ferguson, of General McKibben’s staff, expects to take two car loads of -food to Galveston to-day. A telegram from New Orleans says that the -exchanges there have raised $6,000 for the sufferers. - -Dr. C. P. Wertenbacker, in charge of the Marine Hospital Service in New -Orleans, has arrived here. He has special instructions to look after the -welfare of steamers which may be in distress in Galveston. Dr. -Wertenbacker believes that two camps may have to be established by the -Government, one for those who cannot leave Galveston and one for those -who may come here. The National Government will send the necessary -tents, and the local authorities are providing cots in large numbers. - - - AN APPEAL TO THE FREE MASONS. - -Houston, Tex., Sept. 12.—An appeal has been sent out by the Masonic -Grand Master to the Masonic lodges and members in Texas, urging them to -remit or contribute to the assistance of the destitute. - -Grand Commander W. F. Randolph, of North Carolina Knights Templar, -to-day telegraphed the following to subordinate commanders of North -Carolina: - -“Our fraters in Texas in dire distress because of recent storm. -Immediate relief imperative. Grand Master appeals for funds. Wire or -send quickly to Henry B. Stoddard, Deputy Grand Master, Galveston, Tex.” - - - SUBSCRIPTIONS UNDER WAY. - -Wilmington, Del., Sept. 12.—H. L. Evans & Co., bankers of Wilmington, -to-day started a fund to help the storm sufferers at Galveston. Bishop -Monaghan, of the Roman Catholic Church, in response to a telegram from -Bishop Gallagher, of Galveston, has also started a relief movement. The -money which was collected by the city during the Porto Rico famine is -still in the possession of Mayor Fahey, and it is likely that it will be -turned over for the relief of the people of Galveston. - -Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 12.—At a special meeting of the City Council this -afternoon $2500 was appropriated for the Galveston storm sufferers. -Private subscriptions have amounted to more than this amount, and to-day -$4771 was sent to Galveston. - -Liverpool, Sept. 12.—At a meeting convened by the Lord Mayor of -Liverpool, England, it was decided to open a relief fund for the -sufferers from the Galveston disaster, and £1500 was immediately -subscribed, exclusive of over £500 raised by the cotton association. The -Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool has passed a resolution expressing deep -sympathy with the people of Galveston. - - - PROTECTION OF GALVESTON A COSTLY PROBLEM. - -To protect the city of Galveston from the ravages of future cyclones -would be almost as costly as to re-establish the city on a new site. -This is the opinion of eminent engineers in Washington. To insure the -maintenance of the channel it has been necessary to erect jetties, which -have cost more than $6,000,000, but these jetties do not furnish any -obstacle of value to the invasion of the sea when behind it is a force -such as a West Indian cyclone exerts. - -Because of the effect of storms upon the Gulf coast it has been -customary for engineer officers stationed at Galveston to report yearly -upon the appearance of atmospheric disturbances of more than usual -intensity, and Captain Rich, the engineer officer, who is believed to -have lost his life, stated in his report for 1899 that storms which -occurred during April, May and June, 1899, “carried away nearly all that -remained of construction trestle and track, and caused more or less -settlement of the jetties.” - -The need of a safe deep water harbor on the Gulf of Mexico has long been -appreciated, and in 1899 Congress passed an act directing the Secretary -of War to appoint a board of three engineer officers of the army to make -a careful and critical examination of the American coast of the Gulf of -Mexico west of 93 degrees and 30 minutes west longitude, and to “report -as to the most eligible point or points for a deep harbor, to be of -ample depth, width and capacity to accommodate the largest ocean going -vessels and the commercial and naval necessities of the country.” The -Board consisted of Lieutenant Colonels H. V. Roberts, G. L. Gillespie -and Jared A. Smith. The Board reported that Galveston was the most -eligible point for a deep harbor, but also called attention to the -harbors at Sabine and Aransas Passes as being worthy of consideration. - - - STORM TRAVELED OVER THREE THOUSAND MILES. - -Under date of September 13th a prominent journal commented as follows on -the great storm: - -“Fast disappearing into the Atlantic by way of Cape Breton Island the -great West Indian hurricane is passing into history so far as the United -States is concerned. - -“For twelve days this storm has been under the surveillance of the -Weather Bureau. During this time it has traveled more than 3,000 miles, -and has described in its course a perfect parabola. When the storm began -its “swing around the circle” at Galveston its intensity was greater -than it has been since, although as it goes to sea to-night it is -reported to be again assuming terrine proportions. - -“Its course now lies directly in the path of the North Atlantic Liners, -and what future destruction it may wreak remains to be seen from reports -of incoming vessels. Until the West Indian hurricane made its appearance -the United States had been for exactly two months without a storm, which -is the longest period on record since the establishment of the -Government Weather Bureau. With the disappearance of this storm, another -disturbance is reported near the west Gulf coast, with an arm of -barometric depression extending northward into Western Tennessee.” - - - NOT MEN ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE DEAD. - -Further details of the great disaster were as follows: The citizens of -Galveston are straining every nerve to clear the ground and secure from -beneath the debris the bodies of human beings and animals and to get rid -of them. It is a task of great magnitude and is attended with untold -difficulties. There is a shortage of horses to haul the dead and there -is a shortage of willing hands to perform the gruesome work. It became -apparent that it would be impossible to bury the dead, even in trenches, -and arrangements were made to take them to sea. - -Barges and tugs were quickly made ready for the purpose, but it was -difficult to get men to do the work. The city’s firemen worked hard in -bringing bodies to the wharf, but, outside of them, there were few who -helped. Soldiers and policemen were accordingly sent out, and every -able-bodied man they found was marched to the wharf front. The men were -worked in relays, and were supplied with stimulants to nerve them for -their task. - -At nightfall three barge loads, containing about 700 human bodies, had -been sent to sea, where they were sunk with weights. Darkness compelled -suspension of the work until morning. Toward night great difficulty was -experienced in handling the bodies of negroes, which are badly -decomposed. - -No effort was made after 9 o’clock in the morning to place the bodies in -morgues for identification, for it was imperative that the dead should -be gotten to sea as soon as possible. Many of the bodies taken out are -unidentified. They are placed on the barges as quickly as possible and -lists made while the barges are being towed to sea. - -A large number of dead animals were hauled to the bay and dumped in, to -be carried to sea by the tides. - - - RELIEF TRAIN FROM HOUSTON. - -A relief train from Houston, with 250 men on board, and two carloads of -provisions, came down over the Galveston, Houston & Northern Railroad -yesterday to a point about five miles from Virginia Point. It was -impossible for them to get the provisions or any considerable number of -the men to Galveston, so they turned their attention to burying the dead -lying around the mainland country. - -There is no fresh water famine here, as the pipes from the supply works -are running at the receiving tanks. It is difficult, however, to get it -to parts of the city where it is needed. - - - ROBBERY AND MUTILATION OF THE DEAD. - -A reporter has telegraphed from La Porte the story of the robbery and -mutilation of the dead in Galveston and death of the offenders. - -Ghouls were holding an orgie over the dead. The majority of these men -were negroes, but there were also whites who took part in the -desecration. Some of them were natives and some had been allowed to go -over from the mainland, under the guise of “relief” work. Not only did -they rob the dead, but they mutilated bodies in order to secure their -ghoulish booty. A party of ten negroes were returning from a looting -expedition. They had stripped corpses of all valuables, and the pockets -of some of the looters were fairly bulging out with fingers of the dead, -which had been cut off because they were so swollen the rings could not -be removed. - -Incensed at this desecration and mutilation of the dead, the looters -were shot down, and it has been determined that all found in the act of -robbing dead shall be summarily shot. - -During the robbing of the dead, not only were fingers cut off, but ears -were stripped from the head in order to secure jewels of value. A few -Government troops who survived have been assisting in patrolling the -city. Private citizens have also endeavored to prevent the robbing of -the dead, and on several occasions have killed the offenders. Singly and -in twos and threes the offenders were thus shot down, until the total of -those thus executed exceeds fully fifty. - - - A REFUGEE’S STATEMENT. - -J. W. B. Smith, who went to Galveston from Denver, was in Saturday -night’s storm, and reached Houston, after having an experience which he -will remember the remainder of his life. - -He started from the city on Monday afternoon, and in walking from the -foot of Broadway to the Santa Fe bridge, counted two hundred dead bodies -hung up on wire fences, to say nothing of those floating in the water. -He constructed a raft out of planks, and in company with Clegg Stewart, -made for the mainland, which they reached after hours of exposure. - -In every direction crossing the bay they saw the feet of corpses -sticking out of the water. Upon reaching land they walked to Hitchcock, -Mr. Stewart’s home, and found that twenty-five persons had lost their -lives there, and that, in addition, fifty bodies that had floated ashore -had been buried near there. - - - MONEY BADLY NEEDED. - -The Galveston local relief committee sent out the following: - - -“We are receiving numerous telegrams of condolence and offers of -assistance. As the telegraph wires are burdened, we beg the Associated -Press to communicate this response to all. Nearby cities are supplying -and will supply sufficient food, clothing, etc., for immediate needs. -Cities farther away can serve us best by sending money. Checks should be -made payable to John Sealy, Chairman of the Finance Committee. - -“All supplies should come to W. A. McVitie, Chairman Relief Committee. -We have 25,000 people to clothe and feed, for many weeks, and to furnish -with household goods. Most of these are homeless and the others require -money to make their wrecked residences habitable. From this the world -may understand how much money we will need. This committee will, from -time to time, report our needs with more particularity. We refer to -despatch of this date of Major R. G. Lowe, which the committee fully -endorses. - -“All communicants will please accept this answer in lieu of direct -response and be assured of the heartfelt gratitude of the entire -population. - - [Signed] “W. C. JONES, Mayor.” - - - CARNEGIE’S PRINCELY GIFT. - -The Carnegie Company, of Pittsburg, was foremost in the contributions to -the relief of the sufferers at Galveston. At the meeting of the Chamber -of Commerce a motion to contribute $5000 was under discussion, when a -representative of the Carnegie Company entered and said that he had been -authorized by Mr. Carnegie through a cablegram to give $10,000 for the -distressed. The announcement was greeted with applause. - - - GREAT TIDAL WAVES IN THE WORLD’S HISTORY. - -The tidal wave along the Texan coast will rank among the most disastrous -in history. History is deficient in the record of such tragedies in -human life, but the records are written in physical geography, and are -found in the conformation of shore lines, here and there, around all the -continents. It is impossible to estimate the number of lives lost -through inundations since mankind began, for purposes of commercial -intercourse, the development of seaports. Doubtless the total would run -into the hundreds of thousands, and might reach into millions. - -Geology is quite sure that the rough Norwegian coast, pierced at -intervals of every few miles with the fiords or estuaries which -penetrate in many instances leagues into the land, tell the story of -many cataclysms such as that which has just occurred along the northern -coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Science, however, taking no note of the -traditions or folklore of a people, antedates all human life on the -Scandinavian peninsula in setting the time when this great rising of the -sea against the land took place. - -Scientists are agreed on putting the formation of the Norwegian shore -lines as far back as the glacial period. But in the songs of the skalds, -as late as the reign of Harold Hardrada, there are allusions to the -valor of olden heroes over whom the seas had swept, but whose spirits -rode upon the winds which blew the Norman galleys to other shores. In -the Norway of the present day there are traditions, handed down through -countless generations, from the remotest antiquity, telling how, but not -when, the seas came in. - - - OLD AND CHARMING TRADITION. - -One of the oldest and prettiest traditions in the world is that which -tells of a submerged city somewhere on the Scandinavian coast, the -minarets and towers of which poets can see reflected in the waters at -sunset, and the bells of which musicians, with ears divinely attuned to -concordant sounds, can hear at vespers. Without either the poet’s eye or -the musician’s ear it is still possible to conclude that traditions -which have survived so many centuries, and which contradict nothing of -the exact truth of science as to original causes, may be as well trusted -as science when it begins to speculate, which is all it does when it -seeks to prove that the Scandinavian fiords were in the country before -the Scandinavian himself. - -[Illustration: - - HON. JOSEPH D. SAYERS - - GOVERNOR OF TEXAS] - -[Illustration: - - SHOWING TERRIBLE DEVASTATION ON AVENUE 1. BETWEEN TWELFTH AND - THIRTEENTH STREETS] - -[Illustration: - - THE JOHN SEALY HOSPITAL, GALVESTON] - -[Illustration: - - A RESIDENCE CARRIED FROM ITS FOUNDATION BY THE RUSH OF WATERS] - -[Illustration: - - REMOVING DEAD BODIES TO THE BARGES FOR BURIAL AT SEA] - -[Illustration: - - GENERAL VIEW ALONG THE GALVESTON BEACH AFTER THE FLOOD] - -[Illustration: - - CREMATING BODIES EXCAVATED FROM THE RUINS] - -[Illustration: - - MEDICAL DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, GALVESTON, DAMAGED BY THE - FLOOD] - - - STORY OF THE LOST ATLANTIS. - -The world, with the lapse of centuries, has not even been able to -outgrow the tradition of the lost Atlantis. Perhaps this is the oldest -of all traditions of cataclysms which have blotted out cities and -continents. It may be that it is because this one comes handed down to -us from the illustrous hand of Plato that we yield to it a veneration -which prolongs its life. Certainly it can never be more than tradition, -without a return to the ages of miracles. Our lately found expertness in -deep sea soundings have given us no new light on Atlantis. - -And yet we cling to the old story, and are loath to turn from the -spectacle of a continent in the agonies of a watery burial, or to take -down from the walls of our brain cells the pictures of a submerged world -in which sea moss trails over and around great temples and monuments. -More than half the world believes that there is a lost Atlantis. The -Egyptians believed so, long before Plato’s day. It is in the mouth of an -Egyptian priest, talking to Solon, that Plato puts the description of -the vanished land. That description makes of Atlantis a land larger than -the Texas of to-day. - - - BELIEVED THE SEA HAD CONCEALED A LAND. - -The Greek philosopher located it off the shores of North Africa, a -little to the southwest of Gibraltar. The Platonian description of the -interior of the Atlantis of ancient times is surpassingly beautiful, but -not more so than the rare imaginative power with which Plato writes of -the country and its people, a most fabulous and engaging history. - -All this, of course, is the work of pure fancy, and only important, -beyond the fact that it is the work of Plato, as showing how deeply the -conviction had taken hold upon the mind of that age that the sea had -taken away a land which the ancients knew as the western shore of the -Atlantic Ocean, and had left nothing but a boundless waste of waters -west of Europe. Speculators have located the lost Atlantis near the -Canary Islands, and these islands are, in fact, supposed to be the -remnants of the lost continent. There is positively nothing tangible -upon which to hang the story of the lost Atlantis. - -But, like most traditions which persist in living on after the world has -grown too practical to have any more use for them, it has, doubtless, a -foundation in some important fact of olden time, the tragedy of which -was in that sacrifice of the earth to the waters of the deep, which had -become familiar even to the ancients. Byron’s apostrophe to the ocean is -so singularly powerful and beautiful because it expresses that awe and -fear of man for the sea which is an instinct with us, and which, if it -had not been instinct with us at the first, would have become so through -the many and heavy afflictions visited upon the race by Neptune, god of -the sea. - - - TIDAL WAVES ON ENGLISH COASTS. - -That the coasts of England have been visited by many and disastrous -tidal waves there is abundant evidence. In fact, the ocean bar, which -surrounds nearly the whole of England and Scotland, is evidence enough -that the entire shore line, as it exists to-day, is itself the result of -a great submersion, or series of submersions, which ages ago overflowed -the old coast, rushed in shore, made new land lines, and, hollowing out -between the new line and the old, a new ocean bed, leaving what had been -called the coast line to be forever after called the “bar.” The bar is -to be found in nearly every port of England, eloquent testimony to the -tidal waves of the past. But there is comparatively little of other -testimony save such as has been preserved in the records of seaport -towns. - -One of the greatest cataclysms ever occurring on the British coast was -that on the coast of Lincolnshire in 1571. This has been commemorated in -verse by Jean Ingelow in the poem entitled “High Tide Off the Coast of -Lincolnshire.” The Lincolnshire coast is almost uniformly low and -marshy—so low, in fact, at some places that the shore requires the -defence of an embankment to save it from the encroachments of the sea. - -A sea wall had been built when the great tidal wave of 1571 came, but it -appears to have been absolutely useless as a defence of the country and -the people of that time. - -At the present day the fens of Lincolnshire are defended from the North -Sea by some of the finest engineering works in the world, and yet it is -much to be doubted whether they would prove effective against such -invasions as that which has just overwhelmed Galveston. - - - GREAT INUNDATION OF 1571. - -There are ancient town records in nearly all the seacoast towns of -Lincolnshire which tell of the inundation of 1571. There was then as -there is now, a chime of bells in the tower of St. Botolph, Boston, and -when the tide was seen to be sweeping away the barriers the Mayor of -Boston himself mounted the belfry stairs and had played the old love -song called “The Brides of Enderby” as an alarm to the country side. - -But the tide came so unheralded, there having been no premonition of it -in storm or tempest, that the meaning of the chimes was not understood. -Savants have never had an explanation of the Lincolnshire tide, coming -as it did so unheralded by anything threatening a cataclysm. The flood -found the people unprepared and thousands fell victims to its fury. - -There is nothing in literature, and nothing of course in the musty -archives of the Lincolnshire towns, conveying as vivid an impression of -the horror of the day and night as the Ingelow verses. They are written -in the old, and what now seems to us the quaint, English of that day. - -The story is told by an old woman whose daughter, out with her two -children looking and calling for the cows at eventide, is overwhelmed -and drowned. - - - A REAL TRAGEDY AT GALVESTON. - -Perhaps it is a safe conclusion that the tragedy poetry as set for us on -the Lincolnshire stage had found expression in real life along the Texas -coasts. The old Lincolnshire woman’s plaintive narrative has never -seemed unreal, because it is filled with the spirit of a homely life, -but just now it seems like a voice from out the past telling us of the -tragedy now at our doors. The poem is a very long one, but a few -selections from its narration of the widespread desolation of the -country will picture much of the gulf coast of Texas at this time. The -cry of the housewife for the cattle dies out in the evening stillness -and then the old dame sees the flood: - - And lo, along the river’s bed - A mighty eygre reared his crest, - And up the river raging sped. - It swept with thunderous noises loud— - Shaped like a curling, snow-white cloud, - Or like a demon in a shroud. - - And rearing Lindus, backward pressed, - Shook all her trembling banks amain, - Then madly at the eygre’s breast - Flung uppe her weltering walls again, - Then bankes came down with ruin and rout, - Then beaten foam flew round about, - Then all the mighty floods were out. - - So farre, so fast the eygre drave - The heart had hardly time to beat - Before a shallow seething wave - Sobbed in the grasses at our feet; - The feet had hardly time to flee - Before it brake against the knee— - And all the world was in the sea. - - That flow strewed wrecks about the grass, - That ebbe swept out the flocks to sea— - A fatal ebbe and flow, alas, - To many more than mine and me. - - - TIDES AND EARTHQUAKES. - -Many of the most fatal tidal waves of which we have any history, have -been accompanied by earthquakes, adding to their horrors, but making it -impossible to say whether the earthquake or the inundation has been the -more fatal and destructive. The great earthquake at Lisbon in 1755 was -accompanied by a tidal wave which, rolling up the Tagus river from the -ocean, submerged all the lower parts of the city and destroyed thousands -of lives which might possibly have escaped the earthquake shocks. - -When the earthquake came to Caraccas in 1812 there was a tidal wave at -La Guyra, the entrepot of Caraccas, which destroyed many lives. Five -years ago a series of tidal waves, accompanied by or alternating with -earthquake shocks, visited some of the most populous islands of Japan. -The tidal waves reached from fifteen to twenty miles inland, being of -such a height, force and volume, ten miles from the ocean, particularly -when restricted to narrow valleys, as to be capable of destroying much -life. - -The number of human lives lost at that time has never been stated in any -English newspaper, but that it ran far into the thousands there is no -room to doubt. Ten thousand is more apt to be an under than an over -estimate, such were the ravages of the combined seismic and cataclysmic -terrors visited upon that part of the world during nearly a week of days -and nights of horror, which, fortunately, come but seldom in the -experience of the race. - -The affliction of Texas, while much less than this, is still monumental, -and will always rank among the great catastrophes of history. Perhaps -there have been events more destructive of life in times or places where -it was impossible that any record of them should be left. But few such -are known to history. Nor is it likely that the future will often bring -to any part of the world a severer affliction than that which has fallen -upon our Gulf coast. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - Vivid Pictures of Suffering in Every Street and House—The Gulf City a - Ghastly Mass of Ruins—The Sea Giving Up Its Dead—Supplies Pouring in - from Every Quarter. - - -As more definite information came from Galveston and the other coast -towns of Texas that were in the path of the storm, the horrors of the -situation increased. Most people were inclined to look upon the first -reports, made in a hurry and in intense excitement, as grossly -exaggerated, but the first reports from Texas, far from being -over-drawn, greatly understated the destructive effects of the storm. - -Thousands of persons lost their lives, and many thousands more lost all -their homes and all their possessions. A large population was without -shelter, clothing, food and medicine, in the midst of scenes of wreck -and ruin. The sanitary condition of Galveston was appalling and -threatened a season of pestilence. - - - TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS OF THE SURVIVORS. - -The people were undergoing a period of the sharpest deprivation, -sickness prevailed, and intense suffering was in store for them. The -plight of the city and its inhabitants was such that it would be -impossible to exaggerate the picture, and demanded from the prosperous -and humane everywhere the promptest and most abundant outpouring of -gifts. - -Food, clothing, household goods, provisions of every kind, household -utensils, medicines and money were needed by the stricken city and its -impoverished men, women and children. There has been no case in our -history which appealed more strongly for sympathy and aid. - -Former State Senator Wortham, who went to Galveston as the special aid -to Adjutant-General Scurry to investigate the conditions there, returned -to Austin and made his report. He said: - -“I am convinced that the city is practically wrecked for all time to -come. Fully seventy-five per cent. of the business portion of the town -is irreparably wrecked, and the same per cent. of damage is to be found -in the residence district. - -“Along the wharf front great ocean steamships have bodily bumped -themselves on to the big piers and lie there, great masses of iron and -wood that even fire cannot totally destroy. - -“The great warehouses along the water front are smashed in on one side, -unroofed and shattered throughout their length, the contents either -piled in heaps on the wharves or on the streets. Small tugs and -sailboats have jammed themselves half into buildings, where they were -landed by the incoming waves and left by the receding waters. Houses are -packed and jammed in great confusing masses in all of the streets. - - - BODIES PILED IN THE STREETS. - -“Great piles of human bodies, dead animals, rotting vegetation, -household furniture and fragments of the houses themselves are piled in -confused heaps right in the main streets of the city. Along the Gulf -front human bodies are floating around like cordwood. Intermingled with -them are to be found the carcasses of horses, chickens, dogs and rotting -vegetable matter. - -“Along the Strand, adjacent to the Gulf front, where are located all the -big wholesale warehouses and stores, the situation almost defies -description. Great stores of fresh vegetation have been invaded by the -incoming waters and are now turned into garbage piles of most defouling -odors. The Gulf waters, while on the land, played at will with -everything, smashing in doors of stores, depositing bodies of human -beings and animals where they pleased and then receded, leaving the -wreckage to tell its own tale of how the work had been done. As a result -the great houses are tombs wherein are to be found the bodies of human -beings and carcasses almost defying the efforts of relief parties. - -“In the piles of debris along the street, in the water and scattered -throughout the residence portion of the city, are masses of wreckage, -and in these great piles are to be found more human bodies and household -furniture of every description. - -“The waters of the Gulf and the winds spared no one who was exposed. -Whirling houses around in its grasp the wind piled their shattered -frames high in confusing masses and dumped their contents on top. Men -and women were thrown around like so many logs of wood. - - - ALL SUFFERED INJURY. - -“I believe that with the very best exertions of the men it will require -weeks to obtain some semblance of physical order in the city, and it is -doubtful if even then all the debris will be disposed of. - -“There is hardly a family on the island whose household has not lost a -member or more, and in some instances entire families have been washed -away or killed. - -“Hundreds who escaped from the waves did so only to become the victims -of a worse death, being crushed by falling buildings. - -“Down in the business section of the city the foundations of great -buildings have given way, carrying towering structures to their ruin. -These ruins, falling across the streets, formed barricades on which -gathered all the floating debris and many human bodies. Many of these -bodies were stripped of their clothing. - -“Some of the most conservative men on the island place the loss of human -beings at not less than 7500 and possibly 10,000. The live stock on the -island has been completely annihilated. - -“I consider that every interest on the island has suffered. Not one has -escaped. From the great dock company to the humblest individual the loss -has been felt and in many instances it is irreparable. In cases where -houses have been left standing the contents are more or less damaged, -but in the large majority of cases the houses themselves did not escape -injury.” - -At fifteen minutes to four o’clock in the afternoon of Thursday the -13th, for the first time since Saturday afternoon at twenty-six minutes -after four o’clock, Galveston was in telegraphic communication with the -outside world, although not open for business completely. - -The cable left Chicago on Sunday morning and was laid across the bay, -and several thousand telegraph poles on the mainland were straightened -up by a force of 250 men under the supervision of superintendents of the -Western Union. - -Concerning the great calamity, the destruction of life and property, the -view expressed by a prominent citizen was very generally approved. He -said: - -“The people and military officers who are dooming Galveston to eternal -ruin would have consigned Lisbon to a lasting chaos after her earthquake -and decried and abandoned St. Louis with vacant crumbling houses after -the great cyclone. If the citizens of Chicago had listened to their -despairing notes, blackened fragments of half-fallen walls and shapeless -heaps of brick and stone would still be the fitting monuments to -proclaim their broken spirit. - - - BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE. - -“But all the reserves of human energy are summoned forth by the very -worst disasters, and courage should be written on the heart of -Galveston. It is the time to lift up the hands of her strong men, to -give them a word of cheer, for they are bound to the spot and must make -the best of their fate. A chorus of evil predictions simply multiplies -their difficulties and is a cruelty to them, whether it is intended to -be so or not. - -“Let the dismal prophets reflect a moment. Though buildings have been -destroyed there is not a foot of land on the island that does not -represent savings. Though railroad communications have been cut off, the -currents of commerce by the land and by the sea are merely waiting to -resume their courses. There is a capital in trade connections which is -not necessarily wrecked along with wrecked stores, offices and houses.” - -C. J. Sealey, a young man of Galveston, Texas, who was in La Junta, -Colorado, received a telegram from the Mayor of Galveston informing him -of the death of twenty-one of his relatives, among whom were his mother, -two sisters and three brothers. The young man said he did not believe he -had a relative on earth. - -An eye-witness of the desolation described the scene as follows: - -“Galveston is beginning slowly to recover from the stunning blow of last -week, and though the city appears to-night to be pitilessly desolated, -the authorities and the commercial and industrial interests are setting -their forces to work, and a start has at least been made toward the -resumption of business on a moderate scale. - -“The presence of the troops has had a beneficial effect upon the -criminal classes, and the apprehension of a brief but desperate reign of -anarchy no longer exists. The liquor saloons have at least temporarily -gone out of business, and every strong-limbed man who has not his own -humble abode to look after is being pressed into service, so that, first -of all, the water service may be resumed, the gutters flushed and the -streets lighted. - - - BODIES CONSTANTLY COMING TO LIGHT. - -“The further the ruins are dug into the greater becomes the increase in -the list of those who perished as their houses tumbled about their -heads. On the lower beach a searching party found a score of corpses -within a small area, going to show that the bulwark of debris that lies -straight across the island conceals more bodies than have been accounted -for. - -“Volunteer gangs continue their work of hurried burial of the corpses -they find on the shores of Galveston Island, at the many neighboring -points where fatalities attended the storm. It will probably be many -days, yet, however, before all the floating bodies have found nameless -graves. - -“Along the beach they are constantly being washed up. Whether these are -those who were swept out into the Gulf and drowned or are simply the -return ashore of some of those cast into the sea to guard against -terrible pestilence, there is no means of knowing. In a trip across the -bay yesterday I counted seven bodies tossing in the waves, with a score -of horses and cattle, the stench from which was unbearable. In various -parts of the city the smell of decomposed flesh is still apparent. -Wherever such instances are found the authorities are freely -disinfecting. Only to-day, a babe, lashed to a mattress, was picked up -under a residence in the very heart of the city and was burned. - -“The city still presents the appearance of widespread wreck and ruin. -Little has been done to clear the streets of the terrible tangle of -wires and the masses of wreck, mortar, slate, stone and glass that -bestrew them. Many of the sidewalks are impassable. Some of them are -littered with debris. Others are so thickly covered with slime that -walking on them is out of the question. As a general rule substantial -frame buildings withstood better the blasts of the gale than those of -brick. In other instances, however, small wooden structures, cisterns -and whole sides of houses have been plumped down in streets or back -yards squares away from where they originally stood. - - - LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. - -“Here and there business men have already put men to work to repair the -damage done, but in the main the commercial interests seem to be -uncertain about following the lead of those, who, apparently, show faith -in the rapid rehabilitation of the island city. The appearance of the -newspapers to-day, after a suspension of several days, is having a good -effect, and both the News and Tribune are urging prompt succoring of the -suffering, and then equal promptness in reconstruction. It is difficult -to say yet what the ultimate effect of the disaster is to be on the -city. Many people have left, and some may never return. The experience -of others still here was so frightful that not all will remain if they -can conveniently find occupation in other cities. - -“The bulk of the population, however, is only temporarily panic -stricken, and there are hosts of those who helped to make Galveston -great who look upon the catastrophe as involving only a temporary halt -in the advancement of the city. - -“What is most bothering business men at present is what attitude the -railroads, and especially the Southern Pacific, are to assume with -respect to reconstruction. The decision of the transportation lines will -do more than anything else to restore confidence. Big ships, new -arrivals, rode at anchor to-day in front of the city. They had just -reached the port, and found the docks and pier damage so widespread that -no accommodation could be given to them. They found sheds torn away, -freight cars overturned and planking ripped off. - -“The steamships reported ashore in early reports are, save two, the -Norwegian steamer Gyller and the British steamer Norma, still high and -dry. - -“No examination is yet possible as to the condition of those still on -the sand, but the big tug H. C. Wilmott has arrived from New Orleans, -and her assistance is to be given to saving those vessels which can be -gotten into deep water again. Apparently, however, Galveston has no -immediate need for ships. The destruction of the bridges of all the -railroads entering the city makes it well nigh impossible to furnish -outgoing cargoes. These bridges were each about three miles in length, -and the work of reconstruction will be a stupendous undertaking. - - - THE CITY STILL IN DARKNESS. - -“One of the most serious results of the storm has been the ripping of -the electric light and street car plants. The city has been in absolute -darkness for several nights, and only a few concerns who operate their -own illuminating service are enabled to do business. Nearly every -residence has gone back to the primitive candle. The absence of street -lights drives all those who have no imperative business on the streets -to their homes at nightfall, but the work of the patrol system is made -more difficult thereby and the opportunity for looting greater. - -“Among the worst sufferers by the disaster were the churches. Nearly -every one of them felt the effect of the storm. Some of them are entire -wrecks, absolutely beyond repair. - -“The work of relief continues energetically. Mayor Jones and his -associates are bending every nerve to open a direct line of -transportation with Houston by which he may be enabled promptly to -receive the great quantity of provisions which are now on the way to the -city.” - -The War Department received the following telegram from General -McKibben, who was sent to Galveston to report on conditions there: - - -“Arrived at Galveston at 6 P. M., having been ferried across bay in a -yawl boat. It is impossible to adequately describe the condition -existing. The storm began about 9 A. M. on Saturday, and continued with -constantly increasing violence until after midnight. The island was -inundated; the height of the tide was from eleven to thirteen feet. The -wind was a cyclone. With few exceptions every building in the city is -injured. Hundreds are entirely destroyed. All the fortifications except -the rapid fire battery at San Jacinto are practically destroyed. At San -Jacinto every building except the quarantine station has been swept -away. - -“Battery O, First Artillery, lost twenty-eight men. The officers and -their families were all saved. Three members of the hospital corps lost. -All bridges are gone, water works destroyed and all telegraph lines are -down. The city is under control of Committee of Safety, and is perfectly -quiet. Every article of equipment or property pertaining to Battery O -was lost. Not a record of any kind is left. The men saved have nothing -but the clothing on their persons. Nearly all are without shoes or -clothing other than their shirts and trousers. Clothing necessary has -been purchased, and temporary arrangements made for food and shelter. -There are many thousand citizens homeless and absolutely destitute who -must be clothed, sheltered and fed. Have ordered 20,000 rations and -tents for 1000 from Sam Houston. Have wired Commissary-General to ship -30,000 rations by express. Lieutenant Perry will make his way back to -Houston and send this telegram. - - “MCKIBBEN.” - - - ALARMING RUMORS FROM GALVESTON. - -The authorities at Galveston on the 13th prohibited the entry into the -city of any one but men willing to work. Six hundred women and children -fled from Galveston and came to Houston. The smell of the dead attained -to the stifling point. Five hundred more bodies recovered from the -debris were cremated in one pile. Several of the women who arrived at -Houston from Galveston were fever patients. They were removed to -ambulances from the train in stretchers. It was evident that the city -was on the verge of an epidemic, if, indeed, it was not already in its -throes. There were serious indications that the authorities were -suppressing the facts. - -The eagerness of the Board of Health that two miles of wreck be burned, -whether it threatened to consume the other portion of the city or not, -and the frantic haste of the police to get every woman and child out of -the city, coupled with an order issued that no one be admitted to the -island except for work, not even relatives of victims or anxious ones -searching for relatives, and the seizure of the railroad running to -Texas City to prevent people going to Galveston, all contributed to -stamp the situation as beyond the control of the handful of -inexperienced men in authority. The consensus of opinion of prominent -Houston people who returned from the city was that the Federal -Government owed it to the country to intervene at once. Otherwise, the -danger of contagion to neighboring cities and States must continue to -multiply each day. - - - AUTHORITIES AT ODDS. - -Galveston, Texas, September 13.—(By Western Union despatch boat to -Houston.)—General McKibben, commanding the Department of Texas, his -aide, and Adjutant-General, Lieutenant-Colonel Roberts, arrived here -last night. General Scurry, Adjutant-General of Texas, also came in from -Austin. Two companies of regulars from Fort Sam Houston also arrived. -Galveston is now under martial law, by whose orders has not been -proclaimed, and friction has already arisen between the civil -authorities and the military. - -The sentinels on the street corners do not recognize the passes issued -by Mayor Jones, and ignore him and his police force. If a person cannot -give a good excuse for being on the street after 9 P. M., he is marched -off to jail. Mayor Jones is highly indignant because his authority is -usurped, and law-abiding citizens are hot because they are held up when -they are on an errand of relief to some stricken friend or family. This -is a matter which will be brought to the attention of General McKibben -and Adjutant-General Scurry, and Mayor Jones will demand that his -authority as Chief Executive of the city be respected and recognized by -the military. - -Houston is the haven of the unfortunate people of Galveston. Trains have -already brought in between 500 and 1,000 of the survivors, and a motley -crowd they are. Men bareheaded, barefooted, hatless and coatless, with -swelled feet and bruised and blackened bodies and heads were numerous. -Women of wealth and refinement, frequently hatless, shoeless, with gowns -in shreds, were among the refugees. Sometimes there would be a man, wife -and child or two, but such cases were rare, nearly all of those who came -in having suffered the loss of one or more of their family. Never were -there so many sad hearts. Men bereft of their wives and children, women -who were widowed, children who were orphaned—it was enough to touch the -heart of anyone. Never was there more heroism shown. - -Although a week ago these people had happy homes, they are now homeless -and penniless, but they bear up bravely. There is no whimpering, no -complaining. They were all made to feel that Houston is now their home, -that they are welcome, and that everything possible for their comfort -and welfare will be done. They are being housed and fed, and those in -need of medical attention are placed in the hospitals, where they -receive every care. Many of the refugees to reach Houston had tasted -little or no food since the storm. - - - NO LIMIT TO HOUSTON’S HOSPITALITY. - -A mass meeting of the General Relief Committee was held on the 13th to -discuss the best method of handling the crowds of people who were -expected to come in from Galveston within the next two or three days. It -was decided to pitch the Government tents in Emancipation Park in -Houston, as there is no suitable place in Galveston where they can be -put up. Mayor Brashear sent a communication to Mayor Jones, of -Galveston, urging that all persons be sent to Houston from that place as -quickly as possible, and gave assurance that they would be amply -provided for. - -By “all persons” Mayor Brashear meant that not only those who are -injured or destitute should come, but it included everybody. He wished -it distinctly understood that Houston was prepared to care for all of -those who left Galveston, whether they were sick or well, rich or poor. -It was his belief and the belief of those associated with him on the -General Relief Committee that Galveston must be depopulated until -sanitation can be completed, and all people have been urged to come from -that city to Houston. - - - THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF TWO HOUSTON WOMEN. - -Mrs. Bergman, wife of Manager Bergman, of the Houston Opera House, gave -a thrilling account of her escape during the Galveston storm. She was -summering in a cottage on Rosenberg avenue, two blocks back from the -beach, at 10 o’clock on Saturday. The water was up about three feet, and -she donned a bathing suit and proceeded to the Olympia to talk over the -long distance phone to her husband at Houston. At the Olympia she was -waist deep in water. At 2 o’clock the water about her house was so deep -she became alarmed, and in a bathing suit she and her sister evacuated -the high cottage they occupied. - -The neighbors living in the next house, being old Galvestonians, laughed -at them. Out of that family of fifteen there were saved three, and they -only because they were down town. Mrs. Bergman and her sister started -for the Central Telephone office, the water being from waist to armpit -deep. Both are expert swimmers, and they buffeted the winds and waves -for several blocks. Finally they spied a negro with a dray. They -chartered him for two dollars to take them to the Central Telephone -Station. After proceeding two blocks the mule was drowned, and all were -washed off the dray, the negro being lost. - -Mrs. Bergman and her sister, by wading and swimming, reached the -telephone station, and found refuge until the firemen commenced to bring -dead bodies into the building. Then they concluded to go to Belton’s -livery stable, where Mr. Bergman kept his horse. This was the hardest -part of the trip, although the distance was only 600 yards. It was in -the heart of the city, and glass, bricks, slate and timbers flew in -showers. - -[Illustration: - - GALVESTON COURT HOUSE,] - -[Illustration: - - TREMONT STREET, SHOWING TREMONT HOTEL IN THE DISTANCE. - - TEN FEET OF WATER COVERED THIS STREET] - -[Illustration: - - SHOOTING VANDALS ENGAGED IN ROBBING THE BODIES OF THE VICTIMS] - -[Illustration: - - DESTRUCTION OF GALVESTON GARTEN VEREIN, TWENTY-SEVENTH STREET AND - AVENUE O] - -[Illustration: - - RESIDENCE SECTION—TENTH STREET BETWEEN WINNIE AND AVENUE H, GALVESTON] - -[Illustration: - - ST. MARY’S INFIRMARY, GALVESTON, AFTER THE FLOOD] - -[Illustration: - - WHARVES OF GALVESTON BEFORE THE GREAT TIDAL WAVE. STEAMSHIPS WERE - DRIVEN ASHORE AND WRECKED] - -[Illustration: - - CARING FOR THOSE INJURED BY THE STORM AT GALVESTON.] - -[Illustration: - - TRAIN BLOWN FROM TRACK SHOWN BY DOTTED LINE.] - -At Belton’s they remained until next morning. At 6 o’clock Sunday -morning, the storm having abated, they started back to their home. The -only vestige of it or of the houses for blocks around was a -hitching-post. All was a sandy waste. In the back yard lay a dead baby. -This frightened them, but before going far on the way back they saw -scores of dead bodies, and men, women and children maimed and bleeding, -homeless and bereft of family. - -It was an awful night and day they put in, with nothing on but bathing -suits, and nothing to eat. Passing a store they saw the plate glass -windows all broken. The background was lined with black cloth. This they -seized, and securing a pair of scissors at the stable and needles and -thread, they soon had two well-fitting and well-made gowns, which they -wore until they reached Houston. - - - TRANSPORT TO CARRY PROVISIONS. - -Acting Secretary of War Meiklejohn issued orders placing the transport -McPherson at the services of the Citizens’ Committee of the Merchants’ -Association of New York for the immediate transportation of provisions -donated for the relief of the storm sufferers at Galveston. - -The people who had been raising contributions and supplies in New York -asked President McKinley for a transport, and the War Department acted -immediately on the request. It was expected that the McPherson would -leave within seventy-two hours and sail direct for Galveston. It was -suggested by the War Department that the relief committees of -Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia and other cities in reach of New -York by rail within a few hours, place themselves at once in touch with -the Chairman of the Relief Committee of New York, in order that -clothing, supplies and food might be forwarded promptly to the carrying -capacity of the McPherson. - - -Austin, Tex., September 13.—Alvin and other points along the coast are -crying piteously for aid. They say that they have been overlooked in the -general relief fund and that with all their property destroyed, their -hopes gone, no clothing, no provisions, they are fit subjects for the -hand of charity along with the unfortunates from Galveston. Governor -Sayers promptly wired them that they should be looked after. - -Touching on the subject of needs of the flood sufferers and the funds -being furnished him for the purpose, Governor Sayers stated to-day that -it would take at least one million and possibly a million and one-half -to render the assistance that would be beneficial to the flood -sufferers. Many of them will have to be supported for possibly the next -two months, and it will require an immense amount of money to do this, -inasmuch as there are estimated to be 10,000 destitute at Galveston and -fully twice that many along the main shore. - -From points along the coast comes the report that a great amount of -wreckage is being thrown up by the Gulf and hundreds of people have -wandered miles down the coast, seeking among the wreckage for valuables. -The household property of Galveston people is strewn from Rockport in -Matagorda Bay along 200 miles of coast front. Every conceivable -household article is to be found strewn along the sands. Valuables are -literally lining the coast. Trunks, valises, bureaus, chests and the -like are being deposited on the shore. - -People are pouring up from the coast by the train load. Many are going -to relatives in the central and northern part of the State, and others -are stopping in Houston. Of course, this applies to the more prosperous -class of the Galvestonians, if there can be any such now. - - - MONEY AND SUPPLIES FOR THE SUFFERERS. - -The subscriptions in New York up to Thursday, the 13th, for the relief -of the Galveston sufferers were: - -Merchants’ Association, $52,099; Mayors’ Fund, $7000; New York -Mercantile Exchange Fund, $2000; New York Cotton Exchange Fund, $5300; -New York Stock Exchange Fund, $11,100; New York Produce Exchange Fund, -$10,500; Chamber of Commerce Fund, $25,000; miscellaneous subscriptions, -$30,000. Total, $142,994. - -The transport McPherson left at noon Monday, the 7th, for Galveston, -carrying supplies which were contributed through the Merchants’ -Association. - -The Citizens’ Committee of the association deposited in bank $26,775, -making a gross total of $40,526 so deposited. Secretary Corwine -immediately afterward wired Governor Sayers authorizing him to draw -$12,000 in addition to the $12,000 offered the day before. Mayor Jones, -of Galveston, was also notified of the telegrams of the Governor. - -The steamer El Sud, of the Morgan Line, sailed for Galveston with a -large contribution of food supplies and clothing for the Relief -Committee, which was contributed, through the Merchants’ Association. - -A despatch from Clark, South Dakota, says that Governor Roosevelt has -authorized Colonel William J. Young, of the Executive Department of -Albany, N. Y., to issue an appeal for aid on behalf of the Galveston -sufferers. J. Pierpont Morgan was named by the Governor as chairman of -such committee and authorized to receive subscriptions. - - - CLARA BARTON GOES TO TEXAS. - -Miss Clara Barton, President of the National Red Cross, and her staff, -left for Galveston, accompanied by Mary Agnes Coombs, the Secretary of -the Executive Committee in New York during the Spanish war. - -It was the intention of the Salvation Army to equip a hospital car for -Galveston. There were to be physicians and nurses on board and a large -supply of hospital necessities. This car will be kept at Galveston as -long as needed. - -A meeting of Americans, resident and transient, in Paris was held at the -Chamber of Commerce on September 13th for the purpose of devising a -method for raising funds to assist the sufferers at Galveston. The -United States Ambassador, General Horace Porter, was elected President; -George Monroe, the banker, was made Treasurer, and Francis Kimball was -appointed Secretary. Resolutions of sympathy with the people of -Galveston were adopted, and a subscription list was opened, with the -result that inside of fifteen minutes 50,000 francs were donated. - -A committee of seven was appointed to carry out the plans of the -meeting, which included canvassing the American colony in Paris. The -French papers also opened subscription lists, many Frenchmen having -expressed a desire to subscribe. - -R. P. W. Houston, member of Parliament and head of the Houston Line of -Steamers, cabled $5000 to Galveston for the relief of the sufferers. - - - SYMPATHY FROM FRANCE. - -The following telegrams passed between the Presidents of France and the -United States: - - -“Rambouillet, President, September 12, 1900.—To His Excellency the -President of the United States of America: The news of the disaster -which has just devastated the State of Texas, has deeply moved me. The -sentiments of traditional friendship which unite the two Republics can -leave no doubt in your mind concerning the very sincere share that the -President, the Government of the Republic and the whole nation take in -the calamity that has proved such a cruel ordeal for so many families in -the United States. It is natural that France should participate in the -sadness as well as in the joy of the American people. I take it to heart -to tender to your Excellency our most heartfelt condolences, and to send -to the families of the victims the expression of our afflicted sympathy. - - “EMILE LOUBET.” - - -“Executive Mansion, Washington, D. C. September 13, 1900.—His -Excellency, Emile Loubet, President of the French Republic, Rambouillet, -France: I hasten to express, in the name of the thousands who have -suffered by the disaster in Texas, as well as in behalf of the whole -American people, heartfelt thanks for your touching message of sympathy -and condolence. - - “WILLIAM MCKINLEY.” - - -In response to an inquiry telegraphed to Colonel A. H. Belo, publisher -of the Dallas News and of the Galveston News, the following hopeful -estimate of the business future and prospects of Galveston was received: - - -“Although in the middle of our overwhelming disaster, the full extent of -which can only be approximately estimated, the citizens of Galveston -held a meeting on Sunday afternoon, as soon as they possibly could after -the great storm. At this meeting the sentiment expressed was a grim and -undaunted resolution to rebuild the island city. They said: - -“‘Galveston must rise again.’ - -“They fully realize the vastness of their misfortune and the magnitude -of their task to repair it, yet, amid all the wreck and havoc that the -elements have wrought they say, with determination, that as soon as they -bury their dead and provide for the immediate necessities of their -living and destitute ones, they will set about to clear away the debris, -and begin anew their lives of toil and energy on their storm-stricken -island. - -“They are inspired with the sentiment that Galveston must rally, must -survive and must fulfill a glorious destiny, as the great entry port of -the Southwest. As in the case of the great Johnstown disaster, in 1889, -the whole American people have responded with alacrity to their cries -for help, and with such aid to assist and such sympathy to inspire them, -they will surely meet the success that their patriotic efforts so richly -merit. - - “A. H. BELO.” - - - STORY OF DEATH AND RUIN. - -Reviewing the situation it may be said that again were heard the cries -of those in the wilderness of devastation asking for succor, for again, -as a score of times before, Galveston and surrounding coast towns are -the scenes of death and desolation. Homes razed and washed away by the -waters that have claimed their occupants as victims of death and horror, -has more than once been the story from the shores of the Gulf. - -History is now repeating itself, and the repetition has become frequent -since 1860. While severe storms sweep the Atlantic coast between the -mouth of the Savannah River and the Chesapeake, still the resultant -damage is far less north of Savannah and the Cape Fear River. This is -because the land is higher, serving as a barrier to the encroachments of -the sea, while the further south one goes, it will be found, the land is -lower, increasing the liability of becoming submerged by heavy inshore -winds and tidal waves. - -Florida, Louisiana and Texas coast cities are but a few feet above high -tide register and therefore the more subject to overflow. To compute the -total loss of life and property from the storms which from time to time -have devastated the coast of the Gulf of Mexico it would be found the -loss of human life would extend well into the thousands, while tens of -millions of dollars have been laid waste. - - - STORMS THAT BROUGHT DESOLATION. - -There have been many such storms before whose fury has been felt by the -coast people. One of the worst storms was in September, 1860, which -caused ruin and death from Rio Grande to Mobile, and when the waters had -subsided the loss could be figured at $3,000,000. - -Then in October of the same year, one month later, another storm swept -down upon Galveston and Houston, and $5,000,000 had been wiped out. -There were other storms of less violence, as, for instance, in June, -1891, when a southeast wind blew a hurricane for four days and the city -was inundated and shipping was seriously crippled. - -There was another fearful visitation on September 17, 1875. A good part -of the city was under water several feet deep. Vessels were wrecked and -the City Hospital was filled with water and the Ocean House, on Gulf -Beach, crumbled and fell and floated away in remnants. Thirty lives were -lost. It was the hardest storm since 1867 up to that time. The storm -raged for several days. - -Indianola, one hundred and twenty miles southwest of Galveston, was -almost totally destroyed. More than one hundred and fifty of its -inhabitants were found dead in the ruins of their homes. Nearly all of -its three thousand houses were unroofed or badly damaged, and $7,000,000 -in money has gone to waste. - -A hurricane on the lower Texas coast and in Mexico on August 20, 1880, -carried destruction far and wide. As many as three hundred houses in -Matamoras, Mexico, were demolished, even brick buildings offering no -more resistance than so many toys. Brownsville, Texas, saw its houses -unroofed and the infantry barracks were demolished, and twenty-eight -army horses and several mules were killed. A convent did not escape -damage, and several of the occupants were injured by falling debris. - -The railroads, quarantine stations and the lighthouses were seriously -damaged. Thirty lives were lost and property damaged was estimated at -$1,000,000. This hurricane was followed by one of equal violence on the -Mexican coast, which completely wiped out the town of Altata and the -port of that name. Not one house was left standing and ships in the -harbor suffered greatly. - - - ATLANTIC COAST ALSO SWEPT. - -Savannah, Ga., has not escaped the fury of the southern gale. The city -suffered severely in 1881, the waters rushing into the streets and -causing the death of four hundred persons by drowning. Four million -dollars, it was said, was the amount of the damage to property. In 1893 -Savannah was visited by another cyclone and forty persons were killed. -This time the property damage was $7,000.000. - -Havana, Cuba, and the West Indies were visited by a destructive -hurricane in September, 1888. One thousand persons were killed and -hundreds of head of cattle were killed. The loss was $7,000,000. - -Sabine Pass, which is the dividing line between Texas and Louisiana, was -swept by a terrific storm in October, 1886. The population of the town -was about four hundred. Of these one hundred and twenty-six perished and -90 per cent. of the deaths was caused by drowning. Four houses escaped -injury. - -The coast of Mexico was devastated for three days in the fall of 1889 by -a destructive cyclone, which first struck the coast of Campeachy. There -was a drenching rain which played havoc along the peninsula for miles. -The wind was so furious in the city of Carmen it uprooted trees, -depositing them upon houses which they crushed. All the shipping in the -harbor was wrecked. Twelve foreign barks were wrecked. Some were thrown -high and dry on the beach, while others were submerged. Two steamships, -many schooners and many smaller craft were wrecked. There was great loss -of life. - -A hurricane from the West Indies, which swept up the Atlantic coast, did -great damage to Savannah, Ga., on Tuesday, September 30, 1896. Wind blew -at a velocity of seventy-five miles an hour for an hour and a half. -Hardly a building escaped, and thousands of houses were unroofed. The -damage was $1,000,000, and twenty-two persons were killed. The roof of -the United States Pension Office was blown off. Railroad stations, -churches, theatres and the Bonaventure Cemetery were ruined, monuments -being overturned. - -The hurricane started from the West Indies. It went from Brunswick, Ga., -to Savannah; thence it plunged through and into Pennsylvania, where the -damage done was tremendous. The large railroad bridge over the -Susquehanna River was wrecked. - - - HARDEST STORM FOR MANY YEARS. - -One of the worst cyclonic storms of recent years was that on August 29, -1893, which carried havoc and destruction even into our own city, -although this city escaped its utmost fury, although there came tales of -shipwrecks at sea. It was a West Indian hurricane that originated in the -West Indies on August 25, and reached our shores at Savannah, Ga., two -days later. The storm passed through North and South Carolina, Virginia -and West Virginia and into the southwestern part of Pennsylvania. - -All the Atlantic coast States suffered. Port Royal, S. C., was -frightfully damaged. The streets of Charleston, S. C., were literally -filled with debris, parts of roofs, signs, awnings, telegraph poles and -building material being jumbled together in an inextricable mass of -wreckage. The streets were flooded with water. All the phosphate works -were blown down or badly injured. One odd sight in the old city was a -schooner lying high and dry in a street. - -One of our journals commented as follows on the storm that wrought -unparalleled damage: - -“With the passage of the great hurricane out to sea over the Gulf of St. -Lawrence the most destructive chapter in the history of storm movements -in the United States was closed. Just what the total of life, property -and crop losses will be is even now not ascertainable with any sure -degree of accuracy, but that it will surpass all earlier estimates -cannot be questioned. - - - TIMELY WARNINGS WERE GIVEN. - -“Moving into the Gulf of Mexico, just west of Florida, on Thursday, -September 6, in its week’s circuit of the United States, the hurricane -has at least caused a loss of 5000 lives and probably many more, and has -destroyed and damaged property to the extent of $15,000,000. And yet, -after its probable direction and the curve of its track were ascertained -on Friday, September 7, no great cyclonic disturbance has been more -carefully watched or the menace of its forward movement more decisively -pointed out. - -“It is to be regretted that though the Friday warnings of the Weather -Bureau caused apprehensions in Galveston, few realized the extreme -gravity of the situation. The bureau, however, did its full duty, and -its subsequent warnings with respect to the passage of the cyclone over -the lakes were fully justified. The path the hurricane took between -September 6 and September 12 meteorologically was most instructive and -will unquestionably prove of great value in future forecasts. And yet it -followed the normal rule and kept on skirting an area of high barometer -that lay over the Southern States, the lakes and the Middle States. From -the moment the cyclone was first “held up” by the high pressure -anti-cyclone on Thursday it kept to the left of it, and so was diverted -westward with such disastrous results for Galveston. - -“Though it may seem to some paradoxical to say so, the clear, bracing -weather of yesterday, accompanied, as it was, by the strong winds from -the south and southwest, was the hurricane’s contribution to northern -weather. To most people who find great difficulty in understanding the -twofold movement in cyclonic storms—the translation of the storm as a -whole along its track and the circulation of the winds in the whirl -itself—the idea that clear weather is part of a storm movement will seem -strange, and yet such is the case. - -“If you are in the right quadrant and far enough from the vortex, or -storm center, though it will control the winds in your vicinage, -cloudless and rainless weather may easily be your lot. And this was our -experience, for the cyclone at 8 A. M. was central over Quebec, whither -it had traversed from Des Moines, Iowa, over 1200 miles, in a direct -line, northeast from where it was central on Tuesday morning the 11th, -at 8 o’clock. - - - TERRIBLE VELOCITY OF WIND. - -“The rate at which it made this jump, taking in the lakes in passing, -was at the speed of fifty miles an hour, while the cyclonic winds kept -blowing into the centre at a velocity of seventy miles an hour. That -these two motions have nothing in common is shown by the fact that on -Saturday, when the vertical velocities were at their height, ninety-six -miles from the northeast and 100 from the southeast at Galveston, the -cyclone was moving on its track from the Gulf to the interior of Texas -at the sluggish pace of ten and one-half miles an hour. It was this slow -rate which had prevailed ever since August 5 that accentuated all the -evils of the rotary circulation, for as the centre passed slowly over -Galveston it gave the cyclonic winds full opportunity to pile up the -waters and buffet and wreck the buildings. - -“Fortunately we were over 400 miles from the vortex, and, though we were -within the sphere of its southern winds, they merely proved an annoyance -through the excessive dust and were not disastrous. On the New England -coast, as well as over the lakes, the winds were stiffer, and we are yet -to hear the full story of the cyclone’s journey from gulf to gulf. -Meteorologically, it is now a closed record, so far as the United States -goes, but, unfortunately for Galveston, the horror of the visitation -grows as access to the stricken town reveals the full extent of the -devastation.” - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - Two Survivors Give Harrowing Details of the Awful Disaster—Hundreds - Eager to Get Out of Galveston. Clearing up the Wreckage. - - -Alexander and Stanley G. Spencer, the two sons of Stanley G. Spencer, of -Philadelphia, who was killed in Galveston, reached Philadelphia Monday -afternoon, the 17th. Mrs. Spencer was to come north later when their -affairs in the stricken city are settled, and would bring the body of -Mr. Spencer, which was embalmed and placed in a metallic coffin in a -vault in Galveston. - -The two boys left Galveston at 9 o’clock Friday morning. It took them -until 3.30 in the afternoon to reach Houston, which is only about fifty -miles distant from Galveston. “All the society ladies of Houston met the -train,” said Alexander, the older of the two boys. “They brought clothes -and food for the people.” - -The boys told a remarkable story of their experiences during the flood. -“Storm warnings were sent out on Friday,” said Alexander, “but nobody -paid much attention to them; only a little blow was expected. This did -not come until Saturday afternoon. It first started with a chilly wind. -Things looked rather dark and hazy and black, rapidly moving clouds sped -by. Papa had finished work at the office and was getting ready to come -home, when he received a telegram from the North telling him to meet Mr. -Lord, with whom he was to conduct business relative to the buying of -property. - -“Papa telephoned us that he would not be home for several hours on -account of this business. That is why we were not worried about him. He -and Mr. Lord met in Ritter’s cafe, and it was there that he was killed. -He was sitting on a desk, with his hands clasped over his head, a -favorite position of his, talking to Mr. Lord and a Greek, named -Marcleitis. - -“Ritter’s cafe was in a strongly-built brick building, which was thought -to be very safe, but, unfortunately, it was at the foot of a short -street leading to the wharf. This gave the wind from the Gulf full sweep -against it. There were several other men in the cafe, and one of them -said: ‘Why, did you all know there are just thirteen people in this -room?’ Papa laughed, and remarked that he was not superstitious. Just -then the crash came, killing five out of the thirteen. In the floor -above the cafe was a large printing establishment. A beam hurled down by -the weight of the presses above struck papa, killing him instantly. His -body was dug out of the ruins Sunday afternoon by about a hundred -friends, and his was the first funeral in Galveston.” - -“Were you frightened much?” - -“No, we were not very scared, because we had no idea how terrible the -storm was. We were not worried about papa, thinking he was safer, even, -than we were. We secured the shutters and saw that the windows were -braced. After that we sat quietly on the first floor. The water never -did get above the basement, as the house is situated on an eminence. -After a while seven people whom we did not know came in and asked for -shelter, as their homes were flooded. - - - THE STORM GROWS WORSE. - -“When the storm kept growing steadily worse we got a rope ready, so that -if the worst came we could all be tied together. One family whom I knew -did this. They tied loop knots around their wrists. All were drowned -together and all were buried in the same hole. All night long we could -hear cries for help. To every one who came we gave shelter. Once some -one knocked at the door; when we opened it a woman fell headlong across -the doorstep. She had fainted from exhaustion. We found a little girl in -the basement, who had been tied to a skiff. She seemed dazed, and kept -talking about a beautiful carriage she had seen. - -“We did not know what she meant, but next morning we saw a neighbor’s -carriage perched high on top of a pile of wreckage. Even when we looked -out of the window we could not tell the extent of the damage. The moon -rose, giving a very clear light, by which we could see objects floating -around. It did not rain. The people were drowned by the water backing up -from the bay and the Gulf. - -“At first the wind was to the northeast. This backed the water up from -the west bay. Suddenly it turned to the southeast, causing a tidal wave. -The water was from four to six feet deep. Two of the observers remained -in observatory all night. The wind gauge broke when the wind was blowing -from 115 to 125 miles an hour. - - - HOUSES IN FRIGHTFUL COLLISION. - -“A house was washed against ours. In it the wreckers found eight bodies, -three of these and a night sergeant of police were buried in one yard. -Our house rocked dreadfully. It and the two houses on either side of it, -are old houses built over. No one thought they could stand the fury of -the gale; but they were the only three left standing in that part of the -city. Mr. Frank Groome and Mr. Hall had to swim home. The house in which -Mr. Hall spent the night was split in two, but the side he was in was -left standing. If the wind had continued for two hours longer, there -would not have been one person left to tell the tale. When the storm -first started my brother and I went to the beach to watch the water. - -“Even then the water was backing up in the gutters and the little -whitecaps were dancing on the waves. The steps of our house were washed -away, but Sunday morning we found the body of a woman lodged in the -brick work. Our pet donkey was drowned, but we saved the dogs and the -cats as they were in the house. There were five big dogs and three -little puppies. Paddy, a big dog, would sit around looking at us. He -kept whining the whole time as if he knew something unusual was going -on. They say black cats are lucky. Well, we had three of them. These -would rub up against us in a frightened way. - -“Sunday morning, Mr. Groome came out to tell us about papa. Mrs. Brown, -a friend of mamma’s, sent for us to come to her house. Nearly all the -furniture of her house was ruined by the water. The surrender of the -city of Galveston to the Union troops was written in her house and the -table on which it was written is still there. We had a hard time getting -to Mrs. Brown’s. We walked part of the way. A colored man with a bony -horse hitched to a rickety little delivery wagon—‘dago carts,’ we call -them—hauled us the rest of the way for a dollar a piece. All through the -streets we met hysterical women and dazed-looking men. - -“The wife of Dr. Longino, an army surgeon, was at a friend’s house, with -her little baby, when the storm commenced. During the storm, from fright -or something else, the baby lost its breath. Everybody thought the child -was dead and tried to persuade Mrs. Longino to leave it and try to save -herself but she would not do so. She caught hold of the baby’s tongue -and held it so it could not retard the passage of air in the windpipe. - - - TRYING TO SAVE THE CHILD’S LIFE. - -“She blew her own breath into the baby’s body. After working for a long -time, during the most terrible part of the storm, the baby was revived -and is still living. She kept her invalid aunt alive by pinching her -cheeks. The next day she reached a place of safety in the city. She said -she could hardly walk along the beach for the bodies of children. There -was a Catholic orphanage about five miles down the beach, in which were -a hundred children and ten nuns. All of these but three boys were -killed. - -“One woman who was trying to save a child was pinned down by a piano. -She was just about to give herself up for lost when a big wave came and -washed the piano off of her. She and the child were both rescued. We -kept a little pet lamb alive, which afterwards we thought we would have -to kill for food. But Mrs. Brown got a calf somewhere. It was killed and -cleaned, but the ladies themselves had to cut it up. This served for -food for two days. The two big cisterns in the cellar were full of salt -water; there was a small one on the roof which furnished us with water -for a little while. After that we had to beg it from the neighbors. - -“The only clothes we have are what we have on and one change of -underclothes, which we took with us when we went to Mrs. Brown’s. All -the rest of our clothes are mildewed. - -“We did not see any of the negroes stealing, as mother kept us in the -house all the time, but we could hear the shots. They commenced this -dastardly work Sunday night. The ghouls are composed of negroes and -foreigners. We did not get very frightened when people kept coming to us -for help the night of the storm. All we could do was to thank God that -He had given us a place of shelter which we could share with those less -fortunate.” - - - THREATENED WITH PESTILENCE. - -A visitor to the stricken city made the following report: - -“Galveston’s stress and desolation grows with each recurring hour. -Pestilence, famine, fire, thirst and rapine menace the stricken city. -Each refugee from the storm-lashed island brings tidings which add to -the tale of the city’s woe. - -“Of the dead that lie in piles in the desolated streets and dot the -waters that girdle the city, the true number will never be known. All -estimates of the total of the victims of Saturday’s night’s tempest must -be qualified with the mark of interrogation. It is not conjecture to say -that the death roll in Galveston alone will hardly fall short of 5000. -Sober-sensed men, who have brought to the outer world conservative -accounts of sights and scenes in the hapless city, say that there are -10,000 dead people within a half dozen miles of Galveston’s centre. No -one disputes that the storm victims number the half of 10,000. - -“Men who have lived through the yellow fever scourge in New Orleans and -other Southern cities, where the dead in the streets were more numerous -than the living, hold those horrors lightly in comparison with the -conditions that exist in Galveston. - -“In devious ways news of the situation that confronts the living in -Galveston comes to this city. There is no telegraphic communication with -the island. There is no train service. Boats are plying at irregular -intervals across the bay. No one in the city has time to send forth to -the world more than meagre accounts of the situation in the city. The -bulk of the news is gleaned from refugees who are fleeing to Houston. A -few railroad men have penetrated into the desolated city and returned -with fragmentary accounts of the perils that menace the living, and the -gruesome work that is being carried on day and night to ward off the -contagion that is threatened by the hundreds of corpses that lie -corrupting under the hot sun. - -“It will be days before a fairly accurate estimate of the loss of life -can be made. Arrivals from Galveston to-night tell that citizens are -laboring unceasingly at disposing of the dead in order that the living -may not suffer. - -“To graves beneath the blue waters of the Gulf the dead are being -consigned as fast as they can be loaded upon barges and towed to sea. -There is no other way. The city must be rid of them. No more than a -tithe of the bodies can be interred. So soaked is the ground that -trenches fill with water as fast as the shovel can lift the earth. - - - FIERCE HEAT ADDS TO THE HORROR. - -“There is need of laborers in the city. The remnants of the fire -department and police force, both of which organizations contributed -many victims to the storm, are doing heroic work. Their efforts are -supplemented by the citizens. Hordes of negroes, kin, many of them, to -the unspeakable creatures who preyed upon the dead in their hunger for -loot, have been commandeered and forced to lend their strength in -delving in the ruins for corpses. Stern-faced men with shot guns and -rifles stand over them and keep them to their toil. It is heart-breaking -work but it is necessary. - -“Since the storm blew itself away the weather has been semi-tropical. -For four days the sun has sent down its fiercest darts. The result may -be imagined. Over the city hangs the nauseating stench of decomposing -flesh. Besides the humans there are thousands of carcasses of domestic -animals scattered through the devastated portions of the city. Galveston -is in need of everything that charity and compassion can suggest. But -above all the city requires disinfectants. - -“Heroic measures were adopted by the citizens in charge of the work of -policing and rehabilitating the city. It was determined to fire the -ruins and purify the city by flame. This must be done. Hundreds of -bodies will be cremated in the pyres. Fire is the best disinfectant that -the city has at its command. People from the vicinity of Galveston -report to-night that heavy clouds of smoke have shrouded the city all -the afternoon. It is evident that the ordeal by fire has begun. This -adds a fresh menace to the city’s safety. The fire department is unable -to cope with the flames, should they spread to the undamaged sections of -the city. - -“It was the weakest members of the community that suffered the greatest -in the dark hours of Saturday night, when the seas leaped upon the city. -Two-thirds of the corpses that are seen are those of women and children. -The number of the negro dead exceed the white victims. - -“A water famine has added its quota to the perils of the situation. The -water works are still disabled. There are few wells in the city, and the -bulk of the available water supply consists of the stores in the -reservoirs. This is not sufficient to last more than a day or two. -Strenuous efforts are being put forth to repair the pumps and start the -water works.” - - - ROBBERS DRIVEN FROM THEIR WORK. - -Since Adjutant-General Scurry has assumed police direction of affairs, -looting and plundering have ceased. No one has been shot, and order -prevails throughout the city. The lawless know that they will be shot -down on the spot when caught depredating, and this has had a very -wholesome effect. The large force of men employed in burying and -cremating the exposed dead scattered throughout the city have completed -that portion of their work and are now engaged in searching for the -bodies of unfortunates lying crushed and bruised beneath the immense -mass of debris and wrecked buildings scattered throughout the city. -Where the debris lies in detached masses it is fired and the bodies -therein are consumed. - -When adjacent property is endangered by fire the mass of debris is -removed, the bodies taken out, removed to a safe distance and around -them is piled the removed debris, the whole saturated with oil and -fired. Identification is impossible. The bodies being in all stages of -putrefaction and giving a horrible stench, it is a most sad and gruesome -task. Perhaps some of the men engaged in this work are unknowingly -aiding in destroying all that is mortal of some loved one. - -In gathering remains for interment a nephew of Alderman John Wagner, a -youth 18 years old, was found lodged in the forks of a tall cedar tree, -two miles from his wrecked home, and tightly clenched with a death grip -in his right hand $200, which his father gave him, with two $20 gold -pieces, to hold while the father attempted to close a blown open door, -when the house went down and the whole family perished in the raging -storm and flood. - - - THE LOSSES OUTSIDE OF GALVESTON. - -While the loss of life in this city will not fall below 5000 and may be -many more, every little town within a radius of seventy-five miles of -Galveston was wrecked and people killed and wounded, while the damage to -property will aggregate over $2,000,000. The damage to property in and -around Alvin, a thriving town of 2000 people, where eleven people were -killed and quite a number wounded, is estimated at $300,000, and they -send out an urgent appeal for aid and relief supplies. - -Fifty-four houses were wrecked in Quintana and the debris piled up in -the streets. Fortunately, no lives were lost. The town of Velasco, three -miles above, on the east side of the river, was completely wrecked and -nine killed, three being killed in the hotel, which was badly -demolished. Angleton, the county seat of Brazoria, ten miles north of -Velasco, was completely destroyed and several lives lost and a number -badly injured. The property loss in these three towns and country -adjacent thereto will be beyond the ability of the people to repair. - -Supplies for the relief of Galveston’s sufferers are coming in from -every quarter as rapidly as the limited means of transportation here -will admit. Its distribution here has not yet gotten on a systematic -basis, and needs to be radically revised, or it will fail of its purpose -and defeat the object of those who are so generously contributing. -Medical relief is much better organized. - -There is not a house of any character in the city but what is foul and -ill-smelling. The water failed to materialize to-day as promised, and -this aggravates the situation. With a completely crippled fire -department, fire apparatus all gone, nine horses drowned, five engines -useless and no water supply, should a fire break out, fanned by a stiff -breeze, what’s remaining of the city would be speedily wiped out. - - - MILITARY RULE NEEDED. - -Major Lloyd P. Fayling, who was so prominent in the organization of the -first relief effort, was asked what solution of the present -disorganization of the policing powers he would suggest. The Major -dictated the following: - -“The situation demands Federal aid. It demanded it from the very first. -An experienced United States army officer of high rank should be put in -command here, preferably one who has seen years of active service. A -regiment of regular soldiers would absolutely control the situation -where any number of militia might meet with difficulties. The disaster -is so great and so terrible no municipal authority in the country could -be expected to handle it unaided.” - -The first real attempt to clear away the great mass of debris piled -along the beach front for a distance of several miles was begun on the -14th. Advertisements were printed in the papers, which appeared this -morning, asking for hundreds of men and boys to do this work. A -multitude responded. They were formed into squads and promptly put to -work, with police and deputy sheriffs in charge. It is hoped that a -vigorous prosecution of this work will lead to the early recovery of -bodies still in the debris. That there are many of them there is no -shadow of a doubt. It is difficult, indeed, to imagine how half the -people who did escape got free from this fearful flotsam and jetsam. - -An Associated Press representative traversed the beach for some -distance, and the stench at different points was absolutely sickening. -Everywhere little groups of men, women and children, some of them poorly -provided with raiment, were digging in the ruins of their homes for what -little household property they could save. In many cases those seeking -their former residences were utterly unable to find a single remnant of -them, so hopeless is the confusion of timber and household furniture. - - - EXODUS FROM THE CITY. - -The exodus from the city was heavy, and hundreds more were eager to go -who were unable to secure transportation. Along the bay front there were -scores of families with dejected faces, pleading to be taken from the -stricken city, where, in spite of every effort to restore confidence, -there is a universal feeling of depression. - -Shipping men say that the damage to the wharves is by no means as -serious as at first supposed. The chief damage has been in the tearing -open of sheds and ripping of planking. The sheds, however, can be -quickly replaced. The piling for a considerable distance along the bay -front successfully withstood the pounding it got from the wind and -waves, and business men find a measure of consolation in this. - -More hopeful reports were received touching the water supply. C. H. -McMasters, of the Chamber of Commerce, has charge of the water relief -work. The company is placing men all along the mains, plugging the -broken places, and thereby assisting the flow. It was serving some of -its customers to-day, and hopes gradually to increase the service. The -water continues to run by gravity pressure. The only difficulty the -people are having is in carrying supplies to their homes or places of -business. The ice supply continues bountiful, and at many corners -lemonade is being served at five cents for as many glasses as you can -drink at one time. - -More effective measures were taken to keep undesirable people off the -island. Soldiers patrolled the water front, and challenged all who could -not show a proper reason for their landing, or who were unwilling to -work for the privilege of coming into town. - -Assurances have been received by the railroads that they will do all in -their power to reopen communication, and their present plan seems to be -to concentrate all forces on the work of the reconstruction of one -bridge. Crews are coming down the Santa Fe Railroad from Arkansas and -St. Louis with full equipments to restore the line. Local -representatives of the Southern Pacific have had advices from -headquarters to proceed with repair work without delay. - -Telegraph communication has been partially restored, the Western Union -and Postal Companies having reached the city with one wire. Large forces -have been at work along the lines of both companies, and connection with -Galveston has been attended with many difficulties. - - - BUSINESS BEING RESUMED. - -A larger number of business houses than on yesterday are open, and -advertising their wares at no advance in the prices. Carts with -disinfectants are going through the streets. The gutters are being -covered with lime. Carpenters are having all the work they can do. The -storm tore hundreds of roofs off, and the people who are living in -topless houses are eager to obtain coverings so as to prevent the -destruction of what they have saved if a rain storm comes along. Thus -far, however, the weather has been clear. - -The relief committees are steadily broadening the scope of their work. -They have established bureaus for the issuance of orders and rations in -every ward, and though there is a multitude surrounding every bureau, -applicants are rapidly being taken care of. There seems no present -likelihood of inability on the part of the committee to furnish all the -rations that are asked for. There is of course, a scarcity of fresh beef -and of milk, but bread is being provided in abundance, as well as hams, -potatoes, rice and other articles. - -One of the most remarkable escapes recorded during the flood was -reported to-day, when news came that a United States Battery man, on -duty at the forts last week, had been picked up on Morgan’s Point -wounded, but alive. He had buffeted the waves for five days and lived -through a terrible experience. - - - SURGEON GENERAL WYMAN MAKES A STATEMENT. - -The following statement from Surgeon-General Wyman is dated Washington, -D. C., Friday, Sept. 14: - - -“In response to the request concerning the situation in Galveston, I -have a report from Passed Assistant Surgeon Wertenbaker, who was -directed to go from his station in New Orleans to Galveston, practically -confirming the press reports as to the effect of the storm and -conditions existing. He says: - -“‘City is wrecked. Press reports not exaggerated. Deaths estimated at -5,000. Bodies being cremated as fast as found. Many bodies under debris -not yet removed. Water supply limited. Very scarce now, but supplies -coming in rapidly. The only means of communication is by railroad to -Texas City, thence by boat, or by boat from Houston.’ - -“Dr. Wertenbaker is at Houston, and Surgeon Peckham and Acting Assistant -Surgeon Lea Hume are giving all the aid possible in Galveston. I do not -apprehend an outbreak of any epidemic of disease as a result of the -storm. The law and regulations are ample to meet the emergency. - -“There is danger of sickness caused by unusual exposure and deprivation -of food and water, but the people of Galveston and Governor and other -officials of the city and State are thoroughly alive to the necessities -of the situation. Their disposal of bodies by cremation is certainly a -wise measure, and I am convinced that the native energy of the people, -supplemented by the tents and rations furnished by the War Department -and the contributions which have been and are flowing in from all parts -of the country, will obviate the outbreak of widespread disease. - - “WALTER WYMAN, - “Supervising Surgeon-General Marine Hospital Service.” - - -As already stated, the first estimates of the number lost were much too -low, and all the facts show that probably 8000 is not too high an -estimate. - -Austin, Tex., Sept. 14.—The fund for the relief of the Galveston -sufferers now aggregates nearly $1,000,000 and it will probably reach -$1,500,000 by to-morrow night. Most of this amount is in the hands of -Governor Sayres, who will direct the work of expending it for food, -supplies and other relief measures. The Governor will not give out for -publication an itemized list of the contributions for several days. - -Numerous inquiries from the East have been received as to the best way -to send subscriptions to the Governor for the Galveston Relief Fund. The -Austin National Bank, of this city, which is the United States -depository for Texas, has notified the Governor that it will make -transfers of all contributions for Galveston free of charge by wire or -draft. Remittances may be sent direct for transfer to Governor Sayres. - -The House of Representatives has sanctioned a motion to send a cablegram -to the President of the United States expressing the condolence of the -Government and people of Peru over the catastrophe at Galveston. - - - APPEAL TO DRUGGISTS IN HOUSTON. - - -To all druggists: The storm stricken district is very much in need of -the following drugs: Iodoform, chloride of lime, gum camphor, -assafetida, crude carbolic acid, phenol sodique, gauze bandages, quinine -and iodoform gauze. Contributions should be sent to the Houston Relief -Committee. - - “A. E. KESLING, - “Houston Relief Committee.” - - -“Chicago’s first offering of food and clothing for the Texas sufferers -left here last night (Thursday, the 13th), over the Rock Island Road on -a special train of six cars that has the right of way over all trains as -far as Fort Worth, Texas. Other cars packed at Rock Island, Davenport, -Muscatine, Topeka, Kansas City, St. Joseph and Wichita will be picked up -on the way, and it is expected the train will consist of twenty-three -cars when it reaches its destination. The train is expected to reach -Fort Worth on Saturday, from where it will be taken to Houston, over the -Houston and Texas route on a special train schedule.” - -The banking house of Munroe & Company, New York, received from its Paris -branch advices to draw on that bank for $10,000 for the aid of the -Galveston sufferers. - -Vice-President and General Manager Trice, of the International and Great -Northern Railroad, spent several hours at Bryan on the 13th. Mr. Trice -has just come from Galveston, where he had been in touch with the -situation since the great storm. He said the railroad losses will -aggregate $5,000,000 or $6,000,000. - -“We are now operating trains to Texas City, and carrying on traffic from -that point to Galveston by boat,” he said. “Better shipping facilities -will be established at Galveston than ever as fast as men and money can -place them there. Negotiations are now going on to the end that all -railroads entering the city join forces and materials and establish a -temporary bridge across the bay, and if the plan succeeds it is hoped -that trains can be run into Galveston in thirty days. The negotiations -going on also contemplate the construction of a permanent double track -steel bridge, to be used by all the railroads entering the city.” - - - PLANS FOR A NEW BRIDGE. - -W. Boscheke, assistant engineer of the Southern Pacific Railroad at -Galveston, has received orders by wire from New York to prepare plans at -once for a double-track steel bridge across Galveston Bay, ten feet -higher than the old one, and to proceed with all the force possible. -Engineers are at work making a survey and running lines preparatory to -the resumption of work. - -J. W. Maywell, General Superintendent, and J. W. Allen, General Freight -agent of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, have arrived here for the -purpose of conferring with General Manager Polk, of the Gulf, Colorado -and Santa Fe, and Manager Hill, of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson -Railway, with the object of combining their efforts on the -reconstruction of one bridge for all railways entering Galveston for the -time being, and thus secure an early resumption of traffic and the -partial restoration of business in Galveston. Such a plan, it is -believed, will be adopted. - -What Galveston needs now is money and disinfectants. Next to these two -things, she needs forage. There are now, as near as can be estimated, -three hundred cars of provisions on the way, and it is thought that, -with what is already here, that amount will suffice for a time at least. -No more doctors are needed. Galveston has begun to emerge from the -Valley of the Shadow of Death into which she has been plunged for nearly -a week, and to-day for the first time actual progress was made toward -clearing up the city. - -The bodies of those killed in the storm have for the most part been -disposed of. A large number may be found when the debris is removed from -some of the buildings, but at present there are none to be seen, save -those occasionally cast up by the sea. As far as sight, at least, is -concerned, the city is cleared of its dead. - - - A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY. - -A conflict of authority due to a misunderstanding precipitated a -temporary disorganization of the policing of the city yesterday. It -seemed that when General Scurry, Adjutant-General of the Texas Volunteer -Guard, arrived in the city with about 200 militia from Houston, he -conferred with the Chief of Police as to the plans for preserving law -and order. An order was issued by the Chief of Police to the effect that -the soldiers should arrest all persons carrying arms unless they showed -a written order, signed by the Chief of Police or Mayor, giving them -permission to go armed. - -The result was that about fifty citizens wearing Deputy Sheriff badges -were arrested by the soldiers and taken to police headquarters. The -soldiers had no way of knowing by what authority the men were acting -with these badges, and would listen to no excuses. After a hurried -conference between General Scurry and Sheriff Thomas, it was decided -that all Deputy Sheriffs and special officers shall be permitted to -carry arms and pass in and out of the guard lines. The Deputy Sheriffs -and special and regular police now police the city during the day time -and the militia take charge of the city at night. - -At a meeting of the General Committee last night, a committee of -representative citizens of Galveston was appointed to go to Austin at -once to confer with Governor Sayres in regard to the situation here. - -The need of sprinkling the streets with a strong bichloride solution and -taking other sanitary precautions was discussed, and after adjournment -of the General Committee the Committee on Correspondence sent the -following telegram: - -“Galveston, Texas, Sept. 13.—To the Associated Press: Our most urgent -present needs now are disinfectants—lime, cement, gasoline stoves, -gasoline, charcoal furnaces and charcoal. Nearby towns also may send -bread. For the remainder of our wants money will be most available, -because we can make purchases from time to time with more discretion -than miscellaneous contributors would exercise. We are bringing order -out of chaos, and again offer our profound gratitude for the assistance -so far received.” - - - A CAMP AT HOUSTON. - -At a conference held at the office of City Health Officer Wilkinson, it -was decided to accept the offer of the United States Marine Hospital -Service, and establish a camp at Houston, where the destitute and sick -can be sent and be properly cared for. The physicians agreed that there -were many indigent sick in the city who could be removed from Galveston, -and Houston was selected, because that city had very thoughtfully -suggested the idea and tendered a site for the camp. - -Acting upon the suggestion to establish a camp and care for the sick and -needy, a message was sent to the Surgeon-General, at the head of the -Marine Hospital Corps, asking for 1000 tents of four berth capacity -each, also several hundred barrels of disinfecting fluid. - -Congressman R. B. Hawley, who was in Washington at the time of the -storm, has arrived in the city. “Work of a vast importance is to be -undertaken here,” said he. “Work on different lines from that which has -been our habit heretofore. There are storms elsewhere. If the people in -other parts of the country built as we build, their cities would be down -and out nearly every year. But they build structures to stay, and we -must rebuild our city on different lines and in a different manner that -will resist the gales as they do. The port is all right. The fullest -depth of water remains. The jetties with slight repair, are intact, and -because of these conditions the restoration will be more rapid than may -be thought.” - - - OFFICIAL REPORTS TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT. - -Washington, Sept. 14.—The War Department has received several telegrams -relating to the conditions at Galveston. The following is from Governor -Sayres: - - -“Austin, Tex., Sept. 13.—Will wire you if any further aid be necessary. -Please express to the Department my most grateful acknowledgment for its -prompt and generous assistance. - - “JOSEPH D. SAYRES, - “Governor.” - - -General McKibbin, September 12th, reports generally upon the condition -at Galveston as follows: - - -“General conditions are improving every hour. Repairs to water works -will by to-morrow insure water supply for fire protection. Provisions of -all kinds are being received in large quantities; enough are now en -route and at Houston to feed all destitute for thirty days. There is no -danger of suffering from lack of food or shelter. City under perfect -control, under charge of Committee of Safety. Loss of life is probably -greater than my conservative estate of yesterday. Property loss -enormous; not an individual in the city has escaped some loss; in -thousands of instances total loss. - -“To-day, in company with Colonel Roberts and Captain Riche, made an -inspection at Fort Crockett, and by tug of the fortifications at Forts -San Jacinto and Travis, with the exception of battery for two four -seven-tenths rapid fire guns batteries may be considered non-existent. -Captain Riche has forwarded by wire this evening full report of -conditions to chief engineer. I coincide in recommendation that all -fortifications and ordnance property be transferred to engineer officer -here for salvage. Earnestly recommend that Battery O, First Artillery, -be ordered to Fort Sam Houston for recuperation and equipment; officers -and men are entirely destitute. At present a large number are injured -and unfit for duty. Impossible at present to furnish them with ordinary -camp equipage, clothing, as all transportation facilities are being -utilized to bring in food supplies. - - “McKIBBIN, Commanding.” - - -In a previous report General McKibbin praises the conduct of the -regulars. Acting upon the recommendation of General McKibbin, Adjutant -General Corbin to-day ordered Battery O, First Artillery, from Galveston -to Fort Sam Houston. - - - CAPTAIN RICHE’S REPORT. - -General John M. Wilson, Chief of Engineers, received the following -comprehensive report from Captain Riche as to the condition of -Government property at Galveston: - - -“Jetties sunk nearly to mean low tide level, but not seriously breached. -Channel at least as good as before, perhaps better. Twenty-five feet -certainly. Forts as follows: Fort Crocket—Two fifteen-pounder -emplacement, concrete all right, standing on piling, water underneath. -Battery for eight mortars about like preceding, mortars and carriages on -hand unmounted. Battery for two ten-inch guns about like preceding, both -guns mounted and in good shape. Shore line at Fort Crocket has moved -back about 600 feet. Fort San Jacinto—Battery for eight twelve-inch -mortars badly wrecked, magazines reported fallen in; mortars reported -safe. No piling was under this battery; some of the sand parapet left. -Battery for two ten-inch guns badly wrecked. Central portion level, both -gun platforms down, guns leaning; no piling was under this battery. - -“Battery for two four seven-tenths rapid-fire guns, concrete standing -upon piling; both guns apparently all right. Battery for two -fifteen-pounder guns, concrete apparently all right, standing on piling. -Fort San Jacinto battery could not be reached by land; inspection was -from a distance. Sand around these batteries seemed pretty well leveled -off to about two to three feet above mean low. Torpedo casements, -nothing but concrete left and badly wrecked. Concrete portion of cable -tank left; cable in it probably safe. Part of coal wharf still standing. -Everything else in vicinity gone. Some of the mine cases are down the -beach as far as Fort Crockett. - - - BATTERIES UNDERMINED. - -“Fort Travis—Battery for three fifteen-pounder guns, concrete intact, -standing on piling. Water underneath. Battery for two eight-inch guns, -concrete intact, except eastern emplacement, which has cracked off; -eastern gun down and twenty feet from battery; western one all right; -concrete standing on piling; water underneath middle of battery. These -batteries were inspected from the channel. Shore line has moved back -about 1,000 feet, about on the line of the rear of these batteries. All -buildings and other structures gone. Inspection was made with General -McKibben. - -“Recommendation is made that all fortifications and property be -transferred to the Engineer Department. That for the present batteries -be considered non-existent so that future work may be chargeable as -original construction. Much ordnance can be saved if given prompt -attention. Unless otherwise instructed, I will take charge of these -works at once and save all possible. New projects for jetties and forts -cannot be submitted for several weeks until definite detailed -information is had. Further recommendations will then be submitted as -soon as possible. Galveston is still a deep water port, and such a storm -is not likely to reoccur for years. - - “RICHE, Engineer.” - - -Notwithstanding the fact that the number of boats carrying passengers -between Texas City and Galveston has been largely increased, it was -impossible on Thursday, the 13th, to leave the city after the early -morning hours, and hundreds of men, women and children, all anxious to -depart, suffered great inconvenience and hardship, and were, after all, -compelled to sleep upon the beach at Texas City, waiting for the -morning. There is but one steamboat plying across Galveston Bay, which -is able to carry passengers in any number, and even this boat is able to -make the trip only with extreme caution, on account of the shallowness -of the bay. - -Yesterday morning somebody lacked something of being cautious in the -extreme, and the “Lawrence,” after jamming her nose into the mud, -remained aground all day. Her passengers were taken off in small boats. -This compelled all those who were unable to come on the first trip of -the “Lawrence” to trust themselves to sailboats, and by noon a dozen of -them, heavily loaded, started from Galveston to Texas City, where the -fleet was scattered over Galveston Bay by a distance of anywhere between -one mile and three miles. The wind died away utterly. - - - URGED TO HURRY A TRAIN. - -The boats could neither go on to Texas City nor return to Galveston. -None of them had more than a meagre supply of water and no food, as the -trip ordinarily does not require above an hour. Great suffering -resulted. All afternoon they were becalmed, and, a slight breeze arising -in the evening, at 9 o’clock at night the sailing craft which had left -Galveston at noon began to dump their passengers upon the beach at Texas -City. This place is now among the things that once were. There are no -houses, no tents, no accommodations of any kind save a few passenger -coaches standing upon the railroad track. These were speedily filled, -and the rest of the women and children, all hungry and the latter crying -for food, were compelled to remain on the beach. - -An urgent message was sent to the railway people at Houston, saying that -women and children were suffering, and asking them to hurry a train to -Texas City for the purpose of conveying the refugees to Houston. No -reply was received, and when a train, whose crew knew nothing of the -existing conditions at Texas City, finally appeared, the announcement -was made that it would not go before morning. The crowd at Texas City -was more than enough to fill the train to the limit, but, -notwithstanding, determined to allow the “Lawrence” to attempt once more -the perils of the mud and await another consignment of refugees. - -It was fully twenty hours after their start from Galveston that the -people who left there yesterday noon were able to move out from Texas -City, which is only eight miles away, and by the time the train had made -a start for Houston, every woman in the crowd was ill through lack of -food, exposure and insufficient sleep. - - - NO RED TAPE TO STAND IN THE WAY. - -Washington, Sept. 14—General Spaulding, Acting Secretary of the -Treasury, took further measures to-day for the relief of the distressed -citizens of Galveston by arranging for their transportation by foreign -vessels to New Orleans or other gulf ports. The law provides that -American vessels only can carry passengers between American ports, but -during the present conditions the Treasury Department will remit the -penalties to which foreign vessels would be liable, for the relief of -Galveston. - -The Rev. J. F. McCarthy, of Newark, N. J., assistant pastor of St. -Patrick’s Cathedral, to-day received a special despatch from Galveston -to the effect that all of the twenty-four Newark nuns at the Catholic -Convent of the Sacred Heart at that place had been saved from the -general destruction of life and property by the terrible cyclone of -Saturday. Father McCarthy at once despatched a special message to the -homes of the nuns’ relatives with this information. They were reported -lost in an account contained in a preceding chapter of this volume. - -A prominent newspaper called attention to the necessities of the -situation as follows: - -“As later news is received from Texas the full extent of the destruction -of life and property is revealed. No such visitation of nature’s force -has ever before descended upon a community in this country. There is no -longer any doubt that the death list will run into the thousands. It -will probably never be known accurately how many perished in the track -of last Sunday’s storm. Many bodies have been washed out to sea, and of -the hundreds of corpses that lay exposed in the streets and buried under -fallen buildings only a fraction will be identified. - -“For the sanitary protection of the living it has been found necessary -to deny the dead an ordinary burial. A great city full of prosperous -people has been suddenly left without food, water, clothing and all the -daily necessaries of life. Worst of all, the survivors are absolutely -without means of recuperation from the awful disaster that has overtaken -them. They are totally dependent upon the outside world for assistance. - - - RELIEF FOR TEXAS SUFFERERS. - -“In the first steps of relief for those who have been stricken our -northern cities made a generous response to the call for aid. The hearts -of our citizens have been profoundly stirred, and they have given out of -hand without questioning or hesitancy. Everything that would contribute -to the care of the suffering and the succor of the needy has been -offered without stint. All alike have come forward with their donations, -rich and poor, according to their means. - -“From Philadelphia was dispatched a train of four cars loaded with a -quarter of million pounds of supplies furnished by the people of that -city for the relief of the distressed at Galveston and along the Gulf -coast. With the train went eight volunteer nurses to care for the sick -and injured. They will arrive on the ground none too soon, for the local -resources of Texas are being greatly overtaxed. - -“The supplies have been selected with judgment, so that they will not -suffer in transit and in distribution, and only non-perishable goods -have been chosen, for it will be weeks before the stricken district will -have strength to provide for itself. But there will be time enough for -future measures. It is the first aid that counts. Our people have been -doubly generous, because they have not stood upon the order of their -giving.” - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - Not a House in Galveston Escaped Damage—Young and Old, Rich and Poor, -Hurried to a Watery Grave—Citizens with Guns Guarding the Living and the - Dead. - - -The all-absorbing story of the great flood is continued in the following -pages, with new and thrilling incidents. Best informed residents of -Galveston who have been over all portions of the city estimate that from -1200 to 1300 acres were swept clear of habitation. It can be said that -not one Galveston home escaped without some damage. - -Galveston’s great open-air show-place was the Garten Verein. There were -various structures devoted to recreation which stood on about seven -acres of ground that had been brought to a degree of perfection in -gardening hardly credible when the foundation of sand was remembered. -Hundreds of oleander trees and flowerbeds adorned the park. The Garten -Verein was wiped out of existence. Among the debris have been found many -bodies. - - - SLOWLY RECOVERING FROM THE STUNNING BLOW. - -Galveston is now beginning slowly to recover from the stunning blow of -last week, and though the city appears to-night to be pitilessly -desolated, the authorities and the commercial and industrial interests -are setting their forces to work and a start has at least been made -toward the resumption of business on a moderate scale. Plans for -rebuilding the city are also discussed. The presence of the troops has -had a beneficial effect upon the criminal classes, and the apprehension -of a brief but desperate reign of anarchy no longer exists. - -The liquor saloons have at least temporarily gone out of business, and -every strong-limbed man who has not his own humble abode to look after -is being pressed into service, so that, first of all, the water-service -may be resumed, the gutters flushed and the streets lighted. - -The further the ruins are explored the greater becomes the increase in -the list of those who perished as their houses fell about their heads. -On the lower beach a searching party found a score of corpses within a -small area, going to show that the bulwark of debris that lies straight -across the island conceals many more bodies than have been accounted -for. - -Volunteer gangs continue their work of hurried burial of the corpses -they find on the shores of Galveston Island at the many neighboring -points where fatalities attended the storm. It will probably be many -days yet, however, before all the floating bodies have found nameless -graves. - - - MANGLED CORPSES WASHED ASHORE. - -Along the beach they are constantly being washed up. Whether these are -those who were swept out into the Gulf and drowned or are simply the -return of some of those cast into the sea to guard against terrible -pestilence, there is no means of knowing. In any event, the -correspondent, in a trip across the bay yesterday, counted seven bodies -tossing in the waves with a score of horses and cattle. - -The city still presents the appearance of widespread wreck and ruin. -Little has been done to clear the streets of the terrible tangle of -wires and the masses of wreck, mortar, slate, stone and glass that -bestrew them. Many of the sidewalks are impassable. Some of them are -littered with debris. Others are so thickly covered with slime that -walking on them is out of the question. - -As a general rule, substantial frame buildings withstood better the -blasts of the gale than those of brick. In other instances, however, -small wooden structures, cisterns and whole sides of houses are lying in -streets or backyards squares away from where they originally stood. - -Here and there business men have already put men to work to repair the -damage done, but in the main the commercial interests seem to be -uncertain about following the lead of those who apparently show faith in -the rapid rehabilitation of the island city. The appearance of the -newspapers to-day, after a suspension of several days, is having a good -effect, and both the News and Tribune are urging prompt succoring of the -suffering and then equal promptness in reconstruction. - -It is difficult to say yet what the ultimate effect of the disaster is -to be on the city. Many people have left and some may never return. The -experience of others still here was so frightful that not all will -remain if they can conveniently find occupation in other cities. - - - WONDERFUL COURAGE AND HOPE. - -The bulk of the population, however, is only temporarily panic stricken, -and there are hosts of those who helped to make Galveston great who look -upon the catastrophe as involving only a temporary halt in the -advancement of the city. - -The decision of the transportation lines will do more than anything else -to restore confidence. Big ships, new arrivals, rode at anchor to-day in -front of the city. They had just reached the port and found the docks -and pier damage so widespread that no accommodations could be given to -them. - -The losses to the charitable institutions of the city were very heavy. -Sealy Hospital, the gift of the late John Sealy, was one of the largest -institutions of Texas. Very serious damage was sustained. Almost the -first work of restoration begun on any public structure was at the Sealy -Hospital. - -The medical department of the University of Texas included what is known -as Brackenridge Hall. This hall was the gift of George W. Brackenridge, -of San Antonio. It was seriously damaged. The Old Women’s Hospital is a -complete ruin. St. Mary’s Infirmary, on Tenth and Market Streets, was -entirely destroyed. The Ursuline Convent and the Ursuline Academy were -partially demolished. The convent is now a haven of refuge of 500 -houseless people. - -The Catholic Orphans’ Asylum disappeared, leaving but slight traces in -the form of ruins. It was supposed that the inmates, some ninety-nine -sisters and little children, had been swept out into the gulf when the -waters receded. Within the past few days bodies of several of the -victims at the asylum have been found. - -It appeared that when the sisters found the waters rising all around the -asylum their only thoughts were for their little charges. They tied the -children in bunches and then each sister fastened to herself one of -these groups of orphans, determined to save them or die with them. Two -of these groups have been found under wreckage. In each case eight -children had been fastened together and then tied to a sister. - -Galveston’s school buildings, public and private, were unsurpassed for -solidity and architectural finish. An examination of the public school -buildings shows that scarcely one is fit for use. - -Houses of worship suffered severely, although most of them were quite -substantial. St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Baptist Church, Trinity -Episcopal, the Fourth Presbyterian, St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. John’s -Methodist, the Seamen’s Bethel and two other churches on Broad Street, -between Twenty-first and Tremont, sustained either total destruction or -such damages that they must be rebuilt. Grace Episcopal Church, in the -west end, which was one of the many benefactions of the late Henry -Rosenberg, escaped with slight injury. - - - BUSINESS HOUSES SUFFER GREAT LOSS. - -One of the most notable buildings of the city was that of the -Improvement Loan and Trust Company, at Post Office and Tremont street. -The damage sustained was not serious. The E. S. Levy office building, on -Market and Tremont streets, cost $135,000. It contained 150 offices, and -was considered a marvel of the town. This building withstood the storm -and the occupants escaped by staying in their offices. - -The Marx and Blum Buildings, Twenty-fourth and Mechanic streets, was one -of the large commercial structures. It was occupied in part by the -Galveston Hat and Shoe Co. The damages to the building and the stocks -are placed now at $75,000. The Clarke and Courts Building sustained a -loss to building and stock of $40,000. The Galveston Cotton and Woolen -Mills suffered to the amount of $75,000. The Galveston City Railroad -powerhouse was demolished, and it is estimated that $100,000 will be -required to restore the plant. - -The business structures did not suffer the total destruction that -occurred in so much of the residence section, but many are so badly -damaged that they will have to be torn down. - - - LARGEST ELEVATOR BADLY DAMAGED. - -Galveston had a gigantic elevator interest which had developed with the -port’s growing grain trade. Elevator “A” at Fourteenth street, on the -Bay side, was one of the largest in the world. Its capacity was in -excess of 1,500,000 bushels of wheat. All the upper works of the -elevator are gone. - -One of the remarkable things about the force of the storm was that it -tore from their moorings several large steamships and carried them in -diverse directions. For example, the Kendall Castle an English ship, was -swept from Pier 33 across Pelican Island and landed on the shore at -Texas City. That was a course almost due north. Possibly a dredge may be -able to cut a channel which will let the Kendall Castle out of the shoal -part of the Bay, where it lies high in the water. - -The Norwegian Gyller, a steamer of considerable tonnage, now lies -stranded between Virginia Point and Texas City. Its course varied -considerably from that of the Kendall Castle. A channel would have to be -cut so far to float out the Gyller that there is doubt whether it would -be warranted by the amount at stake. - -One of the most serious results of the storm has been the damage to the -electric light and street car plants. The city has been in absolute -darkness for several nights, and only a few concerns who operate their -own illuminating services are enabled to do business. Nearly every -residence has gone back to the primitive candle. The absence of street -lights drives all who have no imperative business on the streets to -their homes at nightfall, but the work of the patrol system is made more -difficult thereby and the opportunity for looting greater. - -The motormen deserted their cars when the fury of the wind and the rush -of the water made it no longer possible to operate them. Attempts are -being made now to get the cars in shape again. The great destruction of -live stock has eliminated the carriages and cabs as a means of -transportation. - -The work of relief continues energetically. Mayor Jones and his -associates are bending every nerve to open a direct line of -transportation with Houston by which he may be enabled promptly to -receive the great quantity of provisions which are now on the way to the -city. The Relief Committee is striving to systematize its work. On -Tuesday an ordinance was passed authorizing rescuing and burying parties -to set fire to wrecked buildings and burn them. In these funeral pyres -hundreds of corpses were cremated. - - - CARING FOR HOMELESS REFUGEES. - -Houston now is the haven of the unfortunate people of Galveston. Trains -have already brought in between 500 and 1000 of the survivors, and a -motley crowd they are. Men bareheaded, barefooted, hatless and coatless, -with swollen feet and bruised and blackened bodies and heads were -numerous. Women of wealth and refinement, frequently hatless, shoeless, -with gowns in shreds, were among the refugees. Nearly all of those who -came in have suffered the loss of one or more of their family. It is -remarkable, however, there is no whimpering, no complaining. - -The refugees are being housed and fed, and those in need of medical -attention are placed in the hospitals. General-Manager Van Vleck, of the -Southern Pacific, says the damage to the wharves is fully eighty per -cent. The Southern Pacific, he says, expects to begin work on the bridge -within two days. It is expected that trains will be run into Galveston -within forty days. - -John J. Moody, a member of the committee sent from Houston to take -charge of the relief station at Texas City, reports as follows: - -“On arriving at La Marque this morning I was informed that the largest -number of bodies were along the coast of Texas City. Fifty-six were -buried yesterday and to-day within less than two miles extending -opposite this place and towards Virginia City. It is yet six miles -farther to Virginia City and the bodies are thicker where we are now -than where they have been buried. A citizen inspecting in the opposite -direction reports dead bodies thick for twenty miles. - -“The residents of this place have lost all, not a habitable building -being left, and they have been too busy disposing of the dead to look -after personal affairs. Those who have anything left are giving it to -others, and yet there is real suffering. I have given away nearly all -the bread I brought for our own use to hungry children. - -“Every ten feet along the wreck-lined coast tells of acts of vandalism. -Not a trunk, valise or tool chest has escaped rifling. We buried a woman -this afternoon whose fingers bore the mark of a recently removed ring.” - - - WASHED ACROSS THE BAY FROM GALVESTON. - -B. F. Cameron, a lumber dealer of Stowell, Chambers County, says that -the relief party which went from Stowell to Bolivar, reported to him -that there was over 1000 dead bodies on the beach at Bolivar, Yeast Bay, -and in sight of the salt marshes which line the bay. The party succeeded -in burying only forty of the corpses. The others are lying in the water -and on land, decomposing in the heat. Many of these bodies were -evidently swept across the bay from Galveston. - -In view of the completeness with which Galveston has been destroyed by -the storm, many believe the city will never be rebuilt. The argument is -that from its very location the city is ever in danger of a similar -visitation, and capital will be fearful of investment where the danger -is so constant. - -There are many, however, who take the opposite view and say that in no -other place on the Gulf can there be found a location so advantageous, -and therefore, no matter if the risk be great, capital will seek -investment in Galveston, and the city will soon resume her importance as -a shipping port. - -This sentiment is reflected in telegrams and verbal utterances, some of -which are here printed: - -Dallas, Texas, Wednesday.—Much serious thought has been given to the -question of the future of Galveston by the best informed men of Dallas -since the calamity of last Saturday and Sunday. The outlook, to their -minds, is not a bright one. The expression of judgment most frequently -heard is “Galveston is doomed.” Men reason that to the perils the -population have ever to face from nature’s elements the timidity of -capital must now be added. - -In the great storm of 1875 little of private or public capital ran the -risk of destruction. The great wharves, elevators, compresses and -railway and steamship systems had taken but slight foothold in the -island city. The federal government had built jetties and general harbor -improvements and coast defences, at a cost of more than $10,000,000 of -public money. All these millions of public and private wealth have been -put into Galveston enterprises since 1875. - - - CAPITAL WILL BE SHY HEREAFTER. - -Capitalists will scarcely venture again in the near future to invest -their money in a place where it is likely to be wiped out at a ratio of -from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 to one equinoctial storm. And when the -Federal Government contemplates costly brand new coast defence -fortifications, such as Fort Sam Houston, shattered by wind and waves, -and ninety per cent. of the garrison killed, it will not consider the -place where these ventures were made a safe one for their duplication. A -harbor to be safe must be land locked. - -These are the views of thinking men who have studied the situation. The -question then arises, What will supersede Galveston? Some predict that -Houston, fifty miles in the interior, on Buffalo Bayou, through the -agency of a ship canal built at the expense of the federal government, -is the coming metropolis of the Gulf. - -Others say Texas City, ten miles from Galveston, will now be developed -as a grand maritime successor to the unfortunate island city. Others say -Clinton, on Buffalo Bayou, six miles below Houston, because of its -facilities to furnish water and rail terminals, will be the Texas -seaport of the near future. - -Very few expect unfortunate Galveston to rise again and reassert herself -the mistress of the Gulf. A Galveston man illustrated the problem very -aptly to-night, when he said: - -“Fully one-half of the population of Galveston will never go back there -to live if they be got off the island alive this time. My opinion is -that Galveston has had her rise and fall.” - - - AUSTIN PREDICTS NO DESERTION OF THE CITY. - -Austin, Texas, Wednesday.—In the first shadow of the awful calamity -which has befallen Galveston the thought of many is that Galveston City -will have to be removed to the mainland or deserted. Nevertheless, -calmer opinion is that the city will not be moved. There are too many -interests concerned, too much money invested and too many possibilities -to think of moving the city. - -Property losses, while great, are not beyond repair. The city may not -for many years regain the popularity it enjoyed up to last week, but it -is believed that with the passage of time and the allaying of public -fear the place will begin to revive. - -Millions are invested there in harbor improvements that would be useless -were the island deserted. Millions more invested in business weathered -the storm, save as to windows and roofs, and these can be easily -repaired. - -Wharfing interests representing millions will cost money to get back -into shape again, but the belief is general that it will be done. The -business interests of Texas demand a port such as Galveston, and while -the town may not regain within five or six years the resident population -it had, it is not probable that it will be depopulated. - -When the storm of 1875 swept the island it did considerable damage, and -it took several years for the public to shake off the fear of a -residence there. They did so, however, and went back, and it is believed -that they will do so again. - -Prominent citizens of Galveston to a man say that no thought of moving -the city to the mainland or a more protected spot can be entertained, as -there are too many interests in Galveston that cannot be transplanted, -and that have not been so badly affected by the storm as to render them -useless. - -Railroads are already reconstructing bridges across the bay, and trade -will be moving through the port within a fortnight. - -To protect the city of Galveston from the ravages of future cyclones -would be almost as costly as to re-establish the city on a new site. - -This is the opinion of eminent engineers in Washington. To insure the -maintenance of the channel it has been necessary to erect jetties which -have cost more than $6,000,000. These jetties, however, do not furnish -an obstacle of any importance to the invasion of the sea when behind it -is a force such as a West India cyclone exerts. - -Because of the effect of storms upon the Gulf coast, it has been -customary for engineer officers stationed at Galveston to report yearly -upon the appearance of atmospheric disturbances of more than usual -intensity, and Captain Rich, the engineer officer who is believed to -have lost his life, said in his report for 1899 that storms which -occurred during April, May and June, 1899, “carried away nearly all that -remained of construction trestle and track and caused more or less -settlement of the jetties.” - - - GREAT NEED OF A SAFE HARBOR. - -The need of a safe deep-water harbor on the Gulf of Mexico has long been -appreciated, and in 1899 Congress passed an act directing the Secretary -of War to appoint a Board of three engineer officers of the army to make -a careful and critical examination of the American coast of the Gulf of -Mexico west of 93 degrees and 30 minutes west longitude, and to “report -as to the most eligible points for a deep harbor, to be of ample depth, -width and capacity to accommodate the largest ocean-going vessels and -the commercial and naval necessities of the country.” - -The Board consisted of Lieutenant-Colonels H. M. Robert, G. L. Gillespie -and Jared A. Smith. It is reported that Galveston was the most eligible -point for a deep harbor, but also called attention to the harbors at -Sabine Pass and Aransas Pass as being worthy of consideration. - -In New York the views of railroad men concerning the future of Galveston -as a shipping point are far from gloomy. A. F. Walker, Chairman of the -Board of Directors of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, says -he expects the city to be rebuilt within three months. - -“Of course,” said Mr. Walker, “it is a serious blow to Galveston, and -with the city covered with mud and wreckage it is easy to prophesy evil -for its future, but two weeks will suffice to clear the wreckage and -clean the streets, get the dead buried and make a careful estimate of -the actual loss. This loss is tremendous, there can be no doubt, but it -has very likely been grossly exaggerated. - -“Galveston will rebuild, and quickly, because the site combines the -greatest natural advantages as a Gulf port and has solid commercial -backing. It is imperative that we have a port on the Gulf—the extent of -shipping demands it. Galveston offers, in spite of the real handicap of -her low position, the best site, and I see no reason why it should not -be rapidly rebuilt.” - - - BELIEVES CITY WILL BE REBUILT. - -Vice-President Tweed, of the Southern Pacific Railroad, said this -morning that he felt sure that his road would repair the damage done to -its properties at Galveston, and go on with further improvements -planned. - -“I take it for granted,” Mr. Tweed declared, “that the directors of the -Southern Pacific will keep up the work they started there. I do not -think that this disaster, though certainly serious, will kill Galveston -as a shipping port. No definite reports have been received as to the -extent of our losses there. The two piers already completed on the -property of the Southern Pacific were certainly badly damaged. Any -estimate of the amount of damage would be only a guess, but I should say -that it would fall below $400,000. Three hundred and fifty thousand -dollars had been spent on the piers, and $75,000 paid for a short line -from Galveston to Houston, which was destroyed.” - -Concerning the suggestion that Galveston will not be rebuilt, but that -another city will be established in a safer place on the Gulf, to serve -as a shipping port, Mr. Henry Mallory, of the Mallory line of -steamships, said: - -“Texas naturally seeks an outlet through a Texan harbor, and there is -none other in Texas equal to the harbor of Galveston. All railroads -centre there. If the city were wiped out some man with money would begin -to build there. Locally, Galveston has suffered great loss, against -which there is no insurance. But that does not rob the city of its -pre-eminent valve as a port.” - -Asked if it would be practicable to rebuild the city on an inner shore -of Galveston Bay, Mr. Mallory said that it would not. “There is no -better location,” said he, “for the city. It is not our purpose to -abandon Galveston. We have ten steamships—nine in commission and one -building—and we expect to remain in the Texas service.” - - - A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER. - -A correspondent, under date of September the 14th, wrote: - -“So far as the actual presence of death is concerned, nobody would know, -from a glance at the streets to-day, that a terrible tragedy had been -enacted here. Human corpses are out of sight. They have either been -buried, taken out to sea or burned. - -“But the horrors have not been obliterated by any means. The danger of -pestilence still remains. While the human corpses have been disposed of, -those of animals—horses, cows, dogs, etc.—have been permitted to remain -above ground. There was no time and no means to remove them. Their -putrifying remains lay where the waves left them—there to emit a stench -that is simply unbearable. - -“Lime with which to consume these carcasses is all that will save -Galveston from epidemic. - -“With corrupt flesh and bad water, or no water at all, Galveston is -already in the grasp of typhoid and other virulent fevers. The diseases -have not yet become epidemic, but if unchecked for twenty-four hours -there is no doubt they will become so. - -“Appreciating the situation, Adjutant-General Scurry yesterday succeeded -in getting gangs of laboring men organized. The progress made is -remarkable and to-day it was much greater. Large piles of refuse were -gathered and burned, and the work of cleaning up proceeded in a -systematic manner. Heretofore there has been no system, everybody -working for the public good in his own way. - - - PEOPLE HURRYING TO ESCAPE. - -“The exodus from the city was heavy to-day, and hundreds more were eager -to go who were unable to secure transportation. Along the bay front -there were scores of families with dejected faces, pleading to be taken -from the stricken city, where, in spite of every effort to restore -confidence, there is a universal feeling of depression. - -“Shipping men say to-day that the damage to the wharves is by no means -as serious as at first supposed. More hopeful reports were received -to-day touching the water supply. The company is placing men all along -the mains, plugging the broken places and thereby assisting the flow. It -was serving some of its customers to-day, and hopes gradually to -increase the service. The water continues to run by gravity pressure. - -“The only difficulty the people are having is in carrying supplies to -their homes or places of business. The ice supply continues bountiful, -and at many corners lemonade is being served at five cents for as many -glasses as you can drink at one time. - -“The work of disposing of the dead continues. Several hundred bodies are -still buried beneath the wreckage. Thirty-two sand mounds, marked with -small boards, attract attention on the beach, near Twenty-sixth street, -and tell the story of where seventy-five bodies have been laid to rest. -In the extreme western part of the city sixty bodies were cremated with -wreckage of the homes of the unfortunate victims. - -“A conflict of authority, due to a misunderstanding, precipitated a -temporary disorganization of the policing of the city yesterday. It -seems that when General Scurry, Adjutant-General of the Texas Volunteer -Guard, arrived in the city with about 200 militia from Houston, he -conferred with the chief of police as to the plans for preserving law -and order. - -“An order was issued by the chief of police to the effect that the -soldiers should arrest all persons found carrying arms unless they -showed a written order, signed by the chief of police or Mayor, giving -them permission to go armed. The result was that about fifty citizens -wearing deputy sheriff badges were arrested by the soldiers and taken to -police headquarters. - - - FREE USE OF DEADLY WEAPONS. - -“The soldiers had no way of knowing by what authority the men were -acting with these badges, and would listen to no excuses. After a -hurried conference between General Scurry and Sheriff Thomas it was -decided that all deputy sheriffs and special officers shall be permitted -to carry arms and pass in and out of the guard lines. The deputy -sheriffs and special and regular police now police the city during the -daytime, and the militia take charge of the city at night. - -“More than 2000 dead bodies have been identified, and the estimate of -Mayor Jones, that 5000 perished in Saturday’s great hurricane, does not -appear to be magnified. The city is being patrolled by troops and a -citizens’ committee, and a semblance of order is appearing. - -“At a conference held at the office of City Health Officer Wilkinson it -was decided to accept the offer of the United States Marine Hospital -Service and establish a camp at Houston, where the destitute and sick -can be sent and be properly cared for. The physicians agreed that there -were many indigent sick in the city who should be removed from -Galveston, and Houston was selected because that city had very -thoughtfully suggested the idea and tendered a site for the camp. Acting -upon the suggestion to establish a camp and care for the sick and needy, -a message was sent to the Surgeon-General, at the head of the Marine -Hospital Corps, asking for 1000 tents of four-berth capacity each; also -several hundred barrels of disinfecting fluid. - -“The health department is calling for 100 men with drays to clean the -streets. The plan is to district the city and start out the drays to -remove all refuse and dead animals and cart all unsanitary matter from -the streets. It is anticipated that by Saturday the work will have -advanced to cover the greater portion of the business district and part -of the residence section. - -“Prior to the hurricane Galveston was one of the richest cities in the -world, per capita, and the surviving millionaires who made their money -here have read with displeasure the telegrams that the city would never -survive the terrible blow it suffered. They insist that the city will be -rebuilt and will be another Chicago, rising superior to the calamities -that palsy the ordinary people. - -“The determination to rebuild the city received a strong impetus to-day, -when it was learned that G. W. Boscheke, assistant engineer of the -Southern Pacific Railroad, had received orders by wire from New York to -prepare plans at once for a double-track steel bridge across Galveston -Bay ten feet higher than the old one, and to proceed with all the force -possible. Engineers are already at work making a survey and running -lines preparatory to the resumption of work. - - - NEW SURVEY WILL BE MADE. - -“A telegram from New York says that Colonel H. M. Roberts, of the -Engineering Corps, United States Engineers for the southwest district, -said to-day that a survey will be made of the wrecked Galveston forts -and works. Captain Richie has submitted a report, in which he says the -foundations which were built on piling withstood the ravages of the -storm much better than the foundations without piling. In the future it -is proposed to use piling exclusively. - -“Congressman R. B. Hawley, who was in Washington at the time of the -storm, has arrived in this city. - -“‘Work of vast importance is to be undertaken here,’ said he; ‘work on -different lines from that which has been our habit heretofore. - -“‘There are storms elsewhere. If the people in other parts of the -country built as we build, their cities would be down and out nearly -every year; but they build structures to stay, and we must rebuild our -city on different lines and in a different manner, that will resist the -gales as they do. The port is all right. The fullest depth of water -remains. The jetties, with slight repair, are intact, and because of -these conditions the restoration will be more rapid than may be -thought.’” - - - MORTALITY LIST IS ENORMOUS. - -In fact, while the mortality list of the city grows larger every hour, -the prospects of Galveston grow brighter. An investigation shows that -industries that were supposed to be wrecked forever are only slightly -damaged, and business in them may be resumed any day. - -“J. C. Stewart, the grain elevator builder, after careful inspection of -the grain elevators and their contents, said the damage to the grain -elevators was not over two per cent. The wheat will be loaded into -vessels just as rapidly as they come to the elevator to take it. Ships -are needed here at once. Mr. Stewart said he would put a large force of -men to work clearing up each of the wharves, and the company will be -ready for business within the next eight days. The wharves have been -damaged very little outside of the wreckage of the sheds. With the -wreckage cleared away, Galveston will be in good shape for business. - -“At a meeting of the general committee last night the need of sprinkling -the streets with a strong bichloride solution and taking other sanitary -precautions was discussed, and after adjournment of the general -committee, the committee on correspondence sent the following telegram: - -“‘Our most urgent present needs now are disinfectants, lime, cement, -gasoline stoves, gasoline, charcoal furnaces and charcoal. Nearby towns -also may send bread. For the remainder of our wants, money will be most -available, because we can make purchases from time to time with more -discretion than miscellaneous contributors would exercise. We are -bringing order out of chaos, and again offer our profound gratitude for -the assistance so far received.’” - -[Illustration: - - LOOKING SOUTH ON AVENUE I, SHOWING CHURCH OF SACRED HEART, COMPLETELY - DESTROYED] - -[Illustration: - - M. P. MORRISSEY - - TRAFFIC MANAGER OF THE WILLIAM PARR & CO., GENERAL STEAMSHIP AGENTS, - WHO FIRST SUGGESTED AND CARRIED INTO EFFECT THE BURIAL OF BODIES AT - SEA AND THE BURNING OF OTHER BODIES ON SHORE TO SAVE THE SURVIVORS - FROM PESTILENCE] - -[Illustration: - - FIRE DEPARTMENT TAKING BODIES TO A MORGUE] - -[Illustration: - - BODIES AMONG RUINS—CHARACTERISTIC SCENE IN GALVESTON] - -[Illustration: - - WRECKED RESIDENCES CORNER TWENTY-SEVENTH STREET AND AVENUE M] - -[Illustration: - - REMOVING WRECKAGE IN SEARCH OF DEAD BODIES] - -Surveying the situation, one of our great journals bestowed these words -of praise: “Another good day’s work was done yesterday in behalf of the -Texas sufferers. There has been no abatement in the generous giving of -supplies and money. The fearful plight of the thousands who outlived the -terrors of the storm has touched every heart profoundly. In Galveston -alone, where the cyclone swept inland with fiercest fury, 25,000 persons -are homeless. Half the population of what a week ago was a prosperous -city, in a single day was left dependent upon charity. - - - DANGER OF AN EPIDEMIC. - -“The danger of an epidemic now threatens the survivors. Many of the -people are giving way to physical exhaustion. They have been compelled -to subsist upon unwholesome food, drink polluted water and breathe the -foul air of their unsanitary surroundings. In spite of all that has been -done for the relief of the stricken Texans, the death roll is still -growing. As many as possible must be removed from the scene of -destruction to more healthful conditions. - -“What Philadelphia has done should go far to alleviate the immediate -distress, yet this is only a drop in the great flow of charity. An -additional $10,000 was sent to Governor Sayres yesterday, making $25,000 -in all that has been forwarded by the Citizens’ Permanent Relief -Committee. And more subscriptions are daily flowing in. A number of -physicians and nurses have volunteered their services and are only -awaiting a reply from the Relief Committee on the ground. There will be -work for them if sickness becomes prevalent, as is now feared. - -“Many of our citizens who wished to make donations of food, clothing and -other supplies have again had recourse to the special trains that are -being sent forward. Last night a second special of four heavily-laden -cars was sent to Galveston. In addition to this, many subscriptions of -money have been made and will be forwarded to the authorities in Texas.” - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - Fears of Pestilence—Searching Parties Clearing Away the Ruins and -Cremating the Dead—Distracted Crowds Waiting to Leave the City—Wonderful - Escapes. - - -“The large force of men used in burying and cremating the exposed dead -scattered throughout the city are trying to complete that portion of -their work and are searching for the bodies of unfortunates lying -crushed beneath the mass of debris and wrecked buildings. Where the -debris lies in detached masses, it is fired, and the bodies therein -consumed. - -“When adjacent property will be endangered by fire, the mass of ruins is -removed, the bodies are taken out and conveyed to a safe distance. -Around them is piled the debris and the whole is saturated with oil and -fired. It is quite impossible to identify the bodies as they are in all -stages of putrefaction. - -“It is a gruesome and sad task. Some of the men engaged in this work -are, perhaps, unknowingly helping to destroy all that is mortal of some -loved one, who, a few days before, was the light of his home. The -ghastly pile may contain the body of his wife, mother, brother, or some -petted child; but in nearly every instance he knows it not. - -“One pathetic incident occurred. A squad of men discovered in a wrecked -building five bodies, among whom one of the party recognized a brother. -All were in an advanced state of decomposition. They were all removed -and a funeral pyre was made. The living brother, with a wrench in his -heart, assisted, and with Spartan-like firmness stood by and saw his -brother’s body reduced to ashes. - -“The appalling loss of life by the hurricane has benumbed the people and -virtually dried up the fountains of grief. Neighbor meets neighbor and, -with a hearty grasp of the hand, says “I hope all is well with you.” The -usual reply is, “I am sorry to say I am the only one left.” - -“You hear of such incidents everywhere—on the street, in the stores, -around soda-fountains where crowds collect to quench their thirst, since -water is scarce and the saloons are closed for an indefinite time. - -“Burial parties are organized at Virginia Point, Texas City, Port -Bolivar and down the island, and the bodies there are being buried as -rapidly as possible. Since something like order has come out of chaos a -stop has been put to the looting and desecration of bodies at Virginia -Point by the bands of ghouls that had terrorized that point, and they -have been dispersed. - - - MONEY CLINCHED IN DEATH GRIP. - -“Where the bodies are beyond identification and effects and jewelry are -found, these are removed, and a memoranda taken for possible -identification at some time by any one who is seeking a lost relative or -friend. - -“A party that was picking up bodies for burial found the corpse of a -nephew of Alderman John Wagner, eighteen years old, lodged in the forks -of a tall cedar tree, two miles from his wrecked home. Tightly clinched -in his right hand was $200, which his father had given him, with two -twenty dollar gold pieces, to hold while the father attempted to close a -door, which had blown open. - -“At that moment the house went down and the whole family except the -father perished in the storm and flood. It would take volumes to record -the many heartrending incidents of this sort and the heroism displayed -during the fateful night of Saturday. - -“The loss of life in this city is simply appalling. Every little town -within seventy-five miles of Galveston was wrecked and torn and people -were killed and wounded. The damage to property will aggregate millions -of dollars. The damage to property in and around Alvin, a thriving town -of two thousand people, where eleven people were killed and a number -wounded, is estimated at $300,000, and they send out an urgent appeal -for aid and relief supplies.” - -“Captain Talfor, of the United States Engineer Corps, during the -hurricane was at Quintana, at the mouth of the Brazos River, where he -has been supervising government works. He stated to-day that the -barometer fell to 27.60, and the wind velocity was one hundred and -twenty miles an hour. Fifty-four houses were wrecked in Quintana, and -the debris piled up in the streets. Fortunately no lives were lost. - -“The town of Velasco, three miles above, on the east side of the river, -was completely wrecked. Nine persons were killed, three in the hotel, -which was badly demolished. Angleton, the county seat, of Brazoria, ten -miles north of Velasco, was almost completely destroyed. Several lives -were lost and a number of persons were badly injured. - -“The property loss in these three towns and the country adjacent will be -beyond the ability of the people to repair. Destitution stares them in -the face, and help is urgently needed there and in all other towns -within seventy-five miles of the city. The loss in proportion to -population and means is just as great and as keenly felt as the loss and -destruction in Galveston, and they should not be forgotten by the -generous public, which is responding with such noble promptness to -Galveston’s cry for help. - - - SOLID TRAINLOADS OF SUPPLIES. - -“Supplies for the relief of Galveston’s sufferers are coming in from -every quarter as rapidly as the limited means of transportation here -will admit. Solid trainloads from the North and East are speeding -towards Galveston as fast as steam will bring them, while cities, -chambers of commerce and other commercial bodies in this country, -England and Continental Europe are subscribing thousands of dollars for -the sufferers from one of the greatest calamities of the century. - -“The distribution of supplies here has not yet been put on a systematic -basis. There is one general relief committee, with sub-committees in -each ward. To these sub-committeemen sufferers must apply for relief, -and are categorically questioned as to the extent of their distress. - -“If the answers are satisfactory, an order is issued for supplies. If he -is an able bodied man, although he may be houseless and may have lost -members of his family, or have some injured by the storm and needing -attention, he must perform labor before supplies are issued, and if he -refuses he is impressed and compelled to work. - -“There are many so sadly injured or prostrated by the frightful -experience they have recently undergone that they are unable to apply -for relief, and would suffer from thirst and exposure unless housed, fed -and cared for by humane people who have been less unfortunate. No effort -thus far has been made by those in charge of relief affairs to hunt out -these poor creatures and care for them. - -“And if they have male relatives, these are afraid to venture on the -streets for fear they will be impressed and put to work, and thus taken -away from those who need their constant care. The present method of -relief needs to be radically revised, or it will fail of its purpose and -defeat the object of those who are so generously contributing. Medical -relief is much better organized. - - - EXODUS SERIOUSLY HAMPERED. - -“The Transportation Committee is handicapped in its efforts to get out -of the city the persons who are destitute by the lack of sufficient -boats and rail communication. The latter want will not be supplied for -many days. Present communication is by boat to Texas City, and then by -the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railway to Houston. Those who are -able to pay are charged half fare; those who are not are given free -transportation. Guards are stationed at Texas City to prevent the -curious from invading the city, eating up the limited food supply and -doing no good. - -“The city in its present condition is not a healthy place for visitors. -It is full of fever and other disease breeding matter, and smells like a -charnel house. There is not a house of any character in the city but is -foul and ill smelling. Plenty of lime-water and disinfectant is urgently -needed here, or an epidemic will sweep through the city with hurricane -force. - -“Thousands of men are cutting passageways through the streets, clearing -the sidewalks of the mass of debris, removing the sea slime from the -floors of buildings and washing them out, but this does not dispose of -it, and under the torrid sun it ferments and putrefies and the stench is -fearful. - -“The water failed to materialize as promised and this aggravates the -situation. With a crippled fire department, the fire engines useless and -no water supply, a fire, if it should break out, would speedily wipe out -what remains of the city. - -“It will be months before the business streets will be entirely cleared -of rubbish and repaved, and it will be years before the damage done by -the storm will be obliterated. It is impossible to conceive of the -widespread destruction unless it is actually seen.” - - - ANOTHER REPORT FROM GENERAL McKIBBEN. - -Washington, D. C., Friday.—General McKibben on September 12, reported to -the War Department upon the conditions in Galveston as follows:— - -“General conditions are improving every hour. Repairs to water works -will by to-morrow insure water supply for fire protection. Provisions of -all kinds are being received in large quantities. Enough are now en -route and at Houston to feed all destitute for thirty days. - -“There is now no danger of suffering from lack of food or shelter. City -under perfect control, under charge of Committee of Safety. Loss of life -is probably greater than my conservative estimate of yesterday. Property -loss enormous; not an individual in the city has escaped some loss; in -thousands of cases it is total. - -“To-day, in company with Colonel Robert and Captain Riche, I made an -inspection at Fort Crockett, and by tug of the fortifications at Forts -San Jacinto and Travis; with the exception of battery for two 4.7 rapid -fire guns, batteries may be considered non-existent. Captain Riche has -forwarded by wire this evening full report of conditions to Chief of -Engineers. - -“I coincide in recommendation that all fortifications and ordnance -property be transferred to engineer officer here for salvage. Earnestly -recommend that Battery O, First Artillery, be ordered to Fort Sam -Houston for recuperation and equipment; officers and men are largely -destitute. At present a large number are injured and unfit for duty. -Impossible at present to furnish them with ordinary camp equipage, -clothing, as all transportation facilities are being utilized to bring -in food supplies.” - - - CAPTAIN RICHE’S REPORT. - -“CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, ARMY, Washington, D. C.: - -“Jetties sunk nearly to mean low tide level, but not seriously breached. -Channel at least as good as before; perhaps better. Twenty-five feet -certainly. Forts as follows: Fort Crockett—Two 15–pounder emplacements, -concrete all right, standing on piling water underneath. Battery for -eight mortars about like preceding. Mortars and carriages on hand -unmounted. - -“Battery for two 10–inch guns about like preceding, both guns mounted -and in good shape. Shore line at Fort Crockett has moved back about six -hundred feet. Fort San Jacinto—Battery for eight 12–inch mortars badly -wrecked, magazines reported fallen in; mortars reported safe. No piling -was under this battery; some of the sand parapet left. Battery for two -10–inch guns badly wrecked. Central portion level, both gun platforms -down, guns leaning. No piling was under this battery. - -“Battery for two 4.7–inch rapid fire guns, concrete standing upon -piling; both guns apparently all right. Battery for two 15–pounder guns, -concrete apparently all right, standing upon piling. - -“Fort San Jacinto batteries could not be reached by land; inspection was -from a distance. Sand around these batteries seemed pretty well leveled -off to about two to three feet above mean low. Torpedo casemate, nothing -but concrete left and badly wrecked. Concrete portion of cable tank -left; cable in it probably safe. Part of coal wharf still standing. - -“Everything else in vicinity gone. Some of the mine cases are down the -beach as far as Fort Crockett. Fort Travis—Battery for three -fifteen-pound guns, concrete intact, standing on piling, water -underneath. Battery for two eight-inch guns, concrete intact, except -eastern emplacement, which has cracked off; eastern gun down and twenty -feet from battery; western one all right; concrete standing on piling, -water underneath middle of battery. These batteries were inspected from -the channel. - -“The shore line has moved back about one thousand feet, about on the -line of the rear of these batteries. All buildings and other structures -gone. Inspection was made with General McKibben. Recommendation was made -that all fortifications and property be transferred to the Engineer -Department; that for the present batteries be considered non-existent, -so that future work may be chargeable as original construction. - -“Much ordnance can be saved if given prompt attention. Unless otherwise -instructed, I will take charge of these works at once and save all -possible. New projects for jetties and forts cannot be submitted for -several weeks, until definite detailed information is had. Further -recommendations will then be submitted as soon as possible. Galveston is -still a deep water port, and such a storm is not likely to reoccur for -years.” - - - ESTIMATES OF THE DEAD ARE TOO LOW. - -Austin, Tex., Sept. 14—“I am thoroughly satisfied, after spending two -days in Galveston, that the estimate of 6000 dead is too conservative. -It will exceed that number. Nobody can even estimate or will ever know -within 1000 of how many lives were lost.” - -This was the opinion of Assistant State Health Officer I. J. Jones, who -arrived at Austin directly from Galveston, where he was sent by Governor -Sayres to investigate the condition of the State quarantine station. Dr. -Jones made an inspection of the sanitary condition of the city, and in -his report said further: - -“It was with the greatest difficulty that I reached Galveston. At the -quarantine situated in the Gulf, a mile and a half from the wharves, I -found things in a state of ruin. The quarantine warehouse and -disinfecting barge, just completed, are total wrecks, as is also the -quarantine wharf. A part of the quarantine residence is left standing, -but so badly damaged that it is not worth repairing. - - - AN OFFICER’S BRAVERY. - -“Quarantine Officer Mayfield showed the greatest bravery and -self-sacrifice when the storm came on. He sent all of his employees and -his family, except two sons, who refused to leave him, to places of -safety. He remained in the quarantine house with his two devoted sons -throughout the terrible night. All of one wing of the house was taken -away and the floor of the remaining part was forced up and carried away -by the waters. Dr. Mayfield and his two sons spent the night on a -stairway leading from the upper floor to the attic. - -“Despite this destruction of the station, the quarantine has never been -relaxed, and all vessels are promptly boarded upon arrival at Galveston. -There are now three vessels lying at quarantine. They brought cargoes to -be discharged at Galveston and had cargoes consigned to them. The -cargoes cannot be taken off except by lighter, and the vessels are -awaiting instructions from their owners. The Mallory Line Steamer -“Alamo” got in Wednesday, but was sent back to the bay, as she could not -discharge her cargo. - -“The sanitary condition of the city is very bad. While there has been no -outbreak of sickness, every one expects that, and it is inevitable. -There is no organized effort being made to improve sanitary conditions. -Large quantities of lime have been ordered to the place, but I doubt if -anyone will be found to unload it from the vessels and attend to its -systematic distribution when it arrives. - -“The stench is almost unbearable. It arises from piles of debris -containing the carcasses of human beings and animals. These carcasses -are being burned where such can be done with safety. But little of the -wreckage can be destroyed in this manner, however, owing to the danger -of starting a fire that will destroy what is left of the ill-fated city. -There is no water protection and should fire break out the destruction -of the city would soon be complete. - -“When searching parties come across a human body it is hauled out into -an open space and wreckage piled over it. The pyre is then set on fire -and the body slowly consumed. The odor from these burning bodies is -horrible. - -“The chairman of the Central Relief Committee at Galveston asked me to -make the announcement that the city wants all the skilled mechanics and -contractors with their tools that can be brought to Galveston. There is -some repair work now going on, but it is impossible to find men who will -work at that kind of business. Those now in Galveston who are not -engaged in relief work have their own private business to look after and -mechanics are not to be had. - -“All mechanics will be paid regular wages and will be given employment -by private parties who desire to get their wrecked homes in habitable -shape as rapidly as possible. There are many fine houses which have only -the roof gone. These residences are finely furnished, and it is desired -that the necessary repairs be made quickly. - - - WELL ORGANIZED. - -“The relief work is fairly well organized. Nothing has been -accomplished, except the distribution of food among the needy, and some -attempt at clothing them. I found no one who was hungry or thirsty. -About one-half of the city is totally wrecked, and many people are -living in houses that are badly wrecked. The houses that are only -slightly injured are full of people who are being well cared for. The -destitute are being removed from the city as rapidly as possible. It -will take three or four days yet before all who want to go have been -removed from the island city. A remarkably large number of horses -survived the storm, but there is no feed for them, and many of them will -soon die of starvation. - -“In the city the dead bodies are being disposed of in every manner -possible. They are burying the dead found on the mainland. At one place -250 bodies were found and buried on Wednesday. There must be hundreds of -dead bodies back on the prairies that have not been found. It is -impossible to make a search there on account of the debris. There will -be many a skeleton of victims of the disaster found on the prairie in -the months and years to come. - -“Bodies have been found as far back from the present mainland shore of -the bay as seven miles. That embraces a big territory which is covered -with rank grass, holes filled with water and piles of debris. It would -take an army to search this territory on the mainland. - - - THE GULF FULL OF BODIES. - -“The waters of the Gulf and bay are still full of bodies, and they are -being constantly cast upon the beach. On my trip to and from the -quarantine station I passed a procession of bodies going seaward. I -counted fourteen of them on my trip from the station, and this -procession is kept up day and night. The captain of a ship who had just -reached quarantine informed me that he began to meet floating bodies -fifty miles from the port. - -“As an illustration of how high the water got in the Gulf, a vessel -which was in port tried to get into the open sea when the storm came on. -It got out some distance and had to put back. It was dark and all the -landmarks had been obliterated. The course of the vessel could not be -determined, and she was being furiously driven in toward the island by -the wind. Before her course could be established she had actually run -over the top of the north jetty. As the vessel draws twenty-five feet of -water some idea can be obtained as to the height of the water in the -Gulf.” - -They marry and are given in marriage. A wedding took place in Galveston. -It occurred at the Tremont Hotel. Ernest A. Mayo, a lawyer, and a -candidate for Prosecuting Attorney, was the bridegroom. Mrs. Bessie -Roberts was the bride. The engagement was of long standing. Both -suffered much from the storm. They decided that it was better to cast -their fortunes together. Friends approved. The ceremony took place on -Thursday, the 13th, five days after the flood. - -Governor Sayres was advised on the fourteenth that a government vessel, -which was loaded with supplies at Texas City for the Galveston -sufferers, went aground shortly after leaving the wharf, and had not yet -been gotten off. It was found that vessels could not cross the bay at -that point, and thereafter they would be sent to some other point which -had a deeper channel connection with Galveston. - -The estimates of immediate losses in the aggregate vary widely. It may -be said that none of them are below $20,000,000. The maximum, as given -by intelligent residents, including some members of the Citizens’ -Committee, is $35,000,000. One of the Galveston business men sent to -Austin to confer personally with Governor Sayres on the work of relief, -inclined to the belief that the immediate losses might, without -exaggeration, be placed at $35,000,000. - -In the indirect class are the losses which must be sustained through the -paralysis of business, the reduction of population, the stoppage of -industries, and the general disturbance of commercial relations, and -Galveston business men hesitate to form any conclusion as to what the -moral losses must be. - - - A REFUGEE’S TALE OF HORROR. - -F. B. Campbell, who was in Galveston when the floods swept upon it, was -one of the first refugees to reach the North. He passed through -Pittsburg, six days after the disaster, on his way to Springfield, -Mass., which is his home. Mr. Campbell had his right arm fractured. -William E. Frear, a Philadelphia commercial traveller, who was with -Campbell in Galveston, accompanied him as far north as Cincinnati, and -went home on the express. Frear’s right ankle was sprained. - -Campbell was a cotton broker and was overwhelmed at his boarding house -while at dinner. He reached a heap of wreckage by swimming through an -alley. Of the scene when he left, Campbell said: - -“The last I saw of Galveston was a row of submerged buildings where a -thriving city stood. A waste of water spread in all directions. In the -sea were piles of wreckage and the carcasses of animals and the bodies -of hundreds of human beings. The salt marshes presented an indescribable -sight. Nude forms of human beings, that had been swept across the bay -were scattered everywhere. No man could count them without going insane. -It looked like a graveyard, where all the tenants of the tombs had been -exhumed and the corpses thrown to the winds.” - - - SOME WONDERFUL ESCAPES. - -There were many wonderful incidents of the great storm. In the infirmary -at Houston was a boy whose name is Rutter. He was found on Monday -morning lying beside a truck on the land near the town of Hitchcock, -which is twenty miles to the northward of Galveston. This boy is only 12 -years old. His story is that his father, mother and two children -remained in the house. There was a crash and the house went to pieces. -The boy says that he caught hold of a trunk when he found himself in the -water and floated off with it. He thinks the others were drowned. With -the trunk the boy floated. He had no idea of where it took him, but when -daylight came he was across the bay and out upon the still partially -submerged mainland. - -When their home went to pieces the Stubbs family, husband, wife and two -children, climbed upon the roof of a house floating by. They felt -tolerably secure, when, without warning, the roof parted in two places. -Mr. and Mrs. Stubbs were separated and each carried a child. The parts -of the raft went different ways in the darkness. One of the children -fell off and disappeared, and not until some time Sunday was the family -reunited. Even the child was saved, having caught a table and clung to -it until it reached a place of safety. - -One of the most remarkable escapes recorded during the flood was -reported to-day when news came that a United States battery man on duty -at the forts last week had been picked up on Morgan’s Point, injured but -alive. He had buffeted the waves for five days and lived through a -terrible experience. Morgan’s Point is thirty miles from Galveston. - -Galveston, Tex., Sept. 14.—The local Board of Health through Dr. H. A. -West, its secretary, has made a demand that the work of clearing up the -dwelling houses be turned over to physicians. This work has been under -the direction of Adjutant General Scurry, and he has proved himself so -capable that the Relief Committee declined to make any division of -responsibility. - -Notwithstanding the fact that the number of boats carrying passengers -between Texas City and Galveston has been largely increased, it was -impossible yesterday to leave the city after the early morning hours. -Yesterday the “Lawrence,” after jamming her nose into the mud, remained -aground all day. Her passengers were taken off in small sailboats, and -by noon a dozen of them heavily loaded started from Galveston to Texas -City. - - - INTENSE SUFFERING ON THE WATER. - -The wind died away utterly and the boats could neither go on to Texas -City nor return to Galveston. None of them had more than a meager supply -of water, which was soon exhausted; the sun beat down with a merciless -severity. In a short time babies and young children became ill and in -many instances their mothers were also prostrated. There was absolutely -no relief to be had, as the tugs of Galveston Bay, which might have -given the sloops tow, are all made for deep sea work and draw too much -water to allow of their crossing the shallow channel. - -Hour after hour the people on the boats, all of which were densely -packed, were compelled to broil in the torturing and blinding sun. A -slight breeze arising in the evening at 9 o’clock, the sailing craft -which had left Galveston at noon began to dump their passengers upon the -beach at Texas City. Owing to a delay in Houston trains it was fully -twenty hours after their start from Galveston that the people who left -there yesterday noon were able to move out from Texas City, which is -only eight miles away, and by the time the train had made a start for -Houston every woman in the crowd was ill through lack of food, exposure -and insufficient sleep. - -In the long list of the dead of Galveston the family name of Labett -appears several times. Only a year or two ago five generations of the -Labetts were living at one time in Galveston. - -The family nearly suffered the destruction of the family name in the -storm. A young man connected with one of the railroads was down town and -escaped. When the parties of searchers were organized and proceeded to -various parts of the city one of them came across this young Labett near -the ruins of his home all alone. He had made his way there and had found -the bodies of father and mother and other relatives. He had carried the -dead to a drift of sand, and there without a tool, with his bare hands -and a piece of board he was trying to scrape out gravel to bury the -bodies. - - - GALVESTON REFUGEES AT HOUSTON. - -The “Post” of Houston prints a list of 2701 names of Galveston dead, -compiled from various sources, but believed to be authentic. There are -many bodies still in the ruins of Galveston and scattered along the -beach of the mainland and in the marshes. - -About 1300 people arrived here from Galveston on the 13th. Four -buildings have been set apart for the benefit of refugees, but of the -3500 who have reached here so far not more than 800 remain in the public -charge, the remainder of them going to the homes of relatives and -friends. - - - MESSAGES FOR THE DEAD. - -The following statement was made on Friday, the 14th; it was dated at -Dallas: - -“Galveston is no longer shut off from wire communication with the -outside world. At 1.15 o’clock this afternoon the Postal Telegraph and -Cable Company received a bulletin from the storm-stricken city stating -that wire connection had been made across the bay by cable, and that -direct communication with the island city was resumed with two wires -working and that two more would be ready by to-morrow. A rush of -messages followed. - -“The Western Union got in direct communication with Galveston this -afternoon, and soon that office was also crowded. Probably never before -has there been so much telegraphing to the dead. The headquarters of the -Western Union and Postal systems located in this city report that in -Dallas, Houston and Galveston are thousands of messages addressed to -persons who can never call for them or receive them. - -“Some of the persons addressed are known to be dead, and there is no -doubt that hundreds of others are among the thousands of unknown and -unidentified victims of the storm whose bodies have been dumped into the -sea, consigned to unmarked graves or cremated in the great heaps that -sanitary necessity marked for the torch and the incinerating pyre. - -“The insurance questions are beginning to receive serious attention. -Life insurance companies are going to be hit very hard. The question -that particularly engages the attention of representatives is whether -settlement shall be made without litigation. The general southwestern -agents for eight big insurance companies were interviewed to-day, and -they stated that all Dallas insurance men concur in the opinion that the -insurance policies against storm losses carried by Galvestonians will -not aggregate $10,000,000. They say there was absolutely no demand for -such insurance at Galveston.” - - - WHOLE FAMILY KILLED BY STORM. - -Among those who were caught in the storm that devastated Galveston on -Sunday night were six persons who comprised the family of Peter E. -McKenna, a former resident of Philadelphia. According to news received -by their relatives in that city, all perished. - -When word of the Texas disaster first came it was reported that the -entire family had been lost, but it later developed that a married -daughter, who lives in Omaha, Neb., was not visiting her parents, as was -first supposed, and therefore escaped the death that overtook her -relatives. - -Peter E. McKenna, the head of the family, was well known in Philadelphia -during his youth. His father was one of the pioneers in the religious -press. The son followed the profession of his father, and after engaging -in the publication of newspapers and religious weeklies until 1862 he -sought fortune in the West. - -[Illustration: - - VIEW OF PIER 23, SHOWING VESSEL OVERTURNED BY THE GALE] - -[Illustration: - - HOUSE ON CENTRE STREET BETWEEN N AND N½ AVENUES BRACED UP BY A - FLOATING CISTERN] - -[Illustration: - - DESTRUCTION OF GALVESTON ORPHANS’ HOME] - -[Illustration: - - INTERIOR OF ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH WHICH WAS DEMOLISHED BY THE HURRICANE] - -Galveston at the time was a growing city, and as it offered the -opportunities Mr. McKenna desired he settled there and devoted himself -to the upbuilding of newspapers. His success was of such a nature that -he made his permanent home in Galveston, and during the thirty-eight -years that have passed, was recognized as one of the most foremost -journalists in that city. Latterly he was connected with the Galveston -“Despatch” and also conducted a publishing house for himself. - -Separated as he was by thousands of miles from the city of his birth, -Mr. McKenna was able to make only a few visits during the last -twenty-five years, but he kept up a constant correspondence with several -relatives. In these letters there was frequent mention of the fact that -the city was lower than the sea and open to the attacks of any storm -that might form in the Gulf of Mexico. - - - CLEARING THE WATER FRONT. - -At a conference held at the office of the City Health Officer on Friday, -the 14th, it was decided to accept the offer of the Marine Hospital -Service, and establish a camp at Houston, where the destitute and -invalids can be sent. The physicians agreed that there were many -indigent persons in the city who should be removed. A message was sent -to the Surgeon General asking that the department furnish one thousand -tents, of four-berth capacity each; also seven hundred barrels of -disinfecting fluid. - -Another important movement in the direction of sanitation was made by -the Health Department in calling for one hundred men with drays to clean -the streets. The idea is to district the city and start the drays to -remove all unsanitary matter from the streets. - - - STRANGE BURIAL PLACES AND GRAVES. - -Although the work of disposing of the dead is being pushed, several -hundred bodies are still buried beneath the wreckage. Thirty-two sand -mounds marked with small boards, attract attention on the beach, near -Twenty-sixth street, and tell the story of where about seventy-five -bodies have been buried. - -One of the greatest needs of the city now is disinfectants. The local -Committee on Correspondence drafted this general message to the country: - -“Our most urgent present needs now are disinfectants, lime, cement, -gasoline stoves, gasoline, charcoal furnaces, and charcoal. Nearby towns -also may send bread. For the remainder of our wants money will be most -available because we can make purchases from time to time with more -discretion than miscellaneous contributors would exercise. We are -bringing order out of chaos and again offer our profound gratitude for -the assistance so far received.” - -The first real attempt to clear away the great mass of debris piled -along the beach front for several miles was begun to-day. Advertisements -this morning asking for hundreds of men and boys were answered by a -multitude. It is hoped that a vigorous prosecution of the work will lead -to the early recovery of the bodies in the debris. That there are many -of them there is no shadow of doubt. - - - SEEKING FORMER RESIDENCES. - -A correspondent walked along the beach for some distance to-day and the -stench was sickening. Everywhere little groups of men, women and -children, some poorly clad, were digging in the ruins of their homes for -what little household property they could save. In many cases, those -seeking their former residences were unable to find a single remnant of -them. - -The exodus from the city was heavy to-day, and hundreds more were eager -to leave, but were unable to secure transportation. Along the bay front -there were scores of families with dejected faces, pleading to be taken -from the stricken city, where, in spite of every effort to restore -confidence, there is much depression. - -J. C. Stewart, a builder, after a careful inspection of the grain -elevators and their contents, said the damage to the elevators was not -over two per cent. Mr. Bailey said he would put a large force of men to -work clearing up each of the wharves, and the company will be ready for -business within eight days. The wharves have been damaged very little -outside of the wreckage of the sheds. With the wreckage cleared away -Galveston will be in shape for beginning business. - - - SOUTHERN PACIFIC WILL REBUILD. - -To a journal in New York the “Galveston News” sent the following -important statement: - -“You ask the ‘News’ what is our estimate of Galveston’s future and what -the prospects are for building up the city. Briefly stated, the ‘News’ -believes that inside of two years there will exist upon the island of -Galveston a city three times greater than the one that has just been -partially destroyed. The devastation has been great and the loss of life -terrible, but there is a hopefulness at the very time this answer is -being penned you that is surprising to those who witness it. That is not -a practical answer to your inquiries, however. - -“The principal feature is this—The Southern Pacific company has ordered -a steel bridge built across the bay ten feet higher than the trestlework -on the late bridges. The company has ordered also a doubling up of -forces to continue and improve their wharves, and with this note of -encouragement from the great enterprise upon which so much depends the -whole situation is cleared up. - - - AN EXCELLENT PORT. - -“Our wharves will be rebuilt, the sanitary condition of the city will be -perfected; streets will be laid with material superior to that -destroyed, new vigor and life will enter the community with the work of -construction, and the products of the twenty-one States and Territories -contiguous will pour through the port of Galveston. - -“We have now, through the action of this storm, with all its -devastation, thirty feet of water on the bar, making this port the -equal, if not the superior, of all others on the American seaboard. The -island has stood the wrack of the greatest storm convulsion known in the -history of any latitude, and there is no longer a question of the -stability of the island’s foundation. If a wind velocity of one hundred -and twenty miles an hour and a water volume of fifteen feet in some -places upon the island did not have the effect of washing it away, then -there is no wash to it. - -“Galveston island is still here, and here to stay, and it will be made -in a short time the most beautiful and progressive city in the -Southwest. This may be esteemed simply a hopeful view, but the -conditions existing warrant acceptance of the view to the fullest -extent. - -“The ‘News’ will not deal with what is needed from a generous public to -the thousands of suffering people now left with us. The dead are at -rest. There are twenty thousand homeless people here, whose necessities -at this time are great indeed. Assistance is needed for them in the -immediate future. The great works of material and industrial energy will -take care of themselves by the attraction here presented for the -profitable employment of capital. We were dazed for a day or two, but -there is no gloom here now as to the future. Business has already been -resumed.” - - - PLAN TO PROTECT GALVESTON. - -Can the city of Galveston, almost obliterated by the recent storm, be -protected from all future assaults by the Gulf? - -Colonel Henry M. Robert, United States Corps of Engineers, and -divisional engineer of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, who is stationed -here at present, says that Galveston can be absolutely protected from -every storm by a sea wall built along the Gulf front. - -Colonel Robert, during the late spring, while on a visit to Galveston, -suggested a comprehensive plan for the improvement, of that harbor, -which was hailed by the city and State as solving the problem of the -creation of a great port in Galveston Bay. This plan would also afford a -great measure of protection to the city from inundation on its northern -and southwestern sides should a strong wind from the Gulf pile up the -water on the shallow floors of Galveston and West bays. - -Colonel Robert’s plan contemplates the construction of a great basin for -harbor purposes, as well as for dry docks, to the northwest of the city. -The basin would be formed by a retaining wall shutting out Galveston and -West bays, and by filling in the parts of the Gulf floor between this -retaining wall and the walls or shores of the basin. - -The northern retaining wall would follow generally the line of the south -jetty, and a deep water channel of twenty-five to thirty feet would be -left between the new land and the city of Galveston, connecting the -channel formed by the jetties with the inner basin. Pelican Island would -be the backbone of the made land, and all of Pelican Flats would be -transformed into solid land, to be used for railway and docking -purposes. - - - THE PROJECT WAS APPROVED. - -The plan also involved the extension of the jetty channel through -Galveston Bay and up Buffalo Bayou as far as Houston, more than sixty -miles distant, making the latter city an open seaport. Railways would -have, by means of the filled-in land, ready access to the city, and, in -addition, the port facilities of Galveston would be many times -increased, and a continuous sea channel be constructed from the Gulf to -Houston. - -This project, as outlined by Colonel Robert, received the unqualified -approval of the various interests concerned in the development of -Galveston harbor, and steps had been taken to carry out the plan before -the onslaught of the recent storm swept away water lines and much of the -city itself. Colonel Robert now proposes an additional plan, simple and -inexpensive, for affording the fullest and most complete measure of -protection from all storms. This new plan is to construct a sea wall -along the Gulf front of the city. - -It is estimated that the height of the waves in the recent storm, which -was the severest ever experienced on the Texas coast, was about ten to -twelve feet. Colonel Robert suggests that a wall at least twelve feet -above the beach, and running the entire length of the water front, or -about ten miles, be built immediately to barricade the city from the -Gulf. A height of twelve feet above the beach would give fourteen feet -above the water, and would, Colonel Robert thinks, afford ample -protection. - - - COST OF THE SEA WALL. - -As to the expense of such a structure, it is thought by engineers that a -liberal estimate would be about $1,500,000 per mile. This wall, as -projected by Colonel Robert, would extend from a point on the south -jetty, where the latter crosses the Gulf front of the city, and would -follow the line of the beach, two or three feet above the water level, -until it reached the southwestern limit of the island, in the shallow -water of West Bay. At the latter point the danger from storms is not -serious. - -At present the depth of water between the jetties is 26½ feet, and it is -thought that it will soon be thirty feet. The average depth of the -original channel across the twenty-five miles of Galveston Bay is about -twelve feet. It is proposed by Colonel Robert’s plan to increase this to -at least twenty-five feet. An additional and supplementary plan is to -extend the improvement, so as to create a system of coast channels that -will transform Galveston into a central port with a labyrinth of -waterways. - - - EXTENSIVE HARBOR IMPROVEMENT. - -The magnitude of the plan for the improvement of the harbor of Galveston -may be imagined when it is observed that the inner basin, or harbor, is -to be about five miles long by three broad, that it may be approached by -a deep water channel accommodating ocean going vessels of the deepest -draught. The outlet into West Bay will not be so deep, as the bay itself -is navigable by light draught vessels only. The new land, formed on the -basis of Pelican Island and flats will be about four miles square. - -Colonel Robert said that a survey will be made at once of the wrecked -forts and other military works at Galveston. A report received from that -place says that those portions of the works erected upon piling -withstood the storm. It is proposed to use piling entirely for similar -works in the future. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. -Story of a Brave Hero—A Vast Army of Helpless Victims—Scenes that Shock - the Beholders—Our Nation Rises to the Occasion. - - -When Galveston’s chapter of horrors had reached its crisis, when the -people were dazed, leaderless and almost helpless, so that they went -about bewildered and did little more than gather a few hundred of the -bodies which were in their way, a longshoreman became the hero of the -hour. It was not until Monday that the brave leaders, who are usually -not discovered in a community until some great emergency arises, began -to forge in front. They were not men from one rank in point of wealth or -intelligence. They came from all classes. - -For example, there was Hughes, the longshoreman. Bodies which lay -exposed in the streets, and which had to be removed somewhere lest they -be stepped on, were carried into a temporary morgue until 500 lay in -rows on the floor. - - - A VERY GRAVE PROBLEM. - -Then a problem in mortality such as no other American community ever -faced was presented. Pestilence, which stalked forth by Monday, seemed -about to take possession of what the storm had left. Immediate -disposition of those bodies was absolutely necessary to save the living. - -Then it was that Lowe and McVittie and Sealy and the others, who by -common impulse had come together to deal with the problem, found Hughes. -The longshoreman took up the most gruesome task ever seen, except on a -battlefield. He had to have helpers. Some volunteered; others were -pressed into the service at the point of the bayonet. - -Whisky by the bucketful was carried to these men, and they were drenched -with it. The stimulant was kept at hand and applied continuously. Only -in this way was it possible for the stoutest-hearted to work in such -surroundings. - -Under the direction of Hughes these hundreds of bodies already collected -and others brought from the central part of the city—those which were -quickest found—were loaded on an ocean barge and taken far off into the -gulf to be cast into the sea. - -There were 38,000 people in the city when the census was taken a few -weeks before the flood. After a careful survey of the desolate field -since the storm and flood have wrought their sad havoc, the conclusion -is forced that there were in Galveston 25,000 people, or thereabouts, -who had to be fed and clothed. The proportion of those who were in fair -circumstances and lost all is astonishing. - -Relief cannot be limited to those who formed the poorer class before the -storm. An intelligent man left Galveston, taking his wife and child to -relatives. He said: “A week ago I had a good home and a business which -paid me between $400 and $500 a month. To-day I have nothing. My house -was swept away and my business is gone. I see no way of re-establishing -it in the near future.” This man had a real estate and house renting -agency. - - - STRIPPED OF ALL THEIR POSSESSIONS. - -At the military headquarters one of the principal officials doing -temporary service for this city said: “Before the storm I had a good -home and good income. I felt rich. My house is gone and my business. The -fact is I don’t even own the clothes I stand before you in. I borrowed -them.” - -Now these are not exceptional cases. They are fairly typical. They must -be fed and clothed, these 25,000 people, until they can work out their -temporal salvation. - -And then something ought to be done to help the worthy get on their feet -and make a fresh start. Some people will leave Galveston. It is plain, -however, that nothing like the number expected will go. Galveston is -still home to the great majority. Those who can stay and live there will -do so. If the country responds to the needs in anything like the measure -given to Johnstown, Chicago, Charleston and other stricken cities and -sections, Galveston as a community will not only be restored, but will -enter upon a greater future than was expected before the storm. - -Since Tuesday there has been no doubt of Galveston’s restoration. From a -central organization the relief work was divided by wards. A depot and a -sub-committee were established in each ward of the city. - -“They who will not work shall not eat,” was the principle adopted when -the organization was perfected. Few idle mouths are being fed in -Galveston. There are, however, the fatherless, and there are widows, and -there are sick who must have charity. But the able-bodied are working in -parties under the direction of bosses. They are being paid in food and -clothing. In this way the Relief Committee is within the first week -meeting the needs of the survivors, and at the same time is gradually -clearing the streets and burning the ruins and refuse. - - - PICTURES IN SHARP CONTRAST. - -Of Galveston’s population of 38,000 it is estimated that 8000 were -killed. - -The area of total destruction was about 1300 acres. - -There were 5000 dwellings, hotels, churches and convents utterly -destroyed. - -More than 2000 bodies have been burned. - -The property loss is not less than $15,000,000. - -One hundred and twenty-five men, most of them negroes, were shot to -death for robbing the dead. “Decimation” is the word often employed to -emphasize destruction of life. Galveston was “decimated” twice over by -this storm. - -It took on the part of the public-spirited men a good deal of boldness -to lay down the law that the support tendered by the country must be -earned and to enforce it. But before two days had passed the whole -community was at work cheerfully. A tour through the city, up one street -and down another, showed the greatest activity. Thousands and not -hundreds of men were dragging the ruins into great heaps and applying -the torch. Occasionally they came on the remains of human beings and -hastily added them to the blazing heaps. But it is notable that much -less is said now about the dead than during the early days. The minds of -the people who survived have passed from that phase of the calamity. - -A soldier standing guard at a place on the beach where these fires were -burning thickly was asked if the workers were still finding bodies. - -“Yes,” he replied, “a good many!” That was all. Three days ago the same -soldier would have gone into particulars. He would have told how many -had been found in this place and in that. - -The commander of one of these squads came into headquarters to deliver a -report to Colonel McCaleb. He had nothing to say about bodies, but -wanted to tell that a trunk in fairly good condition, with valuable -contents, had been taken out of one heap, and that the owner might be -found through marks of identification which he had noted. So it goes; -the thought is of the living rather than of the dead. - - - SIGNS OF RESTORATION EVERYWHERE. - -The women of Galveston are working as never before. Wherever one goes -carpets and clothing and mattresses and rugs are hung on fences and -galleries. The scrubbing-brushes are going. A smell of carbolic acid is -in the air. The housekeepers are bustling in and out. Every residence -that can be called habitable is undergoing renovation most thoroughly. -The sound of the hammer is heard everywhere. Amateur carpenters are -patching and strengthening homes which, in the better spirit that -prevails, they may now hope to save. - -One of the strongest impressions that is gained of the work of -restoration is from the sights in front of the stores. Merchants and -clerks are overhauling stocks. Where the articles are such that it can -be done they are carried out in front of the stores and spread in the -sun to dry. Tons of dry goods, clothing, hats and caps, boots and shoes -are spread in the streets and on the pavements, so that in places it is -difficult to get past. - -In these stores the watermarks on the walls and shelves varies from -waist to shoulder high. Everything below these levels was saturated. The -loss of stocks affected by water is very great. But the disposition of -the storekeepers to make the best of it and to save something, even if -badly damaged, is cheering. - -Full of confidence and even optimistic are the expressions of the men -who have taken the lead in this crisis. Said Colonel Lowe, of the -Galveston News: “In two years this town will be rebuilt upon a scale -which we would not have obtained so quickly without this devastation. - -“I took it for granted that when the Southern Pacific management said to -its representatives, as it has said: ‘Build a bridge ten feet higher -than the old one and put on a double force to do it,’ our future was -assured. We shall go forward and create the city. We shall have some -restrictions as to rebuilding lines, especially on the beach side, where -the greatest losses were sustained. The ramshackle way in which too much -construction has been done heretofore will be of the past.” - - - SAVING VAST GRAIN STORES. - -If any one had predicted on Sunday or Monday that on Friday and Saturday -Galveston would be doing business at the old stand, he would have been -laughed to scorn. What the grain men are planning very fairly tells the -story. It applies to all lines of business. The storm caught 2,500,000 -bushels of wheat in cars and elevators. Superstructures of the elevators -were carried away, and in other ways the immense buildings were somewhat -damaged. These indefatigable people six days later are perfecting their -arrangements to save that grain and export it. Robinson, the inspector, -said: - -“Without more rain for a few days, say six or eight, we shall begin -loading that wheat on ships for export. Don’t you believe anything you -hear about permanent damages to Galveston as the result of the storm. - -“We have got the grandest harbor here. Why, our channel instead of being -filled by the storm carrying sand into it was scoured two feet deeper -than it was before. We had then twenty-eight to twenty-nine feet of -water. We have now thirty feet. - -“None of the danger of sickness that was feared has shown itself. We are -getting rid of the wreckage, and we are scattering car loads of lime and -other disinfectants everywhere. I believe all danger is passed. Talk -about Galveston giving up!” continued Mr. Robinson, “This great wharf -property is worth $18,000,000. It sustained a loss of less than -$500,000. - -“The company has 1000 men at work on the repairs. It stared eternity in -the face Saturday night, and was ready to go. To-day I have got more -energy and ambition than I ever had. I don’t know where I got it. I -guess God gave it to me. Come back in sixty days, and you will not know -Galveston, remembering it as you see it to-day.” - - - TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES OF A YOUNG GIRL. - -Miss Maud Hall, who was spending her school vacation in Galveston, and -who passed through the storm, has written of her experience to her -parents, Mr. and Mrs. Emory Hall, of Dallas. Miss Hall was in the house -where she was boarding at the time the storm came. She says: - -“The wind and rain rose to a furious whirlwind, and all the time the -water crept higher and higher. We all crowded into the hall, and the -house, a big two-story one, rocked like a cradle. About 6 o’clock the -roof was gone, all the blinds torn off and all the windows blown in. -Glass was flying in all directions and the water had risen to a level -with the gallery. Then the men told us we would have to go to a house -across the street. - -“It took two men to each woman to get her across the street and down to -the end of the block. Trees thicker than any in our yard were whirled -down the street and the water looked like a whirlpool. I came near -drowning with another girl. It was dark by this time, and the men put -their arms around us and down into, the water we went. - -“I spent the night—such a horrible one!—wet from my shoulders to my -waist and from my knees down, and barefoot. Nobody had any shoes and -stockings. The house was packed with people just like us. The windows -were blown out, and it rocked from top to bottom, and the water came -into the first floor. About 3 o’clock in the morning the wind had -changed and blew the water back into the Gulf. - -“As soon as we could we waded home. Such a home! The water had risen -three feet in the house, and the roof being gone the rain poured in. We -had not had anything to eat since noon the day before, and we lived on -whisky. - -“It was awful. Dead animals every where and the streets filled with -fallen telegraph poles and brick stores blown over. Hundreds of women -and children and men sitting on steps crying lost ones, and nearly half -of them injured! Wild-eyed, ghastly-looking men hurried by and told of -whole families killed. All day wagon after wagon passed filled with -dead, most of them without a thing on them, and men with stretchers with -dead bodies with just a sheet thrown over them, some of them little -children.” - - - HOPING FOR THE BEST. - -Says an eye-witness of the terrible scene: - -“What a contrast! Last Sunday, gloom, desolation and black despair -prevailed. This storm-tossed city was filled with desolation. The sorrow -of the survivors for the dead was unspeakable, the destruction of -property indescribable, the people were palsied, and in the gloom of -devastation and death there was no silver lining to the pall that darkly -overshadowed them. To-day hope and determination buoy up the people. - -“They realize that the task before them is titanic yet, with the -generous aid that is floating to them from all parts of the civilized -world, born of a common humanity, that makes the whole world akin, aided -by their own indomitable purpose, the sick and wounded will be healed, -the destitute relieved and the recuperation of Galveston will be speedy -and lasting. It is the spirit that turns defeat, into victory, makes a -people strong, glorious and prosperous. You hear no complaining, no -expression of want of confidence, but of hope, zeal and determination, -and this is exemplified by the vigorous enterprise visible on every -hand. - -“Although it is the Sabbath, work is being pushed under a systematic -plan of operation that is rapidly bringing order out of chaos. The -search and burial or cremation of the unfortunate victims within the -corporation limits of the city are being rapidly prosecuted by a large -force in squads under military direction. Down the island and on the -mainland the work of interring the dead is conducted with the same -system. - -“As new conditions constantly develop, the cleaning up and disinfecting -the streets, stores and buildings go bravely on, and the sanitary -condition of the down portion of the town has been greatly improved, and -Mayor Jones stated to-day that there would be no let-up in the work -until the entire city was cleaned and disinfected. Dry goods stores and -clothing houses resemble great laundries, and every available space is -occupied with goods hung out to dry. Fortunately the weather is clear, -hot and dry for this purpose. Those merchants whose stocks were but -slightly damaged have done a rushing business, and so have the -restaurants whose stocks are very limited and fresh meats difficult to -obtain. - - - EXTORTION A RARE EXCEPTION. - -“Extortion is a rare exception, although the supply of food at hotels -and restaurants is limited. This will be overcome in a few days, since -all the railways terminating here have united upon one bridge and are -pushing the work night and day with a large force reconstructing it, -while their tracks are being restored on the island and mainland by -large forces, which it is confidently asserted will give this stricken -city rail communication by Wednesday next. - -“If this is done it will relieve the existing situation wonderfully. All -supplies are now brought in by boat, and these, being principally for -the sick and absolutely destitute, are being distributed with dispatch. -The injured and sick, under the thorough system inaugurated by the Board -of Health and local physicians, aided by volunteers from the outside, -are receiving every care and attention, and are doing as well as could -be under the circumstances, which are being improved daily. - -“All churches in the city, either being wrecked or ruined, with but one -or two exceptions, divine services were in most cases suspended. Mass -was celebrated at St. Mary’s Cathedral this morning and was largely -attended. Father Kirwin preached a feeling sermon, at which he spoke of -the awful calamity that had befallen the people. After expressing -sympathy for the afflicted and distressed, he advised not to lose -confidence, for back of them the humanity of the world stands with -relief; to hope for the future and build a more secure, a larger and -better city. - -“This young priest has done yeoman service in relieving and caring for -the wounded, comforting the bereaved and burying the dead. Bishop -Gallagher, who has also been earnest and active in his efforts, is in -receipt of a telegram from Archbishop Corrigan, of New York, stating -that his diocese would see that all Roman Catholic orphans sent to his -care would be provided for. To-morrow a census of the Roman Catholic -people will be begun to ascertain the number of widows and orphans -caused by the storm, and the exact number of families that perished. - -“The Grand Lodge Committee of Odd Fellows were here to-day and organized -local relief committees to look after and care for the sick and -destitute of that order, for whom an appeal has been sent to the lodges -of the United States for relief.” - - - SOUTHERN PACIFIC AT GALVESTON TO STAY. - -“Galveston, September 16.—The news which was printed here this morning -in the shape of a personal telegram from Vice-President Huntington, of -the Southern Pacific, that that road is not to abandon Galveston, has -created intense satisfaction, and has materially accelerated the -movement for the speedy reconstruction of the city. - -“Mr. Huntington’s telegram was to Mr. A. H. Belo, of the Galveston and -Dallas News, and read: ‘I see it reported that we are to abandon our -work at Galveston. Nothing is further from our thoughts. We expect to -resume work there as soon as we can. You can assure the people to that -effect.’ - -“Dr. W. H. Blount, State Health Officer, to-day printed a statement -showing that no apprehensions are justified that sickness will result -from the overflow just experienced. He shows that in 1867, in the midst -of the widespread epidemic of yellow fever, a severe storm occurred at -Galveston in the early days of October, resulting in a deposit over a -greater portion of the city of slimy mud. Not only did no sickness -result, but the cyclonic disturbance cut short the yellow fever -epidemic, and but few cases of fever occurred thereafter. In 1875 and -1886, when there were severe storms and no overflow, no increase in -sickness occurred. - -“Several thousand men are at work clearing away the debris on the beach. -One hundred and fifty bodies were discovered in the wreckage and burned -Friday. No attempt is now being made to identify recovered bodies. -Indeed, most of them are found naked and mutilated beyond recognition. A -New York relief train has arrived with a number of physicians and nurses -and a large supply of provisions, which were distributed. Every effort -is being made by the postal authorities to receive and distribute mail. -No city delivery has yet been arranged for, and all who expect letters -are requested to call at the Postoffice. No mail is being collected from -the letter boxes. - -“In some quarters of the city the Water Works Company is serving -customers on the second stories. This is taken as indicating the rapid -headway being made in putting the plant again in operation. The Street -Railway Company suffered a loss of a quarter of a million, and its -entire system is torn to pieces. An effort is to be made temporarily to -operate cars with mules. - - - ENCROACHMENTS OF THE SEA. - -“The residents of Galveston are plucky in the extreme in their -determination to rebuild and make Galveston a greater and better city -than it has ever been before, but in one direction, at least, they have -suffered a loss that is beyond repair, and that lies in the extent of -the territory wrested from them by the storm. The waters of the Gulf now -cover about 5,300,000 square feet of ground that was formerly a part of -Galveston. This loss has been suffered entirely on the south side of the -city, where the finest residences were built, facing the gulf, and where -land was held at a higher valuation than in any other part of the city. - -“For three miles along the shore of the Gulf this choice residence -property extended, but the shore line was so changed by the storm that -at low tide the water is 350 feet higher along the entire three miles. -In the eastern part of the city there are places where 350 feet is less -than the actual amount of ground taken from the city. It is a fair -estimate, however, for the entire distance. The foundation pillars of -the Beach Hotel now stand in the water. Before the storm there was a -beach in front of the hotel site nearly 400 feet wide. There is no -possibility of any of this land being reclaimed. - - - A MORE HOPEFUL FEELING. - -“A more hopeful feeling is observable everywhere here, and the situation -is brightening rapidly. The State Health Officer, Dr. Blunt, believes -that there is now no danger of an epidemic. The city Board of Health -held a meeting yesterday and adopted a resolution voicing the same -views. Emergency hospitals have been established in every ward for the -treatment of the sick and wounded. - -“The Ursuline Convent has been converted into a great general hospital -for the reception and care of patients who are seriously ill, with a -full corps of physicians and trained nurses. All public and private -hospitals are filled to their capacity with sufferers. Medical supplies -are still much needed. - -“Banks and some other branches of business have resumed. Others are -actively preparing to resume. Preparations for rebuilding are already -going on in the business part of the city. The railways and the wharf -front are being rapidly cleaned of debris. The telegraph and telephone -companies are rushing their work. The Western Union has five wires -strung to their downtown office. The Postal will have some up soon, and -the full telegraphic service is expected to be re-established by the -close of the week. The cable connection has not yet been restored. -Business on the floor of the Cotton Exchange will not be re-established -for three weeks. The Exchange Building was partly unroofed by the storm. - -“Many dead are reported as being yet unburied, especially in the extreme -west part of the city. The interment and cremation of human bodies and -the carcasses of animals is being vigorously prosecuted. Only about six -houses remain between South Galveston and the city limits. Of probably -1000 persons living down the island, at least one-third were lost. There -are 200 bodies on the beach between the Mott place and the city limits. -Eighteen persons in this neighborhood got together and began burying the -dead yesterday. They are out of provisions. - -“Daily papers and illustrated papers have been most energetic in taking -photographs of the Galveston disaster. The town is under military law, -and the people are not inclined to brook photographers. Three -photographers who ventured out yesterday had their instruments smashed -and themselves pressed into service burying dead bodies. - -“So much progress has been made here towards the rehabilitation of -Galveston, and so harmoniously are the various forces working, that -General McKibben, who was ordered here with his staff to assist the -authorities, has decided that his presence is no longer necessary, and -he has made arrangements to leave for Houston. After having largely -assisted in the restoration of local confidence, the withdrawal of -General McKibben is taken to mean that little is to be done here but to -take care of the distressed until normal business conditions have been -resumed. In this connection the information was made public through the -local representatives of the Federal authorities yesterday that the War -Department will undertake as soon as possible the restoration of its -property at this point. - - - RAILROAD CAPITAL TO BE EMPLOYED. - -“Dispatches quoting Eastern financiers on the future of Galveston are -read with much interest. The idea, however, that the status of the city -will be changed finds no local adherents. The various railroads entering -here have determined to assist the citizens of Galveston to the full -extent of their ability in rebuilding the city. Colonel L. J. Polk of -the Santa Fe has received a very enthusiastic and encouraging message -from the headquarters of the road, declaring confidence in Galveston, -urging the business community to proceed at once to the work of -reconstruction, and promising every help in their power. As a result of -the receipt of the message, Colonel Polk said yesterday: - -“The railroad interests have decided to combine their forces in order to -rebuild as quickly as possible a bridge from Virginia Point to -Galveston. A large number of men will go to work in the morning with -this end in view. You may say to the country that in six days a bridge -will have been built, and trains will be running over it. I have had a -consultation with the wharf interests, and they have promised us that -they will be prepared to handle ingoing and outgoing shipments by the -time the bridge is finished. The bridge we will build will be of -substantial but temporary character. We will subsequently replace it -with a more enduring structure. There is no reason why Galveston ought -not commercially to resume normal conditions in ten days.” - - - MEDICAL COLLEGE SHATTERED. - -“Colonel Prather, President of the Board of Regents of the Medical -College here, and Colonel Breckinridge, a member of the Board, were -among the late arrivals yesterday. They met General McKibben, and were -driven to the institution. They found the building in a badly shattered -condition, but on their return it was announced that the college would -be immediately reconstructed by private beneficence if the State was -unable to bear the cost. - -“Large gangs have been at work in the business district, and splendid -progress in clearing away debris has been made. The street car company -has a large force of men at work cutting wires, removing obstructions, -and putting their track in condition.” - -The News correspondent telegraphs as follows from Houston: “Inquiries as -to the loss of life and property continue to pour in. The list will -never be known. There have been already handled on the Galveston island, -and along the bay shores of the mainland opposite the island, about 4000 -corpses. The long stretch of debris along the beach and the western part -of the island has not yet been heard from. The prairies of the mainland -over which the waters rushed have also their tales to tell. I should -say, after investigation, that a conservative estimate of the loss of -life in Galveston would be 8000. The names of thousands of victims will -never be known. They have simply passed out of existence. As to the -property loss, it is hard to make an estimate. Colonel Lowes’s estimate -of $15,000,000 to $20,000,000 is conservative.” - - - GALVESTON’S DISTRESSING APPEAL RENEWED. - -Austin, Tex., September 15.—Governor Sayers last night received the -following official report from Mayor Jones, of Galveston, as to -conditions there: - - -“Hon. Joseph D. Sayers, Governor: After the fullest possible -investigation here we feel justified in saying to you, and through you -to the American people, that no such disaster has overtaken any -community or section in the history of our country. The loss of life is -appalling, and can never be accurately determined. It is estimated at -5000 to 8000 people. There is not a home in Galveston that has not been -injured, while thousands have been destroyed. The property loss -represents accumulations of sixty years, and more millions than can be -safely stated. Under these conditions, with 10,000 people homeless and -destitute, with the entire population under a stress and strain -difficult to realize, we appeal directly in the hour of our great -emergency to the sympathy and aid of mankind. - - “WALTER JONES, Mayor.” - - - GREAT ANXIETY FOR FRIENDS. - -Memphis, Tenn., September 15.—The following telegram from Mayor Jones, -of Galveston, was received here to-day: - - -“To the Associated Press, Memphis, Tenn.: I am in receipt of thousands -of telegrams offering assistance and inquiring about absent friends and -relatives. All of these have been promptly answered, but restricted -communication has probably served to cause delay in transmission and -delivery. The telegraphic companies are doing all in their power to -restore prompt communication with the outside world, and have already -partially succeeded, and I am assured that within the next few days -normal conditions with reference to telegraphic communication will -prevail. - -“The situation in Galveston has been in most instances accurately -reported, and the distress of the people is great. Galveston and -vicinity need at once the assistance of all people. Remittances of money -should be made to John Sealy, Treasurer Relief Committee, acknowledgment -of which will be made. - - “WALTER C. JONES, Mayor.” - - - DISTRESS AT ALVIN. - -Houston, Texas, September 15.—The following statement and appeal came -from R. W. King, of Alvin, Texas: - -“I arrived in Alvin from Dallas, and was astonished and bewildered by -the sight of devastation on every side. Ninety-five per cent. of the -houses in this vicinity are in ruins, leaving 6,000 people absolutely -destitute. Everything in the way of crops is destroyed, and unless there -is speedy relief there will be exceedingly great suffering. - -“The people need and must have assistance. Need money to rebuild their -homes and buy stock and implements. They need food—flour, bacon, corn. -They must have seeds for their gardens, so as to be able to do something -for themselves very soon. Clothing is badly needed. Hundreds of women -and children are without a change, and are already suffering. Some -better idea may be had of the distress when it is known that boxcars are -being improvised as houses and hay as bedding. - -“Only fourteen houses in the town of Alvin are standing on their -foundations, and they are badly damaged. While the great sympathetic -heart of this grand Nation is responding so generously for the stricken -city of Galveston, it should be remembered also that the smaller -towns—where the same condition of total wreck exists, though -miraculously with smaller loss of life—need immediate help from a -liberal people.” - -The situation on Saturday, the 15th, is told in the following graphic -description: - -“Under the firm rule of the military authorities, affairs in Galveston -are rapidly assuming a more cheerful aspect. The forces of law and order -are crystallizing every hour, and now that the people realize that there -is definite authority to which they can appeal they are going to work -systematically to renovate the city and prevent any possibility of -epidemic. The force engaged in burying the dead and clearing up the city -has increased steadily until now twenty-five hundred men are pushing the -work. - -“Adjutant-General Scurry holds the town fast with a strong grip. He is -compelling all men whose services can be spared from public business to -join the forces at the work in the streets. - -“The burial of the dead goes steadily on. All the corpses in the open, -along the shores or near the wreckage, have been sunk in the gulf or -burned in the streets. The labor of clearing away the debris in search -of bodies began at Thirtieth street and avenue O, one of the worst -wrecked parts of the town. Two hundred men were put at work, and in -thirty minutes fifty corpses were found within a space thirty yards -square. Whole families lay dead piled in indescribable confusion. - - - OLD AND YOUNG CRUSHED TOGETHER. - -“Old and young crushed by the falling timbers, were one by one dragged -from debris six to twenty feet deep. Aged fathers were clinging to more -robust forms; children clutching to mother’s skirts, young girls with -their arms around brothers, mothers clasping babes to their bosoms. -These were the melancholy sights seen by those digging among the ruins. -In dozens and scores the bodies were turned up by pick and shovel, rake -and axe. Away to the left the wreckage stretched two miles to Seventh -street; to the right, a mile to Fortieth street down town. - -“Popular sentiment insists that the west end be burned, but the military -authorities have hesitated to give the order. Father Kerwin and Captain -Morrissey urge that the wreckage be fired at once, and it will probably -be done. - -“Men are making ready to apply the torch. Fire engines are out on the -beach. A road runs through the wreckage separating it from houses not -wholly destroyed. When water is running freely in the mains the fire -will be started. Fires are burning at intervals all along the beach over -the gulf front, raising clouds of smoke, which stretches far along the -coast. - -“The streets are clearing rapidly; many in the centre of the town are -to-day readily passable. Along the Bay and Gulf fronts, however, the -wreckage still chokes the streets. Sanitary conditions are steadily -improving. Physicians do not disguise the danger to the city, but do not -expect an epidemic. Five of them declared to-day that if the refuse was -completely burned, the streets were thoroughly disinfected and the -sewers quickly put in order, there would be no pestilence. - - - GREAT EXODUS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN. - -“Women and children are leaving in large numbers. They include all -classes and conditions. In groups and sometimes in long lines they pass -down Tremont street on the way to the boat bound for Texas City. Many -are going never to return, poorly and scantily clad, with handkerchiefs -for hats, and all their worldly goods stuffed into pillow-cases. - -“The man who has no property or relatives in Galveston is leaving for -good. The future of Galveston depends upon whether or not the town can -retain its shipping. If Galveston can keep her prestige as a port her -revival is assured. All those who have helped to make Galveston what it -was are certain that it will continue to be the great port of the -Southwest. Not a man in town who has any property will desert the city. -Progressive citizens have been especially cheered by the news that the -English shippers will continue to patronize the port and by the generous -gift of $5000 from R. P. Houston, member of the English Parliament and -head of the shipping firm of R. P. Houston & Co., of Liverpool and -London. This contribution came in response to the news that one of the -Houston steamers, the Hilarius, was stranded on the Pelican Island. - -“Business men know that if Galveston should go down its shipping would -promptly be transferred to New Orleans. But it is the glory of the -people of New Orleans that since the storm they have said not a word -against the rebuilding of this city, but have generously and nobly -responded to the appeals for Galveston’s sufferers. - -“In spite of any ambition of rival ports, in spite of the timidity of -women and some men, the people of Galveston, patiently and soberly, with -loyalty and courage, are determined to rebuild on the ruins of this once -beautiful city a metropolis that shall prosper and endure. They are -determined to do this, in spite of the possibility that their homes and -industries may again be wrecked by storm. If you ask them why, they will -tell you, “No community is immune from disasters of this kind. It merely -happened that Galveston was in the path of the storm.” And then they -will go back to burying their dead. - -“Captain Randall, of the steamship Comeno, which has arrived from New -Orleans, reports that coming up the bay he saw a great many human -corpses, and that the banks of Pelican Island were strewn with the dead. -Pelican Island is six miles from Galveston. - - - BRIDGE AND TRAIN IN SIX DAYS. - -“The various railroads entering the city are determined to assist to the -full extent of their ability in rebuilding the city. Colonel L. J. Polk, -of the Santa Fe, has received a very encouraging message from the -headquarters of his road, declaring confidence in Galveston, and urging -the business community to push forward the work of reconstruction. -Colonel Polk said in an interview: - -“The railroad interests have decided to combine their forces in order to -rebuild as quickly as possible a bridge from Virginia Point to -Galveston. A large number of men will go to work with this end in view. -You may say to the country that in six days a bridge will have been -built and trains running over it. I have had a consultation with the -wharf interests, and they have promised us that they will be prepared to -handle ingoing and outgoing shipments by the time the bridge is -finished. The bridge we shall build will be substantial, but of -temporary character. We shall subsequently replace it with a more -enduring structure. There is no reason why Galveston ought not to resume -normal commercial conditions in ten days. - -“So much progress has been made toward the rehabilitation of the city, -and so harmoniously are the various working forces working that General -McKibben, who was ordered here with his staff to assist the authorities, -has decided that his presence is no longer necessary, and he has made -arrangements to leave for Houston. - -“The hiding place of three ghouls was discovered in a beached dredge -formerly used by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. Three satchels, -filled with jewelry and money, were seized. The men, who are whites, -will probably be shot. - - - BANKS ASK MILLION DOLLAR LOAN. - -“The cashier of the Island City Bank left the city last night for -Houston. He carried with him a petition from the Associated Galveston -Banks begging the Houston bankers to advance them $1,000,000. By an -agreement made among the Galveston banks, no check for more than $25 is -now honored. It is impossible for nine out of ten Galveston merchants to -meet any promissory notes that are about to fall due, and if assistance -is not obtained the merchants, as well as the banks, must go down. - -“Every time a schooner or a catboat was filled to its safety limit with -human freight, and the way was barred, women would gesticulate wildly -and in choking voice implore even standing room. Nine hundred refugees -left the city yesterday, and 10,000 more would have left to-day if -facilities were at hand.” - -Excellent work in saving lives during the hurricane at Galveston was -done by the officers and crew of the revenue cutter Galveston, which was -stationed at that port. - -The first mail through from the stricken city reached Washington on the -15th, and brought two letters from Chief Engineer W. H. Whitaker of the -Galveston. Under date of September 9, he says: - -“All the sheds on the wharves must have been levelled to the ground, or -nearly so. I do not think there is a house that has not been more or -less damaged or blown to the ground. While the wind was blowing over -sixty miles an hour we sent out a boat with a rescuing party to row up -one of the streets. The first trip they succeeded in saving thirteen -women and children, and brought them back to the vessel in safety. - -“It was useless to attempt to row the boat against the terrific wind, -and, as the water was at that time not over a man’s head in the streets, -a rope would be sent out to the nearest telegraph pole, and by that -means the boat could be hauled along from pole to pole. This was -accomplished only by the most herculean efforts on the part of the men -who led out the rope, but between swimming, walking and floundering -along in the teeth of the gale the rope would finally be made fast. - - - FACING THE FIERCE BLASTS OF THE STORM. - -“Then it was all that the crew of one officer and seven men could do to -pull the boat against the fierce blasts of the cyclone. By working all -Saturday afternoon and evening and up to one o’clock Sunday morning the -brave boys succeeded in rescuing thirty-four men, women and children, -whom they put in a place of safety and provided with enough provisions -for their immediate needs. Finally, on account of the darkness, the -increasing violence of the storm and the vast amount of wreckage in the -streets, the rescuing party was reluctantly compelled to return to the -vessel. - -“On board the ship it was a period of intense anxiety for all hands. No -one slept, and it was only by the almost superhuman efforts of the -officers and crew that we rode out the hurricane in safety. With the -exception of the carrying away of the port forward rigging and the -smashing of all the windows and skylights, the vessel sustained no -serious injury. Not a single person on board was injured in any way.” - -Under date of September 11 the same officer writes: “We think there have -been 5000 lives lost. I cannot begin to tell the number of houses blown -down or damage done. Our new distiller, which came down on the New York -steamer, has been set up on deck, and we are thus enabled to relieve -much suffering by supplying drinking water to the many who call on us -for relief. We have also furnished as much food to the needy as we can -possibly spare. - -“All that can be thought of now is the disposing of the dead. Already -one steamer load and four barge loads have been sent out to sea. During -the height of the hurricane the tide rose seven or eight feet above the -usual high water mark and three feet over the wharves. - -“There are five hundred men working to repair the city water works and -in the meantime we are furnishing all the water we can possibly distil -to the sufferers and aiding them in such other ways as lie in our -power.” - -With a view to the restoration of the fortifications in the harbor of -Galveston, General Wilson, chief of engineers, organized a Board of -engineer officers, consisting of Colonel Henry M. Robert, stationed in -New York; Major Henry M. Adams, stationed in New Orleans; Captain -Charles H. Riche, stationed in Galveston, and Captain Edgar Jadwin, -stationed in New York, to meet in Galveston at the call of the senior -officer about October 20. - - - RESTORATION OF PUBLIC WORKS. - -The Board is instructed to make a careful examination of the jetties and -fortifications of Galveston and to report to the Chief of Engineers what -action is necessary for the repair and restoration of the fortifications -and harbor works. - -Acting Secretary of War Meiklejohn has received a telegram from Mayor -Jones, of Galveston, saying: “The people of the city of Galveston desire -to return to you their heartfelt thanks for your assistance in their -hour of trouble and affliction.” - -A despatch also was received from General McKibben saying that there are -plenty of doctors in Galveston, but that disinfectants are badly needed. - -“Washington, September 15.—In response to the request of your journal -concerning the situation in Galveston, I have a report from Passed -Assistant Surgeon Wertenbaker, who was directed to go from his station -in New Orleans to Galveston, practically confirming the press reports as -to the effect of the storm and conditions existing. He says: - - -“City is wrecked. Press reports not exaggerated. Deaths estimated at -5000. Bodies being cremated as fast as found. Many bodies under debris -not yet removed. Water supply limited. Very scarce now, but supplies -coming in rapidly. The only means of communication is by railroad to -Texas City, thence by boat, or by boat from Houston. - -“Dr. Wertenbaker is at Houston and Surgeon Peckham and Acting Assistant -Surgeon Lea Hume are giving all the aid possible in Galveston. I do not -apprehend an outbreak of any epidemic of disease as a result of the -storm. The law and regulations are ample to meet the emergency. - -“There is danger of sickness caused by unusual exposure and deprivation -of food and water, but the people of Galveston and the Governor and -other officials of the State and city appear to be thoroughly alive to -the necessities of the situation. Their disposal of bodies by cremation -is certainly a wise measure, and I am convinced that the native energy -of the people, supplemented by the tents and rations furnished by the -War Department, and the contributions which have been and are flowing in -from all parts of the country, will obviate the outbreak of widespread -disease. - - “WALTER WYMAN, - “Supervising Surgeon General Marine Hospital Service.” - - - WHOLE FAMILIES LOST. - -“Austin, Texas, Saturday.—Imagine, if you can, fifty thousand persons, -many of them without clothing, all of them in immediate need of food and -drink; motherless and fatherless children, men who have lost their -families,—men, women and children all dazed from one of the greatest -calamities of the time, and you can have some slight idea of the -conditions existing at Galveston and all over the country along the Gulf -contiguous to the storm centre of last Saturday and Sunday. - -“The most harrowing reports have been brought to Governor Sayers by -dozens of relief committees, which have been pouring in here from all -the cities along the coast pleading for assistance. In response to an -invitation from the Governor a special committee of Galveston citizens, -headed by Major Skinner, of the Galveston Cotton Exchange, arrived for -consultation with Governor Sayers. - - - VAST AMOUNT OF WORK TO BE DONE. - -“The Relief Committee reported to the Governor that the city authorities -would prefer that the city remain under the command of State -Adjutant-General Scurry for the time being at least; that he not only be -allowed to superintend the patrolling of the city, but that he be placed -in charge of the sanitary work as well, and that he be allowed to hire -2000 laborers from other portions of the State, as the laborers in -Galveston had their own homes to look after. - -“Governor Sayers will not only secure the importation of 2000 outside -laborers for sanitary work, but he will recognize any drafts made by -Chairman Seeley, of the local Galveston Relief Committee, for such -moneys as he may want from time to time, and in such quantities as are -necessary, the same to be expended under the exclusive control of the -chairman and the local Finance Committee of Galveston. - -“In addition to the Galveston plea for assistance, several relief -committees from other points were entertained by the Governor. The one -from Velasco, following the Galveston committee, stated that there were -2000 destitute there. Alvin reported 8000 in the neighborhood. The -Columbia District reported 2500, and several other towns reported in -proportion, Fort Bend County coming with a report of some 15,000 in that -county alone. - -“In view of these reports Governor Sayers ordered bacon and flour to be -sent to Galveston, Richmond, Fort Bend, Angleton, Velasco and Alvin in -quantities ranging from 200,000 pounds of flour and 100,000 pounds of -bacon for Galveston, to 5000 pounds of the former and 20,000 pounds of -the latter as an emergency supply for Alvin. More supplies will follow -at once.” - -Says one of our great newspapers: - -“Galveston is showing the same splendid courage as Chicago thirty years -ago, before a less dire calamity, and the country as a whole is -displaying the same liberality. The Galveston News undoubtedly speaks -for the city and the citizens in declaring that the city will be rebuilt -and protected. Its channel, as one slight recompense, has been deepened -to thirty feet. There remains its protection by sea walls, and here the -General Government might well deal liberally with the stricken city. -Whatever Galveston port needs to protect and prevent the city from -another tidal wave ought, and we do not doubt will, be the liberal care -of Congress next winter. - -“Much more remains. The insurance companies rebuilt Chicago, and -furnished the city with working building capital. Galveston has no such -resource. Like Johnstown the city has to be rebuilt and the houses -refitted. In the great flood of 1889 this was rendered possible because -all the great flood of relief was managed, methodized and economically -directed by the Johnstown Relief Commission, acting for the State. This -prevented waste, gathered together all aid and successfully rebuilt, -refurnished and re-equipped the destroyed homes. - -“The Galveston disaster needs a like body. Food and shelter will before -long be provided. This is but a beginning. Contributions are pouring out -all over the country and organized work has not yet begun. Any sum -really needed by Galveston can be raised if it is asked by an -authoritative body, able to speak definitely and with precision of the -losses sustained by churches, hospitals, institutions and individuals, -and competent to distribute relief with efficiency and economy. If Texas -and Galveston put such a body before the country in complete control the -desultory giving already begun will be succeeded by organized, -systematic contributions equal to the great need, great as it is.” - - - - - CHAPTER X. - Details of the Overwhelming Tragedy—The Whole City Caught in the -Death-Trap—Personal Experiences of Those Who Escaped—First Reports More - Than Confirmed. - - -The centre of the West Indian hurricane, which had been predicted for -several days, struck Galveston at 9 o’clock Saturday morning. At that -hour the wind was in the north and the waters of the bay were rising -rapidly. The Gulf was also turbulent, and the water, forced in by the -tropical storm, rolled up the beach and gradually swept inland. About 2 -o’clock P. M. the wind was rising rapidly, constantly veering, but -settling towards the east and coming in fitful jerks and puffs, which -loosened awnings, cornices, slated roofs and sent the fragments flying -in the air. - -The waters of the bay continued rising and creeping ashore, mingled with -the waters from the clouds, and filled the downtown streets and invaded -stores. Despite the danger from flying missiles, as the afternoon wore -on, men ventured out in the streets in hacks, in wagons, in boats and on -foot, some anxious to get home to their families, some bent on errands -of mercy, and others animated by no purpose save bravado. - -Gaining in velocity, the wind changed to the northeast, then to the -east, and the waters rose until they covered the city. The wind howled -frightfully around the buildings, tearing off cornices and ripping off -roofs. The wooden paving blocks rose from their places in the streets -and floated off in great sections down the streets. - -At 6.30 o’clock the wind had shifted to the southeast, still increasing -in velocity. At that hour the wind gauge on the roof of the United -States Weather Bureau registered eighty-four miles an hour then blew -away. Still the wind blew harder and harder and even the most fortunate -houses lost all or a part of their coverings. The storm reached its -height at about 8.30 o’clock. At 9 o’clock the wind began subsiding and -the waters to recede. - -But the fury of the storm had not been spent until well into Sunday -morning. At 1 o’clock the water had fallen until the streets were -inundated no more than they would be by a big rain. Sunday morning broke -clear, and the sun shone brightly on a scene of wreck and ruin, which -verily beggars description. - -The streets were piled with debris, in many places several feet high. -Buildings were shorn of roofs, cornices, chimneys and windows. Stocks of -goods were damaged by floods from below and rain from above. But it was -the wind which had wrought the greatest havoc in every respect. The -damage from waters of the bay was inconsequential when compared with -that from wind. The eastern part of the city received the full force of -the storm and suffered most, although no section escaped serious injury. - - - FRANTIC PEOPLE HUNTING RELATIVES. - -All along the beach for about four blocks back scarcely a residence was -left. The beach district was shorn of habitations. Back of that houses -and timbers piled up, crushing other buildings which lay in their path. -Men and women walked through the slimy mud that overspread the streets, -homeless. Men and women rushed around frantic, hunting their relatives. -Dead and wounded men, women and children lay around waiting the coming -of the volunteer corps organized to remove the bodies to improvised -morgues and hospitals. There was no thought of property damage; those -who had escaped with their families, losing all else, felt satisfied and -thanked their Maker. - -Mr. A. V. Kellogg, a civil engineer in the employ of the Right of Way -Department of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in Houston, went -down to Galveston Saturday morning on company business, leaving on the -Galveston, Houston and Henderson train which departs from Houston at -9.45. Mr. Kellogg had an interesting tale of his experiences getting -into Galveston, of the storm and its effects and how he managed to get -out of the city and into Houston again. - -“When we crossed the bridge over Galveston Bay going to Galveston, said -Mr. Kellogg, the water had reached an elevation equal to the bottom of -the caps of the pile bents, or two feet below the level of the track. -After crossing the bridge and reaching a point some two miles beyond we -were stopped by reason of the washout of the track ahead and were -compelled to wait one hour for a relief train to come out on the -Galveston, Houston and Henderson track. During this period of one hour -the water rose a foot and a half, running over the rails of the track. - -“The relief train signaled us to back up a half mile to higher ground, -where the passengers were transferred, the train crew leaving with the -passengers and going on the relief train. The water had reached an -elevation of eight or ten inches above the Galveston, Houston and -Henderson track and was flowing in a westward direction at a terrific -speed. The train crew were compelled to wade ahead of the engine and -dislodge driftwood from the track. At 1.15 we arrived at the Santa Fe -union depot. At that period of the day the wind was increasing and had -then reached a velocity of about thirty-five miles an hour. - - - THE HOTEL FLOODED. - -“After arriving at Galveston I immediately went to the Tremont Hotel, -where I remained the balance of the day and during the night. At 5.30 -the water had begun to creep into the rotunda of the hotel, and by 8 -o’clock it was twenty-six inches above the floor of the hotel, or about -six and one-half feet above the street level. The front windows of the -hotel were blown in between the hours of 5 and 8. The roof was blown off -and the skylights over the rotunda fell in and fell through, crashing on -the floor below. The refugees began to come into the hotel between 5.30 -and 8 o’clock until at least 800 or 1,000 persons had sought safety -there. The floors were strewn with people all during the night. - -“Manager George Korst and the employes of the hotel did everything in -their power to help the sufferers from the effects of the storm and to -give them shelter. At 5 o’clock the wind was blowing from the northeast -at a velocity of about forty-five miles an hour, and by 9 o’clock it had -reached the climax, the velocity then being fully 100 miles. The -vibration of the hotel was not unlike that of a boxcar in motion. I -tried to sleep that night, but there was so much noise and confusion -from the crashing of buildings that I didn’t get much rest. - - - STREET SIGHTS WERE APPALLING. - -“I arose early Sunday morning. The sights in the streets were simply -appalling. The water on Tremont street had lowered some eight feet from -the high water mark, leaving the pavement clear from two blocks north -and six or seven blocks south of the Tremont Hotel. The streets were -full of debris, the wires were all down and the buildings were in a very -much damaged condition. Every building in the business district was -damaged to some extent but with one or two exceptions, and those, the -Levy Building, corner of Tremont and Market, and the Union Depot, both -of which remained intact and went through the storm without a scratch. - -“The refugees came pouring down into the heart of the city, many of them -had but little clothing, and scores of them were almost naked. - -“They were homeless without food or drink, a great many had lost their -all and were really in destitute circumstances. Mayor Jones issued a -call for a mass meeting, which was held Sunday morning at 9 o’clock and -was attended by a large number of prominent citizens. Steps were taken -to furnish provisions and relieve the suffering of the refugees and to -bury the dead. - -“Early in the morning it was learned that the water supply had been cut -off for some unknown reason. I presume that it was caused by the English -ship which was blown up against the bridges, cutting the pipes. At all -events, the city is without water, and something should be done by the -citizens of Houston to relieve this situation. People who had depended -on cisterns, of course, had their resources swept away, and there are -but few large reservoirs of rain water to be found in the business -district. - -“The scene on the docks was a terrible one. The small working fleet and -the larger schooners were washed over the docks and railroad tracks in -frightful confusion. The Mallory docks were demolished. The elevators -were torn in shreds. Three ocean liners were anchored off the docks and -seemed to be in good condition. The damage to the shipping interests is -simply immense, the Huntington improvement being entirely swept away. - - - FRIGHTFUL CONFUSION EVERYWHERE. - -“I tried to get out of the town as quick as I could, and succeeded in -securing passage on the first sloop which sailed, which happened to be -the ‘Annie Jane,’ Captain Thomas Willoughby, who afterward proved to be -an excellent sailor. We sailed from the Twenty-second street slip at 11 -o’clock, with seven souls aboard. When we got outside the harbor we -found it was blowing a terrific gale and the sea running very high. -Under three reefs and the peak down we set our course for North -Galveston. As we passed Pelican Flats we could see the English steamer -anchored off over toward where the railroad bridge should be, and came -to the conclusion that she had evidently broken the water mains and cut -the supply off from the city. - -“Another ocean liner could be seen off the shore of Texas City, in what -would seem to have been about two feet of water in normal tide. We -passed within a few hundred yards of where the Half-moon light house -once stood, but could see no evidence of the light house, it being -completely washed away. The waters of the bay were strewn with hundreds -of carcasses of dead animals. We had a very hazardous passage, going -against a five mile tide running out, but managed to reach North -Galveston at 1.35. - -“At North Galveston we found that a tidal wave had crossed the -peninsula, carrying destruction in its path. The factory building and -the opera house were completely blown down and other buildings -destroyed. While there were no deaths reported at North Galveston, there -were many hardships endured by those who battled with the elements.” - -Dr. I. M. Cline, the chief of the weather bureau at Galveston, lived on -the south side of Avenue Q, between Twenty-Fifth and Twenty-Sixth -streets, in a strongly built frame house. It stood until houses all -around it had gone down, and at last it had to give under the pressure -of the wind and waves and other houses that were thrown against it, and -with it about forty people went down, two-thirds of whom were drowned, -among the number his wife. The first floor was elevated above the high -water mark of 1875, and Dr. Cline thought he was safe there. - -He left his office and went to his home and family early in the -afternoon. The office telephone had been in use nearly all the morning -giving warning to the people who called up from exposed points along the -beach to ask about the outlook. One man was posted at the telephone -nearly every minute of the time, and to each inquiry the answer was sent -over the wire, “The worst is not over yet.” - - - LIVES SAVED BY FLIGHT. - -Barometer readings of this tropical terror had not been taken since it -left Havana and Key West, for the reason that it was travelling across -the gulf and after barometer readings could have been taken nearer -Galveston and reported here communication was shut off. But the weather -bureau knew the worst was not over, and so perhaps thousands along the -beach had warning and sought safety in the center of the island before -the storm broke here in its fury. This partly accounts for so many -people who lived right on the beach, whole families in instances, being -saved, people who lost everything but who saved their lives, while -others who lived in stronger buildings nearer in, some of whom had -passed through the 1875 and other storms thought of course they could -weather it, and thus were lost. - -When the waters rushed into Dr. Cline’s home and began to rise rapidly -he realized his peril, but it was then too late to escape. His brother, -also of the weather bureau, Mr. Joe Cline, came to his rescue to help -save the family or perish with them. Standing on his brother’s front -porch Mr. Cline motioned to the neighbors on the opposite side of the -street to go north, meaning to get out, for no voice could be heard -across the street in the teeth of that terrible northeaster. - -This was the last warning that was given, and then the chief of the -Weather Bureau, while with his devoted brother and their loved ones -disappeared within their own homes to await their doom. It was not many -hours coming. Higher and higher the water rose, and they mounted the -second floor till the waves mounted higher, and buildings about them -crashed and fell, adding to the number of inmates of the houses others -who had been driven out and were seeking safety. - -Finally, the building gave way beneath the pressure of the wreckage -behind it. The Cline family was in the room and had resolved to go by -threes. Dr. Cline had with him Mrs. Cline and their little 6–year-old -girl, Esther. His brother, Joe, took charge of the two older girls. As -the house went over Mr. Joe Cline and his charges were thrown through a -window which they were near and they caught on the roof. A dresser -pushed Dr. Cline and his wife against the mantle and his little one was -knocked from his left arm. They were all pinioned beneath the roof. - - - FOUND IT WAS THE FOOT OF HIS BABY. - -Dr. Cline, holding to his wife, prepared for death, but throwing his -left hand above his head, felt something strike his hand. He grabbed the -object and it proved to be one foot of his baby that had been knocked -from his grasp when the roof fell in. The water had driven her little -body to the surface through an opening, which, although in an almost -dying condition, he realized. By some means—he doesn’t know how—he was -released from the timbers that held him down, and he, too, was sent up -by the rush of water to the surface. With his feet and arms he reached -for his wife, who had been torn from his grasp, but he could not find -her, and so she perished. Their experience in drifting on debris was -that of hundreds of others. For hours they were tossed about on the -raging sea. Part of the time they think they were far out in the Gulf. -They know they were out of sight of lights and buildings much of the -time. - -Mr. William Blair, a member of the Screwmen’s Association, with a party -of twelve, took in what he said to be the first boat that carried news -from the mainland. The trip this party made was one of the most heroic -on record. Mr. Blair said: - - - ONE LONE HOUSE STANDING. - -“We were caught in Houston in the storm, and Sunday morning as soon as -the storm abated we resolved to get to our families and friends in -Galveston, if such a thing was possible. A party of twelve of us left -Houston on a Southern Pacific train. We got as far as Seabrook and there -we found everything washed away, and dead bodies here and there. One -lone house was standing. Clear Creek bridge had been washed away and the -railroad track was turned over. We went back to Houston and waited there -till 4.40 P. M., and took the Galveston, Houston and Henderson regular -train and succeeded in getting as far as Lamarque. - -“The whole country was under water, but we decided to get to Galveston -any way that night. We pulled out towards Virginia Point, wading in -water up to our necks, some times swimming. At one place it got so deep -that we got a lot of drift together and constructed a sort of a raft and -ferried over the places. I was about to forget to tell you that one of -our party was a woman, a Miss Beach. She had a sick sister in Galveston -at the infirmary and she had determined to get to her if possible. That -brave and fearless women kept up with the men wading and swimming, and -while others lagged and some dropped out along the way, she never once -faltered, and I have never before seen her equal for courage and -determination. - -“There were six of us when we got to Virginia Point, others had turned -out toward Texas City. We got as near to Virginia Point as we could, we -found three railroad engines there, one of them turned over. There were -some cars scattered along the track and in one caboose were some injured -people. A portion of our party stopped there to do what they could for -them. - -“We found dead bodies all along the track, three and four in a bunch, -all women and children with perhaps the single exception of one man. -These bodies were strewn from the Point to Texas City and they were -there by the hundreds, it seemed to me—bodies of people who had been -washed and blown across the bay from Galveston. Some of the people who -had made that terrible trip across the bay, driven by the force of the -wind and the waves, were yet alive. - -“There were all sorts of debris and wreckage piled up and washing along -the mainland; furniture of every description, heavy iron, frames of -pianos, fine plush-covered furniture—everything was there to be seen. -The remains of cattle and horses and chickens were there in heaps and -piles, drifting boxcars had been driven three miles from their original -positions and turned over and blown about. - - - GATHERING UP THE DEAD. - -“Monday, as soon as it was light enough to see, we started out looking -for skiffs—something to take us to Galveston. We did not find a skiff, -all had been stove in. At last we found a negro who had a boat. He had -been crippled. Three of us, Miss Beach among the number, took passage on -his boat, and I took charge of it. The remainder of our party stayed at -Virginia Point until the arrival of a sailboat and brought a relief -party to Galveston from Houston. A relief train had arrived, from -Houston, bringing members of the fire department, the health officer and -county officers, with provisions. They saw that there was no way for -them to cross and so they remained and began the work of gathering and -bringing the dead on the mainland. - -“The concrete piers of the county bridge we found washed away in -mainland and we saw a big steamer grounded in the West Bay. We saw a -fine boat about thirty feet long that had made the trip without sailor -or rudder from Galveston. In that boat I was told a drowning family took -refuge. When they were nearly over a wave struck it and threw all its -occupants out except one man, and he landed in safety. Claude G. Pond, -who was with Capt. Plummer’s life boat during the storm, estimates that -they saved 200 people in the east end from drowning. - -“They began work Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock and kept it up as long -as they could do any good in the east end from First street to St. -Mary’s Infirmary. Capt. Plummer waded in water up to his chin, and in -places was swimming, directing the movements of the boat, while Mr. Pond -and Capt. Plummer’s two sons manned the boat. - - - CLUNG TO THEIR PROPERTY. - -“Several places they extended rescue and the people declined to go -expressing the belief that their peril was not so great, and preferring -to remain with their property. Sometimes they would make the second trip -to such places and sometimes the occupants would be saved and in other -instances they had tarried too long. Their plan was to carry people into -places where they could wade out and leave them, going back to bring -others to shallow water and on the return again carrying them further -in. - -“In cases where parents had been carried out to wading water and -deposited, they would stand there instead of pushing on, looking back -for their children, and it sometimes happened that the children and -parents both went down while one waited for the other, when, if the -parents had pushed on after they had reached wading water, all might -have been saved. - -“One of the last loads carried out was about to land in front of St. -Mary’s Infirmary, when a piece of falling timber struck the boat and -capsized it. They had eight or nine people in the boat, and when they -succeeded in righting it they could find only two or three. - -“Mr. Mennis and a party of about forty people took refuge in a two-story -grocery store at Forty-fifth street and Broadway. When the roof went -over and the building went to pieces, Mr. Mennis and six others caught -on drift. They were driven toward the beach into the gulf, and when the -wind veered to the southeast and later south, they were driven across -the bay and landed on the mainland near Texas City. Of the seven who -made this terrible voyage two died in the course of a day. Mr. Mennis -lost his mother and two brothers. - -“In the vicinity of Texas City sixty bodies supposed to be from -Galveston have been buried. Nearly all were women. There was no means of -identification, except possibly by jewelry, which was found on about -one-half of the bodies.” - -Prof. Fred. W. Mally reached Houston three days after the storm, and in -reply to inquiries related some thrilling experiences. He had been out -at Booth, in Fort Bend County. He boarded the 7.15 P. M. Santa Fe train. - - - TREETOPS INTERRUPTED PROGRESS OF TRAINS. - -“At Thompson,” said Prof. Mally, “the train crew stopped to water and -cool off a hot box, and by the time we started again the wind was -blowing a gale. There is no wagon road along the windward side of the -right of way from Thompson to Duke or Clear Lake. The result was that as -we passed along we were kept in constant suspense of disaster by the -treetops, which were being bent over so as to rasp the windows as the -train passed on. - -“At several places we had to stop and cut off the tops of all trees in -order to get through. We finally reached Duke, which was out in the open -and prairie section. Here it was impossible to proceed farther, and the -train stopped to await the end of the storm. We remained here until -about 3 o’clock in the morning and tried to get to Alvin. The first -station out was Arcola. The dwellings in this locality were a complete -wreck, and only the depot remained standing. - - - A TOWN IN RUINS. - -“At Manvel, the next station, the ruin seemed even worse. The depot had -been completely demolished and was laying across the track. Not a house -standing in good condition. We came down farther within three miles of -Alvin and found the track washed out. The agent from Alvin and the -section boss met us and stated that Alvin was in ruins and some killed. -Not being able to get through, we backed up the road, hoping to reach -Eichenberg. - -“The sight of seeing men, women and children wading waist deep in water -over a country where we were accustomed to seeing orchards and garden -patches and to hear the cries for the dear ones missing is enough to -unnerve the strongest. Returning to Duke we unloaded again those we had -saved at that point from the storm. - -“While our train of five passenger coaches was standing on the track at -this point the house in which the agent was living was literally blown -to pieces. His wife and three children were with him, and soon the -furious wind was tossing and rolling women and children like footballs -over the earth. Men from the train faced the terrible gale and succeeded -in getting all on the train in safety. This house stood within -seventy-five yards of our train. About this time the depot, which was -just opposite the car I was in, was unroofed and split apart in the -middle. - - - WHOLE FAMILY SAVED BY TRAINMEN. - -“Soon after a third house, 200 feet away, was blown to pieces and a man, -wife and three children saved from the wreckage by those on the train. -We reached the timbered section and were soon blocked by the wreckage of -fallen trees across the track. Everyone who could wield an axe got one, -set to work diligently to cut our way through. At the same time a large -crew was working from Rosenberg down toward us. From Thompson to Duke -large pecan, elm, oak and pine trees were encountered on an average -every 100 feet. - -“Arriving at Thompson, we found Slavin’s store a perfect mass of ruin, -the gin a partial wreck and many houses blown down. Here the first -victim of the storm and train was placed on board. He had been knocked -off the track the night before and had his leg broken. At Booth, Booth’s -store was badly wrecked, trees blown all over the land, several houses -blown down. One negro was killed in a falling house. At Crabb everything -was blown down, and we reached Rosenberg at noon. - -“We had many dire expectations all night, worked hard all morning and -had nothing to eat since supper the night before. I reached Houston over -the Macaroni in time to reach my nurseries and people at Hulen. I found -only one house standing here intact, my large barn and packing shed are -damaged but not wrecked. My large office building was blown from its -foundation and considerably twisted, but left it so my manager can live -in it with his family until something else can be provided for. None of -my employees were hurt, and, in fact, no deaths or injuries at Hulen.” - - - TERRIBLE TALES OF VANDALISM. - -Passengers who arrived at Dallas told terrible tales of the work of the -vandals in that city. According to them, men inflamed with liquor were -roaming among the wreckage over the city rifling the hundreds of bodies -of even the clothing and leaving them to fester in the semi-tropical -sun. Much of this horrible depredating, it is claimed, is being done by -negroes, who will not work and cannot be made to leave town. This was -before the saloons were closed. - -Among those who arrived from Galveston was J. N. Griswold, division -freight agent of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway. His story is -as follows: - -“There were many acts of vandalism. Fingers and ears that bore diamonds -were lopped off with knives. Upon our arrival at Texas city I saw an old -man who was drunk. Sticking out of a pocket in his pants was a bank -deposit book full of bank notes. - -“I asked him where he got it. He said he found it on the bank. - -“‘How much have you got?’ I asked him. ‘Oh, about twenty-seven dollars,’ -was his reply. He must have had several times that amount at least. - -“The darkies are doing most of the pilfering. Sunday morning before -daylight they were breaking into warehouses and looting stores and -saloons particularly. The town was full of drunken negroes Sunday -morning at daylight. - -“And the worst of it is that nearly all the soldiers were lost. Of the -detachment stationed at Galveston I don’t believe there are more than -thirty left. At present the crying need of Galveston is water and -ice—and soldiers. The fresh water on the island was ruined by the brine -from the sea. The ice is needed to prevent the decomposition of the -corpses. The soldiers are needed to keep down vandalism. And along this -latter line I want to say that the militia must come quickly. The -negroes should be sent to the cotton fields of north Texas. Those who -will work can be kept there, but the others should be sent away just as -soon as possible, for they merely eat up the supplies and are a constant -menace. They should either be killed or made to get out, for one or the -other is the grim necessity of the situation. - - - FLOATING BODIES IN THE BAY. - -“As to the loss of life in Galveston, I can’t figure it. We counted -ninety-three floating bodies on our way from the wharf to Texas City. -The prairies across the bay this side of Galveston are covered with -piles of cotton and wreckage of all descriptions—dead bodies and the -like. - -“I got to Galveston at 10 o’clock Saturday morning. My wife and I took a -car and started to the beach. The water was rather high and we thought -we would have a jolly good time splashing around. When we got within -five blocks of the beach the motorman stopped his car and said that he -could go no further. We came back downtown and got on another car. This -time we could get within but seven blocks of the beach. This shows you -how fast the water was rising. - -“We got back to the Santa Fe ticket office about 11.30 o’clock. I made -up my mind that I wanted to go over to the general offices, but the -water was in all the streets and I waited awhile, hoping it would get -lower. But at noon it was between knee and hip deep in front of the -Santa Fe ticket office. At 2 o’clock my wife and I waded into the -Washington Hotel. - -“From that time on the wind grew stronger. At 5 o’clock the water was -six feet deep in the lower floor of the Washington Hotel. Why, it -covered the telephone box in the office. The wind blew not less than -ninety-five miles an hour from then until 9.30 o’clock. - -“The first rise came from the bay, and the bay rise lasted until about 8 -P. M. Then the tide from the Gulf met the rise from the bay and forced -it back. That’s when we had our highest water. And I want to say to you -right now that but for those two forces meeting there wouldn’t be a -stick left on Galveston Island to-day. - -“About 9 o’clock the water commenced to fall rapidly, and at 10 o’clock -the wind had subsided fully 50 per cent. The damage had all been done. -At daylight we got out and went down to the beach. From the beach back -for four or five blocks it was just as clean as this floor. Up and down -the island there was wreckage as high as this ceiling. This had -something to do with breaking the force of the water. And that wreckage -was full of dead bodies. The only way to get rid of it is to burn it -with the bodies in it, for they can never be taken out. - - - MAKING A HURRIED ESCAPE. - -“Monday at noon we left the wharf on the sailboat ‘Lake Austin’ in -company with five others. We paid $100 for passage to Texas City. The -names of those in the party were, J. A. Kemp, of Wichita Falls; Henry -Sayles, of Abilene; A. W. Boyd, of Houston; W. A. Frazer, of Dallas, and -myself and my wife. Mrs. Griswold was the first woman to leave the -island after the disaster. We landed at Texas City at 2.30, caught the -Texas Terminal Railway to a junction with the Galveston, Houston and -Henderson. From there we walked for a mile to where they were repairing -the track, and caught a freight train into Houston, arriving about 10.30 -at night. - -“The buildings in Galveston that are not totally wrecked are damaged in -such a manner that I believe it will cost as much to repair them as it -would to build new ones outright. There is not a church left standing. -The general offices of the Santa Fe are badly wrecked. On the floor next -to the top some of the inside door casings are forced out of the frames, -and the entire building will have to be replastered before it will be -safe to occupy. The train sheds are gone. - -“On the Mallory wharves is a conglomerated pile of boxcars and boats and -cotton wreckage of every description. The Mallory liner ‘Comal’ arrived -there just after the storm, and, thank goodness, the crew has sense -enough to stay on board the boat. Dead bodies are in all the wreckage -under the wharf just like dead rats. The Santa Fe officials and the -heads of the different departments in the general offices, so far as -reported, are all safe. The families of a good many of the clerks have -been lost entirely, and in other instances partially so. - -“The Blum family came to the Washington Hotel at daylight Sunday morning -with nothing on them but shreds. They had lost everything. When they -left home they had thousands of dollars worth of diamonds on their -persons. These were all lost in their battle with the elements. Their -bodies were a mass of bruises. - -“There is scarcely a stock of goods in Galveston that isn’t a total -loss. But the Sealy residence, standing even as it does, where it seems -as if the slightest breeze would strike it, hasn’t a scratch on it. - - - ENTIRE FAMILIES LOST. - -“The brother of John Paul Jones, the general agent of our road, lost his -entire family. Will Labatt, assistant ticket agent of the Santa Fe, lost -his entire family, with the exception of his wife, who is visiting in -the North. He turned up Sunday morning at 6 o’clock more dead than alive -and covered with bruises and cuts. - -“John Paul Jones, the general agent of the Santa Fe, succeeded in saving -his family. His wife was very sick, but he saved her by swimming across -the street with his child on his head and his wife between himself and -another person. - -“Mr. Crane, chief rate clerk to the general freight agent of the road, -spent the entire night with his wife on the roof of his residence. His -wife had been confined about six weeks ago, and in addition had an -abscess on her leg, which bent it nearly double. They were saved. He was -a mass of bruises. His heel was crushed. - -“I don’t see how any man who passed Saturday night in Galveston can stay -there and make it his home.” - -W. A. Fraser, of Dallas, general deputy of the Woodmen of the World of -Texas, arrived in Dallas from Galveston where he had been for several -days. He stated that complete as are the reports published in “The -News,” the half has not been told of the terrible calamity that has -visited the coast country. “On the approach of the storm,” he said, “I -tried to leave on the International and Great Northern Railroad at 1.30 -o’clock, but found that the bridges had been washed away and the water -had risen to such an extent that it was impossible for me to get away -from the depot, where I took shelter with about 150 other persons who -had sought the same place of refuge. - - - THE CRIES OF THE DYING. - -“The depot was badly damaged, but no lives were lost there, although -bodies were floating in every direction and the cries from the dying -could be heard almost constantly. When daybreak came Sunday morning the -sights presented were something terrible. It was hardly possible to walk -along the streets without tumbling over dead bodies, and the only thing, -in my estimation, that saved the city from being completely wiped out -was the fact that the wind blew from the bay during the first part of -the night—blowing the water up through town, in some places as high as -fifteen feet—and the wreckage from destroyed houses was piled up along -the Gulf front to a height of forty or fifty feet. When the wind changed -and blew from the Gulf this wreckage acted as a breakwater and kept the -waves from washing everything into the bay. - -“As soon as daylight appeared the work of rescue commenced, but it was -soon found that after several vacant stores and all the undertaking -establishments had been crowded with the dead, that it would be -impossible to handle them in this way. Barges were employed and into -them the wagons unloaded the bodies, which were taken to the bay and -there deposited. It can be safely said that there is not a single house -in the entire town that has not been badly damaged in some way and there -are whole families who will never be heard from again. - -“Looting and vandalism are rife upon the island. The few soldiers they -have are exhausted and unable to properly guard the city, and in my -estimation the State troops should be sent there at once. Cases of where -the fingers of women had been cut off so as to deprive them of their -rings and their ears cut to get the earrings are common. It is a hard -matter to get a negro to assist in any way in burying the dead, as they -all seem to be very much interested in accumulating all the wealth they -can possibly get from the dead and from the wreckage. - - - WHITE MEN AND NEGROES PLUNDER TOGETHER. - -“They are not alone in this, but I am sorry to say that white men are -side by side with them in their damnable work. Women could be seen on -the first morning after the flood with baskets over their arms taking -everything they could possibly pick up, without regard to whom it -belonged to or what its value might be. What the city needs most, in my -estimation, is pure water, food and able-bodied men who are willing to -work, so the bodies can be removed from the wreckage and carried from -the island and the carcasses of animals be burned or disposed of as -quickly as possible. Whatever is to be done should be done at the -earliest possible moment, as provisions are scarce and it is next to -impossible to get fresh water. The sewerage system is also choked, and -this combined with the stenches from decaying animal matter makes it -almost impossible for people to exist for many days. - -[Illustration: - - THE WRECK OF A DWELLING WHERE TWELVE MEN AND WOMEN HAD A MIRACULOUS - ESCAPE] - -[Illustration: - - CREMATING DEAD BODIES TAKEN FROM GALVESTON WRECK.] - -[Illustration: - - EXTERIOR VIEW OF ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH, WHICH WAS DEMOLISHED] - -[Illustration: - - WRECKAGE AT CENTRE STREET, LOOKING NORTH FROM AVENUE O ½] - -[Illustration: - - RUINS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL, TWENTY-FIFTH STREET AND AVENUE P] - -[Illustration: - - REMAINS OF RAILROAD POWER HOUSE, TWENTIETH STREET AND AVENUE I] - -[Illustration: - - A CLEAN SWEEP OF EIGHTEEN BLOCKS BY SIX, WAS THICKLY POPULATED AND - COMPLETELY DESTROYED] - -[Illustration: - - RUINS AT TWENTY-FIRST STREET AND AVENUE O ½] - -“Immediately on my arrival here a meeting of the Woodmen was called and -$200 in cash subscribed and turned over to me, and about $300 more -pledged to be placed in my hands on demand. All camps throughout the -State are requested to immediately call meetings and forward such -subscriptions as they may see proper to me at Dallas. This will be used -for the benefit of Woodmen and their families, many of whom are in -absolute want and distress, and we hope to raise at least $30,000, which -is less than $1 each from our members.” - -From Houston came the following heartrending news of the Galveston -horror two days after it occurred: - -“The dreadful fatality of Galveston is looking worse, in the face of -facts brought out to-day. Three men, who reached here this morning, tell -of so and so many dead bodies being found in a single house or yard or -on one block, that the conclusion is almost irresistible that a greater -number than 1000 has been lost. They tell that twenty or forty or a -hundred were lost by the collapse of a single large house, they having -gathered there for safety, but they are unable to say anything about the -hundreds of small houses that were swept away, some vacant, of course, -but many occupied, but without a mark, a sign or a memory to recall the -lost. - - - NAMES OF DEAD WILL NEVER BE KNOWN. - -“The outline of the terrible disaster is now known over the United -States, and even farther. The details are wanting; no list of names -approaching completeness can be had for weeks, and it is almost sure -that a complete list will never be found. As time wears along the names -of different persons will be recalled by those who were neighbors, and -they will be set down on the death roll that will be made up; but where -neighbors do not know neighbors, the names will never be called, and the -identity of the lost will pass with eternity—without recall or -remembrance. - -“This city and her people are devoting themselves assiduously to -relieving the unfortunates. Her business men are losing not a moment. -They thoroughly realize that seconds are valuable. Last night large -wagons jostled along the streets with boxes of prepared food to load -them on boats and cars. The Mayor has sent out calls to the large cities -of this and other States for immediate help, and everybody here feels -that the response will be generous and speedy. These people know the -justness of their demand, and hence their confidence in getting the -answer. - -“W. O. Ansley, a well known cotton man of this city, received a letter -this morning, brought by private messenger, from A. W. Simpson, a cotton -man at Galveston, saying: - -“‘It’s awful. Not a complete house in the city. Help urgently needed. -Thousands are homeless. Food is being distributed to the destitute, but -lots more will be needed.’” - - - MISSING ONES SWELL DEATH LIST. - -A newspaper writer who got through from Galveston, made the following -statement: “The condition at Galveston is heartrending in the extreme -for the injured, and it grows worse momentarily. The list of the dead -will not be fully known for weeks; the list of the missing will swell -rapidly as soon as the people have begun to report their losses to the -authorities, and gradually this list of missing will change into the -list of dead as the bodies are recovered from the ruins in the city or -are picked up on the beach of the mainland, where many of them now lie, -it is believed. A meeting was held Sunday morning at the Tremont Hotel, -and at this meeting measures were considered for the relief of the -stricken. - -“The conclusion was quickly reached that the citizens are not equal to -the task, notwithstanding their willingness, and an appeal for aid was -made to the President and the Governor. The messages have already gone -to them, and will probably be made public all over the country by this -afternoon. But no tardy aid will suffice. It is present necessity that -must be met.” - -H. Van Eaton, who travels for a Dallas firm, arrived from Galveston, -where he spent the perilous hours during the storm. He reached that city -Saturday morning and was unable to cross to the mainland until Sunday -afternoon. - -“Just after it started to rain,” he said last night, “several of us -thought we would walk down to the beach, but on seeing our danger -decided to return to the hotel, which we succeeded in doing by wading in -water waist deep. Inside of a few minutes the women and children began -to come to the hotel for refuge. All were panic stricken. I saw two -women, one with a child, trying to get to the hotel. They were drowned -within three hundred yards of us. - -“After the worst was over in Galveston we went over to Virginia Point, -which cost us $15 each. When we got over there we found a caboose and an -engine chained together with some twenty-five people in it. While we -were in the caboose three bodies, two men and a child, drifted against -the car and we tied them to one end to keep them from floating away. We -saw fourteen bodies there, all having floated across the channel and all -more or less disfigured from coming in contact with so much wreckage. -Most of them were women and children. - -“We walked six miles from Virginia Point, swimming at intervals, in -order to catch the relief train, which could not come in further from -washouts. We met people coming and going. A party of twelve persons, -including one woman, had built a raft and were intending to cross to -Galveston. We saw three launches six miles inland, north of Virginia -Point on the bald prairie. Only one of them seemed to have anyone in it. -We reached Houston at 3.30 this morning. There are only two houses in -anything like perfect condition between Houston and Galveston. From -Houston up to Hearne things were badly torn up. The whole east end of -Galveston and the entire west end are completely gone.” - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - Galveston Calamity One of the Greatest Known to History—Many Thousands -Maimed and Wounded—Few Heeded the Threatening Hurricane—The Doomed City - Turned to Chaos. - - -Galveston has been the scene of one of the greatest catastrophes in the -world’s history. The story of the great storm of Saturday, Sept. 8, -1900, will never be told. Words are too weak to express the horror, the -awfulness of the storm itself, to even faintly picture the scene of -devastation, wreck and ruin, misery, suffering and grief. Even those who -were miraculously saved after terrible experiences, who were spared to -learn that their families and property had been swept away, and spared -to witness scenes as horrible as the eye of man ever looked upon—even -these can not tell the story. - -There are stories of wonderful rescues and escapes, each of which at -another time would be a marvel to the rest of the world, but in a time -like this when a storm so intense in its fury, so prolonged in its work -of destruction, so wide in its scope, and so infinitely terrible in its -consequences has swept an entire city and neighboring towns for miles on -either side, the mind can not comprehend all of the horror, can not -learn or know all of the dreadful particulars. - -One stands speechless and powerless to relate even that which he has -felt and knows. Gifted writers have told of storms at sea wrecking of -vessels where hundreds were at stake and lost. That task pales to -insignificance when compared with the task of telling of a storm which -threatened the lives of perhaps sixty thousand people, sent to their -death perhaps six thousand people, and left others wounded, homeless, -and destitute, and still others to cope with grave responsibility, to -relieve the stricken, to grapple with and prevent the anarchist’s reign, -to clear the water-sodden land of putrefying bodies and dead carcasses, -to perform tasks that try men’s souls and sicken their hearts. - -The storm at sea is terrible, but there are no such dreadful -consequences as those which have followed the storm on the sea coast and -it is men who passed through the terrors of the storm, who faced death -for hours, men ruined in property and bereft of families, who took up -the herculean and well-nigh impossible task of bringing order out of -chaos, of caring for the living and disposing of the dead before they -made life impossible here. - -The storm came not without warning, but the danger which threatened was -not realized, not even when the storm was upon the city. Friday night -the sea was angry. Saturday morning it had grown in fury, and the -wrecking of the beach resorts began. The waters of the Gulf hurried -inland. The wind came at terrific rate from the north. Still men went to -their business and about their work while hundreds went to the beach to -witness the grand spectacle which the raging sea presented. - - - WATERS CREPT HIGHER AND HIGHER. - -As the hours rolled on the wind gained in velocity and the waters crept -higher and higher. The wind changed from the north to the northeast and -the water came in from the bay, filling the streets and running like a -millrace. Still the great danger was not realized. Men attempted to -reach home in carriages, wagons, boats, or any way possible. Others went -out in the storm for a lark. As the time wore on the water increased in -depth and the wind tore more madly over the island. - -Men who had delayed starting for home, hoping for an abatement of the -storm, concluded that the storm had grown worse and went out in that -howling, raging, furious storm, wading through water almost to their -necks, dodging flying missiles swept by a wind blowing 100 miles an -hour. - -Still the wind increased in velocity, when, after it seemed impossible -that it should be more swift, it changed from west to southeast, veering -constantly, calming for a second and then coming with awful terrific -jerks, so terrible in their power that no building could withstand them -and none wholly escaped injury. - -Others were picked up at sea. And all during the terrible storm acts of -the greatest heroism were performed. Hundreds and hundreds of brave men, -as brave as the world ever knew, buffeted with the waves and rescued -hundreds of their fellow men. Hundreds of them went to their death, the -death that they knew they must inevitably meet in their efforts. -Hundreds of them perished after saving others. Men were exemplifying -that supreme degree of love of which the Master spoke, “Greater love -hath no man than this, that he give his life for his friend.” Many of -them who lost their lives in this storm in efforts to save their -families, many to save friends, many more to help people of whom they -had never heard. They simply knew that human beings were in danger and -they counted their own lives. - - - TREMENDOUS FURY OF THE GALE. - -The maximum velocity of the wind will never be known. The gauge at the -Weather Bureau registered 100 miles an hour and blew away at 5.10 -o’clock, but the storm at that hour was as nothing when compared with -what followed, and the maximum velocity must have been as great as 120 -miles an hour. The most intense and anxious time was between 8.30 and 9 -o’clock, with raging seas rolling around them, with a wind so terrific -that none could hope to escape its fury, with roofs beginning to roll -away and buildings crashing all around them, men, women and children -were huddled in buildings, caught like rats, expecting to be crushed to -death or drowned in the sea, yet cut off from escape. - -Buildings were torn down, burying their hundreds, and were swept inland, -piling up great heaps of wreckage. Hundreds of people were thrown into -the water in the height of the storm, some to meet instant death, others -to struggle for a time in vain, and thousands of others to escape death -in most miraculous and marvelous ways. - -Hundreds of the dead were washed across the island and the bay many -miles inland. Hundreds of bodies were buried in the wreckage. Many who -escaped were in the water for hours, clinging to driftwood, and landed -bruised and battered and torn on the mainland. - -All attempts at burying the dead has been utterly abandoned, and bodies -are now being disposed of in the swiftest manner possible. Scores of -them were burned the 12th, and hundreds were taken out to sea and thrown -overboard. The safety of the living is now the paramount question, and -nothing that will tend to prevent the outbreak of an awful pestilence is -being neglected. - -This morning it was found that large numbers of the bodies which had -previously been thrown in the bay were washed back upon the shore and -the situation was rendered worse than before they were first laden in -the barges and thrown into the water. - - - TOO MANY ON THE COMMITTEE. - -Relief committees from the interior of the State have commenced to -arrive, and, as usual, they are much too large in numbers, and to a -certain extent are in the way of the people of Galveston, and an -impediment to the prompt relief which they themselves are so desirous of -offering. Several of the relief expeditions have had committees large -enough to consume 10 per cent. of the provisions which they brought. The -relief sent here from Beaumont, Tex., arrived this morning and was -distributed as fast as possible. It consisted of two carloads of ice and -provisions, and came by way of Port Arthur. - -The great trouble now seems to be that those people who are in the -greatest need are, through no fault of those in charge of the -distribution, the last to receive aid. Many of them are so badly maimed -and wounded that they are unable to apply to the relief committee, and -the committees are so overwhelmed by direct applications that they have -been unable to send out messengers. - -The wounded everywhere are still needing the attention of physicians, -and despite every effort it is feared that a number will die because of -the sheer physical impossibility to afford them the aid necessary to -save their lives. Every man in Galveston who is able to walk and work is -engaged in the work of relief with all the energy of which he is -capable. But, despite their utmost endeavors, they cannot keep up with -the increase in the miserable conditions which surround them. Water can -be obtained by able-bodied men, but with great difficulty. - -Dr. Wallace Shaw, of Houston, who is busily engaged in the relief work, -said that there were 200 people at St. Mary’s Infirmary without fresh -water. They had been making coffee of salt water and using that as their -only beverage. Very little stealing was reported and there were no -killings. The number of men shot down for robbing the dead proved a -salutary lesson, and it is not expected that there will be any more -occurrences of this sort. The soldiers of the regular army and of the -national guard are guarding the property, and it is impossible for -thieves to escape detection. - - - SOLDIERS HAVE MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. - -The loss of life among the soldiers of the regular army stationed in the -barracks on the beach proves to have been largely overestimated. The -original report was that but fifteen out of the total number in the -barracks on the beach had been saved. Last night and to-day they turned -up singly and in squads, and at present there are but twenty-seven -missing, whereas the first estimate of casualties in this direction -alone was nearly two hundred. It is probable that some of the -twenty-seven will answer roll call later in the week. - -One soldier reached the city this afternoon who had been blown around in -the Gulf of Mexico and had floated nearly fifty miles going and coming, -on a door. Another one who showed up to-day declared that he owed his -life to a cow. It swam with him nearly three miles. The cow then sunk -and the soldier swam the balance of the way to the mainland himself. - -Efforts were made this afternoon to pick up the dead bodies that have -floated in with the tide, after having been once cast into the sea. This -is awful work, and few men are found with sufficiently strong nerves to -last it more than thirty minutes at a time. All of the bodies are badly -decomposed, swollen to enormous proportions and of so dark a hue that it -is possible to tell only by the hair, when any hair is visible, whether -the corpses are those of white people or negroes. - -Gen. McKibben U. S. A., and Adjt. Gen. Scurry arrived last night and -have assumed entire charge of the city, with the result that conditions -have very much improved as far as order and method in the distribution -of supplies and the direction of the work is concerned. Gen. McKibben -represents the government in a general way, but has not assumed direct -charge of the city, which is under the command of Adjutant Gen. Scurry. - -Several of the very young soldiers have been a trifle over-zealous in -the matter of guarding the property, carrying their energy to a point -which made it somewhat uncomfortable for the people whose property and -person they came to guard. Gen. Scurry repressed them promptly and -several of them have been disarmed. The service of the militia, on the -whole, however, has so far been of a most excellent character. - - - SIGHT-SEERS BARRED OUT. - -Every effort is being made to induce people to leave Galveston, and it -is extremely difficult for anyone, no matter what his business, unless -he is in direct charge of a relief train, to gain admittance to the -place. Hundreds of people left Houston to-day for Galveston, but could -get no further than Texas City, which is on the north side of Galveston -Bay, and there they were compelled to remain until the train brought -them back to Houston. No persuasion, no sum of money, would induce the -guard to pass them into the stricken city. - -Orders had been issued that no sightseers were to be allowed, and the -order was obeyed with the utmost rigidity. It will be at least a week -before there is full and free communication with Galveston, but matters -are now steadily progressing toward a solution of the problems that -confront the relief committee. Every effort is being made to induce -people to leave, and one train, which arrived in Houston at 5 o’clock -this evening, carried 350 women and children; another at 10 o’clock -carried twice as many more, and it is expected that fully 2,000 of the -women and children will be out of the place by to-morrow night. Mayor -Jones estimates that there are at least 10,000 of these helpless ones -who should be taken from Galveston at the earliest possible moment. They -are all apparently anxious to get away and will be handled as rapidly as -possible. - -Another trainload of provisions and clothing, making the third within -the last twenty-four hours, came here from Houston to-night. - -The steamer Charlotte Allen arrived at noon to-day from Houston with -1000 loaves of bread and other provisions. The amount of food which has -been sent so far has been large, but there are still in the neighborhood -of 30,000 people to be cared for on the island. - - - BOYS RESCUE FORTY PEOPLE. - -During the storm Saturday night, the Boddinker boys, with the aid of a -hunting skiff, rescued over forty people and took them to the University -building, where they found shelter from the wind and waves. The little -skiff was pushed by hand, the boys not being able to use oars or sticks -in propelling it, and is to be set aside in the University as a relic of -the flood. - -Many stories of heroism are coming out. People tell of getting out of -their houses just before the roof fell in on them. They tell of seeing -people struck by flying timbers and crushed to death before their eyes. -One man was cut off from his family just as he had them rescued, and saw -them sink beneath the water, just on the other side of the barrier. He -turned in and helped to rescue others who were about gone. One woman -carried her five month’s old baby in her arms from her house only to -have a beam strike the child on the head, killing it instantly. She -suffered a broken leg and bruised body. - -The lightship, which was moored between the jetties at the point where -the harbor bar was located before it was removed, was carried to Half -Moon Shoal and grounded. There was nobody aboard except Mate Emil C. -Lundwall, the cook and two men. She broke her moorings and with a 1500 -pound anchor and 600 fathoms of 2–inch cable chain, drifted to the point -where she grounded, a distance of about four miles. - -The damage to the lightship was slight, consisting principally of broken -windows. The mate showed himself to be a skillful seaman and managed to -save the vessel by his skill as such. - -Along the whole East Sealy avenue the oak trees have been partly dragged -up by the roots and brittle chinaberry trees are practically all gone. -All the tender plants have been washed out or broken down by debris or -blown away literally. Not a tree is standing in its natural attitude. -Not a building in the East end escaped injury. One or two, like that of -Capt. Charles Clark, suffered but the loss of a few slat shingles while -others were torn from their foundations. - - - TWISTED INTO ALL SORTS OF SHAPES. - -They were carried around and twisted into such shapes that they can not -be occupied again although they can be entered and the sodden furniture -and bedclothing removed. This applies to buildings that are still -standing. As stated, there is a vast territory of blocks in width on -which there is not a vestige of a house standing, these having been -blown down and carried away with the other debris. - -Dr. J. T. Fry, who has been an observer of the weather for years, has a -theory that the storm which visited Galveston originated in the vicinity -of Port Eads, and was not the hurricane which was reported on the -Florida coast. On Thursday a storm was reported moving in a -northeasterly direction from Key West. It moved up the Atlantic coast. -The Mallory steamer “Comal” ran into it and reported a great number of -wrecks as was reported in the “News” at the time. The supposition that -this was the same storm that reached Galveston by doubling back on its -tracks is a mistake. - -The first knowledge of the Galveston storm was the report of a wind -velocity of forty-eight miles an hour at Port Eads on Saturday morning. -The “News” also reported high winds at Pass Christian. The Port Eads -storm was a distinct storm from that of Florida and was confined to the -Gulf. The proof of this is that the steamer “Comal” came in from Florida -in beautiful weather and apparently followed in the wake of the storm. - -Eighteen people were caught in the Grothger grocery store, Sixteenth and -N streets, and it is presumed all were lost, as many have been reported -dead who were known to have been in the building which was swept away -entirely. The firemen buried twenty-six people south of Avenue O, -between Thirty-Third and Forty-Second streets, on Tuesday. The graves -were marked with pieces of the garments worn by the persons. - -Will Love, a printer of the “Houston Post,” who formerly lived in -Galveston, swam the bay Monday to reach his family, whom he found to be -alive in Galveston. He swam from pier to pier on the railroad bridges -and at each he rested. - - - AWFUL NIGHT IN THE LIGHTHOUSE. - -In the Bolivar lighthouse, which stands 130 feet high on Bolivar Point, -across the bay from Galveston, some one hundred and twenty-five people -sought refuge from the storm on Saturday evening. Many of the -unfortunates had deserted their homes, which were swept by the -hurricane, and other residents of Galveston, who had come to the bay -shore in their frantic endeavors to reach Galveston and their families. -Among the latter was County Road and Bridge Superintendent Kelso. Mr. -Kelso stated to a “News” reporter, when he reached Galveston on Monday -afternoon, after having been carried across the bay in a small skiff by -Mr. T. C. Moore, that the hundred and more refugees spent an awful night -in the lighthouse Saturday night during the life of the hurricane. - -The supply of fresh water was soon exhausted and an effort was made to -secure drinking water by catching rain water in buckets suspended from -the top of the lighthouse. The experiment was a success in a way, but it -demonstrated a remarkable incident to show the force of the wind. The -bucket was soon filled with water, but it was salty and could not be -used. Several attempts finally resulted in a fresh water supply to -quench the thirst of the feverishly excited refugees. - -The salt water was shot skyward over 130 feet and mingled with the rain -water that fell in the buckets. From the top of the light tower several -of the more venturesome storm-sufferers viewed the destructive work of -the wind on Galveston Island. Twelve dead bodies were recovered near the -lighthouse. - -Mr. A. Mutti, a storekeeper, lost his life after a display of heroism -that won for him the honors of a martyr. When the storm struck the city -he hitched up a one-horse cart and started out to rescue his neighbors. -Cartload after cartload he carried in safety to fire company house No. -5. On three occasions his cartload of human beings, some half dead, -others crazed with fright, was carried for blocks by the raging -currents, but he landed all the unfortunates in the fire house, even to -his last load, when he met his death. As he attempted to pass into the -building on his last trip the firehouse succumbed to the wind and -collapsed. Some of the wreckage struck poor Mutti and he was mortally -injured. He lingered for several hours. - - - GENEROUS OFFER OF HELP. - -Prof. Buckner, of the Buckner Orphans’ Home of Dallas, arrived in the -city and made his way at once to the gentlemen in charge of the relief -work. He offered to throw the doors of his establishment wide open for -the orphans of Galveston, who have been deprived of their shelter at the -various asylums, and announced that he was ready to care for about 100 -to 150 of the children. His offer was taken under consideration for -advisement at a meeting to be held of the managers of the homes. - -The official records of the United States Weather Bureau have been made -up and forwarded to Washington. The reports give some very valuable -additional information about the storm. Unfortunately the recording -instruments were destroyed or crippled beyond operation about 5.10 p. m. -on Saturday, as previously reported, and before the storm had reached -the center of severity. The wind gauge recorded a two-minute blow at the -rate of 100 miles an hour and was then demolished by the hurricane, -which continued to increase in violence. While the exact velocity of the -wind was not recorded after the destruction of the instruments, the -Weather Bureau representatives estimate the maximum velocity at between -110 and 120 miles an hour. It did not maintain this terrific rate for -any length of time, probably a half minute or minute gusts, but -sufficient to wreck anything that met the full force of the storm. - -A journal of the local office of the Weather Bureau contains the report -of an apparent tidal wave of four feet which swept in from the Gulf some -time between the hours of 7 and 8 P. M., and the time the wind veered to -the southeast and attained its highest velocity of between 110 and 120 -miles an hour. It should be remembered that there was a tide of about -five feet and a terrible swell in the Gulf during the storm, and that -the tidal wave of four feet rode this wall of water and increased the -force and speed of the sea that washed over the city. - - - VIVID DESCRIPTION OF THE CALAMITY. - -Hon. Jeff McLemore, of Austin, a well known journalist and ex-member of -the Legislature, returned from Galveston and gave the following vivid -description of the horrors: - -“We were five hours making the trip from the mainland, and it was not -until 7 o’clock Monday evening that we reached the wharf. When within -two miles of the city we discovered a number of human bodies floating in -the bay, and as the boat passed each it caused a shudder of horror among -the living. Soon after the sun went down the moon came up in a cloudless -sky. The bay was as a large mirror, and the scene seemed so peaceful and -serene that for a moment it was hard to realize that we were soon to -gaze upon the saddest, darkest picture in the book of time. A gentle -breeze wafted our boat lightly over the smooth waters, and as we entered -the harbor and neared the wharves, formerly the scene of busiest life, a -silence deep and awful prevailed. No one on board spoke a word and the -silence was only broken by the sound of a rifle sending some robber of -the dead into endless eternity. - -“After landing we made our way over huge heaps of wreckage that were -piled almost mountain high and emerged into an open space only to be -hailed by armed sentries who were guarding the town against ghouls, -vandals and looters. After explaining who we were the sentries permitted -us to pass, and directed us to the Tremont Hotel, the chief place of -rendezvous for the stricken people. - - - GHOSTLY SCENES OF NIGHT. - -“As we made our way to the hotel, a thing we did with difficulty, -because of the wreckage that covered the streets, we saw only desolation -and ruin on every hand. The pale of the moon added weirdness to the -chaos and look where we might there was nothing to gladden the searching -eye. We passed several small groups of men who spoke in whispers and -those we addressed looked at us strangely and wondered what we came for. - -“At last the hotel was reached and here most of us found friends and -acquaintances who inquired after those we left behind. The city being -under martial law, most of our party, after doing all in their power to -relieve the anxiety of anxious men and women, disposed themselves about -the hotel until morning, it being unsafe to roam about the city at night -for fear of being mistaken for vandals and ghouls that have infested the -city ever since the storm. To some of us it seemed that morning would -never come, but it did come at last, and it came bright and fair. - -“I then started out to view the stricken city by daylight and such a -scene as I witnessed is beyond the power of words to tell. The wildest -flight of imagination can never paint the picture that lay before my -view, and if none can imagine it, then there is no way to give one even -a faint conception of it in words. The horror of it is beyond the pale -of exaggeration, and the worst that may be said cannot even approach it. -Acres and acres of houses were scattered in ruins over the earth and -beneath the broken and shivered timbers were the decaying bodies of -human beings, who suffered tortures worse than death. - -“Along the pebbled beach, once the most beautiful in the world, and a -scene of wonted gayety, now all is desolation and awe. Human bodies, -swollen and unrecognizable, were mingled with those of dead animals and -reptiles, and the whole formed a scene so gruesome and so misshapen that -the thought of it even sends a sickening thrill coursing through one’s -veins. - -“To add to the horror of the situation, human hyenas moved stealthily -among the dead, robbing those who were powerless to resist, but these -ghouls in human guise are meeting with just retribution, for armed -sentinels are now on guard and have orders to shoot them down as they -would mad dogs. - -“If the situation along the East Side was more horrible than that along -the West, it was only because more people dwelt there and there were -more houses to be destroyed. Along either beach gaunt destruction held -full sway, and each wave seemed more cruel than that which it succeeded. -Nor were the waves alone in their cruelty, for the winds reveled in -maddened fury and seemed to vie with them in spreading ruin and -desolation. - - - HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE CARRIED OUT TO SEA. - -“The loss of life at Galveston will never be known. The storm came first -from the northwest and hundreds, perhaps thousands, were carried far out -to sea never more to return. At 10 o’clock at night the wind suddenly -veered to the southeast and hundreds more were swept into the bay and -caught by the current and also carried out to the sea before daylight -Sunday morning. That is the opinion of old seamen with whom I conversed, -and if they do not know the actions of the ocean, then no one does. - -“Monday evening and Tuesday morning I myself saw more than a hundred -bodies floating out to sea and these were scarcely one per cent of those -who perished. Responsible men with whom I talked and who had been from -one end of the island to the other, estimated the loss at from 5,000 to -10,000; and all thought it would come nearer the last named figures than -the first. Day by day as the debris is cleared away bodies will be found -and many are buried beneath the ruins that will never be removed. - -[Illustration: - - IMPROVISED KITCHEN FOR FEEDING THE GALVESTON SUFFERERS] - -[Illustration: - - HON. WALTER C. JONES - - MAYOR OF GALVESTON] - -[Illustration: - - - PHOTOGRAPH BY MORRIS, GALVESTON - - INMATES OF THE HOME FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN, GALVESTON—ALL OF THESE - LITTLE ONES WERE LOST IN THE FLOOD] - -[Illustration: - - TREMONT STREET, LOOKING NORTH FROM AVENUE O ½] - -[Illustration: - - WRECK OF FORT CROCKET] - -[Illustration: - - RUINS OF THE GALVESTON CITY WATER WORKS AND POWER HOUSE - - The city water works and power house was badly damaged, but - fortunately no one was killed when it fell, although some two - hundred people had taken refuge in the building early in the - evening. This was on account of the thoughtfulness and - coolheadedness of Mr. W. H. Reynolds, chief engineer at the works. - Keeping an ever watchful eye upon the storm and the building, he - managed to fill the stand pipe and thus anchor it down, to draw his - fires and cool his boilers and get the people out into a nearby coal - shed in time to save them from the fearful death of being buried - under the building. After the building fell they stayed in the coal - shed until the storm had subsided enough to get out and look among - the ruins for their loved ones and friends who were less fortunate - in securing shelter from the terrible storm.] - -[Illustration: - - CLARA BARTON] - -[Illustration: - - LUCAS TERRACE - - WHERE TWENTY-SEVEN PERSONS WERE SAVED IN ONE LITTLE ROOM THAT REMAINED - STANDING] - -“Every portion of the island was submerged and it seems a miracle that -the entire city was not swept away. At least two-fifths of the houses on -the island have been razed to the ground. Of the remaining three-fifths, -at least half are damaged beyond repair, while the others are all -damaged to greater or less extent. No house escaped without some damage -and to have some idea of the cyclonic nature of the storm it will be -only necessary to state that steel shutters on large business buildings -were twisted around as one would twist a small piece of copper wire. - -“Large splinters were whirled about in the air like darts, and many -found lodgment in human bodies, no doubt producing instant death. Oh, -the horror and terror of that dismal night! The wind howling, the sea -roaring and lashing, houses falling and crashing, men, women and -children screaming; the shrieks of dying animals; imagine it, if you -can, and you may form a faint idea of the situation at Galveston last -Saturday night. - - - HUMAN VULTURES PILFERING AND LOOTING. - -“Tuesday morning I passed a partially wrecked home, in the door of which -stood a young face and snow-white hair. - -“‘Saturday morning,’ said the man who accompanied me, ‘that woman’s hair -was dark brown; Sunday morning it had turned to snow.’ I did not doubt -him, for he told me of the woman’s experience and how she had been saved -as if by a miracle. - -“But the woeful part of the terrible disaster has not yet been told. -Hundreds of human vultures, almost before the storm had abated, began -the work of pilfering and looting. Dead bodies were robbed and in some -instances fingers were cut off to secure the rings that were on them. -Most of these vultures were negroes, and they kept up their horrible -work all day Sunday and Sunday night. Monday morning martial law was -declared, and those placed on guard had strict orders to shoot all -pilferers and looters. Many met their just fate, and by Tuesday morning -the looting had almost ceased. - -“Sunday the negroes refused to help bury the dead for either love or -money. But when martial law was declared they were forced at the point -of the bayonet and made to do their share of the gruesome work. Up to -Monday noon many of the dead were identified, but after that -identification was impossible because of the swollen and decomposed -condition of the bodies. - -“Monday afternoon several hundred were loaded on barges and carried far -out into the Gulf, where they were thrown over to become the food of -sharks and fishes. Sunday and Monday morning many were buried down the -island in the shallow sand, but by Tuesday morning these, as well as -other bodies gathered along the beach, were piled on wood and burned. - -“There is still great danger to Galveston from sickness and pestilence. -The streets are filled with sediment from the Gulf and bay, and this is -beginning to smell almost as bad as the dead bodies. Because of the -immense heaps of wreckage it will be impossible to flood the streets for -weeks to come, even if there were plenty of water.” - - - BURYING THE VICTIMS IN TRENCHES. - -Four days after the disaster the following account was an accurate -picture of the condition of Galveston: This evening the committees in -charge of clearing up the city, caring for the destitute and arranging -for transportation feel much encouraged. Something like order has been -brought out of chaos. There is organized effort and the day’s work has -been big. It was impossible to handle the dead bodies of human beings or -the carcasses of animals to get them to sea, because of putrefaction. -Hundreds were buried in trenches and many were cremated. It was -necessary to handle fire with great caution, as there is no water supply -as yet. - -The city is not suffering much for drinking water, but water is needed -in the mains, that fire may be controlled. The water has been flowing -steadily from the Alta Loma supply pipe into the tank. Unfortunately -there was no connection from the rig tank to the mains, except through -the pumps, and it is impossible to get the water through by that route. -Alderman McMaster, who has been directing the work to-day, is getting -out the connection from the pumps to the mains and is making a -connection from rig tank to mains. - -Some of the large pipe needed was not available, but carpenters are -making a wooden section which will stand the slight pressures. It is -expected that water will be turned into the mains from the rig tank -before morning. This will give a supply in yard hydrants and fill plugs -from which the steamers can work. The men at work on the pumps and pipes -are well along with their work, but the boilermakers are not so far -along. Mr. McMaster thinks the pumps can be started by to-morrow, and -that they will give the usual pressure in the mains. - - - VISITORS DO NOBLE WORK. - -In addition to the arrangements made for handling people from here to -Texas City and thence via the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad -to Houston, the prospect is that the Southern Pacific will be ready for -passengers within the next few days. Mr. W. S. Keenan, general passenger -agent of the Santa Fe, said this evening that he expected that their -track would be completed to both ends of the bridges by to-morrow -evening. The company has chartered three boats and will take passengers -by train from Galveston to the bridge and there transfer by boat to the -mainland. - -A large number of people reached here to-day from Houston and other -points. Some of them came to lend helping hands, and are doing noble -work; others came to look for relatives. But there are many who come out -of sheer curiosity and who do nothing but eat provisions and drink the -water. They are taking up room in the boats returning to mainland which -women and children ought to have. People who are not coming to help, or -on other urgent missions, ought to remain away; sightseers are not -wanted, and those who have no higher purpose in coming will do Galveston -the greatest service within their power by staying away. - -The police and soldiers have orders not to permit the landing of -strangers, and the order is being carried out as far as possible. The -committee on transportation purposes to see that women and children get -a chance to leave here first, and able-bodied men will not be permitted -to leave during the first few days. If sightseers come anyway they will -find it difficult to get in and still more difficult to get out of the -city. - -Mayor Jones received a telegram to-day from President McKinley, -expressing his sorrow that Texas had been visited by such a dreadful -calamity, and advising that he had instructed the Secretary of War to -render all the assistance possible. - -The Mayor also received a telegram from the Kansas City Chamber of -Commerce, saying that body stood ready to help, and asking what it could -do. - -The steamer “George Hudson” arrived from Beaumont this afternoon with a -carload of ice, 5000 barrels of water, and provisions. Mr. John F. -Keith, who came with the tug, said he would take 100 passengers with him -in the morning, and he would bring the tug on another trip with lime and -provisions. Fortunately, Galveston has not been entirely without ice. -The Red Snapper Company had a large supply on hand, and it has been -letting people have it at wholesale prices. This supply will last a day -or two, and ice will then be gladly received. Three of the schooners of -the Red Snapper Company reached here from Campechy banks to-day, filled -with fish. - - - DEAD ANIMALS CARRIED ACROSS THE BAY. - -The fish were given away by the thousands to all who came for them. -Animals are being dumped into the bay, which go out with the tide and -coming ashore by the hundreds at Bolivar peninsula. Parties started to -bury them, but the few people on the peninsula found it impossible. They -came to the city to implore the authorities to send men there to bury -these animals and to quit throwing them into the bay. The dumping into -the bay had already been stopped, as there was little wind and the -carcasses were cremated. - -Between Fifteenth street and Avenue C, running on a line parallel with -the island, a great mass of wreckage is piled as high as a man’s head at -any point and from that to the height of three-story houses. This line -extends as far along as there were houses to wreck and consists of all -kinds of buildings. A half of the section mentioned was traversed by a -“News” man this morning. Names of fully 400 people were found who lived -in that section. The debris is so high above these bodies that it may be -days before all will be removed. - -There were a great many injured by the storm, and these are being cared -for at the hospitals, both of which are located at the east end of the -St. Mary’s University building at Fourteenth and Sealy avenue. This is a -building quite well suited to the purpose, but of course it is lacking -in conveniences. A large number of people with broken bones and badly -torn limbs are confined there, and nearly every one of them has lost -either whole families or some member. Drs. Starley and Ruhl are in -charge and have been working night and day tending to those rescued from -the wrecks of their homes. - - - SCHOOL BUILDING CARRIED A BLOCK AWAY. - -The tower of the Rosenberg school fell in and killed about eleven people -during the height of the storm. It was a place of refuge for all the -people driven from their homes by the high water and terrific winds. - -The parochial school situated on the corner of Eleventh and Sealy -avenue, was taken from its foundations and carried by wind and water a -full block to Twelfth street and Sealy avenue, landing on the north side -of the street, whereas it was located on the south side previously. This -stands amidst a great pile of driftwood, and having been carried to that -location undoubtedly formed a barrier for the collection of great piles -of drift that were brought in from gulf-ward. It shoved some smaller -buildings out of their former locations, but did not wreck many of them. - -The drift is something terrible. It includes every kind of house used by -men, and represents all the city south of the line described to the -beach in which it is reported that large numbers of dead bodies, which -floated to sea yesterday, have been washed during the day. The houses -are sometimes to be found quite intact, but turned bottom up like an -upturned dry goods box. Others are but so much kindling wood. - -The greatest wreck is possibly the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, at -Fourteenth and Broadway. The front wall is nearly all standing, with the -steeples on either side, and the curved wall that surrounds the chancel -seemed in pretty good shape, but the two side walls are gone beyond -repair. The east side is standing about half way up, and the west side -was thrown to the ground. Sand covers the campus in that neighborhood. - -The University building suffered a good deal from the blow, but it was -the haven of rest for all the people in that neighborhood, as it is now -the hospital for the injured and the place of succor for the women and -children. - - - GREAT WRECK OF ST. MARY’S INFIRMARY. - -The next greatest wreck is the St. Mary’s Infirmary on Market and Eighth -streets. Practically everything there is gone but the new part, which -was completed about two years ago. This is badly damaged, but is being -used. It does not cover more than a quarter of the floor space of the -entire building when intact. This is used to support injured and is the -place of refuge. Sealy Hospital, between Ninth and Tenth streets, -escaped serious injury, beyond damage to the roof. - -The colored school, on the corner of Broadway and Tenth streets, is a -mass of wreckage, piled up with the debris along the mountain chain -previously described. This was a large two-story frame building of eight -rooms, and stood high in the air. A little Episcopal mission, located on -the corner of Fifteenth and Avenue L, was carried northwest along -Fifteenth street and broke up a block away. The gentleman who was in -charge of the mission, Henry Hirsinger, was lost. - -This great line of wreckage forms the division point between a mass of -houses unroofed and partly damaged and a great prairie, which up to -Saturday was the location of the homes of thousands of Galveston’s -people. This was generally known as the colored section of the city, but -the colored people as a rule lived close to the beach. As a consequence -they got scared early in the day and moved into town. - -The result is that the death list is not as great proportionately among -the colored people as it is among the whites, although a great many of -them are missing. Prominent among the colored people missing are S. C. -Cuney, a nephew of Wright Cuney, formerly collector of customs at this -port. The rector of the colored Episcopal church, Rev. Thomas Cain, and -his wife are lost. - -The poles of the East Broadway street railway line are standing erect to -Fourteenth street, beyond which there is but one pole. The wires are all -down, as a matter of course, and the track is filled with wreckage. The -line of wreckage crosses Broadway, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth -streets, and in it at that point are several bodies which cannot be -reached on account of the high pile of lumber. - - - HOUSES PLACED BACK TO BACK. - -The great bulk of this debris is unbroken and sides and roofs of houses -still intact, and the vast amount of loose boards can be used for -rebuilding, so that there will be lessened cost in that direction. In -some places whole houses have been moved from their foundations and -carried around back of others, thus forming a barrier which caught the -floating debris and prevented the whole north side of town being swept -from Gulf to bay and carried into the bay. - -The roof of the elevator is gone and the wheat there is exposed, but if -fresh water can be obtained soon it is expected the wheat can be saved -by drying. The sheds on the wharves are practically all gone, but the -wharves are supposed to be in such shape that they can be repaired at a -nominal expense and can be resumed. - -The following letter was received at Fort Worth from C. H. Fewell, who -is night yardmaster of the Santa Fe Railway Company, at Galveston: - -“The only means of sending mail or anything is by water to Houston. All -bridges and wires are gone, and it will be weeks before they can -possibly get a train out of here. The city is a complete wreck. Very few -buildings are standing that have not in some way been wrecked by the -storm. The loss of life will never be known; it will run into thousands. -You can’t imagine what a terrible shape this place is in. We are -thankful to be alive, but cannot help but feel sad when we think of the -many friends we have lost, and the hundreds that are left without homes -and without a mouthful of anything to eat. Relief must come soon or many -will starve to death. - -“Our rooming house stood the storm well, with the exception of a corner -blown off and part of the roof. I got up about 4 o’clock Saturday. It -was then raining and blowing hard. I left the house and started for the -Tremont hotel and came near not making it. We stayed there all night. -For four hours I thought every minute that the building would certainly -go with the many that were going to pieces around it. We would have been -as well off had we stayed at home, but was afraid our house would not -stand the storm. - - - HORRIBLE BEYOND DESCRIPTION. - -“Wagons have been passing all day piled full of dead bodies. Many of -them will never be identified, and they are now taking them right to the -Gulf for burial. This seems terrible, but it must be done, as it is -impossible to bury them on the island. Hundreds of bodies are floating -in the bay and outskirts of what was once the city. I cannot describe -how horrible it is. I have been over most of the city since Sunday -morning and know exactly how everything is situated. From the beach for -at least four blocks in there is not a sign of anything left to show for -what was once fine residences. - -“Not one thing is left to show that there ever was anything at the -beach. Everything is piled up; all rubbish for about four blocks from -the beach beyond which it looks as clear as the prairie. The east and -west end of the town is entirely gone. At the east end not a thing -remains standing to Twelfth street. Dead bodies can be seen every place -except in the business part of the city, to-day, two days after the -storm. They are bringing them in by the wagon loads every hour. Nearly -every one you meet has lost some friend and is looking for them. I -visited three places where they have been taking the bodies to-day with -a friend looking for relatives, and I know there could not have been -less than 200 bodies in each place, lying cold in death. The general -offices are a complete wreck; the wharves, elevators and everything -connected with the railroads are more or less racked and many of them a -total loss. Not a splinter is left of our yard office. You might say -hundreds of cars are turned over and can be found nearly a block from -where they were left before the storm.” - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - Thrilling Narratives by Eye-witnesses—Path of the Storm’s Fury Through - Galveston—Massive Heaps of Rubbish—Huge Buildings Swept into the Gulf. - - -At Galveston on that fatal Saturday night there were deaths far more -horrible than any of which even a Sienkiewicz could conceive. Mothers -and babes, fathers and husbands, were hurled headlong into the world -beyond without a chance to make peace with their Maker, with a farewell -kiss or a last fond embrace. Upon every hand the dead were piled up like -driftwood cast up by the sea, even as they were at Waterloo and -Gettysburg and behind Kitchener in the Soudan. The bodies of men that -the day before were perfect specimens of physical development were -swollen and discolored by the fierce rays of the autumn sun, and were -food for flies and maggots which buzzed or crawled hither and thither -unceasingly. In the bay the sharks were overfed, and on the prairies the -buzzards could no longer be tempted. - -If those who live far from the awful scene of woe, believe that this is -over-drawn, let them ask the pale-faced nerve-racked refugees, from that -terrible place, and they will be told that it is impossible for either -pen or brush to give the picture as it is. The photographer, with all -his art, stands baffled. The artist, with all his talent, is -incompetent. The newspaper man, accustomed to the dark side of life, -shudders and turns from description to the work of reciting details, -horrible enough in themselves, but far more pleasant. - -There arrived in Dallas a score or more of men who told of decomposed -bodies, and maggots and flies and starvation and distress until their -hearers rushed away in horror. Some of these heart-breaking tales are -given herewith. - -Ed. A. Gebhard of The Dallas News came in from Texas City. He said: - -“Among the many stories of the Galveston disaster I have seen none that -fully describe the sight that presented itself around Texas City and -Virginia Point on Monday. They all seem to lose the impressiveness that -the narrator gave them when the centre of an excited group who were -eager to know if friends or relatives were among the dead. Every word is -heard or read ravenously all over the country, and when one has seen the -ghastly faces of friends and acquaintances strewn ruthlessly among the -grass and rubbish around Texas City and along that part of the bay shore -he will not wonder that the world stands aghast. - -“The corpses that had been thrown up by the cruel waters on the mainland -were for the time being neglected for the field that contained thousands -instead of hundreds. The remains of the old man of many winters, with -the determined looking face, who gazed with intentness into the now -cloudless skies, was kept silent company by a little miss whose smile -would melt the heart of the most cruel man alive. Further on were the -forms of women and children, most of which were entirely nude, the wind -having been that severe that even the shoes were torn from their feet. - - - THROWN TOGETHER IN UTTER CONFUSION. - -“I have seen tracks of many cyclones, but never have I seen the path of -one that held the misery, the suffering and the general destruction that -were occasioned by this hurricane, assisted by the sea. - -“Furniture, household articles, pianos (complete and in part) and the -carcasses of every kind of domestic animal were to be found in chaos. -Even from the mainland could be seen the dire effects of the storm on -the seaport of Texas—jagged walls, broken smokestacks, tin roofs -suspended from their proper places or lying curled up at my feet in the -bay, a distance of several miles from where they belonged. While it is -natural for a person drowning to cling to whatever comes in their reach -with that intensity that they cannot be disengaged, after death, without -much trouble, this very thing lent much grewsomeness to the scene. -Mothers with their children in their arms could not be separated from -them, even by death. - -“The piling of the destroyed railroad bridges had an occasional figure -clinging to them. On nearer approach the head was seen to be thrown back -as if to keep above water, and the features were distorted with horror -as if in their last moments they realized the fatality of the attempt. -The sea, not content with drowning the living and washing them away, -desecrated the tombs of Galveston and several caskets were seen floating -on the bosom of the quiet bay that morning and two or three were found -on shore as if resentful at having their rightful rest disturbed. - -“Many people from a distance moved only by a morbid curiosity, which I -consider little short of criminal, crowded to Houston in order that they -might go to the devastated city and view the misery and devastation, not -willing to alleviate suffering or help to bury the dead. As for me, I -trust I will never look on a sight as appalling, as heartrending, as -desolate, while life lasts.” - - - A ST. LOUIS MAN STORMBOUND. - -George MacLaine, of St. Louis, arrived at Dallas from Galveston, where -he spent the time from Friday until Tuesday. “I was intending to leave -on the 1.50 train Saturday afternoon,” he said, “but I could not get -away on account of the storm, the water having risen to such an extent -that it could not cross the bridge. - -“My experience was pretty much the same as a large number of others have -given. During the storm I was in a building located at the corner of -Twenty-fifth and Market streets, two or three blocks above the Santa Fe -depot. We were in the parlor of the hotel on the second floor, with -about eight feet of water in the lower story. The parlor was crowded -with guests and refugees, men and women, and from the windows I -witnessed a great many affecting and pathetic sights, particularly in -the way of appeals to the men in the hotel to assist in rescuing women -with children in the neighborhood who had become separated from their -husbands. - -“One case I particularly noticed—that of a woman and five young -children, whose house fell on top of them, but, fortunately, in such a -way as to protect them from the force of the waves and wind. Several -attempts were made by various parties to rescue this family, but the -rescue parties always returned with the statement that on account of the -debris and the swift current they were unable to get near enough to the -house to render any assistance. The first attempt was made about 6 -o’clock in the evening. - -“They were eventually given up for lost, when, to the surprise of -everyone, cries for help were heard from the ruins about 5 o’clock in -the morning. Appeals were again made to some of the white men in the -house to go to their relief, but, I am very sorry to say, they were in -vain until finally two colored men who worked in the kitchen and one of -the whites volunteered their services and succeeded in bringing the -party to the hotel. They had practically nothing on them when they came, -but they were taken in hand and the best done with them in the way of -giving them clothing and food that was possible. There were so many -cases of this kind that, as I say, it is simply a repetition of the -experience of others. - - - DRUNKEN REVELRY IN THE STREETS. - -“On Sunday morning, immediately after the storm and as soon as daylight -appeared, the scene on the streets was one I shall never forget. There -were drunken women, almost nude, with their male companions, also under -the influence of liquor, parading the streets and laughing and singing -as if returning from a prolonged spree. There were some of the best -citizens of Galveston hurrying to and fro, asking this one and that one -if they had heard anything of their sisters, wives or some other member -of their families. - -“There were others who had been present when their families had -perished, weeping and wailing over their losses, young children crying -for their parents who had perished, parents crying for the loss of their -children, and others walking aimlessly about or standing around as if -they were stunned. Everyone appeared so thoroughly unnerved that there -was a total lack of organized effort to search for the missing or to -collect food. - -“Almost immediately after the waters receded sufficiently to permit -people to wade or walk in safety men and women could be seen with their -long poles and baskets, whose principal aim and object seemed to be to -profit by the misfortunes of the poor people who had lost their lives or -their homes. On Sunday afternoon I took a walk out Tremont avenue to -inquire as to the safety of some of my friends who lived on that street, -and after making a few visits proceeded to the beach to witness the -destruction that had taken place in that neighborhood. - -“Of course it has been told by several how everything had been swept off -the face of the land in that direction, but I could not help noticing -the large number of colored people with their baskets and shawls -searching through the ruins of what had been the finest homes in -Galveston for bric-a-brac, silver and other articles of value. I stood -for some time, amazed that they could have the audacity to do what they -were doing, but as nobody seemed to interfere with them or question -their right, I passed on as every one else did, simply feeling astounded -that people could be so inhuman at such a time. I saw one colored woman -who had filled her basket and was returning to the city when she met one -of the unfortunate owners of the property, who, by the merest chance, -noticed sticking out of the woman’s basket some article that she was -able to identify as her property. - - - CURSED FOR INTERFERENCE. - -“She called upon the darkey to give up the article, but she declined to -do so, taking the position that in such times it was anybody’s property. -Fortunately for the rightful owner a gentleman friend happened to come -along during the controversy, and, hearing the nature of it, forcibly -took the basket from the woman, who was even then bold enough to stand -cursing the man for his interference. I did not see any parties -mutilating or robbing the dead, but I met several others in Galveston -who had. - -“I left on Tuesday morning, being fortunate enough to get passage on a -schooner that carried me to Texas City. From there I caught a train to -Houston. All day Monday in Galveston it seemed to be one continual -procession of bodies, which were being carried in wagons, drays, fire -ladders, and every other imaginable conveyance. Some of the bodies were -minus heads, arms or feet, which, added to the advanced stage of -decomposition, not only made the scene particularly horrible to witness, -but extremely nauseating on account of the smell from the bodies. -Particularly toward the close of Monday the bodies were found so rapidly -that any effort to carry them to any special point for burial had about -ceased and they were covered up in the sand, laid down on the wharf or -left where they were found. Even after I was fortunate enough to get a -schooner to carry me to Texas City it seemed that there were almost as -many floating in the bay and being carried off or lying around on the -mainland as I had seen in Galveston itself. - -“It was a horrible experience which I passed through, which I hope will -never occur again in my lifetime, and I feel that I cannot too strongly -call attention to the urgent needs, both in food and clothing, not only -of the poor classes, but of the best people in Galveston, who up to the -time of this terrible calamity had not known what want was, and who even -now seem ill at ease in knowing how to make their wants known.” - - - STORM OF INDESCRIBABLE FURY. - -Rudolph Daniels, Assistant General Passenger Agent of the Missouri, -Kansas and Texas Railway, was in Galveston during the storm, and -returned to Dallas on the 12th. Mr. Daniels said: “I can only give you -my experience and what I saw. The storm was indescribable in its fury, -and it was hard to realize the extent of the devastation and destruction -even when on the scene. It does not seem real or possible. - -“I was in a restaurant near the Tremont Hotel when the storm broke. It -began blowing a gale about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, but the wind did -not reach an alarming height until about 4 o’clock. Myself and friends -saw that it was going to be a storm of more than ordinary fury and -started for the Tremont. The street was three feet deep in water and we -got a carriage. We had to draw our feet up on the seats to keep out of -the water. - -“At 5 o’clock the wind was blowing a hurricane, and the water came over -the sidewalk in front of the Tremont. - -“The water in the street was full of telegraph poles, beer kegs, boxes -and debris of all sorts. The wind was carrying all sorts of missiles. On -a great many roofs in Galveston oyster shells were used instead of -gravel. The wind tore them off and hurled them through the air with -great force, injuring people and breaking windows. The air was full of -flying glass and every imaginable thing that could be blown away. Mixed -with the roaring of the hurricane was a bedlam of strange noises, the -crash of breaking glass, rumble of falling walls and rattle of tin roofs -making an infernal sound. - -“The people for blocks around endeavored to make their way to the -Tremont. Rescuers stood on the sidewalk to assist those who were trying -to cross the street, which was over waist-deep in water. The water was -lashed to foam by the wind and the air was thick with spume and spray. -When a person, man, woman or child, would get in reach, those on the -sidewalk would seize them and drag them into the hotel. - -“Soon there were about 1000 people in the hotel. Women with hardly -clothing enough to cover them, and that wet, were crowded along the -halls and stairways. They were moaning and babies were crying. Outside -in the storm all seemed a sort of haze. No definite shapes could be seen -across the street. - - - WINDOWS BROKEN AND ROOMS FLOODED. - -“The wind reached its strongest about 6 o’clock. Then the water was in -the rotunda of the hotel. Part of the skylight had blown off and the -rain was pouring in. Many of the windows were broken by flying pieces of -debris and the rooms were flooded. My room was among those flooded. Joe -Morrow had a room that was dry, and he and Harry Archer and myself -crowded into it. Morrow got four inches of candle somewhere, and we had -half a dozen dry matches. We burned the candle from time to time during -the night to cheer us up. All of us were scared and did not know what -minute everything would go. After midnight the storm began to go down, -and at 5 o’clock in the morning the water had gone out of the hotel and -part of Tremont street was above it. - -“We set out to find W. H. McClure, who had had an awful experience. He -came to the hotel and offered a hackman any price to go to his house -after his family, but could not induce him to go. Failing in that, he -started back home to his wife. That was 7 o’clock, and he did not manage -to reach home, one-half mile away, until 2.30 in the morning. We found -them all safe. We saw several bodies on Tremont street on the way there. - -“The organization of relief work began at once. It was soon seen that -there was no time for the identification of bodies, and the work of -taking them to sea for burial began. Along the Gulf front for three -blocks back there is not a house standing, and I could see only one or -two on the Denver resurvey. - -“There was a meeting of all the railroad men in Galveston at 9 o’clock -Tuesday morning, at which it was arranged that freight would be handled -through Houston and the Clinton tap to Clinton and by barge to -Galveston. The Galveston, Houston and Henderson to handle passengers to -Texas City and then to Galveston by the steamer Lawrence.” - -W. H. McGrath, general manager of the Dallas Electric Company, returned -from Galveston yesterday. He said: - - - HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE STREWN FOR MILES. - -“No words can express the scenes of death and desolation. Nothing can be -said that will convey the full meaning. I went over to Galveston in a -schooner and came away as soon as possible. What they need there is not -people, but ice, water and supplies. All along the shore of the bay for -twelve miles inland are strewn pianos, sofas, chairs, tables, paving -blocks and all sorts of broken lumber and debris from Galveston. - -“General Scurry detailed my party to bury the dead on a stretch of beach -about two-and-one-half miles long. In that space we found fourteen -bodies, all women and children but two. The hot sun beating down and the -action of the water had caused decomposition to set in at once. They -were horribly bloated, and the eyes and tongues protruding and the -bosoms of the women bursting open. - -“None of the corpses had any clothing upon them. One man had a leather -belt about his waist and the shreds of his trousers. The women were nude -except that corsets and shoes still remained on some of them. All the -lighter portions of the clothing had been beaten off by the water. There -was no time for identification. We simply pulled them up on the beach -and buried them where they lay. - -“It is frightful to think of. The bay is still full of floating bodies. -Forty-three were counted from the schooner I was on as we went down. -Gangs of men are at work all the time under martial law burying as fast -as they are cast up. - -“The city of Galveston is a wreck. Not a building in the town escaped -injury. The people there who went through the storm seemed dazed and in -a sort of stupor. All they know is that they want to get away from the -spot, and when they get on the mainland they go wild with joy. They are -utterly bewildered and demoralized. - - - ARRESTED FOR ROBBING THE DEAD. - -“General McKibben had just arrived when I was there and martial law -reigned. I was told that seventy ghouls had been arrested for robbing -bodies and that they would be court-martialed and shot. The tramp -steamer Kendal Castle is lying high and dry 200 feet from the water’s -edge. She is standing on an even keel, just as though she was at sea. -General Scurry wanted a boat to go across to Galveston and informed the -captain he was under martial law and his boats would be required. The -boats were sent and General Scurry went across the bay in the captain’s -gig. - -“The stench along the wharves in Galveston is something terrible, but -the people are making every effort to dispose of everything that is -putrifying. - -“The railroad and telegraphic companies are making tremendous efforts to -get into Galveston. The Postal Telegraph Company has two wires strung -down the Galveston, Houston and Henderson to the junction of the Texas -Terminal. Below that not a pole was left. The Western Union is making -rapid progress and will lay a cable across the bay.” - -George Hall, a traveling man who lives at 133 Thomas avenue, this city, -returned from Galveston yesterday morning, having passed through the -terrible scenes enacted there during and after the storm. To a News -representative he said last night: - -“I arrived at Galveston Friday afternoon, and my wife and little girl -were to come down Saturday. At noon Saturday I noticed that the storm, -which had been blowing all the morning, was getting worse. At that time -I went to the tower of the Tremont Hotel and saw the waves rolling in -toward the land. I took just one look over the city and came down. The -wind increased in violence from that on and the rain fell in sheets, and -I sent a telegram to my wife and advised her to stop in Houston. I think -that was the last telegram that was sent from the island, as a few -moments afterwards the girl told me the wires had snapped. The storm was -accompanied by no thunder or lightning. - - - CHILDREN CRYING AND WOMEN PRAYING. - -“About 4 o’clock the people who were able to get conveyances began to -come in from the residence districts. The hotel did not serve any -supper. From 6 to 10 o’clock was the worst of the storm, and during that -time there was about 1200 people in the house. We were just as nearly -like rats in a wire cage as anything could be. At 10 o’clock the water -was four feet deep in the office, and it was certain death to go out -doors. We were in pitch darkness all the time, although some one had -secured one candle and set it up in the dining-room. Children were -crying and women praying and throwing their arms around the men’s knees -and asking them to save them. It was certainly as horrible a night as -any one ever put on earth. I have been on the road thirty years, have -been in all parts of the world, have had many hairbreadth escapes, but -they did not amount to a snap of the fingers besides this. - -“We had one particularly hard gust that lasted about five minutes, and -on looking at my watch I saw that was a little after 10 o’clock. At 12 -o’clock it had died down considerably, and the water fell two feet in -about twenty minutes. - -“In the early morning we ventured out, although it rained most of the -forenoon. In the afternoon I took a walk down to the beach which is -ordinarily ten minutes’ walk, but it took me an hour and one-half on -this occasion. Once I slipped and twisted my ankle slightly. My foot -came down on something soft, and I found that it was the breast of an -old man with long whiskers. - -“As I returned to the hotel I counted thirty-five bodies, five in one -bunch. I saw a negro go out of a house with a load of bedclothes and -other stuff and a soldier stopped him. The man claimed that he had been -sent there by the owners of the property. I personally saw no looting. - -“I stayed there over Sunday night, and on Monday morning seven of us -bunched together and paid a man $100 to take us over the bay. On the way -over we counted more than ninety bodies passing close to us, and on -Sunday forenoon I believe there were about as many bodies in the bay as -there were fish. I am certain in my own mind that I saw over 1000 -bodies. - - - STRONG MAN FAINTS. - -“Early Sunday morning Jack Frost, of this city, walked into the Tremont -Hotel, nearly naked and broken and bruised from head to foot. He fainted -and was carried to a room and a doctor sent for. The doctors said that -the bones of his right hand were broken, one clavicle broken and his -left shoulder dislocated, besides being horribly bruised and mangled. -Several inquiries from the doctors elicited the information that it was -a close question of life and death when I left. He was caught at -Murdock’s pavilion when the storm came up, and could not get away. No -one knows just where he landed.” - -[Illustration: - - VIEW OF CENTRAL PARK, SHOWING DAMAGED HIGH SCHOOL IN THE CENTER, - TRINITY CHURCH IN THE REAR AND TREMONT HOTEL AT THE RIGHT] - -[Illustration: - - THE CITY HALL, GALVESTON—SHOWING DAMAGE DONE BY THE STORM] - -M. F. Smith, of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad was in -Galveston during the hurricane and got home to Dallas yesterday. He said -that nothing he could say would convey an adequate idea of the storm. “I -was in the Tremont Hotel Saturday when the hurricane began,” he -continued. “The water came up into the rotunda and the wind blew with -fearful force. Eight hundred or a thousand people took refuge in the -hotel. It was a scene of pathos to see the women and children with -hardly any clothing, not knowing where relatives or children were -scattered about the corridors in deepest distress. It was remarkable -that so few of them gave any outward sign or cry. Sunday morning the -water was gone out of the rotunda and it was ankle deep in mud. I went -out Tremont street to Avenue N ½, where I came to water. People were -coming in toward the higher ground sick, wounded and homeless. One -hundred men were sworn in by the Mayor Sunday morning as a guard and -relief work began at once. I came out Monday morning on the Charlotte M. -Allen. From her I saw a barge loaded with corpses going to sea for -burial and an other at the dock was being loaded. A passenger on the -Allen counted fifty floating bodies in the bay on the way up to Virginia -Point. We had to walk to Texas City Junction and I saw Galveston paving -blocks on the prairie north of Texas City.” - - - CAST UP BY THE HEAVY WAVES. - -Officers Williams and Curly Smith stated that the body of a woman that -had been buried at sea on the east end was washed ashore on the beach -near the foot of Tremont street. Attached to the body was a large rock -weighing about 200 pounds. The body was carried to a place back from the -water’s edge and placed in a grave. - -While working with a gang of men clearing the wreckage of a large number -of houses on Avenue O and Centre street to-day Mr. John Vincent found a -live prairie dog locked in a drawer of a bureau. It was impossible to -identify the house or the name of its former occupants, as several -houses were piled together in a mass of brick and timber. The bureau was -pulled out of the wreckage a few feet from the ground, where it had been -buried beneath about ten feet of debris. The little animal seemed not to -be worse for his experience of four days locked up in a drawer beneath a -mountain of wreckage. It was taken home and fed by Mr. Vincent, who will -hold the pet for its owner if the owner survived the storm. - -Some idea of the extent of the destructive path of the hurricane can be -got from a view of the beach front east of Tremont street. Standing on -the high ridge of debris that marks the line of devastation extending -from the extreme west end to Tremont street an unobstructed view of the -awful wreckage is presented. - -Drawing a line on the map of the city from the centre of Tremont street -and Avenue P straight to Broadway and Thirteenth street where stands the -partly demolished Sacred Heart Church, all the territory south and east -of this line is leveled to the ground. The ridge of wreckage of the -several hundred buildings that graced this section before the storm -marks this line as accurately as if staked out by a surveying -instrument. Every building within the large area was razed by the wind -or force of the raging waters, or both. - -This territory embraces sixty-seven blocks and was a thickly populated -district. Not a house withstood the storm and those that might have held -together if dependent upon their own construction and foundations were -buried beneath the stream of buildings and wreckage that swept like a -wild sea from the east to the west, demolishing hundreds of homes and -carrying the unfortunate inmates to their death either by drowning or -from blows of the flying timbers and wreckage that filled the air. - - - WIND A HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR. - -The strongest wind blew later in the evening, when it shifted to the -southeast and attained a velocity of from 110 to 120 miles an hour. The -exact velocity was not recorded, owing to the destruction of the wind -gauge of the United States Weather Bureau after it had registered a -100–miles-an-hour blow for two minutes. This terrific southeast wind -blew the sea of debris inland and piled it up in a hill ranging from ten -to twenty feet high and marking the line of the storm’s path along the -southeastern edge of the island. - -In one place near Tremont street and Avenue P four roofs and remnants of -four houses are jammed within a space of about twenty-five feet square. -Beneath this long ridge many hundred men, women and children were -buried, and cattle, horses and dogs and other animals were piled -together in one confused mass. While every house in the city or suburbs -suffered more or less from the hurricane and encroachment of the Gulf -waters, the above section suffered the most in being swept as clean as a -desert. Another area extending east to Thirteenth street and south of -Broadway to the Gulf suffered greatly, and few of the buildings -withstood the storm, none without being damaged to a more or less -extent. From Tremont street and Avenue P½ wind came northward for about -two blocks and then cut across westward to the extreme limits of the -city; in fact, swept clear on down the island for many miles. The path -of the levelled ground west from Avenue P cleared the several blocks, -extending south to the beach and west to Twenty-seventh street. It cut -diagonally southwest on a straight line within three blocks of the beach -and down west on the beach many miles beyond the city limits. This does -not mean that the path of the storm was confined to this stretch of -territory—not by any means. There were many blocks in the centre of the -city almost totally demolished by the fury of the wind and sea, but the -above long line of about four miles of the city proper and many miles of -country land were swept clean of buildings and all other obstructions. - - - NO VESTIGE LEFT OF BUILDINGS. - -A few of the piles that once supported the street-railway trestle -extending from Centre street to Tremont street on the beach are all that -remains to mark the curved line of right-of-way. Not a vestige of the -three large bath-houses of Keef’s Pagoda and Murdock is to be seen. - -The Midway, with its many old shacks and frame houses, concert halls and -other resorts, was swept to the sea, and the Gulf now plays twenty feet -north of where the Midway marked the beach line. The Olympia-by-the Sea -likewise fell an early prey to the storm, and the surf which formerly -kissed the elevated floor of the Olympia now sweeps across the electric -railway track about fifteen feet north of the big circular building. On -Tremont street and Avenue P½ two buildings stand, or rather two -structures mark where two frame buildings battled with the raging -elements. The two houses were occupied by Mr. Joseph Magilavaca and -family and Mr. C. Nicolini and family. Both houses were stripped of -every piece of furniture, wall-paper, window-frames and doors on the -first floor and second floor remained intact. The houses were blown from -their elevated foundations and dropped down on the ground and the sea -washed the interior of the first floors almost up to the ceilings. The -families took refuge in a house across the street, which gave way and -was leveled almost to the ground, but all the inmates escaped with their -lives. These two dwellings stand like charmed structures in the centre -of the hurricane’s track. - -The Rosenburg School-house suffered severely on the east side of the -building. The roof of this wing fell in and carried the second floor and -nearly all of the south wall with it. It was reported that a number of -people sought refuge in this building and that all of them escaped -without serious injury. - - - TO HASTEN ONE BRIDGE. - -The indications this morning are that there will be reasonably free -intercourse with the outside world within ten days at the most, although -those in charge of transportation lines are rapidly finding that the -storm did more damage than they had at first calculated upon. At another -conference the question of utilizing one of the railroad bridges across -the bay and repairing that for the use of all lines prior to the -repairing of the other bridges or the building of a steel bridge was -practically settled. Colonel L. J. Polk, general manager of the Gulf, -Colorado and Santa Fe, said that it was reasonably certain that this -would be done, all the roads concentrating all their efforts to the -completion of one bridge. In regard to his own line he said: - -“I do not know when the wrecking gangs will get to Virginia Point. The -statement I made to you yesterday that I expected we would have a train -to the point to-day was based on information from the other side, but it -appears that they did not know the amount of work there was before them. -Practically they have to build a new track from Lamarque to the Point. - -“We shall probably not reach the bay on the island side before Saturday, -as the same conditions prevail, and we did not realize the immense -damage the storm had done. - -“We have practically decided to unite in the repairing of one bridge for -the use of all lines for the present. Our chief engineer, Mr. Felt, and -Mr. Boschke, of the Southern Pacific, went to the mainland this morning -to establish communication with the parties at interest who are on that -side. J. M. Barr, third vice-president of the Santa Fe system, and James -Dun, chief engineer of the system, both of Chicago, are on the mainland. -They came down here to assist in any way they could in the -re-establishment of the business.” - - - DAMAGE TO THE WHARVES. - -The wharf company did not suffer badly so far as the actual wharves are -concerned, and it comes from General Manager Bailey that they will be -ready to handle the business within seven or eight days. Of course a -good deal of wharf flooring is torn up. The most serious damage was to -the sheds, some of which are complete wrecks. Business can be done -without sheds, and as long as the wharves themselves are in shape -business can be done. With the rail lines established and running again, -freight can move over the wharves. As a matter of fact coal was being -discharged at the coal elevator at pier 34 yesterday. The West End -wharves are all right, and some of these sheds are standing. Of course -there is an immense amount of repair work to be done, but this need not -interfere with the movement of freight. - -Secretary S. O. Young, of the Galveston Cotton Exchange and Board of -Trade, said this morning that it would be three or four weeks before -quotations could be actually received here, owing to the condition of -the exchange building and the lack of wires over which to do business. -The exchange building is pretty badly wrecked, the slate shingles having -been carried away on one side early in the afternoon, which let in great -floods of water and ruined the ceilings and walls. - -Dr. Young suffered several severe bruises as a result of the storm and -some of his employes are gone. His janitors are employed in the public -work of relieving the general situation. A good many cotton men who had -interests in the market left a day or so ago for Houston and New -Orleans, where they could look out for their interests. - -The Masons started early Monday to furnish relief to their brethren. -They established headquarters in the Masonic Temple, which was partly -wrecked, and have furnished food and the necessaries of life. All Masons -in distress are asked to go to them. They bought provisions to the -amount of $500 and have been distributing what they had. A meeting this -morning was held at the temple to organize a central relief committee -for more systematic work, now that the first distress has been relieved. - - - LOSSES REPORTED EVERYWHERE. - -The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Company notified Chairman Sealy of the -relief committee that there was $5000 there for its use. The Santa Fe -has suffered great loss itself and is a flood sufferer of great -proportions in dollars and cents. Thomas Taylor, a cotton man, on Monday -bought $500 worth of men’s clothing, which he immediately distributed to -the needy. The other men of means are coming forward with donations for -permanent relief. - -The Galveston Brewing Company suffered comparatively slight property -loss, although it will amount into the thousands. Their utility was not -impaired in the least, however, and they are making ice as fast as they -can, and selling it at the regular Galveston rate 30c. per 100 pounds. -During the storm the brewery building was the haven of between 300 and -500 people. The men employed at the establishment were instrumental in -saving between seventy-five and 100 people during the storm by going out -in it and swimming and wading as best they could, dragging the people -into safety in the brewery. - -Captain Owens stated this morning that in the jumble of confusion -mention of the practical destruction of the towns of Arcadia and Alta -Loma had been omitted. At Arcadia there are about 150 people living. -Arthur Boddeker lost his life during the storm and two or three were -hurt. At Alta Loma two children of Mr. Steele were killed. There are six -houses standing. All the groceries at both places were damaged by water -and these people are in great need of provisions, medicines and food for -stock. - -One old man was found this morning who stated that he had one hundred -kinfolks in Galveston and he is the only survivor. - -Galveston was a place where there were large families by intermarriage, -many of which had been established when the city was but a village, -fifty or more years ago. These had lived here and increased until a -family of 100 was not improbable in the least. The case of this old man -is probably an extreme one in the line of annihilation, but others have -lost almost as heavily. - - - STEAMERS TORN FROM THEIR MOORINGS. - -General Agent Denison was unable to give any definite information about -the movements of steamers out of Galveston. There are now three here. -The Alamo is aground on the north side of the channel, having been torn -from her moorings at the wharf during the storm and swept to her present -position. - -Mr. Denison expressed the opinion that it might be possible that -dredging would be necessary to relieve the steamer. The Comal arrived in -port Monday and berthed at pier 26, but was unable to discharge much -cargo. She moved down into the roads Wednesday afternoon, driven there -because of the stench at the wharves and the impossibility of doing any -business. The Sabine arrived this morning and also anchored in the roads -to await an opportunity to discharge. The wharf is in bad shape for the -handling of cargo, being wet and muddy and torn up in a good many -places. - -There was talk of urging Governor Sayers to call a special session of -the Legislature to take action to relieve the situation at Galveston. -This was done by Governor Culberson in 1897 in the case of El Paso, and -is said to be sanctioned by the State Constitution. Representative Dudly -G. Wooten, of Dallas, said: - -“In regard to the necessity for a specially called session of the -Legislature, it is difficult to speak intelligently unless we know all -the conditions. So far as the immediate physical wants of the -flood-stricken district are concerned, the liberal contributions of -private charity will readily meet the emergency, as has been -demonstrated by the generous manner in which the people every where, -both in Texas and outside, have responded to the appeals for help. Food, -money and all the necessaries to alleviate the present distresses of -Galveston and the adjacent coast are already in sight and being rapidly -utilized. - -“But I think the most serious problem is the one of sanitation. It must -be borne in mind that the results of this flood are such as to create a -condition that will inevitably produce a pestilence unless it is dealt -with promptly, intelligently and firmly. Not only Galveston Island, but -all the towns on the mainland and all the coast for many miles have been -subjected to an overflow that has left the country in a deplorable -unsanitary condition. This is the season of the year when yellow fever, -cholera and other epidemic diseases have usually originated and done -their worst ravages. If a plague were to add its horrors to the fearful -havoc of the winds and waves, then indeed would the coast be ruined, and -the spread of the disease would speedily involve the whole State and the -South generally, resulting in a paralysis of commerce and a state of -terror and helplessness, the cost of which cannot be even approximated -or imagined. - - - CALL FOR MILITARY GUARDS. - -“The strictest police and sanitary discipline and vigilance will be -required to prevent something of this kind, and that is where the -possible necessity of a legislative appropriation may become imperative. -There is practically no fund at the command of the State authorities for -those purposes. If the volunteer militia is to be used to police the -stricken districts, there is only a nominal sum at the disposal of the -Governor and Adjutant-General. That fund would not last a week. - -“Besides, it is likely that a horde of vandals and vagabonds will -congregate at the seat of the calamity to prey on the provisions and -supplies that a generous public has contributed to the relief of the -real sufferers. - -[Illustration: - - MEMBERS OF THE GALVESTON CENTRAL RELIEF COMMITTEE - - JUDGE NOAH ALLEN WILLIAM A. McVITIE RABBI HENRY COHEN - CHAIRMAN - - I. H. KEMPNER CLARENCE OUSLEY - - REV. J. M. K. KIRWIN B. ADOUE WILLIAM V. McCONN - OF ST. MARY’S CATHEDRAL] - -[Illustration: - - THE BALL HIGH SCHOOL, GALVESTON—AFTER THE FLOOD] - -“To establish and enforce proper sanitary regulations, remove the debris -and sources of infection and maintain an effective police protection -will require rigorous and intelligent organization under State control -and adequately supported by public funds. It is not to be expected that -the local authorities will be equal to these demands, for they are -completely demoralized by the terrible calamity that has so recently -swept over their country. They are exhausted, unnerved and broken in -body, mind and spirit by the strain through which they have passed, and -are in no condition to meet these after perils. This, in my judgment, is -the phase of the problem that is most serious and may require -legislative aid. - - - HOW TO MEET THE EMERGENCY. - -“The cost of a special session, if the necessity exists, is not to be -considered, for it is insignificant compared with the inestimable cost -of the failure of the State to do its duty in the premises. Besides, the -expense of a called session and of an adequate appropriation would be -distributed over the entire taxpaying population of the State and would -be inappreciable on each taxpayer. It is an emergency in which the -responsibility for a mistake makes it a very troublesome question for -the Governor. - -“If there is the danger that I speak of, and I think no doubt can be -entertained as to that, delay may be fatal to any action to be hereafter -taken, for if the plague should once take root and begin its work, no -amount of outlay and vigilance can ever compensate the loss caused by a -hesitating or dilatory policy. On the other hand, the contributions made -and to be made and the agencies already at the command of the -authorities may be adequate for the necessities. I do not personally -know just what the conditions and resources may be, but if anything is -to be done it must be done speedily, and the responsibility for errors -is not a light one. I do not doubt that the Governor is in touch with -the situation and will do his duty.” - -General H. B. Stoddard, deputy grand master of the grand encampment of -Knights Templars of the United States, one of the most exalted positions -in America, returned to Houston from a visit to Galveston and made his -headquarters there. He went down to size up the situation for the grand -order of which he is the head. He was there two days, all of which time -he used to get accurately at the facts. He moved about through the city -to see for himself, and also talked to the prominent business men in -order to reach a nearly accurate conclusion. He met prominent officials -of his own and other orders, together with distinguished physicians. - -“I agree with statements that it is a terrible disaster, but I think -some of the estimates have been made too high,” said he. “I want you to -bear in mind if my investigation would indicate it, I would put the loss -of life at any figure, no matter how great.” - - - MACHINERY A COMPLETE LOSS. - -Major R. B. Baer, receiver of the Galveston City Street Railway, who is -in this city now, says that to-day he telegraphed the Guarantee Trust -Company, the owners of the property, that it would take $200,000 to -$250,000 to repair the damage to the street railway. The powerhouse and -machinery are a complete loss and seven miles of track is gone, as well -as all of the trestle work. - -“After the storm and until I left Galveston yesterday I walked an -average of ten miles a day,” said Major Baer, “and I know there is -hardly a building in the city that is not damaged, while the stocks of -merchandise are damaged from 25 to 90 per cent. The Galveston, Houston -and Northern and the Santa Fe both expect their roads to be open to -Virginia Point by Saturday, and then some light draught steamboats will -be put on to ply between Virginia Point and Galveston. Both of these -roads will commence work on their bridges across the bay as soon as -material can be gotten on the ground. The Santa Fe has now a force of -400 men working toward Virginia Point and a large force on the island -repairing their track. The Southern Pacific is putting to work all the -men they can get.” - -One of the Texas journals made editorial comment as follows: “Duty is -still all that all can do. Many of the survivors of the storm are ill, -others bruised, wounded, broken, hungry and breadless, others hapless -orphans, too young to realize their sad condition. There has never been -in this country any other disaster to be compared with this. Where -others have had to battle against wind or water, here the man and the -woman and the child have found a dual foe—both wind and wave. -Considering all the conditions and forces and dangers and dreadful -results, it may be asserted without any word to modify the statement -that this is the most grievous calamity of modern times. - - - TOO AWFUL FOR WORDS. - -“It is a stunning blow to every Texan whose heart is in the right place. -It is a calamity so dread that no one can afford to stop to consider -himself or his own wounds. The duty which one owes to others comes -first. Many are too far away from the scene of desolation and death to -do anything; but they are not too far away to give something, and thus -to help along the heartrending work which is now going on in Galveston -and in other places along the coast. The work of uncovering bodies, of -burying the dead, of supplying the needs of those who require -assistance, is going on, and a beginning has been made in cleaning and -clearing the city to prevent a general spread of sickness, which is sure -to come unless this work is thoroughly done. This task will require a -week more, possibly many weeks more. - -“The removal of huge masses of bricks, stones, timber and decaying stock -in large houses which have gone down is necessarily a slow business, yet -this difficult task must be performed before even the work of burying -the dead can be completed. From the ruins of some houses of this kind -scores of bodies are yet to be taken. Unless ample help is procurable -this task is almost a hopeless undertaking. It is in order to repeat -that it is a duty which must be performed without delay. So far Texans -have responded nobly. The same may be said of people the country over. -The main purpose is to keep before all the fact that the service of -sympathy and mercy must be continued for a little while if the victims -of the storm are to be saved and succored. - -“As an exchange says, the elements seem to have been wreaking vengeance -on Texas this year. In April the Colorado and Brazos Valleys were swept -by floods, entailing great loss in life and property. Austin suffered -severely. This flood followed a more disastrous one of last year, which -laid waste some of the best farms in the State, destroyed crops too late -for replanting, drowned thousands of cattle, horses, mules and hogs, and -many people. With all these recent disasters Texas is in a more -prosperous condition than the State has ever been in before, taking the -whole country over. - -“While certain of the river valleys have been swept by flood, the rich -uplands, particularly those of north Texas, the orchard and garden lands -of east Texas and of the coast country and the small grain and pasture -lands of the west have brought forth abundant crops, and, speaking -generally, the people are in a good way. The high prices for wheat, -corn, cotton and other products of the field or ranch have told a -hopeful story, and a wise change from the old-time one-crop habit has -done much to help along. In spite of the disasters of this and of last -year, barring the victims of the floods alluded to, the people of this -State are in good condition and quite ready to do all in their power to -help along their less fortunate fellow citizens. - - - TEXAS HAS IMMENSE TERRITORY. - -“Texas is a vast State, and this fact might make it appear that more -storms or other direful visitations fell to the lot of this people than -residents of other parts of the country find it necessary to endure. The -fact is that many States have been visited by floods this season, and in -some places floods are feared year after year. So it is of other -destructive visitations. They must be expected now and then anywhere -from Maine to California, or, for that matter, at any place the world -around. There is only one thing to do about it. - -“People must prepare in advance for such troubles as far as possible and -must stand ready to take the consequences and make the best of them. So -it is now. So it will continue to be, here and elsewhere.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - Refugees Continue the Terrible Story—Rigid Military Patrol—The City in - Darkness at Night—Hungry and Ragged Throngs. - - -Persons who arrived in Dallas from Galveston not only confirmed all that -had been said before or written about the disaster there, but gave more -details of the horror. Each interview was more distressing than the one -preceding it, and it seemed that even an approximate idea of the truth -was yet to be given. Some accounts told of the deadly flood. Others told -of the work of vandals and their speedy death at the hands of Uncle -Sam’s fighters, and of hunger and sickness, woe and misery. - -Newt M. Smith, of Dallas, who was sent to Galveston by the local -insurance men to assist in the relief of the needy brethren in that -city, was one of those to return with important information. - -“When we arrived in Houston we were informed that no one would be -permitted on the train without a pass from Mayor Brashear, of Houston,” -he said. “We hunted the Mayor up and were told that 2000 passes had -already been issued and that the train would carry only 800 people. We -finally succeeded in getting on board without passes, some of the men -climbing through the windows. Nearly all the dwellings and business -houses of the small stations on the International and Great Northern -between Houston and Galveston are either blown down or seriously -damaged. - -“At certain places along the railroad every telegraph pole was down for -a distance of one-half or three-quarters of a mile, poles and wires -being across the track. Some twelve or fifteen miles this side of the -bay at one place I counted the carcasses of fourteen large cattle and -horses that had drowned. Just before reaching Texas City Junction it was -necessary for the passengers to abandon the train for the purpose of -repairing and rebuilding a bridge across trestle which had washed away. -Volunteers were called for to go into the mud and water, and more men -volunteered than could get around the bridge timbers to replace them. - -“It required three or four hours in which to repair the track at this -point, during which some 250 passengers left the train, taking with them -their valises, jugs of water and provisions, and walked a distance of -six miles through the mud and water to Texas City. About two and a half -miles west of Texas City, and about two miles from the bay, out on the -bald prairie, is a large dredge-boat. For fifteen miles back from the -bay can be seen millions of feet of debris of every description, -including tops of houses, sashes, doors, pianos and pieces of household -furniture of every kind. There were something over twenty-six bales of -cotton that I counted out on the prairie inside of that distance, all -compressed cotton which had evidently come from the wharf at Galveston. - - - BURYING THE DEAD. - -“After arriving at Texas City we had to wait two or three hours for a -boat, and during the time a number of the party walked down the beach -and discovered and buried the bodies of eight men, women and children. A -memorandum was taken describing as well as possible the people buried, -and a headboard put up with a number corresponding to the one in the -book. We left Texas City at 3.30 Tuesday evening, arriving at Galveston -at 9.30. - -“While on the way over we discovered the bodies of several people and -quite a number of horses and cows, and as we got off the boat, just -under the wharf was a pile of twenty or twenty-five drowned people. Just -after leaving the wharf we saw the remains of seven people which were -being prepared for cremation. The town is under martial law, and on my -way up to the city I was hailed by guards three different times, but -after explaining I was permitted to proceed. - -“I do not think the conditions at Galveston have been over-drawn by the -newspaper reports. In fact, it is more deplorable than any words or -picture could portray to the mind. Before we arrived several parties had -been shot for robbing the dead and looting houses. Some of our party -walked down the beach and found a couple of white men who were breaking -open and robbing the trunks which had floated ashore, taking the -garments from them and drying them on the grass. These trunks contained -all kinds of family wearing apparel. - -“We found that all the insurance men of Galveston and their immediate -families were safe excepting two married sisters of Mr. Harris, who were -drowned with their eight children. They were drowned in their own yards -and the bodies afterward recovered and buried there. The loss to the -insurance companies from a financial standpoint will be very heavy on -account of the cancellation of policies under which there is now no -liability, the houses having been destroyed. Again, a great many people -who are indebted to the insurance agents cannot pay for the reason that -they have lost everything. - - - CITY WILL RECOVER FROM THE BLOW. - -“If the Government and the railroads will repair and rebuild their -property in Galveston the city may recover from the blow, but unless -this is done there will be very slim chances for the city to attain the -position as a commercial point it has heretofore held. The losses of -life and accident insurance companies will be something enormous. - -“What the people of Galveston need most, in my opinion, is lime and -workingmen, especially carpenters and tinners. The citizens are fully -aware of the sympathy they are receiving and the liberal manner in which -the people of the country have come to their relief from a financial -standpoint, but the immediate need is a sufficient number of hands to -clean up the city and remove the debris. Among the important buildings -destroyed were the cotton mills, baggage factory and the electric light -and power houses, the large elevators and the Texas flouring mills, with -several million bushels of wheat.” - -W. E. Parry, of Dallas, was one of those who weathered the hurricane in -the union depot at Galveston. He said that he was particularly -fortunate, and did not even get wet. In telling the story of his -experience he said: “I left Houston Saturday morning and knew nothing of -the storm until we reached Virginia Point. The wind was blowing a gale -and the water in the bay was high and a considerable sea running. We got -over on Galveston Island at 10.30 and found the track washed out. A -switch engine and a coach was sent to us and everybody, including the -train crew, was transferred. The water was rising all this time and the -wind was increasing in violence. The water got over the track and put -out the fire in the engine, but the steam lasted long enough to get into -the depot. While going in the train crew had to go ahead and push -floating poles and ties and wreckage off the track. - -“We got to the depot at 2.10 in the afternoon. The wind was still -growing stronger and the air was full of sheets of water. The streets -were waist-deep and the water was running like a millrace. We could see -people wading around trying to collect their families and effects, and -the bus was still running between the depot and the Tremont. I knew the -depot was a new, strong building, and I decided to stay there. - - - GREAT GUSTS OF WIND. - -“Every gust of wind seemed fiercer and more wicked than any. It was -blowing in a straight line from the northeast in great, vicious gusts, -as if it would tear down everything. Soon the water came into the ground -floor of the depot, and we had to go to the second floor. The wind kept -increasing in velocity and began to blow the windows in, tearing out -frames and all and throwing them across the rooms. Men went to work and -put additional braces across the large panes of glass and wedged them -tight with newspapers. - -“I saw a boy driving an express wagon, trying to reach the depot. A gust -struck him, and over went the wagon, horse and all, the boy landing on -the sidewalk. He was a nervy youngster and came back, and I could see -the knife in his hand as he cut the horse loose in the water. He mounted -and rode back to town. - -“Night came on, and still the storm grew worse and worse. No man can -describe the pandemonium of sound. The wind would yell and shriek until -it resembled the cry of an enraged animal. All sorts of missiles were -flying through the air and clattering against the walls. Cornices, -section of tin and thousands of slates from the roofs were flying every -way. The instinct to escape was strong among all in that depot, and it -was suggested that we join hands and try to make our way up town. I told -those who wanted to go that they would be killed with flying slate, and -it was decided to stay. - -“It is hard for men to sit still and do nothing when in mortal fear of -their lives, and I saw men sit, clench their hands and set their teeth, -and sweat breaking out all over them. It was an awful strain on the -nerves. We reasoned that we were in as good a place as we could get, -though no one expected to live through it. - - - OLD GENTLEMAN WITH BAROMETER. - -“There was an old gentleman in the depot who seemed to be a scientist. -He had a barometer with him, and every few minutes he would examine it -by the solitary lantern that lit the room, and tell us it was still -falling and the worst was yet to come. It was a direful thing to say, -and some of the crowd did not like it, but the instrument seemed to be -reliable. About 9 o’clock the old man examined it and announced that it -stood at 27.90. I give the figures for the benefit of any one who wants -to know the reading at the height of the storm. He announced to the -crowd that we were gone and that nothing could exist in such a storm. - -“At that time the hurricane was awful. Once in a while I could hear a -muffled detonation, a sort of rumbling boom. I knew that it was a house -falling, and it did not add to my comfort. There was no lightning or -thunder, and at times the moon gave some light. The clouds did not -appear to be up any distance, but to drag the ground. - -“About 10 o’clock the old man looked at his instrument and gave a whoop -of joy: ‘The worst has passed,’ he shouted. ‘We are all safe. The storm -will soon be over.’ Few took in the full meaning of his words for the -wind was still a hurricane. Within almost as many minutes it had risen -ten points and we felt safe. - -“I went over the island the next day and words can not describe what I -saw. Everything was wrecked along the gulf front for three to four -blocks back, the ground was clear and the houses which had stood there -were piled in a windrow which in many places must have been fifty feet -high. - -“What is needed is able-bodied, honest men to clean up this wreck and -remove bodies and bury them. They want no idlers or surplus people to -feed and protect. Disinfectants to purify the streets from the slime and -silt left by the water are necessary. - -“I saw 600 bodies in an undertaker’s house. I saw them loaded on floats, -piled up like cotton, black and white alike, with arms and limbs -sticking out in every direction. I must have seen nearly a thousand -bodies along the wharves and coming across the bay. It was frightful.” - - - ON THE BOAT ALL NIGHT. - -T. L. Monagan, of Dallas, who went down with the Dallas relief -committee, returned and said: “We got there by wagon and boat about 10 -o’clock Tuesday night and remained on the boat during the night. We went -over to the hotel in the morning and found relief work well organized. -They need men to clean the debris out of the streets and to get the city -cleaned up. They are disposing of the dead as fast as possible, and the -safety of the living precludes any delay for identification. Many are -being buried at sea and some cremated. - -“We went over the city and along the gulf front saw the immense windrow -of wrecked houses. Not a street from Tenth to Twenty-Third was so we -could get through. The ground fronting the beach is clear of houses the -whole length of the city. The Denver Resurvey was washed away. In my -opinion the salt meadow to the southwest of Virginia Point on the -mainland must be covered with dead and wreckage. It is an awful thing -and it will be thirty days before they can get in shape down there at -the present rate.” - -F. McCrillis arrived from Galveston. He was in the storm and saw the -frightful destruction. He said: “The relief committees are doing noble -work on the island. The people of Galveston are rising to the occasion -and I never saw braver, stronger-hearted or more intelligent men. It is -wonderful the way they face the fearful disaster. They have made no -mistakes. - -“Some negroes were killed for looting, but since that time it has -stopped. The work of cleaning up is being pushed as rapidly as possible. -Every Galvestonian is confident that the city will rise from the -disaster and sustain its commercial and industrial position.” - - - HON. MORRIS SHEPPARD’S ACCOUNT. - -Hon. Morris Sheppard, son of Congressman John L. Sheppard, returned to -Texarkana from Galveston, sound and well, though a little broken up from -the shock. When seen he said concerning his experience in the Galveston -storm: - -“I had gone there to address the Woodmen Saturday night, but the weather -got so bad I concluded to leave. I went to the Union Depot about 5 -o’clock to catch a train that was to leave for Houston a little later. -When the storm broke we all ran up stairs. There were about 100 men and -three ladies, and all remained in one room for thirteen hours. While the -storm was at its height and the waters were wildest a number of men in -one corner of the room struck up the familiar hymn, ‘Jesus Lover of My -Soul,’ and sang with great effect, especially the lines ‘While the -nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high,’ etc. - -“We all expected death momentarily, yet nearly all seemed resigned; -several actually slept. The wind ripped up the iron roof of the depot -building as though it were paper. A wooden plank was driven through the -iron hull of the Whitehall, a large English merchantman, whose captain -said that in his experience of twenty-five years he had never before -known such a fearful hurricane. One lady clung to her pet pug dog -through it all, and landed him safely at Houston Monday morning. When -daylight finally came, an old, gray-bearded man was seen near the -building wading in water to his armpits. We hailed him and requested him -to get us a boat. He turned upon us and cursed us with a perfect flood -of oaths, then turning around walked deliberately out into the bay and -was swept away.” - - - APPEAL TO COLORED PEOPLE. - -Professor H. C. Bell, of Denton, Grand Master of the Colored Odd -Fellows, issued the following self-explanatory circular: - -“To the Lodges and Members of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in -Texas: Dear Brethren—The greatest calamity that has ever visited any -city in America visited Galveston on the 8th instant, leaving in its -wake thousands of dead and helpless people of our race, together with -the white race. It is our duty to help, as far as we are able, to -relieve the suffering condition of the citizens of Galveston. It goes -without saying that the white citizens of Texas have always contributed -freely to ameliorate and alleviate suffering humanity; it is, therefore, -our bounden duty, and, indeed, this is a most fitting opportunity for -us, as members of the greatest negro organization in the world, to show -to our white fellow-citizens of Texas the charitable spirit that has -always characterized Odd Fellows. Besides this, many members of our -fraternity are victims of the direful storm of the 8th instant at -Galveston. They appeal for our assistance. Therefore, I, H. C. Bell, do -issue this appeal to the lodges and members for relief for our brethren -in Galveston.” - -The well-known writer and correspondent, Joel Chandler Harris, writing -from Galveston, says: - -“As was naturally to be expected, the facts already brought to light -show that the devastation wrought at Galveston and other coast towns in -Texas by the unhappy conjunction of wind and sea outrun and overmatch -the wildest conjectures of those who were calm enough immediately after -the event to give out such estimates as tallied with what their own eyes -had seen. - -“The tremendous loss of life which has been verified by all accounts -gives this harrowing catastrophe a first place among events of the kind. -Indeed, among modern disasters it has an awful pre-eminence, and this -fact lends wings to a suggestion which I should like to emphasize. - -“It is this: If the horror of the calamity is to be measured by the loss -of life, the same measure should be applied to the pressing necessities -of those who have been stripped of everything save life. However much we -may deplore the loss of life, the dead are done for. They are beyond and -above the crying demands and necessities which press upon those who are -left alive. - -“In the nature of things, the condition of thousands of those who have -been spared is far more pitiable than that of the dead. Their resources -have been swept away by wind and tide, and they are desolate in the -midst of desolation. The catastrophe was so vast in extent and so -furious in its sweep that it will be many a long day before the -survivors are able to recover from its effects. - - - NEVER WEARY OF GIVING. - -“Outside aid is absolutely necessary in order to prevent suffering even -greater than that which accompanied the outburst of the elements. The -large-hearted public is never weary of giving in cases where the -necessity of giving is absolute. With the American public sympathy and -pity provoke unbounded generosity. - -“All geographical lines, all differences are completely broken down by -any emergency which stirs the tender heart of the people. But it -frequently happens that this native generosity is not as prompt to act -as necessity demands, especially in cases where the least delay adds to -the suffering of those who have been left helpless. No tongue can tell, -and no pen can describe the awful results of a storm such as that which -has visited the Texas coast. - -“The sea island of the South Atlantic coast had a similar visitation -several years ago, and the present writer was commissioned to visit the -scene and depict the results. He arrived upon the ground more than a -fortnight after the hurricane had passed through the islands, and though -Miss Clara Barton and her assistants of the Red Cross Society had been -able to get in touch with the sufferers more promptly than usual, there -were many still on the point of starvation. No doubt many perished -within sight and hearing of the succor which the public and the Red -Cross Society were so anxious to give. - -“Fortunately, the islands are but sparsely populated, as compared with -the region which has recently been devastated, and in consequence, there -was far less suffering than is to-day to be found in the track of the -hurricane which has just wiped out whole communities and caused such an -extraordinary loss of life. If the fact to be emphasized and insisted on -is that it was necessary for generosity to act promptly after the sea -island catastrophe, there is a far greater necessity for promptness in -the present emergency, owing to the larger number of people involved. - - - REFUSED TO BELIEVE THE TIDINGS. - -“The difficulty in the case of the sea island hurricane was that a large -number of conservative people—the very class which may be depended on to -respond most liberally to appeals in behalf of the unfortunate—refused -to believe the stories sent out by the press agents and newspaper -correspondents who made haste to visit the scene of disaster, placing -them in the category of newspaper sensations. - -“The fact remains, however, that the naked details of the sea island -hurricane never were put in possession of the public. Curious incidents -and queer results were dwelt upon and described, but a detailed account -of the effects of that storm has never been printed. Those who have -never visited the scene of one of these elemental disturbances can have -no idea of the extent of the havoc and ruin wrought by them. The results -must be seen and felt before they can be understood and appreciated. - -“They are of such a character as to elude and evade all efforts at -description. All the newspapers can do is to give a bald account of -incidents. - -“But to-day we are face to face with a few of the horrors of a calamity -that outdoes any similar visitation with which the nation is familiar. -The situation in the afflicted territory is piteous in the extreme. And -may the nation’s blessing rest on all who give succor to those stricken -by this awful hurricane curse of the sunny southland.” - -“It would be difficult to exaggerate the awful scene that meets the -visitors everywhere,” said Clara Barton, after arriving in Galveston. -“The situation could not be exaggerated. Probably the loss of life will -exceed any estimate that has been made. - -“In those parts of the city where destruction was the greatest there -must still be hundreds of bodies under the debris. At the end of the -island first struck by the storm, and which was swept clean of every -vestige of the splendid residences that covered it, the ruin is inclosed -by a towering wall of debris, under which many bodies are buried. The -removal of this has scarcely even begun. - - - PEOPLE DAZED INTO CALM. - -“The story that will be told when this mountain of ruins is removed may -multiply the horrors of the fearful situation. As usual in great -calamities the people are dazed and speak of their losses with an -unnatural calmness that would astonish those who do not understand it. - -“I do believe there is danger of an epidemic. But the nervous strain -upon the people, as they come to realize their condition may be nearly -as fatal. They talk of friends that are gone with tearless eyes, making -no allusion to the loss of property. - -“A professional gentleman who called upon me this afternoon, a gentleman -of splendid human sympathies and refinement, wore a soiled black flannel -shirt, without a coat, and in apologizing for his appearance said in the -most casual, light-hearted way: ‘Excuse my appearance: I have just come -in from burying the dead.’ - -“But these people will break down under this strain, and the Red Cross -is glad of the force of strong, competent workers which it has brought -to its relief. - -“Portions of the business part of the city escaped the greatest severity -of the storm and are left partially intact. Thus it is possible to -purchase here nearly all the supplies that may be wanting. Still, the -Galveston merchants should be given the benefit of home demands. - -“Mayor Jones has offered to the Red Cross as headquarters the best -building at his disposal. Relief is coming as rapidly as the crippled -transportation facilities will admit. No one need fear, after seeing the -brave and manly way in which these people are helping themselves, that -too much outside aid will be given.” - -Reported dead several times, their obituaries printed in Galveston and -Houston, Peter Boss, wife and son, formerly of Chicago, were found, -after having passed through a most thrilling experience. - - - TRIED TO ESCAPE WITH HER MONEY. - -Mrs. Boss’ story of her experience in the disaster was a thrilling one. -With her husband and son she was seated at supper in her home on Twelfth -street when the storm broke. She seized a handkerchief containing $2000 -from a bureau, and, placing it in her bosom, went with her husband and -the son to the second story. - -There they remained until the water reached them and they leaped into -the darkness and the storm. They lit on a wooden cistern upon which they -rode the entire night, clinging with one hand to the top of the cistern. -Several times Mrs. Boss lost her hold and fell back into the water, only -to be drawn up again by her son. Timbers crashed against their queer -boat, people on all sides of them were crushed to death or drawn into -the whirling waters, but with grim perseverance the Boss family held on -and rode the night out. - -Mrs. Boss was pushed off the cistern several times by her excited -husband, but young Boss’ presence of mind always saved her. With her -feet crushed and bleeding, her clothing torn from her body and nearly -exhausted, the woman was finally taken from her perilous position -several hours after the hurricane started. - -Her companions were without clothing and were delirious. They were the -only persons saved from the entire block in which they lived. They were -taken to emergency hospitals, where they all tossed in delirium until -Sunday. Mrs. Boss lost her money, and the family, wealthy a week before, -was penniless. They had to appeal to the city authorities for aid, and -got but little. - -A Chicago journal established a Relief Bureau at Galveston, and sent -thither a special commissioner who, under date of September 15, gave the -following account: - -“I spent part of last night with the Chicago American Relief Bureau. I -had no business there. The nurses and doctors had done all there was to -do. They have worked like great big-spirited Trojans. The babies were -all abed and asleep. The women were fed and the homeless and destitute -men who had wandered in for shelter had been tucked away in the gallery -and made as comfortable as possible. - - - A HEROIC LAD. - -“The gas was out in the great theatre, and a few candles shed a -flickering light. A lad told this story: He lost every one on earth he -loved and who loved him in the flood. He swam two miles and over with -his little brother on his back, and then saw his brother killed by a -piece of falling timber after they had reached dry land and what he -supposed was safety. - -“He is sixteen years old, this boy of mine; tall and strong in every -way, and when he had dug a shallow grave in the sand for his little -brother he went up and down the prairies and buried those he found. -Alone in the declining sun, without food or water, impelled by some -vague instinct to do something for some one, this boy did this, and -yesterday they found him fainting in a field and brought him to us. We -put him to bed, made him take a bowl of soup and gave him a bath. - -“He seemed perfectly amazed at the idea that any one should want to do -anything for him. We only got his story out of him by persistent and -earnest questioning. He said there was none to tell. Last night he was -talking in his sleep. - -“‘That’s all right, Charley,’ he said over and over again. ‘Brother -won’t let you get hurt. Don’t you be scared, Charley, and I will save -you!’ and he threw his arms out and about as if he was swimming. - -“Hour after hour he swam and hour after hour he comforted his little -brother, and when I laid my hand on his forehead and he woke and -remembered where he was, he smiled up into my face as a tired child -would smile into the face of one he loved, and went to sleep and began -to swim through the black and troubled waters with Charley on his strong -young shoulders again. - -“He is utterly alone in the world now. The doctors are a little afraid -of brain fever for him, but I believe we can stave it off, and if we can -we are going to keep him in the relief corps and give him work and -something to do and live for as long as we are here. His name is on the -list of patients published with this article. If anyone who sees it -remembers and wants to befriend this boy telegraph to the American -Relief Bureau at Houston and we will attend to it. - - - HUNGRY AND HALF CLAD. - -“There was a new party of them which came in last night late from -Galveston. About fifty came in after 10 o’clock, hungry, half clad and -worn to the very edge of human endurance. They stood timidly at the door -and one of them begged for shelter as if she thought she would be -refused. Most of our cots with mattresses in them were taken, but that -did not make any difference. Dr. Bloch, of Chicago, and Dr. O’Brien, of -New York, got their heads together and in less than half an hour every -one of those fifty people had some sort of a bed to sleep on and in -three-quarters of an hour they were all fed. - -“We engaged two cooks, a man and a woman, yesterday, but neither of them -came. That did not make the slightest particle of difference. Whoever -was hungry was fed at the relief station, and whoever was naked was -clothed and whoever was sick was attended. Nobody knew or cared how long -they had been working or whether they themselves had time to get a -morsel of food. Everybody did everything. I saw Dr. O’Brien down on his -knees taking off a pair of soaked shoes for a woman who was so tired she -could not lift her hand to her head. - -“The fear of pestilence has become so widespread that the authorities -are taking measures to prevent a wholesale exodus of able-bodied men, -whose services are urgently needed at the present time. The dread of -plague has seized upon the negro population so strongly that in some -instances they refuse to work in cleaning up the city. - -“The tidal wave caused a heavier loss of life along the coast west of -Galveston than was at first supposed. Scores of corpses are being found -lying along the beach. Some of the bodies may be those who were buried -at sea from Galveston and floated into shore again, but the position of -many shows that they were natives of the little coast towns suburban to -Galveston. When more order is made at Galveston attention will be turned -to those places and the bodies of the dead there will be buried or -burned. - -“The work of disposing of the bodies is being expedited as rapidly as -possible, but the crying need is disinfectants. Hundreds of barrels of -lime are being asked for in order to prevent contagion. Health officers -say that the worst is to be feared from the small pools of stagnant -water which fill cellars of the wrecked houses and the clogged drainage -system. - - - CLOTHING AND PROVISIONS. - -“The Chicago corps of surgeons and nurses, under Dr. L. D. Johnson, -buried thirty-two bodies between the hours of 1 A. M. and 8 A. M. to-day -in Alvin, Hitchcock and Seabrook, and gave provisions, clothing and -medicine to 300. Its members also attended to twenty-six persons -suffering from broken bones, cuts and other wounds requiring surgical -work, and nursed more than fifty. - -“This is considered the greatest piece of relief work done since the -storm. The bodies buried had been lying in the fields a week, and were -decomposed and spreading disease germs. An extra car of provisions is -being shipped to that district. - -“Insanity is developing among the sufferers at a terrible rate. It is -estimated by the medical authorities that there are 500 deranged men and -women who should be in asylums, and the number is increasing. These poor -creatures form the most pitiable side of Galveston’s horror. They stand -in groups and cry hysterically. They are harmless, for their troubles -have left them without strength to do harm. - -“Mentally unbalanced by the suddenness and horror of their losses, men -and women meet on the streets and compare their losses and then laugh -the laugh of insanity as a newcomer joins the group and tells possibly -of a loss greater than that of the others. Their laughter is something -to chill the blood in the veins of the strongest men. They are maddened -with sorrow, and do not realize their losses as they will when reason -returns, if it ever returns. - -“Some of them are absolute raving maniacs. One man, Charles Thompson, a -gardener, as soon as he was out of personal danger that awful night, -commenced rescuing women and children, and saved seventy people. He then -lost his mind. Two policemen were detailed to capture him, but he heard -them approaching and leaped from the third-story window of an adjoining -building and escaped. - - - THE YOUNGEST NURSE. - -“The Chicago Relief Corps has the youngest, and, considering her years, -most efficient nurse among the hundreds engaged in relief work. She is -Rosalea Glenn, eleven years old, a refugee from Morgan Point. Together -with her mother, Mrs. Minnie F. Glenn, and two smaller children, she was -received at the hospital last night. - -“To-day Rosalea asked to be assigned to part of one of the wards. She -astonished trained nurses by her cleverness, and her services proved as -valuable as those of any one on the force. She is now the hospital pet. -Her father is Albert W. Glenn, a boatman. The home of the Glenns was -washed away, but the family were saved by a flight of seven miles into -the country. - -“Some of the advertisements in the Galveston News are very striking. -Garbadee, Iban & Co. make this announcement: ‘Our help has generously -volunteered to work to-day to assist the necessities of the flood -sufferers. Our store will open from 9 A. M. until 5 P. M. Orders from -the Relief Committee will be filled.’” - - - - - CHAPTER XIV -Dead Babes Floating in the Waters—Sharp Crack of Soldiers’ Rifles—Tears - Mingle With the Flood—Doctors and Nurses for the Sick and Dying. - - -One of the most harrowing experiences during the scene of destruction -and death at Galveston was that of a young lady belonging to Elgin, -Illinois. Stamped upon her mind until she shuddered and cried aloud, -that she might forget all its horrors and terrible memories, Miss Pixley -stood in the Dearborn Street Station and told of the Galveston flood. -Surrounded by her relatives and friends who had given her up as dead, -Miss Pixley, who was the first arrival from the storm swept district, -told her story between outbursts of bitter tears. - -“Oh, those eyes,” she cried, “that I might put them from my mind. I can -see those little children, mere babies, go floating by my place of -refuge, dead, dead! God alone knows the suffering I went through. -Thousands, yes, thousands, of poor souls were carried over the brink of -death in the twinkling of an eye, and I saw it all.” - - - MISS PIXLEY’S GRAPHIC STORY. - -This is her story, as she told it: “I had been in Galveston for about -six weeks, visiting Miss Lulu George, who lives on Thirty-fifth street. -It was not until after the noon hour of Saturday that we were -frightened. Buildings had gone down as mere egg shells before that -death-dealing wind. - -“About 1.30 o’clock I told Miss George that we must make our way to -another building about half a block away. The water had risen over five -feet in two hours, and as I hurried to the front door the wind tore down -my hair and I was blinded for a time. - -“I turned my eyes to the west and for three long miles there was not a -building standing, everything had been swept away. How we ever reached -the two story building a hundred yards away I do not know. We waded -through the water and every few minutes we were carried off our feet and -dashed against the floating debris. - - - ALMOST DROWNED IN CELLAR. - -“The building we were trying to reach was a store and the foundation -kept out the water. We hurried to the cellar and stayed there for -several hours. At last the wind-swept waves found an opening and broke -through the foundation and we had a mad run to escape the rushing, -swirling waters. - -“We reached the first floor and I shrank into a corner, expecting every -second to be carried out to my death. How it happened I can never tell, -but this and one other building were the only ones left for blocks -around. As it was, several people were killed in the building we -occupied and the other house that was left standing. - -“After a time I felt faint from hunger and, while too weak from fright -to seek food, I told Miss George that I would go into another room. I -staggered along the floor until I reached a window, and fell, half -fainting, through it. As I leaned there I witnessed sights that I pray -God will never make another see. - - - BLOOD-CHILLING SCENES. - -“Whirling by me, bodies, more than I could dare count, were crushed and -mangled between a jumble of timbers and debris. Men, women and children -went by, sinking, floating, dashing on I know not where. I wanted to -close my eyes, but I could not. I cried aloud and made an attempt to go -to my friends, but I was exhausted, and all I could do was to watch the -terrible scenes. - -“Babies, oh, such pretty little ones, too, were carried on and on, -gowned in dainty clothing, their eyes open, staring in mute terror -above. Thank Providence they were dead. I was partly blinded by tears, -but I could still see through the mist. Little arms seemed to stretch -toward me asking assistance and there I lay, half prostrated, too weak -to lend assistance. - -“How it all ended I know not. I must have fainted for I awakened with -‘We are saved, Alice,’ ringing in my ears. - - - FLEES FROM HORRIBLE SIGHTS. - -“When I found we could get out of the city I declared I would go at all -cost. I thought of home and my parents and I wanted to telegraph, just -like thousands of others, that I was safe. - -“It was days before we could get away, however, and then it was in a -most terrible confusion. Eighty-eight persons crowded on a small boat -and started for Houston. - -“The day we left the militia was out in all its force. I could hear the -sharp reports of a rifle and the wail of some soul as he paid the -penalty for his thieving operations. - -“Later I saw the soldiers with their glistening rifles leveled at scores -of men and saw them topple forward dead. Oh, they had to shoot those -terrible beasts, for they were robbing the dead. They groveled in blood, -it seemed. - -“I saw with my own eyes the fingers of women cut off by regular demons -in the search for jewels. The soldiers came and killed them and it was -well. - - - HUMAN BODIES IN FIRE HEAP. - -“As we made our way toward the boat that was to take us from the City of -Death I saw great clouds of smoke rising in the air. Upon the top of -flaming boards thousands of bodies were being reduced to ashes. - -“It was best, for the odor that arose from the dead bodies was awful. -Still it made one’s heart ache with a sorrow never to be equaled as one -witnessed little children tossed into the midst of the hissing flames. -Do you wonder I cry? - -“Before me, no matter which way I turned, I could see dead bodies, their -cold eyes gazing at me with staring intentness. I closed my eyes and -stumbled forward, hoping I might escape for a moment the sight of dead -bodies, but no; the moment I would open them again, right at my feet I -would find the form of some poor creature. - -“Coming to Chicago on the train I read the papers. They are mistaken, -away wrong: They only say 5,000 dead. It will be more than 10,000. I -know I am right; every one in Galveston talks of 12,000, 15,000 and -18,000 dead, but it will be 10,000 at the very least. - -“I believe the worst sight I witnessed was the 2,800 bodies being -carried out to sea and buried in the gulf. Huge barges were tied to the -wharfs and loaded with the unknown dead. As fast as one barge was filled -it made its way out from the shore, and weighting the bodies, men cast -them into the water.” - -I. Thompson, a young man who was very active in saving life during the -night of the storm, became insane because of the awful scenes he -witnessed. Thompson’s friends first noticed his condition when he told -that one of the persons he rescued had deposited $10,000 in one of the -banks to his credit, and that he was going to live in luxury the rest of -his life. - - - TRAGIC INCIDENTS. - -Thompson retired to his room, on the third floor of the Washington -Hotel, seemingly sane. Soon afterwards he began to moan, and soon became -violent, rushing from one side of his room to the other and declaring -his determination to commit suicide. Employes of the hotel did all they -could to pacify the man, and during the night he became more rational -and lay down. The person engaged to watch him was compelled to leave the -room for a short time early in the morning, and when he returned he -found that Thompson had wrenched the shutters off his window and leaped -out upon an awning and thence to the street. - -Thompson was seen to run toward the bay, and in all probability he threw -himself overboard and was drowned, as he was not seen or heard of -afterward. - -Another case is that of a young woman who was caught in the rain, and, -with two other women and about fifty men and boys, found refuge in an -office. It was with the utmost difficulty she could restrain herself -during the fearful storm, and she frequently became hysterical and cried -out for her mother, sisters and her brother and his family. As the storm -gradually subsided the young woman became more calm, and when morning -broke she started for her home quite reassured. She found a wild waste -of waters sweeping over the site of her home. Her dear ones were -missing. - -Among the first victims carried into the temporary morgue were the young -woman’s mother, brother and two children. These were quickly followed by -her brother’s wife and her two sisters. The shock overthrew the girl’s -reason, and she became a nervous wreck, without a relative in the world. - -Hundreds of such tragic incidents as these marked the week, and the -number of men and women who lost their reason was very large. - - - HARROWING TALES TOLD BY SURVIVORS. - -Many strange incidents of the hurricane were gathered from the tales of -the survivors. They told of pitiable deaths, of fearful destructions of -property and of strange incidents of the great force of the storm. The -following are just a few of the many that were told by refugees in this -city: - -One of the most remarkable escapes recorded during the flood was that of -a United States battery-man on duty at the forts, who had been picked up -on Morgan’s Point, wounded but alive. He had buffeted the waves for five -days and lived through a terrible experience. Morgan’s Point is thirty -miles from Galveston. - -Another man who passed though a similar experience was found floating on -the roof of a house on the open sea, over one hundred miles distant from -Galveston. He was half famished, but quickly recovered upon being taken -aboard. - -Dr. H. C. Buckner, of the Buckner Orphan’s Home at Dallas, brought with -him from Galveston thirty-six little children who were made homeless, -fatherless and motherless by the storm. Many of the children were -suffering from cuts and bruises, and all were destitute of clothing -except the tattered and torn garments which they had on their backs. -They were taken to the Children’s Hospital in Haskell avenue, in Dallas, -to have their wounds treated and to recuperate before being sent to the -home proper, six miles east of the city. The children are from all walks -of life, and were taken in charge by Dr. Buckner while in Galveston as -the ones most in need of immediate attention. - -Reports show that three-fourths of the Velasco people lost their homes -and four persons were drowned. Eight bodies were washed ashore at -Surfside, supposed to be from Galveston. At Quintana 75 per cent. of the -buildings are destroyed. No lives were lost there, though a number were -injured. Velasco has hardly a house that will bear inspection. People -are suffering for the necessities of life and many who are sick need -medicines. - -At Seabrooke, Texas, thirty-three out of thirty-four houses floated away -and twenty-one people were drowned. At Hitchcock a large pile-driver of -the Southern Pacific works at Galveston, and also a large barge partly -laden with coal, are lying in the pear orchards several miles from the -coast. Box cars, railway iron, drawbridges, houses, schooners and all -conceivable things are lying over the prairie, some fifteen miles from -their former location. - - - A TRAGIC WEDDING CEREMONY. - -At the Tremont Hotel in Galveston a wedding occurred Thursday night, -which was not attended with music and flowers and a gathering of -merrymaking friends and relatives. Mrs. Brice Roberts had expected some -day to marry Earnest Mayo. The storm which desolated so many homes -deprived her of almost everything on earth—father, mother, sister and -brother. She was left destitute. Her sweetheart, too, was a sufferer. He -lost much of his possessions in Dickinson, but he stepped bravely -forward and took his sweetheart to his home. - -A pathetic story of the Galveston flood is that of Mrs. Mary Quayle, of -Liverpool, England, who is now on her journey home. She had only been -two days in the city with her husband when the storm came. She goes -home, her husband dead, and herself a nervous wreck. Mr. and Mrs. Quayle -had taken apartments in Lucas terrace, Galveston. During the storm Mr. -Quayle went to a window, when a sudden burst of wind tore out the panes -and sucked him, as it were, out of the house. Mrs. Quayle, in the rear -of the room, was thrown against a wall and stunned. No trace of her -husband’s body has been found. - -It will be a long time before many of the survivors of the Galveston -catastrophe can appreciate the nature of the calamity which has befallen -them. One woman laughingly told another that she had saved her baby, but -that her two boys and her husband had been drowned. She was evidently -insane. - -An eye-witness, writing on September 16th, said: “Galveston is striving -manfully to rise from its ashes. A reign of terror has been averted, -Hope crowns the day. More than a thousand men are clearing the streets -of debris. They are working night and day. Their efforts so far have -been expended in picking up carcasses and gathering bodies into piles -and burning them. Separate pyres are built for human bodies and animals, -and the work progresses rapidly. The task is heart-rendering, and many -able bodied men have succumbed to the ordeal. - - - GIGANTIC DISINFECTION. - -“Hundreds of women and children who are trying to get away from the city -to the mainland find the task difficult. The slowness of the distracted -ones is not due to tardiness or hesitation on their part. On the -contrary, it is a scramble to get away, and the shattered wharves are -lined with persons awaiting their turn. Transportation facilities are -very meagre. There are few boats to be had. The Lawrence, a 200–ton -propeller, is the only steamer carrying persons across to Texas City. - -“One of the most hopeful features of the situation is the arrival of -hundreds of barrels of disinfectants, such as carbolic acid and chloride -of lime. Two thousand barrels of these could be advantageously used. The -Board of Health shows signs of vigor and of an appreciation of the -danger that confronts the city and contiguous territory. Every effort is -being made to deodorize the ruins and to quickly dispose of the dead as -soon as they are reached. - -“The work of cleaning and disinfecting the streets is carried on with -vigor, and the results are quite noticeable, especially in the central -part of the city. Gutters in Tremont street were opened and the slush -and debris from them carted to the city dump. This allowed the water to -drain off. Centre street and the Strand were also worked on with -excellent results, the gutters being opened and disinfectants generally -distributed. Several other streets in the central part of the city were -put in a sanitary condition. - -“The depot for sanitary supplies established by the Board of Health -issued yesterday fifty-four sacks and eighty-four barrels of lime, -twenty-five sacks of charcoal, twenty boxes of powdered disinfectants, -ten cans of oil and three barrels of carbolic acid. All of this was -distributed over the city for disinfection. - -“Out in the suburbs large forces were at work cleaning the streets and -opening the gutters. The result of their work is very noticeable to one -who went out in the evening after having gone over the same ground the -day before. The work of clearing the streets of broken telephone and -telegraph poles and wires, as well as poles and wires of other kinds, -has been begun in earnest. The great broken poles with their loads of -wires are lowered to the ground and the wires removed as rapidly as -possible. - - - THE SHERIFF’S WORK. - -“Sheriff Thomas reports that he and his posses buried and cremated -thirty-eight bodies in Hurd’s lane, twenty-one bodies at Sydnor’s Bayou, -and thirteen bodies in Eagle Grove. Sheriff Thomas says there are still -one hundred bodies to be buried just outside the city limits, and he has -no idea of how many more down the island. - -“Fully $1,500,000 worth of vessel property is tied up on the lowlands. -There was more than this until the British steamer Mora was floated on -Wednesday. There are seven ocean going steamers grounded in different -parts of the bay, and the prospect of some of them ever getting from -their positions is quite remote. - -“The steamer Roma is probably in the tightest place. She broke from her -moorings at pier No. 15 during the storm and went westward to the county -bridge, tearing her way through the other bridges until she went aground -on or near Deer Island. It is feared her days of usefulness are over, -for it would take as much as she is worth to dredge a channel from her -position to water deep enough to float her. - -“Another possible total loss is the steamer Kendal Castle, which is in -shallow water near Texas City, having gone there during the storm from -pier No. 31. She lies partly broadside on. Like the Roma, she is far -from deep water, and until the Texas City channel is completed it does -not seem probable that she can get out. - -“The quarantine barge, belonging to the State, is probably gone beyond -redemption. She dragged her anchor from the mooring place to Pelican -Island, where she went aground and fell over on her side with the -receding waters. Her machinery is probably badly wrecked, and she is in -such a position that it would be difficult to right her, although the -effort may be made. - -“Small craft in the bay suffered as much in proportion to value as the -big vessels, if not more, for practically every one was swamped. Some of -them struck the piers and had holes stove in their bottoms. Owners have -been repairing them, and for that reason few, if any, will be entirely -lost.” - - - GALVESTON IN DANGER FROM FIRE. - -“A danger which Galveston faces is fire. Not a drop of rain has fallen -since the hurricane, and the hot winds and blistering suns have made the -wrecked houses and buildings so much tinder, piled mountain high in -every direction. In nearly all parts of the city the fire hydrants are -buried fifty feet, in some places a hundred feet deep under the -wreckage, and as yet the water supply at best is only of the most meagre -kind. - -“Galveston’s fire department is small and badly crippled and would be -powerless to stay the flames should they ever start. There is no relief -nearer than Houston, and that is hours away. In view of all the existing -conditions it is no wonder that the cry is, ‘Get the women and children -to the mainland, anywhere off the island,’ nor is it a wonder that with -one small boat carrying only 300 passengers, and making only two trips a -day, people fairly fight to be taken aboard. - -“All yesterday fears were entertained by the authorities that even this -service would be cut off and Galveston left without any means of getting -to the mainland, owing to the trouble with the owner of the boat. - -“The sanitary conditions do not improve. Dr. Trueheart, chairman of the -committee in charge of caring for the sick and injured, is going on with -dispatch. More physicians are needed, and he requests that about thirty -outside physicians come to Galveston and work for at least a month, and, -if needed, longer. The city’s electric light service is completely -destroyed, and the city electrician says it may be sixty days before the -business portion can be lighted. - -“A glorious and modern Galveston to be rebuilt in place of the old one, -is the cry raised by the citizens, but it would seem a task beyond human -power to ever remove the wreckage of the old city. - -“The total number of people fed in the ten wards Saturday, the 15th, was -16,144. Sunday the number increased slightly. No accurate statement of -the amount of supplies can be obtained as they are being put in the -general stock as soon as received.” - - - “SEEMS LIKE AN AWFUL DREAM.” - -Destitute save for a few personal effects carried in a small valise, and -with nerves shattered by a week of horror, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Prutsman, -with their two daughters, twelve and six years old, reached Chicago from -the flood-swept district of Texas. They came direct from Galveston, via. -Houston and St. Louis. - -During all of one afternoon the little family sat at the Rock Island -station waiting for a train to take them to Putnam, Ill., where Mrs. -Prutsman has relatives. When it was learned that they were from -Galveston, they were besieged with questions concerning the details of -the terrible storm. Crowds of waiting passengers flocked about them, and -they told the gruesome story over and over. - -“Yes, we were fortunate,” said Mrs. Prutsman, as she leaned wearily back -in a rocking chair, and tenderly contemplated the two children at her -side. “It seems to me just like an awful dream, and when I think of the -hundreds and hundreds of children who were killed right before our very -eyes, I feel as though I always ought to be satisfied no matter what -comes.” - -Mr. Prutsman said: “The reports from Galveston are not half as appalling -as the situation really is. We left the fated city Wednesday afternoon, -going by boat to Texas City, and by rail to Houston. The condition of -Galveston at that time, while showing an improvement, was awful, and -never shall I forget the terrible scenes that met our eyes as the boat -on which we left steamed out of the harbor. There were bodies on all -sides of us. In some places they were piled six and seven deep, and the -stench horrible. - -“I resided with my family fourteen blocks away from the beach, yet my -house was swept away at 5 P.M. Saturday, and with it went everything we -had in the world. Fifteen minutes before I took my wife and children to -the courthouse and we were saved, along with about 1,000 others who -sought refuge there. When we went through the streets the water was up -to our arms and we carried the children on our heads. - - - WOMAN SHOT TO END HER SUFFERING. - -“I assisted for several days in the work of rescue. In one pile of -debris we found a woman who seemed to have escaped the flood, but who -was injured and pinned down so she could not escape. A guard came along, -and, after failing to rescue her, deliberately shot her to end her -misery. - -“The streets present a gruesome appearance. Every available wagon and -vehicle in the city is being used to transport the dead, and it is no -uncommon thing to see a load of bodies ten deep. The stench in the city -is nauseating. Since the flood the only water that could be used for -drinking purposes was in cisterns, and it has become tainted with the -slime and filth that covers the city until it is little better than no -water at all. - -“Since the city was placed under martial law conditions have been much -better and there is little lawlessness. The soldiers have shown no -quarter and have orders to shoot on sight. This has had a wonderful -effect on the disreputable characters who have flocked into the city. - - - SAW FOUR MEN SHOT IN ONE DAY. - -“Everybody who remains in Galveston is made to work, and the punishment -for a refusal is about the same as that meted out to ghouls. I saw four -colored men shot in one day. There were confined in the hold of a -steamer in the harbor, six colored men who were found by the soldiers -with a flour sack almost filled with fingers and ears on which were -jewels. These men probably have been publicly executed before this time. - -“In the work of rescue we found whole families tied together with ropes, -and in several instances mothers had their babes clasped in their arms. - -“Scores of unfortunates straggle into Houston every day and their -condition is pitiable. Several have lost their reason. The citizens of -Houston are doing all in their power to meet the demands of the -sufferers, and every available building in the city has been converted -into a hospital. When we arrived in Houston we scarcely had clothes -enough to cover us, and the citizens fitted us out and started us north. -The fear of fever or some awful plague drove us from Galveston. - -“Already speculators are flocking into the city, and there is some -activity among them over tax-title real estate. In several instances -whole families were wiped out of existence, and the opportunities in -this line seem to be great.” - -General Chambers McKibbin, U. S. A., and Adjutant General Scurry were -both emphatic regarding the necessity for prompt work in clearing the -streets and surroundings of Galveston. - -“I am personally in favor of burning as much rubbish as possible,” said -General McKibben, “and of burning it as quickly as the power of man will -permit. I am not an alarmist by any means, and I do not predict a -pestilence, but I think things are coming to that point where a -pestilence may be possible unless prompt measures are taken, and there -is nothing so effective as fire. Burn everything and burn it at once.” - -“I haven’t a dollar to pay the men who are working in the streets all -day long,” said Adjutant General Scurry. “I am unable to say to a single -one of the men ‘You’ll be paid for your work.’ I have not the money to -make good the promise. I hope and believe that the country will -understand the situation. We must have this city cleaned up at any cost -and with the greatest speed possible. If it is not done with all haste, -and at the same time done well, there may be a pestilence, and if it -once breaks out here it will not be Galveston alone that will suffer. - -“Such things spread, and it is not only for the sake of this city, but -for others outside that I urge that above all things we want money. The -nation has been most kind in its response to the appeals of Galveston, -but from what I hear, food and disinfectants sufficient for temporary -purposes at least, are here or on the way. The country does not -understand. It cannot understand, unless it could visit Galveston, the -awful situation prevailing here.” - - - NO DANGER OF PESTILENCE. - -Dr. A. B. Chamberlain said that Galveston would now escape epidemic in -any form. He had been through two of these Gulf coast visitations, -though upon a smaller scale. “We may have some mild cases of fever as -the result of the shock and the exposure,” he said, “but I am confident -there will be nothing serious.” - -This seems to be quite generally the opinion of the doctors who are not -advising any wholesale exodus. They put great faith in the free use of -disinfectants and in the bracing salt air which blows continuously over -the island. - -“A barrel of lime is worth more to us now than a ton of food,” was the -expression of Dr. J. O. Dyer. “Let us appeal,” he continued, “for 10,000 -barrels of lime and 500 barrels of tar. Each block will require at the -least ten barrels scattered on its respective lots and streets, burn the -tar in offensive localities.” - -Ladies of Galveston are engaged in a work which is perhaps without -precedent in relief effort. They are making many little bags, into which -they place two or three lumps of camphor. The bags have strings by which -they can be fastened at the head, so that they will rest on the lip just -under the nose. They are to be worn by the men engaged in the search and -cremation of bodies. - -It is proposed to all people whose houses are still standing that -whenever they locate a corpse or carcasses in their vicinity the -position be indicated by a flag of some kind. - -Some of the notices and paragraphs in these first issues of the -Galveston papers are as interesting as stories of the storm. For -example:— - -“The First Church of Christ, Scientists, cordially extends the use of -their church to any denomination whose church was so damaged by the -recent storm as to render it unfit for services.” - - - DOCTORS CARING FOR THE SUFFERERS. - -In the advertising columns merchants seem to vie with each other in -announcing, “Positively no advance in prices.” Here is an editorial -leader which could hardly be found outside of a hurricane issue:— - -“It is important that all who are injured enough to necessitate a -stitching of their wounds should have their dressings changed every -twenty-four hours. Some of the wounded have neglected to do this, with a -result that the doctors have more work to do than is necessary. Every -doctor in town is doing work free of cost to all who apply.” - -There have been accounts of negroes caught in the act of robbing the -dead and shot. Galveston citizens are prompt to say that there have been -exceptional cases. They gave the mass of colored people credit for doing -their part. - -On September 14th a writer described as follows events in the stricken -city: “The evacuation of Galveston has begun. Do what they will, the -newspapers and authorities cannot convince thousands who have made up -their minds that this island is doomed to remain a moment after their -first chance of escape. - -“Schooners by the dozen are leaving for Texas and their crews have to -stand guard to keep the people from overcrowding and sinking the craft. -People are leaving with no destination, but with a strong determination -to get many miles from this panorama of wrecked business houses, -blockaded streets, hospitals filled with wounded and dying victims of -the awful disaster. - -“Galveston may again become the prosperous port it was five days ago, -but its principal population will be of people who have not seen the -awful work of wind and water. Men who have large business interests here -may remain, but their families will be on the mainland, and every sign -of approaching storm will drive thousands away. A workingman who paid -$3,900 for a cottage and lot offered to sell for $500 yesterday, -throwing in all the house contained. The house is very little damaged, -but he lost a wife and baby whom he had taken to what he thought was a -place of safety. It is impossible to write anything that would convey a -faint idea of the wreckage and ruin. - - - FIRES ALL OVER THE CITY. - -“The number of dead under debris in the central parts of the city will -never be known, as burning is going on all over the city. The east end, -beginning at Fifteenth street and Avenue L, running on a line parallel -with the island, has a great mass of wreckage piled as high as a man’s -head and from that to the top of houses three stories high. - -“This line extends as far along as there were any houses to wreck, and -consists of all manner of buildings. It is a desolate scene from Eighth -street east, when one compares it with the life that was present there -but a short time ago. Two buildings of all the colony at the Point are -left standing. These are the houses of the quarantine officer and the -lighthouse. The quarantine warehouse is gone. All the barrack buildings -and the dirt mounds that surrounded them are gone, and in place of all -is a watery waste, with the exception of a few little islands that -appear above the water. - -“The water has cut into the lands from the jetties, covering all the -ground practically from Seventh street east. For a block or more in the -neighborhood of the hospitals there is a prairie waste, and then begins -the mass of debris. One man had several houses out there and now he can -find his fine porcelain tubs in the debris, while all about him are the -things that composed his home and the houses he owned. - -“Lucas Terrace, a large three-story brick building, divided into flats -of three and four rooms each is almost a total wreck. Out of -thirty-seven persons reported to have been in the building when the -storm started its work of destruction, the Terrace had fifteen killed. -Business concerns of the larger order in the East end suffered with the -corner groceries and the smaller merchants. - - - WELL-KNOWN BUILDINGS DAMAGED. - -“Boysen’s mill is considerably damaged, the smokestack, some of the -windows and part of the roof being gone. Across the street the bonemeal -mill stands, with scarcely any north wall whatever. The Neptune Ice -Company, Eighteenth street and Avenue A, is almost a total wreck. A part -of the building is gone into a mass of debris while other parts remain -standing. The oil mill at Eighteenth street and Strand, suffered little -apparent damage except to the windows. A big blacksmith shop in -Eighteenth street, between Strand and Mechanic, suffered the loss of the -upper story entirely. These are but a few specimens of what has happened -all over the city.” - -W. S. Abernethy, with the Chicago relief forces, wrote on the 15th: -“Yesterday was a day of anguish, as all the days of this week have been. - -“There was no cessation of tear-stained faces appearing here and there -to tell of the lost. And it is a wonder if the end of this sad -divulgence will ever come. A motherless boy or a fatherless girl, newly -childless mother or father, or whatever it may be, they still come to -tell of their woe; and the stolid men who glide over the water or who -search the shore still bring in the swollen and unrecognizable victims -of the storm. It will end some day, and agonizing hearts may rest from -the painful throbbings of this hour. - -“It is likely that Dr. Grant will increase his force to fifty deputy -marshals at once. He cancelled his political appointments in Ohio to -render this service to Galveston. Speaking of the disaster he said: - -“It is the tragedy of the century, and is impossible of description. I -have never seen anything like it before, and I hope I never shall again. -As sorrowful as it is, however, I do not believe the people of Galveston -will give way to despair. There is still a great future for this city, -and those who survive must wisely realize the present and build to the -future. - -“Such destruction is impossible of repetition, and all Texas will regret -if Galveston halts and refuses to improve the possibilities within her -grasp. The horrible past—and thank God it is past—with its innumerable -heartaches, is too awful to discuss.” - - - MAYOR SETS ALL AT WORK. - -“Mayor Walter C. Jones has issued a proclamation revoking all passes -heretofore issued, and placing Brigadier General Thomas Scurry in -command of all forces. General Scurry has appointed Hunt McCaleb his -adjutant, and only passes signed by him will be recognized. All able men -without the passes will be put at work clearing the wreckage and burning -and burying the dead. - -“At a meeting of the relief committee yesterday it was decided not to -pay for labor, but time checks will be issued and paid later. Only those -sick and those working will receive assistance from the relief -committee.” - - - HUGE TANK MOVED SIX BLOCKS. - -To those acquainted with the wharf front a peculiar thing is presented -near the foot of Twenty-first street. The big steel tank of the -Waters-Pierce Oil Company, in which was stored during the season cotton -seed oil, at the foot of Fifteenth street, was blown to Twenty-first -street, a distance of six blocks. It landed on its bottom and rests now -in an upright position. It is a large tank and heavy, but the elements -got the better of it. - -This morning the streets are pretty well crowded with business vehicles; -a great many large concerns are doing business, and there is a general -appearance of activity which will in a great measure relieve the feeling -of unrest and stem the tide of people trying to get away from Galveston. - -The prospect for rail communication is improving, but no day can be set -when trains can be run to the island. Large forces are at work on both -ends of one of the four bridges across the bay, but as the bridge is two -and one-half miles long and the piling in bad shape, it is impossible to -say when the work will be completed. It may be in three or four days, or -may be longer, although railroad officials hope for the best—that is, -the lowest estimates of time. - - - FEAR TO LOOK ON THE SEA. - -“It matters not how great the number of the dead, there are enough to -shock the sympathies of the world, and they are gone forever. But we -fear here to look upon the sea, lest some heartless wave shall bring to -view the cold, stark form of another whom somebody lived with and loved. - -“The victims are still growing into larger thousands, and the bereft are -still coming in to tell of losses. It is a continued story of anguish -and death such as Texas has never known before and prays it shall never -know again. - - - EVERY WAVE HAS ITS TRAGEDY. - -“It is said that every wave of the sea has its tragedy, and it seems to -be true here. In Galveston it has ceased to be an anxiety for the dead, -but concern for the living. The supreme disaster, with its overwhelming -tale of death and destruction, has now abated to lively anxiety for the -salvation of the living. - -“Men are at work clearing the streets of piles of timbers and refuse. -Men are beginning to realize that the living must be cared for. It is -now the supreme duty. There is much work to be done and it is being -done. Women and children are being hurried out of the city just as -rapidly as the limited facilities of transportation will permit. The -authorities and commissioners are rational, and idleness is no longer -permitted. - -“There is an element with an abundance of vital energy who intend to -save the town, and the town is being saved. Burying the dead, feeding -the destitute, cleaning the city and repairing wrecks of all character -are under fair headway, and will be pushed as rapidly as men can be -found to do the work. - -“The great utilities of the city are being repaired to a state of -usefulness. Men are in demand and workers are coming to engage in the -duty of restoration. Life is beginning to supersede death, and there is -apparent everywhere a desire to save the city and rebuild it. - -“Before another week has passed, the listlessness of mourning people -will have been changed into a lively interest in life, and as this comes -so, Galveston will begin to realize just what the world expects of her. -General Scurry now has charge of the town, and it is really under -martial law. - -“Of course there is some friction. Martial friction, like the martial -law, is a matter only temporary. It would be difficult to challenge the -necessity of this measure. There are many defenseless women and children -in the city, living in houses without locks and keys, and they must be -protected against prowlers of all kinds. How long such protection will -be necessary cannot be known now, but General Scurry can be depended -upon to discharge the important obligations which he has assumed. - -“There are political factions here who resent the idea of martial law, -but this fact does not, for a moment, abate the necessity for it. United -States Marshal John Grant has arrived with twelve deputy marshals. He -tendered his services to General Scurry and they were accepted. - - - WALKING OVER CORPSES. - -“One hundred people at present are at Virginia Point, some waiting for -transportation over to Galveston, some for day to break so as to permit -of the burial of corpses, of which there are many scattered up and down -the beach and all over the prairie for a radius of ten miles. Others are -waiting for a first chance to get as far away as possible from this -terrible scene. Men who will work are very scarce. Those willing have a -desire to boss, which does not facilitate matters in the least. An -organized force of considerable proportion should be sent here at once. - -“An eight-mile walk from where the passengers were put off the train -last night to this place, over the corpses of human beings and animals, -piles of lumber, household articles of every description and furniture -was an experience so horrible that a small proportion of those who -started are here this morning. - -“A caboose and engine are standing just above this place. In it are four -train men all crippled and sick, only one of them being able to get -about. With them are a father and son, the remainder of a party of eight -who tried to cross the bay Saturday. A half mile farther down, or a -hundred yards from the bay, is another engine and caboose, in it a -family of six, four of them small children, are congregated. They lived -at this place and had a hard fight for their lives. They are caring for -a switchman, who will live only a few hours. They are in a destitute -condition. - - - REFUGEES CRAZED BY THEIR SUFFERINGS. - -“Refugees from Galveston tell awful tales of suffering and death, and in -every case that came to my notice are in such mental state that there -can be no reliable facts obtained from them. The only newspaper man who -has got into Galveston came out last night deathly sick, and would not -stop when hailed. - -“Thieves have been robbing the bodies as they came ashore. One man was -caught last night and will be taken to Galveston to-day. When searched, -a baby’s finger was found with a ring on it. He afterwards gave the -hiding place of articles and money and much jewelry was found. A cry of -“lynch him” met with little favor; enough death is here. - -“Frantic refugees from Galveston gave vent to all sorts of invectives -against the world in general and Houston (fifty miles north) in -particular, for what they believe to be dilatoriness in relief work. It -does not seem that more could have been done in one day. Almost nothing -has been done. - -“Some in their frenzy blaspheme their God for not preventing such a -catastrophe. Two relief boats are to leave shortly but only enough men -to man them will be allowed to accompany them. There is no shelter here -except the two cars mentioned. Box cars were strewn along the west side -of the railroad grade for two miles from this point.” - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - Family in a Tree-Top All Night—Rescue of the Perishing—Railroad Trains - Hurrying Forward with Relief—Pathetic Scenes in the Desolate City. - - -After suffering untold privations for over a week on Bolivar peninsula, -an isolated neck of land extending into Galveston bay a few miles from -the east end of Galveston island, the Rev. L. P. Davis, wife and five -young children reached Houston, famished, penniless and nearly naked, -but overcome with amazement and joy at their miraculous delivery from -what seemed to them certain death. - -Wind and water wrecked their home, annihilated their neighbors and -destroyed every particle of food for miles around, yet they passed -through the terrible days and nights raising their voices above the -shriek of the wind in singing hymns and in prayer. And through it all -not one member of the family was injured to the extent of even a -scratch. - -When the hurricane struck the Rev. Mr. Davis’ home at Patton Beach the -water rose so fast that it was pouring into the windows before the -members of the family realized their danger. Rushing out Mr. Davis -hitched his team and placing his wife and children into a wagon started -for a place of safety. Before they had left his yard another family of -refugees drove up to ask assistance, only to be upset by the waves -before his very eyes. With difficulty the party was saved from drowning, -and when safe in the Davis wagon were half floated, half drawn by the -team to a grove. - -With clotheslines Mr. Davis lashed his 12 and 14 year old boys in a -tree. One younger child he secured with the chain of his wagon, and -lifting his wife into another tree he climbed beside her. - -While the hurricane raged above and a sea of water dashed wildly below, -Mrs. Davis clung to her 6–month-old babe with one arm, while with the -other she held fast to her precarious haven of refuge. The minister held -a baby of 18 months in the same manner, and while the little one cried -for food he prayed. In other trees the family he had rescued from -drowning found a precarious footing. - -When the night had passed and the water receded, wreckage, dead animals -and the corpses of parishioners surrounded the devoted party. There was -nothing to eat, and, nearly dead with exhaustion, the preacher and his -little flock set out on foot to seek assistance. They were too weak to -continue far, and sank down on the plain, while Mr. Davis pushed on -alone. Five miles away a farmhouse was found, partially intact, and -securing a team, Davis returned for his half-dead party. - - - SUBSISTED ON RAW MEAT. - -For two days they remained at the home of the hospitable farmer, and -then set out afoot to find a hamlet or make their way over the -desert-like peninsula to Bolivar Point. In the heat of the burning sun -they plodded on along the water front, subsisting upon a steer which -they killed and devoured raw, until finally they came upon an abandoned -and overturned sailboat high on the beach. - -With a united effort they succeeded in launching the boat, and with -improvised distress signals displayed, managed to sail to Galveston. -There, because of red tape, they were unable to secure clothing, -although they were given a little food and transportation to Houston. -Clad in an old pair of trousers, a tattered shirt and torn shoes, with -his family in even worse plight, the circuit rider of the Patton Beach, -Johnston’s Bethel, Bolivar Point and High Island Methodist Churches rode -into Houston, dirty, weak and half-starved. Here the family were sent to -a hospital and cared for. - -Bolivar reported that up to date 220 bodies had been found and buried, -and many were still lying on the sands. Assistance was needed at once. -It is a fact generally commented upon, and merely emphasized by the -clergyman’s experience, that while succor is being rushed to Galveston, -other sufferers are neglected. The relief trains en route from Houston -to Galveston traverse a storm-swept section, where famishing and nearly -naked survivors sit on the wrecks of their homes and hungrily watch tons -of provisions whirling past them, while there is little prospect of aid -reaching them. - -Winifred Black, a lady journalist, furnishes the following vivid account -of her experiences in reaching Galveston: “I begged, cajoled and cried -my way through the line of soldiers with drawn swords, who guard the -wharf at Texas City, and sailed across the bay on a little boat, which -is making irregular trips to meet the relief trains from Houston. - -“The engineer who brought our train down from Houston spent the night -before groping around in the wrecks on the beach looking for his wife -and three children. He found them, dug a rude grave in the sand, and set -up a little board marked with his name. - - - ALL HAD LOST LOVED ONES. - -“The man in front of me on the car had floated all Monday night with his -wife and mother on a part of the roof of his little home. He told me -that he kissed his wife good-bye at midnight and told her that he could -not hold on any longer; but he did hold on, dazed and half-conscious, -until the day broke and showed him that he was alone on his piece of -driftwood. He did not even know when the woman that he loved had died. - -“Every man on the train—there were no women there—had lost some one that -he loved in the terrible disaster, and was going across the bay to try -and find some trace of his family—all except the four men in my party. -They were from outside cities—St. Louis, New Orleans and Kansas City. -They had lost a large amount of property and were coming down to see if -anything could be saved from the wreck. - -“They had been sworn in as deputy sheriffs in order to get into -Galveston. The city is under martial law, and no human being who can’t -account for himself to the complete satisfaction of the officers in -charge can hope to get through. We sat on the deck of the little -steamer. The four men from outside cities and I listened to the little -boat’s wheel plowing its way through the calm waters of the bay. The -stars shone down like a benediction, but along the line of the shore -there arose a great leaping column of blood-red flame. - -“What a terrible fire,” I said. “Some of the large buildings must be -burning.” - -A man passing on the deck behind my chair heard me. He stopped, put his -hand on the bulwark and turned down and looked into my face, his face -like that of a dead man; but he laughed. - -“Buildings!” he said. “Don’t you know what is burning over there? It is -my wife and children—such little children! Why, the tallest was not as -high as this”—he laid his hand on the bulwark—“and the little one was -just learning to talk. She called my name the other day, and now they -are burning over there—they and the mother who bore them. She was such a -little, tender, delicate thing, always so easily frightened, and now -she’s out there all alone with the two babies and they’re burning!” - -The man laughed again and began again to walk up and down the deck. - - - HAD TO BURN BODIES OF THOUSANDS. - -“That’s right,” said the Marshal of the State of Texas, taking off his -broad hat and letting the starlight shine on his strong face. “That’s -right. We had to do it. We’ve burned over 1,000 people to-day, and -to-morrow we shall burn as many more. Yesterday we stopped burying the -bodies at sea; we had to give the men on the barges whisky to give them -courage to do the work. They carried out hundreds of the dead at one -time, men and women, negroes and white people, all piled up as high as -the barge could stand it, and the men did not go far enough out to sea, -and the bodies have begun drifting back again.” - -“Look!” said the man who was walking the deck, touching my shoulder with -his shaking hand. “Look there!” - -“Before I had time to think I had to look, and saw floating in the water -the body of an old woman, whose hair was shining in the starlight. A -little farther on we saw a group of strange drift wood. We looked closer -and found it to be a mass of wooden slabs, with names and dates cut upon -them, and floating on top of them were marble stones, two of them. - - - DEAD WASHED FROM THEIR GRAVES. - -“The graveyard, which has held the sleeping citizens of Galveston for -many, many years, was giving up its dead. We pulled up at a little wharf -in the hush of the starlight; there were no lights anywhere in the city -except a few scattered lamps shining from a few desolate, half-destroyed -houses. We picked our way up the street. The ground was slimy with the -debris of the sea. - -“We climbed over wreckage and picked our way through heaps of rubbish. -The terrible, sickening odor almost overcame us, and it was all that I -could do to shut my teeth and get through the streets somehow. The -soldiers were camping on the wharf front, lying stretched out on the wet -sand, the hideous, hideous sand, stained and streaked in the starlight -with dark and cruel blotches. They challenged us, but the marshal took -us through under his protection. At every street corner there was a -guard, and every guard wore a six-shooter strapped around his waist. - -“We got to the hotel after some terrible nightmare fashion, plodding -through dim streets like a line of forlorn ghosts in a half-forgotten -dream. General McKibben, commander in charge of the Texas Division, was -in the hotel parlor reading dispatches. He was horrified to see me. - -“How in the world did you get here?” he said. “I would not let any woman -belonging to me come into this place of horror for all the money in -America. - - - OLD SOLDIER SHUDDERED AT THE SIGHTS. - -“I am an old soldier, madame. I have seen many battlefields, but let me -tell you that since I rode across the bay the other night and helped the -man at the boat steer to keep away from the floating bodies of dead -women and little children I have not slept one single instant. Five -thousand would never cover the number of people who died here in that -terrible storm. - -“In the short time I have been here I have met and talked with women who -saw every one they loved on earth swept away from them out in the storm. -As I look out of my window I can see the blood-red flame leaping with -fantastic gesture against the sky. There is no wire into Galveston, and -I will have to send this message out by the first boat. - -“For the present the two things needed are money and disinfectants. More -nurses and doctors are needed. Galveston wants help—quick, ready, -willing help. Don’t waste a minute to send it. If it does not come soon -this whole region will be a prey to a plague such as has never been -known in America. Quick-lime and disinfectants, and money and -clothes—all these things Galveston must have, and have at once, or the -people of this country will have a terrible crime on their conscience. - - - MAKING A FIGHT FOR LIFE. - -“The people of Galveston are making a brave and gallant fight for life. -The citizens have organized under efficient and willing management. -Gangs of men are at work everywhere removing the wreckage. The city is -districted according to wards, and in every ward there is a relief -station. They give out food at the relief stations. Such food as they -have will not last long. - -“I sat in one relief station for an hour this morning and saw several -people who had come asking for medicine and disinfectants and a few rags -of clothing to cover their pitiful nakedness, turned away. The man in -charge of the bureau took the last nickel in the world out of his pocket -and gave it to make up a sum for a woman with a new-born baby in her -arms to buy a little garment to cover its shivering flesh. - -“The people of the State of Texas have risen to the occasion nobly. They -have done everything that human beings, staggering and dazed under such -a blow, could possibly do, but they are only human. This is no ordinary -catastrophe. One who has not been here to see with his own eyes the -awful havoc wrought by the storm cannot realize the tenth part of the -misery these people are suffering. - -“I asked a prominent member of the Citizens’ Committee this morning -where I should go to see the worst work which the storm had done. He -smiled at me a little, pitifully. His house, every dollar he had in the -world, and his children were swept away from him last Saturday night. - -“‘Go?’ said he. ‘Why, anywhere within two blocks of the very heart of -the city you will see misery enough in half an hour to keep you awake -for a week of sleepless nights.’ - -“I went toward the heart of the city. I do not know what the names of -the streets were or where I was going. I simply picked my way through -masses of slime and rubbish, which scar the beautiful wide streets of -the once beautiful city. They won’t bear looking at, those piles of -rubbish. There are things there that gripe the heart to see—a baby’s -shoe, for instance, a little red shoe, with a jaunty tasseled lace—a bit -of a woman’s dress and letters. Oh, yes, I saw these things myself, and -the letters were wet and grimed with the marks of the cruel sea, but -there were a few lines legible in it. - -“‘Oh, my dear,’ it read, ‘the time seems so long. When can we expect you -back?’ Whose hand had written, or who had received, no one will ever -know. - - - THE STENCH IS OVERPOWERING. - -“The stench from these piles of rubbish is almost over-powering. Down in -the very heart of the city most of the dead bodies have been removed, -but it will not do to walk far out. To-day I came upon a group of people -in a by-street, a man and two women, colored. The man was big and -muscular, one of the women was old and one was young. They were dipping -in a heap of rubbish, and when they heard my footsteps the man turned an -evil glowering face upon me and the young woman hid something in the -folds of her dress. Human ghouls, these, prowling in search of prey. - -“A moment later there was noise and excitement in the little narrow -street, and I looked back and saw the negro running, with a crowd at his -heels. The crowd caught him and would have killed him but a policeman -came up. They tied his hands and took him through the streets with a -whooping rabble at his heels. It goes hard with a man in Galveston -caught looting the dead in these days. - -“A young man well known in the city shot and killed a negro who was -cutting the ears from a living woman’s head to get her earrings out. The -negro lay in the streets like a dead dog, and not even the members of -his own race would give him the tribute of a kindly look. - - - DESOLATION ON EVERY SIDE. - -“The abomination of desolation reigns on every side. The big houses are -dismantled, their roofs gone, windows broken, and the high water mark -showing inconceivably high on the paint. The little houses are -gone—either completely gone as if they were made of cards and a giant -hand which was tired of playing with them had swept them all off the -board and put them away, or they are lying in heaps of kindling wood -covering no one knows what horrors beneath. - -“The main streets of the city are pitiful. Here and there a shop of some -sort is left standing. South Fifth street looks like an old man’s jaw, -with one or two teeth protruding. The merchants are taking their little -stores of goods that have been left them and are spreading them out in -the bright sunshine, trying to make some husbanding of their small -capital. The water rushed through the stores, as it did through the -houses, in an irresistible avalanche that carried all before it. The -wonder is not that so little of Galveston remains standing, but that -there is any of it at all. - -“Every street corner has its story, in its history of misery and human -agony bravely endured. The eye-witnesses of a hundred deaths have talked -to me and told me their heart rending stories, and not one of them has -told of a cowardly death. - -“The women met their fate as did the men, bravely, and for the most part -with astonishing calmness. A woman told me that she and her husband went -into the kitchen and climbed upon the kitchen table to get away from the -waves, and that she knelt there and prayed. - -“As she prayed, the storm came in and carried the whole house away, and -her husband with it, and yesterday she went out to the place where her -husband had been, and there was nothing there but a little hole in the -ground. - -“Her husband’s body was found twisted in the branches of a tree, half a -mile from the place where she last saw him. She recognized him by a -locket he had around his neck—the locket she gave him before they were -married. It had her picture and a lock of the baby’s hair in it. The -woman told me all this without a tear or trace of emotion. No one cries -here. - -“They will stand and tell the most hideous stories, stories that would -turn the blood in the veins of a human machine cold with horror, without -the quiver of an eye lid. A man sat in the telegraph office and told me -how he had lost two Jersey cows and some chickens. - - - “THEY WERE ALL DROWNED.” - -“He went into minute particulars, told how his house was built and what -it cost, and how it was strengthened and made firm against the weather. -He told me how the storm had come and swept it all away, and how he had -climbed over a mass of wabbling roofs and found a friend lying in the -curve of a big roof, in the stoutest part of the tide, and how they two -had grasped each other and what they said. - -“He told me just how much his cows cost, and why he was so fond of them, -and how hard he had tried to save them, but I said, “You have saved -yourself and your family; you ought not to complain.” - -“The man stared at me with blank, unseeing eyes. “Why, I did not save my -family.” He said. “They were all drowned. I thought you knew that; I -don’t talk very much about it.” - -“The hideous horror of the whole thing has benumbed every one who saw -it. No one tells the same story of the way the storm rose, or how it -went. No two men tell the story of rescue quite alike. I have just heard -of a little boy who was picked up floating on a plank. His mother and -father and brothers and sisters were all lost in the storm. He tells a -dozen different stories of his rescue on the night of the storm. - -“But the city is gradually getting back to a normal understanding of the -situation, just as one comes out of a long fainting fit, and says: -“Where am I?” - -“The Mayor is doing everything in his power to straighten matters out. -Martial law is strictly enforced. The Chief of Police is busy, very -busy. I caught him in the hotel rotunda this morning. There were five or -six men around him, all trying to get permits. He would not listen to -one of them. - - - TOO BUSY TO TALK. - -“He transfixed me with a stony stare when I asked him for some -information. He did not have time to bother with me. He was too busy -feeding the hungry and comforting the destitute and taking care of -thieves to care whether the outside world knew anything about him or his -opinions or not. - -“The little parks are full of homeless people. The prairies around -Galveston are dotted with little camp fires, where the homeless and -destitute are trying to gather their scattered families together, and -find out who among them are dead and who are living. - -“There are thousands and thousands of families in Galveston to-day -without food or a place to lay their heads. - -“But oh, in pity’s name, in America’s name, do not delay help one single -instant! Send help quickly, or it will be too late. - -“One week has passed since the awful calamity which laid low beautiful -Galveston and the story has not yet been half told. The people against -whom the appalling catastrophe was visited are just beginning to awake -from the horrible nightmare which had its inception in the roaring -torrents of the Gulf of Mexico. - -“With the awakening comes memory—remembrance of awful scenes following -the storm which up to now have been untold. Accounts of personal -experiences are just becoming available, and the narration of the -different stories is like a long, hideous dream. - -“Quartered in the Chicago hospital in the Auditorium Theatre are persons -whose minds were a blank all the week until the ministering of the -‘Chicago American’s’ nurses and physicians restored, at least partly, -the shattered nerves and senses. During this morning’s early hours these -unfortunates related their awful experiences. - -“The story of Thomas Klee was possibly the most pitiful. Klee lived near -Eleventh and N streets. When the storm burst he was alone in his house -with his two infant children. He seized one under each arm and rushed -from the frail structure in time to cheat death among the falling -timbers of his home. - - - LODGED HIS CHILD IN A TREE. - -“Once in the open, with his babies under his arms, he was swept into the -bay among hundreds of others. He held to his precious burden and by -skillful manœuvring managed to get close to a tree which was sweeping -along with the tide. He saw a haven in the branches of the tree and -raised his two-year-old daughter to place her in the branches. As he did -so the little one was torn from his arm and carried away to her death. - -“The awful blow stunned, but did not render senseless. Klee retained his -hold on the other child, aged four years, and was whirled along among -the dying and dead victims of the storm’s fury, hoping to effect a -landing somewhere. An hour in the water brought the desired end. He was -thrown ashore, with wreckage and corpses, and, stumbling to a footing, -lifted his son to a level with his face. The boy was dead. - -“Klee remembered nothing until last night, when he was put ashore in -Texas City. He had a slight recollection of helping to bury dead, clear -away debris and obey the command of soldiers. His brain, however, did -not execute its functions until early to-day in the hospital. - -“George Boyer’s experience was a sad one. He was thrown into the rushing -waters, and while being carried with frightful velocity down the bay saw -the dead face of his wife in the branches of a tree. The woman had been -wedged firmly between two branches. - -“Margaret Lees’ life was saved at the expense of her brother’s. The -woman was in her Twelfth street home when the hurricane struck. Her -brother seized her and guided her to St. Mary’s University, a short -distance away. He returned to search for his son, and was killed by a -falling house.” - -Galveston, Tex., Sept. 15.—The sound of the hammer is beginning to be -heard throughout the city. Every man not engaged in looking for and -cremating the dead is repairing the damage wrought by Saturday’s great -tidal wave. - -The spirit that has been displayed by the citizens remaining here is -remarkable. They seem determined to begin immediately the work of -rebuilding the stricken city, and to that end are endeavoring to secure -building material as speedily as possible. Business houses are being -restored and restaurant keepers are conducting business on the -sidewalks. - - - MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM DEATH. - -Some of the escapes of people of Galveston from the storm were nothing -less than miraculous. Charles Rutter, aged twelve, was in his father’s -house when the waves and wind swept it away. The boy seized a floating -trunk and was found at Hitchcock, twenty miles north. - -The Stubbs family, consisting of father, mother and two children, was in -its home when it collapsed. They found refuge on a floating roof. This -parted, and father and one child were swept in one direction, while the -mother and the other child drifted in another. One of the children was -washed off, but last Sunday evening all four were reunited. - -Mrs. P. Watkins is a raving maniac as the result of her experiences. -With her two children and her mother she was drifting on a roof, when -her mother and one child were swept away. Mrs. Watkins mistakes -attendants in the hospital for her lost relatives, and clutches wildly -for them. - -Harry Steele, a cotton man, and his wife sought safety in three -successive houses which were demolished. They eventually climbed on a -floating door and were saved. W. R. Jones, with fifteen other men, -finding the building they were in about to fall, made their way to the -water tower, and, clasping hands, encircled the standpipe, to keep from -being washed or blown away. - -Mrs. Chapman Bailey, wife of the southern manager of the Galveston Wharf -Company, and Miss Blanche Kennedy floated in the waters, ten to twenty -feet deep, all night and day by catching wreckage. Finally they got into -a wooden bathtub and were driven into the Gulf over night. The incoming -tide drove them back to Galveston, and they were rescued the next day. -They were fearfully bruised. All their relatives were drowned. - -A Texas journal commented as follows upon the great disaster: - -“Galveston thanks the nation. Her citizens, still staggering under the -blows dealt by the hurricane, have been aroused to confidence again and -inspired for the work of restoring their home city, by the magnificent -expression of sympathy and kindliness which their fellow countrymen have -made by means of their great relief fund. - - - NEW LIFE IN THE CITY. - -“For two days after the hurricane the people of Galveston heard -practically nothing from the outside world. Then meager news came. -To-day for the first time the story of the response of the American -people to the stricken city’s involuntary appeal for relief has been -brought in. - -“The hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash given for the use of the -city, the many relief trains, laden with supplies of food, so much -needed, and of medical and surgical appliances, still more needed, the -oncoming bands of doctors and nurses and guards, mean new life to this -city. - -“Despair is gone. To-day the spirit of the citizens may well be -expressed in the fine words which one of them quoted to-day. They are -taken from the doorway of a church in Tyrol, where the half-obliterated -letters represent the wisdom of centuries, and the thoughts of Galveston -men of to-day. - - “Look not mournfully into the past. - It comes not back again. Wisely - Improve the present. It is thine. - Go forth to meet the shadowy future - Without fear and with a manly heart. - -“The contributions and gifts of the people of the United States are the -subject of conversation wherever men meet on the streets. That a city, -which had met with disaster only five days ago, could now be the -recipient of a fund which is already approximating half a million -dollars, seems well-nigh incredible. - -“Galveston has been better treated than was Chicago after its great -fire, or than were the sufferers in western Pennsylvania after the -Johnstown flood. The spirit is the same, but has grown great with good -times and swift with good hearts. - - - SWIFT TRAINS LOADED WITH SUPPLIES. - -“The bulletins which come through Governor Sayres at Dallas, who is -earning the gratitude of Galveston people by his good work for them, -tell of swift trains coming from the Atlantic and the Pacific laden with -supplies. They tell of gifts of many thousands of dollars from great -corporations and rich men of the country, and as well of gifts from the -poorer classes in cities and villages in all parts of the Union. How -Governor Roosevelt stopped on his speaking tour long enough to wire an -appeal to the citizens of his State for relief funds, how other -governors have issued appeals, and how Americans even as far away as -Paris have spontaneously met and contributed large sums, have all been -heard here. - -“It is a wonderful thing,” said Mayor Jones, “and one which speaks for -the high character of our American citizens, that so much should be done -for this city so quickly. I have just heard from Governor Sayres that -all sorts of people are contributing. His message said that many of the -churches of the land would take special contributions for our benefit. - -“I cannot say how grateful I and all the people of Galveston are for -this splendid treatment. We will show our thankfulness by going ahead -with our own work, and making a new Galveston on the spot where the old -one was so nearly annihilated.” - -The mayor’s confidence in the future of Galveston is shared by the -greater part of the business men. Two days ago all were downcast, -pessimistic and despondent. Many even talked of abandoning Galveston -entirely and helping to build a new city on some other location. Already -the mournful past has begun to be cast behind. The conditions of the -present are being studied, and the very best that is possible will be -made out of the future. - - - “GALVESTON SHALL RISE AGAIN.” - -Two daily papers have already resumed their issues, and their appearance -helped to restore confidence. Both of them had stirring editorials, and -that of one had for its keynote, “Galveston Shall Rise Again.” There was -not a half hearted word in the editorial. It urged that people bury -their dead, succor their living, and then start resolutely to work to -mend the broken things and to build the city anew. - -Galveston will not be abandoned for a location on higher ground -somewhere else. It has too fine a climate, it is too well known as a -summer resort, and it has too great advantages in its bathing beaches to -make abandonment a possible thing, even should business seek to move -away. - -But business will not go away. If the railroads replace their bridges, -terminals and wharves, that means that they have confidence in the -future of the city, and adds to the confidence of the citizens. It is -perfectly clear already that the railroads entering Galveston are -quickly going to do their share in the work of reconstruction. - -The Southern Pacific railroad has had men investigating its wharves and -tracks, and it has announced through General Manager Van Vleck that, -although the damage to its property in this city is fully 80 per cent, -it will proceed to restore it as rapidly as possible. Mr. Van Vleck says -that men and mortar are already being carried to Virginia Point for work -on the bridge, and that inside of forty days he expects to be running -trains into Galveston again. He will not work in connection with any -other road, nor build a joint bridge to the city, but he says his -company will permit other roads to use the bridge when it is ready. - -The scenes on the streets when provisions are being distributed are -pathetic in the extreme. Many families, among whose members hunger was -possibly never felt before, are being supplied with provisions. -Wizened-faced, barefooted children were to be seen on the street eagerly -appropriating spoiled and cast-off stocks of food. - - - SYSTEMATIC RELIEF. - -The committee is trying to systematize the work, so as to relieve the -worst cases first. Mayor Jones said: - -“We have made such arrangements as will make it possible for us to feed -the needy until we can get in full supplies. We are relieving every case -presented to us. I think within a day or two our transportation -facilities will be sufficient temporarily to meet our needs. Galveston -has helped other cities in their distress, despite her size, and we are -consoled by the generous response of the country to our appeal.” - -The committee has instructed the local drug stores to provide the poor -and needy with medicine at the expense of the relief fund. - -Every strong-limbed man who has not his own home and property to look -after is being pressed into the service of the city. First of all, it is -necessary to get the waterworks in good condition, so that water may be -turned into the mains, the gutters flushed, and the sewers made usable. -The lack of water since the flood has contributed much to the discomfort -and the danger to health. - -Volunteer gangs continue their work of hurried burial of the corpses -they find on the shores of Galveston Island at the neighboring points -where fatalities attended the storm. It will probably be many days, -however, before all the floating bodies have found nameless graves. -Along the beach they are constantly being washed up. Whether these are -those who were swept out into the Gulf and drowned or are simply the -return ashore of some of those cast into the sea to guard against -terrible pestilence, there is no means of knowing. - -In various parts of the city the smell of decomposed flesh is still -apparent. Wherever such instances are found the authorities are freely -disinfecting. Only to-day a babe lashed to a mattress was picked up -under a residence in the very heart of the city and burned. - -The following editorial, signed by the publishers, A. H. Belo & Co., -appeared September 13th in the “Galveston News”: - - - HOMES MUST BE REPAIRED. - -“At the first meeting of Galveston’s citizens, Sunday afternoon, after -the great hurricane, for the purpose of bringing order out of chaos, the -only sentiment expressed was that Galveston had received an awful blow. -The loss of life and property is appalling—so great that it required -several days to form anything like a correct estimate. With sad and -aching hearts, but with resolute faces, the sentiment of the meeting was -that out of the awful chaos of wrecked homes and wretched business -Galveston must rise again. - -“The sentiment was not that of burying the dead and giving up the ship, -but rather bury the dead, succor the needy, appeal for aid from a -charitable world, and then start resolutely to work to mend the broken -chains. In many cases the work of upbuilding must begin over. In other -cases the destruction is only partial. Still, the sentiment was, -Galveston will, Galveston must, survive and fulfill her glorious -destiny. Galveston shall rise again. - -“Galveston having been isolated since the storm of last Saturday night, -the stricken citizens of the town have not been informed as to the -thrill of horror which went over the world when the news of the -catastrophe was spread. The Associated Press brings the cheering news -that in every town and city in the United States, commercial, religious -and charitable bodies have organized into relief committees. At present -thousands of dollars and hundreds of cars of supplies are en route and -will reach the sufferers of Galveston just as soon as it is possible to -boat them across the bay. If the desolation here has been awful, the -sympathy and humanity of a great nation has been ample, and very soon -the local committees will be enabled to assist the destitute thousands. - -“What the ‘News’ desires most to say to the surviving victims of last -Saturday’s catastrophe, is that in the knowledge of a world-wide -sympathy which is encompassing us, we must not give way to despair. If -we have lost all else, we still have life and the future, and it is -toward the future that we must devote the energies of our lives. We can -never forget what we have suffered; we can not forget the thousands of -our friends and loved ones who found in the angry billows that destroyed -them, a final resting place. But tears and grief must not make us forget -our present duties. - - - TIME FOR DAUNTLESS COURAGE. - -“The blight and ruin which have desolated Galveston are not beyond -repair. We must not for a moment think Galveston is to be abandoned -because of one disaster, however horrible that disaster has been. We -have our homes here, even if those homes are in ruins, and if we loved -Galveston before, how much stronger must that affection be and how much -more sacred it must be when we think of our loved ones, whose dust -consecrates not only the land but the very waves which lash its shores. - -“It is time for courage of the highest order. It is time when men and -women show the stuff that is in them, and we can make no loftier -acknowledgment of the material sympathy which the world is extending to -us than to answer back that after we shall have buried our dead, -relieved the sufferings of the sick and destitute, we will bravely -undertake the vast work of restoration and recuperation which lies -before us, in a manner which shall convince the world that we have -spirit to overcome misfortune and rebuild our homes. In this way we -shall prove ourselves worthy of the boundless tenderness which is being -showered upon us in the hour of desolation and sorrow.” - -Refugees from Galveston, Alvin, Angleton and other places are fast -scattering throughout the State. Over fifty have arrived at Austin and -have found temporary homes with friends and relatives. Many have gone to -places in other States. A local Relief Committee has been organized in -Austin to look after the wants of the destitute people as fast as they -arrive. They are clothed and fed at the expense of the local people. - -Similar committees are being formed in all the principal cities and -towns of the State. It is expected that this action will assist the -Relief Committees of Houston and Galveston greatly and will also reduce -the amount of money required to be expended out of the general fund that -is accumulating for the benefit of the sufferers. - -Word reached here from Houston that evidences had been found there of -imposition on the part of chronic tramps who are pouring into the city -from all directions and claiming to be just from Galveston and to have -lost everything in the storm. Many of these frauds have been exposed and -driven out of the city. A plan is being arranged whereby all parties -seeking help must be identified as having come from Galveston or other -storm-swept towns. - - - SERMONS ON GALVESTON. - -The Galveston catastrophe furnished the theme for Rev. Dr. Russell H. -Conwell’s sermon on Sunday, September 16th, in the Temple of Grace -Baptist Church, Philadelphia. He attributed the disaster to the working -of God’s immutable laws, and declared that the calamity in its end was -for the good of all things. At the conclusion of his sermon he made an -appeal for the aid of the sufferers. There was a generous response. Many -pledged themselves for specific sums. - -Dr. Conwell took his text from Genesis xiii, 36. He said in part: “It -was Jacob who said ‘all things are against me,’ but Paul said, ‘All -things work together for good to them that love God.’ Paul’s position -was true. Jacob’s was untrue. Yet Jacob had philosophy in his -expression; but his philosophy was so much inferior that Paul’s inclosed -it, left it out of sight. There is no sorrow or affliction or pain or -death but it worketh out in God’s hands a greater good. - -“The disaster at Galveston fills me with terror. It was a lovely city; -its people kind-hearted and enterprising. The destruction of that city -so suddenly was God’s doing, and consequently it must be for good. It -was His doing and what He does is right. The hurricane was the necessary -outcome of all the working laws of God. He sent it and it must be for -good. We can not understand that; we sit back in our heart’s darkness -and say, ‘God is wrong; He is not governing the universe.’ - - - BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE. - -“The people who now live in Galveston will be better all their lives. -This experience has deepened their natures, enriched their sympathies, -enlarged the boundaries of their feelings, and the people of that city -will be blessed by that awful experience. They are going to be better -inspired, more loving toward others, more affectionate toward each -other, and they are going to be different men even without their riches, -for riches do not make good men. The people of Galveston have been -taught that there is something more than dollars in this world. The rich -will now feel what it is to be poor. It does man good to feel the depths -of life. Many of the survivors will thank God they have to begin life -over again. - -“This great calamity is good also in that it arouses the sympathies of -the whole country. When it arouses the sympathies of many tens of -thousands it must be a gigantic force to work out an ultimate good. Just -think when they begin to build the city again! How many will be -benefited? They will order lumber from the North, where the suffering -people are waiting for the order. They will order millions of dollars -worth of goods from Philadelphia, and there are poor people here waiting -for that work. When you consider how that disaster locally is going to -bless so many people outwardly, then the measure of its good may be far -greater than the measure of its evil.” - -Rev. Dr. Colfelt, pastor of Oxford Presbyterian Church, touching on the -Galveston disaster in his sermon on “Repentance,” said:— - -“The changes are so quick and excessive in our mortal life that none of -us know what to-morrow will bring forth. Not one of us knows whether our -money will be a blessing or a curse, separating us from our good work. -Christ declares that disasters are not to be interpreted as judgments, -but they are simply personal. The object in every instance of disaster -and calamities is to bring us fast to repentance.” - -The ministers in nearly all of the churches referred to the Galveston -calamity in their sermons. At the close special collections were taken. - - - MAKES THE WHOLE WORLD KIN. - -Galveston’s great calamity was the central thought in many sermons -preached in Chicago, and in a majority of the churches a collection was -taken for the benefit of the sufferers. Some of the expressions were as -follows: - -The Rev. William A. Burch (South Park Avenue Methodist Church)—“Such -catastrophes reveal the worst and the best. There was mutilation of the -sacred dead. But so on every battlefield a glittering diamond on the -finger or in the ear excites the passions of men. But look at the better -side. A cry for help went up and the nation was moved. Responses started -with tens of thousands of dollars, and will run into hundreds of -thousands. Human sympathy has mightily grown.” - -The Rev. Charles Reynolds (North Congregational Church, Fifty-ninth and -La Salle streets)—“We have heard the news of the terrible calamity, also -heard of the depravity of the human ghouls who pounced upon the dead for -robbery, and how they were shot down like dogs. The whole has been like -a terrible nightmare. Then we must look for a bright side. We rejoice at -the noble gifts made by the people of the United States, especially -Chicago. The lesson of the terrible catastrophe is that we at all times -must be prepared to meet our God. We are facing death, which may come at -any moment, like it did upon those poor souls in Galveston.” - -The Rev. Samuel Fallows (St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church, Adams -street and Winchester avenue)—“From breaking hearts we must say, ‘Father -in heaven, all is well, though faith and form are sundered in the night -of fear.’ The lesson of selfhelp which this calamity teaches will not be -lost. God intended man to conquer nature, to bind its forces, to ride -triumphantly on its seemingly resistless energies. Galveston must not be -blotted out. It must rise to newness of life. Like our own Chicago, it -must be rebuilt on a higher level. It must rear its structures so that -the angriest waves shall not dash them to pieces. Another lesson of -American pluck and energy will thus be learned by mankind.” - - - MISFORTUNES MAKE US ONE. - -The Rev. Frank DeWitt Talmage (Jefferson Park Presbyterian Church)—“We -know not why this misfortune happened. Only eternity can solve for us -the mystery, but we can learn two or three lessons that may be of help -to us. God has made of one blood all nations. The misfortunes of mankind -make us one, and when we hear the call we can hear Christ say, ‘Inasmuch -as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto -Me.’” - -The Rev. J. Kittredge Wheeler (Fourth Baptist Church, Ashland Boulevard -and Monroe street)—“The Galveston horror brings more prominently into -notice the universal brotherhood of mankind, and shows that when -suffering humanity calls, the response is liberal and widespread. Such a -disaster puts aside all superficial distinction, and man comes to regard -man as a fellow being without prejudice as to color or social position.” - -The Rev. W. H. Carwardine (Adams Street Methodist Church)—“It was -builded upon the sand, and its destruction is a warning to those -builders who forget the foundation in the beauties of the upper -structure. The highest light that comes to the victims of the most -appalling disaster of the century is the unfolding of the world’s -friendship.” - -The admirable courage and determination with which the survivors faced -the terrible situation are well expressed in the following editorial of -a leading journal: - -“While the catastrophe at Galveston is calling forth proofs of sympathy -and a spirit of practical helpfulness on every hand, the people of -Galveston themselves are giving the world an equally notable proof of -courage and sturdy resolution. The situation as it has developed from -day to day has afforded a striking evidence of their ability to pull -themselves together and prepare to face the future. The conditions which -they had to confront on the days immediately following the catastrophe, -when they were cut off even from communication of the outer world and -were alone in their knowledge of the extent of the calamity, must have -been appalling beyond conception. - - - NO WEAK FIBRE IN GALVESTON PEOPLE. - -“Stunned by a disaster in which individual griefs were lost in a common -horror and the presence of death on all sides made the finding of the -dead an incident of commonplace, they could scarcely have been expected -to act with energy, organization or promptitude. The blow sustained by -the city must have seemed irreparable. - -“Irreparable it would have been if the Galveston men and women had been -of weaker fiber. It stands to their credit that as soon as the clear -comprehension of their misfortune came to them they faced it resolutely, -and pushing aside individual griefs, set themselves to protect those who -were still living. They recognized the futility of lamentation, and the -necessity of foregoing the rites and formalities which men hold to be -sacred obligations to the dead. Now that the worst part of their -terrible task is over, the reports indicate that they are setting -themselves in the same spirit to the work of rebuilding Galveston and -making of it such a city as it had never before been expected to be. - -“There is no more talk about abandoning the site or allowing the city to -pass into a stage of decadence. The town is to be rebuilt, from its -ruins, and it is not merely to be rebuilt but to be improved. Judging -from the feeling manifested among the people of the city, they will come -in the future to celebrate ‘flood day’ in much the same spirit that -Chicago commemorates the anniversary of its great fire. - -“The outside world has a double duty to discharge in helping the people -who are showing this resolution and pluck in a time of severest trial. -It would have been a duty to have given them aid in any event. But the -way in which they are meeting their calamity indicates a courage and a -strength of character to which the world can well afford to pay tribute. -No effort should be spared to help those who are so bravely trying to -help themselves. - -“‘The Daily News’ is glad to say that in discussing Galveston’s future -it is discussing what is to be a fact—a fact, moreover, inspiring in its -lesson of invincible Anglo-Saxon will and courage that rises equal to -all occasions and throws down the challenge to despair. - - - HOPE FOR THE RUINED CITY. - -“Outside of Galveston, when the news came of the awful destruction by -hurricane and ocean combined, there were not a few who asked, as did -‘The Daily News,’ ‘Will Galveston be rebuilt?’ and paused for a reply. -The answer has come promptly and with a ring of determination and hope -that makes Americans proud of the Galvestonians—Yes, Galveston will be -rebuilt. ‘It will rise greater and better than ever.’ - -“And it is now known that this resolution, taken on Sunday afternoon, -almost before the great storm had begun to subside, has been caught up -not only by Galvestonians themselves but by all the great business -interests centering there, and is re-echoed from all parts of the United -States. Chairman Walker of the board of directors of the Atchison, -Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad says the city will be rebuilt and doing -business at the old stand in three months. The officials of this road -further say that in six days the bridge from Virginia Point will have -been built and trains running over it. - -“A like spirit is being manifested by other steamship companies, whose -trade doubled Galveston’s export business between 1892 and 1899, making -it rank fourth as an export port in the United States, only New York, -Boston, and Baltimore surpassing it. - -“Leading business and representative men of Galveston, also, instead of -sitting down in despair, have been busy at work burying or otherwise -disposing of their dead, clearing away the debris and getting the city -in shape again as rapidly as possible. - -“In the face of such a gallant spirit and purpose, difficulties and -discouragements which at first were appalling will disappear. In its -heroic work its strength and hope will be all the greater for the -friendly aid and encouragement and the munificent generosity of America -and Europe which will help Galveston to get upon its feet again.” - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - Startling Havoc Made by the Angry Storm—Vessels Far Out on the -Prairie—Urgent Call for Millions of Dollars—Tangled Wires and Mountains - of Wreckage. - - -Colonel “Bill” Sterrett, a well-known publisher of Austin, went to -Galveston after the storm and the sights he saw during his stay there -are thus described by him: - -“How to commence the story bothers. Whether to start out with the -absolute truth and wind the sheet about the whole thing with the simple -expression ‘unspeakable’ or to go on and hint the details inexpressibly -sad, intimate the horrors, is the question. - -“It would be better for the heart if a veil could fall from heaven and -conceal what it has done. It would be better if a fog, thick, like a -wall, should come up between the sea and the land that the latter might -never see the crime of the former. For if calm humanity shrieked against -the awfulness of the one element, it has done it now. - -“The broad pampa between Houston and Galveston had been flooded. The -towns which in the last ten years had grown were scared and torn by this -fiend. Its anger was shown in pastures as well as in towns, and yet none -knew the fury of it. There were reports of destruction further on, and -the truth of them impressed each man in the cars as the cars counted off -its rattleteteck in toll-off the miles. - -“Against a barbed wire fence the bloated carcasses of cattle had -floated, their swollen limbs stiff toward the sky, and yet others -browsed around in the meadow now which was a roaring sea but four days -ago. The sight was the first he saw of death, and every man in the car, -as to avoid the fear that arose in the mind of each, began to express -wonder how this could be, that is, that some of these poor brutes were -dead and others living. There were vessels of all tonnage, kinds and -degrees on the prairie. - -“Out there was a tramp steamship, the other way was the dredge boat; -there were yachts, schooners and launches, but near us was the hobby -horse of a child. And so help me, I would rather have seen all the -vessels of the earth stranded high and dry than to have seen this -child’s toy, standing right out on that prairie, masterless. Because one -represented—well, why, say God, man’s heart is so weak. But surely he -will forgive it when it is soft for those who are weak. - -“Debris of all kinds covered the prairie. It was from Galveston, because -it could be from no other place. Every ant hill was covered with the -remnants of homes in the city, six miles away. There were lace curtains, -furniture of all kinds, but mostly of the cheap kind. There were toys, -ladies’ toilet articles, bed clothes, and, in fact, everything that goes -to make up a home. This point was Texas City, six miles away from -Galveston, across the bay. The town had suffered badly. - - - GENTLE AS A COUNTRY POND. - -“Human lives were lost there, and the agony of it was great, but above -all was the idea, ‘What of across the bay?’ It was six miles dead -across, and a schooner was in waiting to take us over. But before it -landed there was a chance of observation of the bay, in which the waters -now gently lisped. For the bay was as gentle as a country pond. It -lisped and kissed the few blades of grass that grew down where the rise -and fall of the ridge was natural. It did not moan like the sea. It -merely gurgled. But every little wave threw up and agitated the dead. -Bloated horses and cows which provident housekeepers in the city across -the water had owned and petted were there. Chickens, rats, dogs, cats -and everything, it seemed, that breathed, was there, dead and swollen -and making the air nauseous. - -“But by their sides were people. The worn-out people of the district, -having saved their own lives and buried their dead, were quick to -respond to natural instincts and do right by their kind. I saw them take -swollen women and swollen men and swollen children and with quick shift -place them in two-foot graves. It was terrible, but what could they do? - -“There were no burial services. The men who did work were simply doing -what they could to relieve the air of them. They were not gentle, but -how could they be gentle, when the bodies lay there with their black -faces, with their terribly swollen tongues and the odor of decomposition -threatening those who lived? - -“In the debris from Galveston was everything. I was struck with the idea -that this must have impressed the people that the world had come to an -end. For twenty-five miles on the land into the interior this disorderly -element raged. It destroyed and it mangled, and when it ceased really -the sea had given up its dead and the secrets of life were revealed, for -walking among the debris I found a trunk. It had been broken open by the -waves. - -“Letters were blurred by the waves. I picked up one, and it began, ‘My -darling little wife,’ and I closed it and threw it among its fellows on -the drift. She was dead. She had kept this letter. Their sacred -relations were exposed by this terror to those who would read them. -There were dozens of men who picked up those letters. No one read them, -for man is not so bad after all. - - - WRINGING THEIR HANDS IN AGONY. - -“Two women—I talked to them—had left two children each in Galveston in -the destroyed district, and they sat through that whole five hours’ trip -wringing their hands and trying to curb the volcano of lamentation which -lies in the mother’s heart when those of her flesh are imperiled or -dead. - -“We passed corpses. We passed the corpses of men and women and children. -The moon was out, floating real brilliantly, and the boat cut past, -barely missing a woman with her face turned toward God and the sky. I -fervently prayed I might never see the like again. And when we reached -the wharf, torn and skinned so that we had to creep to land, I saw -beneath me, white and naked seven bodies. - -“My very soul turned cold at the grewsome sight. Horrible! The -contemplation of it yet makes me sick, though I have seen things since -then that make me and would make the world sick, if I were able to -describe them, unto death.” - -Of the pitiful tales, that of Thomas Klee, of Galveston, is one of the -most pitiful. His wife was away from home when the house was destroyed, -and has not since been heard from. Klee with his infant boy and girl in -his arms was carried for an hour in the whirling water. Once he tried to -fasten the four year old girl in the branches of a tree, but she was -torn from his arms while he was trying to make her fast. When he finally -gained a firm foothold he found his boy dead in his arms. Since that -time he has hardly been a conscious being and he is still in the -hospital at Houston, where he was taken Friday. - -The body of a nephew of Alderman John Wagner, a youth eighteen years -old, was found lodged in the forks of a tall cedar tree on Galveston -Island, two miles from his wrecked home, and tightly clinched with a -death grip in his right hand was $200 which his father gave him to hold -while the father attempted to close a door, when the house went down and -the whole family perished in the storm and flood. - - - CLASPED HANDS AND ESCAPED. - -Encircling a water stand pipe with clasped hands, W. R. Jones and -fifteen other men prevented themselves from being carried away by the -water, and so saved their lives at Galveston. - -In a wooden bathtub Mrs. Chapman Bailey and Miss Blanche Kennedy were -carried out into the gulf, where they spent Saturday night. Not till the -next morning did the tide bring them back to where the rescuing parties -could reach them. Neither of them has a relative in Galveston left -alive. - -Captain John Delaney, chief customs inspector of the port of Galveston, -is one of the courageous men of the town. He lost his entire family, -wife, son and daughters, but his sixty years were not bowed by his fate. -The day following the disaster he was at his post, attired in a suit of -overalls, the only clothing he had saved from the wreck of his home, and -he has inspected all the vessels that have arrived since then. - -Along the Galveston wharf front the storm was particularly violent. The -big steel tank of the Waters-Pierce Oil Company, in which was stored -during the season cotton seed oil, at the foot of Fifteenth street, was -blown to Twenty-first street, a distance of six blocks. It landed on its -bottom and rests now in an upright position. It is a large tank and -heavy, but the elements got the better of it. - - - RESCUED TWO BABES FROM DEATH. - -Ray Ayers, an eight year old boy, unwittingly rescued his sister’s two -babies during the flood. He was floating on a raft in Galveston when he -passed a box with the two children in it. He seized them, but the weight -was too heavy for his raft, and so he placed them on two bales of hay on -top of a floating shed. When he found his sister he learned that her -children were lost, and when a searching party discovered them, they -were still sleeping, unconscious of their danger. - -James Battersole, of Galveston, was one of the men who were carried far -out to sea during the storm, whirled back again in the rush of waters, -and lived to tell of it. The roof of his house, on which he had sought -refuge, served as his raft, and the spot on which he landed was very -close to the location his house had formerly occupied. - -Margaret Lee’s life was saved at the expense of her brother’s. The woman -was in her Twelfth street home, in Galveston, when the hurricane struck. -Her brother seized her and guided her to St. Mary’s University, a short -distance away. He returned to search for his son, and was killed by a -falling house. - -While George Boyer, of Galveston, was being carried with frightful -velocity down the bay he saw the dead face of his wife in the branches -of a tree. The woman had been wedged firmly between two branches. - -Mrs. P. Watkins is a raving maniac as the result of her experience. With -her two children and her mother she was drifting on a roof, when her -mother and one child were swept away. Mrs. Watkins mistakes attendants -in the hospital for her lost relatives, and clutches wildly for them. - -Harry Steele, a cotton man, and his wife sought safety in three -successive houses, which were demolished. They eventually climbed on a -floating door and were saved. - -Though separated by the storm and washed in different directions all the -members of the Stubbs family, of Galveston, were rescued. Father, mother -and two children were on a floating roof that broke in pieces. The -father, with one child, went one way. The mother went another, and the -remaining children went in still a third direction. Sunday evening all -four were reunited. - -L. F. Menage, of Austin, who returned from Galveston Friday night, -reached the Tremont Hotel, Galveston, the Friday evening before the -terrible storm began. He says it has been the most terrible week in his -experience, the most awful two days a man could imagine were the Sunday -and Monday succeeding the hurricane. - - - “ALL GONE!—ALL GONE!” - -“One man would ask another how his family had come out,” said Mr. Menage -last night, “and the answer would be indifferent and hard—almost offish: -‘Oh, all gone.’ ‘All gone’ was the phrase on all sides. - -“The night before the disaster, when I reached the hotel, it was blowing -rather hard, and the clerk said we were in for a storm, and I asked him -if his roof was firmly fixed, and he said, ‘Well, it won’t be quite as -bad as that,’ but by the next night at the same time there was three -feet of water in the rotunda and the skylight had fallen in and the -servants’ annex been blown to pieces, and the place was crowded with -refugees who arrived from all points of the city in boats. Saturday -night there was little sleep, yet no one realized the extent of the -disaster. - -“On Sunday morning one could walk on the higher streets, so quickly had -the water gone down. I took a walk along the beach, and the place was -one great litter of overturned houses, debris of all kinds and corpses. -I met one woman who burst into tears at sight of a small rocker, her -property, mixed in among the wreckage. She had lost all her family in -the flood. People were for the most part bereft of their senses from the -horror, and a single funeral would have seemed more terrible—more -solemn—than a pile of cremated bodies. - -“The tales of looting are only too true, and as I passed northward in a -sailboat on Tuesday I heard the shots ring out which told that some -ghoul was paying the penalty. Galveston will rise again on the old site, -and without as much difficulty as is at present anticipated. Most of the -people will, however, try and live on the mainland.” - -Miss Sarah E. Pilkington, a well-known young woman of Chester, Penna., -was one of those who escaped the terrible storm which broke over -Galveston. Miss Pilkington left Houston just a few hours before the -dreadful storm broke, but she was sufficiently near its origin to hear -the rush and roar of the wind. “I distinctly remember,” said she, “the -approach of the hurricane. It sounded like two express trains, each -rumbling in opposite directions. Suddenly there was a loud report -similar to the noise of a big collision, and the tornado was separated, -one portion going in the direction of Galveston, the other wending its -way toward Houston. I was staying at Milliken.” - -For some time after the hurricane Miss Pilkington could not be -communicated with, and it was thought for a week that she had perished -in the tornado. - - - NO TIME TO DIG GRAVES. - -Galveston, Texas, Tuesday.—The work of digging bodies from the mass of -wreckage still continues. More than 400 bodies were taken out of the -debris which lines the beach front to-day. With all that has been done -to recover bodies buried beneath or pinned in the immense rift, the work -has hardly started. There is no time to dig graves, and the bodies, -beaten and bruised beyond identification, are hastily consigned to the -flames. - -Volunteers for this work are coming in fast. Men who have heretofore -avoided the dead under ordinary conditions are now working with vigorous -will and energy in putting them away. Under one pile of wreckage this -afternoon twenty bodies were taken out and cremated. In another pile a -man pulled out the bodies of two children, and for a moment gazed upon -them and then mechanically cast them into the fire. They were his own -children. He watched them until they were consumed and then he resumed -his work, assisting in removing other bodies. - -A large force of men are still engaged in removing the dead from Hurd’s -lane, about four miles west of the city. At this point the water ran to -a height of fourteen feet, and left in trees and fences the bodies of -men, women and children, which are now being collected and cremated. - -On the mainland the search for and cremation of bodies is being -vigorously prosecuted. Reports received from Bolivar Peninsula, where -between 300 and 400 bodies were lying along the beach and inland, show -that the dead are being buried as rapidly as possible. The man bringing -the report says the force is inadequate and should be immediately -increased. - - - DISINFECTING THE CITY. - -The manner of disposing of the wreckage and its mass of bodies in this -city has not as yet been definitely decided upon. Every energy is now -employed in getting rid of the dead, opening streets, cleaning alleys -and gutters and disinfecting the city. When this is done the removal of -the immense mass of debris will commence. Everything is in readiness to -turn on the current for the electric lights in the business district, -but because of the danger from hanging wires on the circuit, the -lighting has been indefinitely postponed. Three telephone wires are now -working between Galveston and Houston. - -Chairman Davidson, of the Relief Committee, says the greatest sufferers -from the storm are those persons of limited means who owned homes near -the beach. There are hundreds of these, who owned lots, and by giving -liens upon them, had homes constructed by loan companies. - -A. Holzman, representing Frederick G. Holzman, of Cincinnati, purchaser -of the sewerage bonds of the city of Galveston to the amount of -$300,000, arrived to-day and consulted with the city officials as to -whether it was proposed to accept a sewerage system in accordance with -plans adopted prior to the storm. He received assurances that the storm -would in no way affect the construction of the sewerage system, and as -soon as possible work would commence. - -W. B. Groseclose, assistant general freight agent of the Missouri, -Kansas and Texas Railroad, reached Galveston this evening. He says the -road will commence to receive grain for shipment to Galveston on -September 22. A large force of men is engaged repairing one of the -railroad bridges across Galveston Bay. - -A force of Deputy United States Marshals under Marshal Grant is guarding -the entrance to Galveston, at Texas City, and keeping away all persons -who can show no good cause for coming here. Crowds are daily leaving the -city, a majority being women and children. The city is still under -martial law, and will remain so indefinitely. Idlers and sightseers who -elude the guards on the mainland are upon their arrival here pressed -into the street service. - - - SOME ACCOUNT OF CLARA BARTON. - -Galveston, Tex., September 18.—Clara Barton, President of the Red Cross -Society, who came here to distribute relief supplies, was stricken down -at her work to-day while ministering to the victims of the Galveston -storm. She succumbed, like a soldier, at her post. To-night she lies -seriously ill at the Tremont Hotel. - -She was stricken at a conference in her rooms at the Tremont, with her -staff of nine gathered about her. She had just finished an outline of -her work, assigning each member of her staff to the particular part of -the work that one was to do. Suddenly she ceased speaking. Turning to -Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey, Vice-President of the Red Cross, who sat at -her side, she whispered: - -“Begin talking. I am going to faint. Don’t let them see.” - -Miss Barton leaned back in her chair and Mrs. Mussey arose, and, -standing before her, began speaking. Without a sign to the others Mrs. -Mussey finished what she had to say and then dismissed the conference. - -Galveston people arose with heavy hearts this morning. Thousands of them -were driven from their beds. Shortly after sunrise there came a downpour -of rain, the first since the storm. If there was a house in town that -had been sufficiently repaired to shed the rain it was a rare exception. -Cremation of the dead and clearing the streets have taxed the energies. -There has not been time to give attention to roofs. Such repairs as have -been made to buildings have been in the form of straightening and -strengthening them so that they might not fall down. Many, while still -standing, are leaning like the tower of Pisa or are partly off the -foundations. - - - FACES OVERSPREAD WITH SADNESS. - -From this it will be understood that when the rain poured down it -entered the houses still called habitable and drenched the contents -again. The faces of the people showed the influence of the rain. They -were overspread with sadness. The hopefulness which had been lighting up -the features was gone. But it was only an hour of depression. Then the -shower, for that was all it proved to be, passed. The sun came out. - -All Galveston went to work with renewed energy. Three or four horse cars -made their appearance and, drawn by mules, were operated over several -streets. At the wharves there was activity. The loading of wheat for -export was commenced. Cremation and cleaning went on. The finding and -burning of over 100 bodies in the day shows that the end of this duty is -not yet in sight. - -In the southern and southwestern part of the city the great windrow of -wreckage still stands, concealing from sight but not from smell what is -underneath. Word was sent along the inner side of the windrow to -occupants of houses near that they must move back a block. The -impression is that this means the authorities have decided they will -apply the torch to the great heaps whenever a favorable wind from the -north will make burning safe for the rest of the city. This action has -been strongly advocated. - -The tents have come and with board floors and fences separating them now -make a white city on the beach front where the houses were swept away. -They will be much safer and more healthy than many of the shattered -buildings which are still occupied by the poorer classes. There have -been till now some people finding shelter in the wooden cisterns which -the wind blew off their foundations and left lying about the streets and -parks. Others are in houses without roofs and windows and still others -in buildings the walls of which are far from perpendicular. - -The following detailed account of the experience of the Rev. Judson S. -Palmer and his family, formerly of Sharon, Penna., in the disaster at -Galveston, was received at the former place in a letter. Mrs. Palmer and -her son were drowned. - - - ROOF BLOWN AWAY. - -About four o’clock Dr. Cline, who was in charge of the Weather Bureau at -Galveston, the letter stated, passed, and Rev. Palmer asked him what -they had better do. He advised them to stay in the house, as he thought -it was perfectly safe. The storm increased and the water flowed into the -yard. Mr. Palmer went downstairs and found the wind had blown down the -front door and several windows. - -About dark sections of the roof were blown off and all the persons in -the house went into Mr. Palmer’s room. There a prayer meeting was held, -all joining in prayer and singing. Little Lee’s prayer was: “Dear Jesus, -do make the water recede and give us a nice day to play to-morrow.” - -After that all who could went into the bathroom. The water arose until -it came up to the necks of Mr. Palmer and his wife. They then stepped -upon the edge of the bathtub, Mr. Palmer holding Lee, with his little -arms clasping the father about the neck, Mrs. Palmer held to the -shower-bath fixtures overhead and passed her other arm around her -husband’s neck. Suddenly there was a grinding noise. The house upset. -There was a rush of water and all were engulfed in the flood. - -Mr. Palmer and his family became separated and he never saw them again. -He went to the bottom as he was sure he was drowning. Suddenly he was -caught by a swift current and arose to the surface. He crawled upon what -he believed to be a bundle of shutters and drifted until his raft struck -a shed and it sank. After several hours he succeeded in getting on one -of the outbuildings of the Catholic convent, where he remained until the -water receded. Mrs. Palmer’s body and that of her son were not -recovered. - -On September 20th a correspondent furnished the following facts: “Normal -conditions are being restored swiftly in Galveston. The work of clearing -the streets of debris continues unabated and all relief work is now -thoroughly systematized. Several human bodies were found to-day. No -attempt was made to identify them, and they were immediately cremated. - - - NECESSARY BUREAUS. - -“A census bureau was placed in operation to-day. A mortuary bureau has -also been opened where relatives or friends are to make oath of the -known death of persons lost in the storm. Hanna & Leonard’s new elevator -began business to-night. The British steamer Endeavor went under the -spouts and is taking on a full cargo of wheat. - -“At a meeting of the general relief committee to-day no one was found -who would undertake the job of removing the city’s debris on contract, -as all state it would be impossible to make a definite estimate. The -nearest estimate expert wreckers will make is that it will take 2000 men -ninety days to clear away the debris and get all of the bodies out, and -that this will cost $500,000. The board adopted a resolution stating -that it was its opinion that the best way to solve the problem of -clearing the debris was to let a contract to some one to do this work. - -“Dr. George H. Lee, inspector of hospitals and dispensaries, made a -favorable report on the sanitary condition of the city. The losses to -the life insurance companies are estimated at $500,000. Most of those -who carried old line life policies escaped. The fraternal orders will -lose heavily.” - -Governor Sayers, speaking of the situation at Galveston said: - -“I look for the rebuilding of Galveston to be well under way by the -latter part of this week. The work of cleaning the city of unhealthful -refuse and burying the dead will have been completed by that time. - -“The loss of life occasioned by the storm in Galveston and elsewhere on -the southern coast cannot be less than 12,000 lives, while the loss of -property will probably aggregate $20,000,000. - -“If the laboring people of Galveston will only get to work in earnest, -prosperity will soon again smile on the city. The money and food -contributions coming from a generous people have been a great help to -the people of Galveston, as it has relieved them of the necessity of -spending their money to support the needy, and it can now be applied to -the improvements of their own property and putting again on foot their -business enterprises. - -“The work of clearing the streets of debris is progressing rapidly under -the perfect organization instituted by military rule under -Adjutant-General Scurry. Over two thousand men are engaged on the work. -Ninety-eight bodies are reported as having been found in the wreckage -and removed to-day. Bodies found are buried or cremated and no -systematic record has been kept. The storm wrecked almost every vault in -the six cemeteries of the city, and many of the dead were washed to sea -in metal cases. So far only one casket has been found. It had been -carried three miles from the vault. - - - WORK PUSHED WITH VIGOR. - -“The work under the direction of the health department is pushed with -vigor and rapidity. Over a carload of disinfectants was taken from the -wharves to-day and sent to the health department supply depot, and -almost as much was taken from that place and distributed over the city. -Much was done in the way of removing debris and disposing of animal -carcasses. The sick and wounded are receiving the best of treatment. -Besides the other hospitals and medical relief station already in -service, the marine hospital and refuge camp was opened this afternoon -and will accommodate a large number of patients. The outlook from a -health standpoint is very encouraging. - -“Three pile drivers are at work closing up the breach in the Galveston -Bay bridge made by the steamship Roma. The rebuilding of the bridge is -progressing rapidly. A message from General Superintendent Nixon, of the -Santa Fe Railroad, to General Manager Polk this evening, said trains -will be able to cross on Thursday. Orders have been issued to allow -freight to proceed to Galveston. The tracks on Galveston Island will be -completed to the bridge to-morrow noon. Engines are again running into -the Union Depot, and are bringing freight to the ships in port. - -“The water works system is being gradually restored and the mains are -now supplying the various hospitals. Miss Clara Barton, of Red Cross -Society, has opened a depot for supplies. She has sent orders for -medicine and surgical dressings, food for the sick and clothing and -shoes. - - - WANTS A BREAKWATER. - -“Congressman Hawley advocates the building of a breakwater, beginning at -the south jetty and extending westward, parallelling the shore of -Galveston Island for a distance of about seven miles. With a base of -twenty-five feet and crown of eight feet, capped with heavy granite -blocks, he believes this would break the force of a tidal wave and -adequately protect Galveston. - -“The people are still leaving the city in considerable numbers, but the -relief work locally has now been gotten down to such a fine point that -it is likely there will be a marked diminution of the exodus during the -next two or three days. Fears of an epidemic have been allayed by the -distribution of medicines and disinfectants, and a feature which would -undoubtedly have had the effect of causing many to seek succor elsewhere -has been eliminated from the situation. - -“Supplies and money are now pouring in from all over the country, and at -least seven figures are needed to express the amount of cash so far -received. This is being used judiciously, and the good effects of the -presence of such a relief fund in the city are already apparent. An -order of the military government directed against idle negro women went -into operation to-day. It has been decided by the Central Relief -Committee to establish a camp in which these women will be held and kept -off the streets and out of the way of those who are burying the dead.” - -To put Galveston on her feet will require $5,000,000. Such is the -opinion of Congressman Hawley, one of the representative business men. -This does not mean that the sum mentioned will come anywhere near -restoring the city to the condition before the storm. Far from it. - -Mr. Hawley was simply asked: “What measure of relief will burn your -dead, clean and purify your streets and public places, feed and clothe -the living and place your people where they can be self-sustaining and -in a way to regain what has been lost?” - -His reply was: “It will take $5,000,000 to relieve Galveston from the -distress of the storm. At least that sum will be needed to dispose of -the dead, to remove the ruins and to do what is right for the living. - - - SOME MEANS TO HELP PEOPLE. - -“I think that we should not only feed and clothe, but that we ought to -have some means to help people who have lost everything to make a start -toward the restoration of their homes. To do this will require every -dollar of $5,000,000.” - -There are now on the scene more nurses and physicians than are required. -The injured are rapidly recovering from their wounds, which are largely -superficial. Many men and women are suffering from severe nervous shock, -and find it impossible to sleep. Food is coming in by the boatload and -carload faster than it can be handled, in such generous quantities that -no further doubts are entertained about supplies. Relief headquarters in -each of the twelve wards deal out supplies to applicants in their -respective wards. - -Estimates of the numbers dependent upon the relief committees vary. -Mayor Jones makes it about 8000, while other authorities put the number -as high as 15,000. In the business centre the streets have been cleaned -and opened. All buildings still show marks of wind and water, but goods -are displayed and business is being transacted. The city is gradually -assuming its bustling ante-flood appearance. Stenches no longer assail -the nostrils, except where much debris still remains untouched. - -Cremation of the dead is being pushed, but it will be many days before -the working parties get out the last of the bodies. The whole twenty-two -miles of the island was submerged. The horrors of the western portion -beyond the city limits are just being learned. At San Luis 181 bodies -were burned to-day. Between twenty and thirty bodies were counted among -the piles of the railroad bridge between the island and Virginia Point. -In Kinkead’s addition about 100 were lost, eighteen in one house. There -were also losses at Nottingham, one of the Galveston island villages, -where nothing but wreckage remains. - -One hundred bodies were buried in Galveston on Sunday. The further the -men work in the Denver reservoir section the more numerous do they find -the dead. Fires are burning every 300 feet on the beach and along many -of the streets. Mayor Walter C. Jones to-day, in response to a request, -made a statement of conditions and needs of Galveston people, basing his -conclusions on the most current information which has come to him. Mayor -Jones’ statement is as follows: - - - “WE ARE BROKE.” - -“It is almost impossible to speak definitely as yet of the needs of our -people. We are broke, the majority of us. Galveston must have suffered, -in my estimation, based upon all of the reports I have to the extent of -$20,000,000. We now need money more than anything. From the advices I -have received I believe that the shipments of disinfectant and food -supplies now on the way will be sufficient to meet the immediate wants. -By the time these are used we shall have regained our tranquility.” - -This is the ninth day after the storm and still the grewsome works goes -on of recovering the dead from the gigantic mass of debris that lines -the southside of what remains of the city. Among the scores of bodies -recovered and cremated yesterday was a mother with a suckling babe -tightly clasped to her breast. - -The body of Major W. T. Levy United States Immigrant Inspector of this -district, was among the number. He had made a struggle to save his wife -and three children but all were lost. The bodies of the wife and -children have not been recovered, or if so they are still among the -uninterred dead. - -The task of recovering the bodies that are beneath or jammed into this -immense rick of debris, extending from the eastern to the western limits -of the city, a distance of over three miles, is a herculean one, and the -most expeditious way of removing the whole from a sanitary point of -view, is by fire. This, however, in the crippled condition of the fire -department and water works, would endanger the remaining portion of the -city. As it now stands this immense mass of debris, strewn with dead -bodies, the carcasses of decaying animals, etc., is a sore menace to the -health of the city and is the most difficult problem the Board of Health -has to deal with. - - - OPENING UP THE STREETS. - -The work of opening up the streets and disinfecting them is being -vigorously prosecuted. The debris and garbage is being removed, 250 -vessels of every description carrying it out to a safe place, where it -is burned. In a few days all streets will be opened for the passage of -vehicles. It was decided at a meeting of the Central Executive Committee -that all the laborers employed in burying the dead, cleaning the -buildings and moving the debris from the streets and sidewalks shall -receive $1.50 per day and rations. Heretofore they have been working for -nothing, and if they refused were impressed by the military. - -The work of relief of the sick and injured is well in hand and under the -direction of skilled physicians and nurses it is improved daily. Eleven -hundred tents were received by the Board of Health. All except 300, -retained for hospital purposes, will be distributed by the chairmen of -various ward sub-committees to shelter the homeless in their respective -wards. - -Houston, Tex., September 17.—The day after the report of the storm at -Galveston had been published to the world the Houston representative of -a Northern journal received this “rush” telegram: “Get photographs of -Galveston storm scenes, no matter what the expense; rush them through.” - -At that time no one had gone from the outside to Galveston, not even -newspaper men. Galveston was practically cut off from the outside world. -The scores of people hurrying to Houston with the desire of getting to -Galveston by the railroad and boats plying between there and that city -could not make the trip. - -The representative endeavored to charter a tug to send a photographer -and some newspaper men through, but the captain refused to go. - - - CAPTAIN WOULD NOT RISK THE TRIP. - -“I will sell you my boat,” he said, “but neither myself nor my men will -risk the trip.” - -By putting several thousand men at work all day Monday and Monday night -one railroad line was put in condition for a train to go from Houston to -Texas City, six miles from Galveston, the island being across the bay. - -This, the first train out of Houston, was to leave early Tuesday -morning. The news of its intended departure spread to all parts of the -country. Hundreds of grief-stricken, bewildered people, nearly crazed -with anxiety for relatives in the storm-swept country, stayed up all -night, with the hope of getting into Galveston. The railroad men let all -that they could possibly stow away in the coaches get on board, telling -them in advance, however, that no one would be able to get from Texas -City to Galveston. - -Arriving there with the train was the special photographer of the -newspaper with his camera. When this crowd of men and women reached -Texas City they found no means of riding further. - -The only possible way to make the perilous trip was to walk to Virginia -Point, two miles away, and this was across the marsh filled with debris -and bodies from the Galveston wreck. The photographer and the ten other -men attempted the task. They were nearly exhausted when the two miles -were finished. They had taken off their shoes and walked up to their -waists in water. Their feet were bruised. The photographer carefully -kept his camera from coming in contact with the water, however, and got -several graphic views when he reached the place. - -The ten men found a skiff that was thrown up the bay by the rush of -water on that fateful Saturday night. They dragged it for many weary -yards, finally getting it into the water, and managed to row to -Huntington Wharf, Galveston, a distance of two miles. Worn out as they -were, they walked to the city, the man with the camera being the first -photographer in from the outside. - -His troubles were not over, though. There were hundreds of terrible -scenes to photograph; at every turn there was a graphic picture; but the -people of Galveston, crazed with grief as they were, seemed to think it -a desecration that he was there, and that views of their wrecked town -and their dead should be thus recorded by the camera. They muttered and -they threatened. - -The photographer moved from one place to another. He hid himself and -only took a snapshot when he knew he was safe from the scrutiny of the -men and women who thought his work was a mockery of their grief. To show -the real mind of the people it will only be necessary to state that many -newspaper men who have visited all parts of the world as special -correspondents, who have had ingress to courts and Parliament, who have -traveled everywhere there has been news to find, found it impossible to -get into Galveston. - - - GETTING OUT OF GALVESTON. - -Getting out of Galveston, however, is comparatively easy. It was -Wednesday morning when the photographer finally reached Houston, -exhausted and nervous to a degree that made working a torture. He -managed to develop his pictures, and that evening that man rushed -forward the first photographs of actual storm scenes to leave the city. - -One hundred and thirty bodies of storm victims were recovered and -cremated to-day (September 17), nine days after the hurricane, and still -there are hundreds more to be found. They lie for the most part under -the twisted heaps of debris that line the city for miles along its -southern side. - -The problem of clearing away the wreckage in this part of the city, -where it is thickest, is still a very troublesome one despite all the -work that has been done. The quickest and best way would doubtless be by -fire, but the very mention of fire has a terror for Galvestonians now. -The city is practically without protection from fire, and if the flames -once get a good start, a holocaust might be the result, which would be -only second in horror to the hurricane. - -The problem is all the more serious because the danger of an epidemic -caused by the many dead bodies of men and animals is still great. -Sickness of a malarial type is already prevalent. The debris and garbage -is being removed with the aid of 250 wagons to places where it can -safely be burned, but that is a very slow process. Men are still being -impressed for the work under the oversight of the soldiers, but -hereafter all the laborers will be paid $1.50 a day out of the relief -funds. - - - ABOUT 17,000 PEOPLE RECEIVING RELIEF. - -Health Officer Wilkinson stated that 40 per cent. of the debris of every -description had been removed from the streets; that 95 per cent. of the -dead bodies had been disposed of, and that 95 per cent. of the carcasses -of animals had been removed from the city. - -Among the bodies found was that of Major W. T. Levy, United States -emigrant inspector for Galveston. His wife and three children perished, -but their bodies have not been recovered. In one place the body of a -mother was found with a babe of a few months tightly clasped to her -breast. - -About 17,000 people are now receiving relief each day, and the supplies -are sufficient for their immediate wants. This morning the first -supplies brought by the Chicago relief train arrived here by way of -Clinton. The train reached Houston at midnight Saturday, having made a -run of 270 miles from Fort Worth at an average speed of thirty-seven -miles an hour. Owing to a change in its schedule the people who had been -watching for its arrival failed to see it, and it was rushed over the -Southern Pacific Road to Clinton, where barges were waiting for the -supplies. - -The Chicago train was the largest that has yet been sent to Galveston, -and many expressions of gratitude to Chicago are heard here. Mayor -Jones, for instance, said to-day: “Chicago people are the best kind of -friends to have when one is in trouble. We cannot express our thanks to -them. We will show by our future what their help has meant to us. Like -Chicago we will rise above all disaster and rebuild our city better than -it has ever been before.” - -Eleven hundred tents were received to-day by the Board of Health. All -except 300, which were retained for the marine hospital on the beach, -have been distributed to the homeless in the different wards. - -Miss Clara Barton is giving her time and attention to assisting in the -work of relief and ascertaining what supplies are necessary to meet the -exigencies of the situation. - - - NUMEROUS CASES OF INSANITY. - -The city takes on more of the appearance of a business place each day. -To-day horse cars are running downtown, while there is both water and -electric service in limited portions of the city. Telephone -communication has been opened with Houston, and both of the telegraph -companies have greatly improved their service. All the railroad -companies announce they will have trains into the city inside of three -days, although at first only trains with construction material may risk -the trip across the repaired bridge. The Santa Fe Road expects its first -train on Thursday. - -A systematic effort was begun this morning to obtain the names of the -dead, so that the information can be used for legal purposes and for -life insurance settlements. Sworn statements from witnesses of death are -being recorded, and communication with people with information who have -left the city is being opened. - -There are numerous cases of insanity in Galveston as a result of the -terrible bereavements sustained by the survivors. Judge John J. Reagan, -a prominent lawyer, is at the Masonic relief station in a pitiable -condition. Judge Reagan lost every relative he had in Galveston. He sits -hour by hour in pathetic silence. Then he bursts out laughing, and his -laughter is followed by tears. - -There are now about 200 soldiers in Galveston doing police duty, and -more have been called for. The Dallas Rough Riders, the Houston Light -Guards, the Galveston Sharpshooters, Battery D, of Houston and Cavalry -Troop A, Houston, are the commands. - -The affiliated labor organization of this city, over 500 of its members -having lost everything, has issued an address appealing to every labor -organization throughout the country for assistance. It has appointed T. -W. Dee and James F. Grimes as agents to visit all large cities in behalf -of aid for their stricken members. Dee and Grimes have also received -credentials from Mayor Jones, and they left to-night on their mission. - -Not a day goes by but new stories of almost miraculous escapes and of -prolonged suffering are told here. The conditions of the hurricane were -such that it was luck alone that permitted men to escape death. - - - ESCAPE OF REV. L. P. DAVIS AND FAMILY. - -The escape of Rev. L. P. Davis, his wife and his five young children on -Bolivar Peninsula and their seven days of suffering before they reached -here is of a kind rarely to be equaled in the annals of disasters. This -has already been detailed in these pages. Mr. Davis started to drive his -family away from his home at Patton Beach when the water began to rise -high. He saw a neighbor’s family washed out of their wagon and rescued -them. - -The party made their way to a grove, where the adults tied the children -and themselves in the branches of trees. They spent a fearful night. On -Sunday, when the waters went down, they made their way past many corpses -till they found a farmhouse not entirely destroyed. There they got a -little food and then set out on foot, living on the raw flesh of a steer -till they found an overturned sailboat and managed to reach Galveston. -From here they went to Houston, where they will be cared for. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. -Governor Sayres Revises His Estimate of Those Lost and Makes it 12,000—A - Multitude of the Destitute—Abundant Supplies and Vast Work of - Distribution. - - -Governor Sayres issued a statement September 19th, in which he said in -part: “The loss of life occasioned by the storm in Galveston and -elsewhere on the southern coast cannot be less than 12,000 lives, while -the loss of property will probably aggregate $20,000,000. -Notwithstanding this severe affliction, I have every confidence that the -stricken districts will rapidly revive, and that Galveston will, from -her present desolation and sorrow, arise with renewed strength and -vigor.” - -Speaking further of the situation at Galveston, the Governor said: “I -look for the rebuilding of Galveston to be well under way by the latter -part of this week. The work of cleaning the city of unhealthful refuse -and burying the dead will have been completed by that time, and all the -available labor in the city can be applied to the rebuilding. - -“If the laboring people of Galveston will only get to work in earnest, -prosperity will soon again smile on the city. Arrangements have been -made to pay all the laborers working under the direction of the military -authorities $1.50 and rations for every day they have worked or will -work. An account has been kept of all work done, and no laborer will -lose one day’s pay. - -“The money and food contributions coming from a generous people have -been a great help to the people of Galveston, as it has relieved them of -the necessity of spending their money to support the needy, and it can -now be applied to the improvement of their own property and putting -again on foot their business enterprises. - -“Five dollars a day is being offered to the mechanics who will come to -Galveston, and with the assurance from reputable physicians that there -is no extraordinary danger of sickness, outside laborers will flock to -Galveston, and before many days a new city will rise on the storm-swept -island. - -“The telegraph and telephone companies and railroads have been -exceedingly generous since the great calamity. They have not only given -money, but everything has been transported to that city free of charge, -while those desiring to get away from the harrowing scenes of Galveston -have been transported free. The people of Texas will long remember with -grateful hearts the kindness of these companies. It is now an assured -fact that trains will be running into Galveston this week, and, with -uninterrupted communication with the outside world, Galveston should -soon assume her normal condition.” - - - DISTRIBUTING $40,000 A DAY. - -Twenty thousand people are being fed and cared for daily in Galveston -with the supplies which are pouring in from all parts of the country. -This will be cut at least one-half in ten days, is the statement of W. -A. McVitie, chairman of the central relief committee. - -The estimated cost of the aid which is now being extended is $40,000 a -day. The great bulk of the aid is going to the 4,000 men who are at work -cleaning up the wreckage, digging for bodies and cleaning the streets. -Through them it goes to their families. No able-bodied laboring man is -allowed to escape the work, whether he needs aid or not, though most of -them do. The business men who are in position to resume are allowed to -attend to their stores, and their clerical forces are not interfered -with. - -The debris-hunting and street-cleaning work will be put upon a cash -basis, the wages being $1.50. Time has been kept from the beginning, -though the records are not complete, and it is the expectation, if the -money which comes in from outside is adequate, that the men will be paid -for the full time they have worked. This will apply to those who had to -be made to work at the point of the bayonet, as well as those who -volunteered their services. This will not be given in cash, but in the -form of orders for tools for mechanics, lumber for those who have homes -they wish to repair, etc. - -Heretofore practically every able-bodied man has been made to work, and -unless he worked he got no supplies. The first few days’ wages consisted -entirely of rations, which were given according to the number and needs -of the laborer’s family, regardless of the amount of work he -accomplished. Since other supplies have begun coming in they have been -added. - -The work of distribution is being conducted systematically and with an -apparent minimum of imposition and fraud. There is a central committee, -of which W. A. McVitie, a prominent business man, is chairman. Then -there is a committee for each one of the twelve wards. As fast as goods -or provisions arrive from the mainland they are placed in the central -warehouse, from there the different ward chairmen requisition them, and -they are taken to supply depots in the different wards. All day long -there is a motley crowd around every one of these depots, negroes -predominating at least two to one. Every applicant passes in review -before the ward chairman. - - - ONLY THE DESTITUTE HELPED. - -“Ah want a dress foh ma sistah,” says a big negress. - -“You’re ’Manda Jones, and you haven’t any sister living here,” replied -the chairman. - -“Foh de Lord, ah has; ah ain’t ’Mandy Jones at all; we done live on -Avenue N before de storm, and we los’ everything.” - -“Go out with this woman and find out if she has a sister who needs a -dress,” says the chairman to a committeeman. In this way check is kept -on all the applicants for aid. - -At the 5th ward distributing station clothing was being given away this -evening. A negro woman, who had been refused a supply, went outside and -by way of revenge pointed out different ones of her friends and -neighbors whom she alleged were similarly unentitled. - -“Dat woman done los’ nothin’ at all,” she shrieked. “Ah did not los’ -nuthin’ mahself and doan wan’ nuthin.” - -“What’s the trouble?” asked a bystander. An old negress who was lined up -waiting her turn, replied: “Oh, she’s mad ’cause de white folks won’t -give her nuthin.” So far no woman has been required to work, but a -strong feeling is developing to compel negro women to work cleaning up -the houses. There are plenty of people who are willing to hire them, but -as long as free food and clothing can be secured it is hard to get -colored women to go in and clean up the partially ruined homes. - -“Our supply of foodstuffs is adequate,” said Chairman McVitie, “but just -now we are a little short of clothing. This, however, may not be true -to-morrow. We have no idea of the contents of the cars on the road to -us. Frequently we don’t know anything is coming until the cars reach -Texas City. With the money which has been coming in we have been -augmenting our supplies by purchasing of local merchants in lines where -there was a shortage. - - - SAYS MONEY IS MOST NEEDED. - -“What do we need worst? Money. If we have money we can order just what -we need and probably get better value than the people who are buying it. -Many people have made the mistake of sending money to Houston and Dallas -and asking committees there to buy for us. They do not know just what we -need, and if we had the money we could do better for ourselves. Money -should be sent to us.” - -One of the most remarkable things attending the Galveston disaster is -the fortitude of the people. Their loss in relatives, friends and -property has been so overwhelming that it seems too much to be expressed -with outward grief. - -Two men who had not seen each other since the disaster met in the -street. “How many did you lose?” they asked by common impulse. - -“I lost all my property, but my wife and I came through all right.” - -“I was not so fortunate. My wife and my little boy were both drowned.” - -There was an expression of sympathy from the other, but nothing -approaching a tear from either. - -“They are making good progress cleaning up,” remarked the one whose -losses were heaviest, with a pleasant smile. The other one makes light -answer and they pass on. - -The people of Galveston have seen so much death that they are -temporarily hardened to it. The announcement of the loss of another -friend means little to a man who has seen the dead bodies of neighbors -and townspeople hauled to the wharf by the dray-load. - -No services have been attempted for the dead. Neither has there been -memorial services. The Rev. J. M. K. Kerwin, priest in charge of St. -Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, said: “It was impossible. Priest and layman -had to join in the work of cleaning the city of dead bodies. I don’t -expect there will be memorial services for a month.” - - - STOOD THE STORM WELL. - -Father Kerwin’s church is among the few which are comparatively little -damaged. He sets the value of Catholic property destroyed in the city at -$300,000. Included in this loss is the Ursula convent and academy, which -was badly damaged. It covered four blocks between Twenty-fifth and -Twenty-seventh streets and Avenues N and O. It was the finest in the -South. - -The city is rapidly improving in its sanitary conditions. The smell from -the ooze and mud with which most of the streets are filled is stronger -than that which comes from the debris heaps containing undiscovered -bodies. When these heaps are being burned and the wind carries the smoke -over the city, the odor is very similar to that which afflicts Chicago -at night when refuse is being burned at the stockyards, and no worse. -Soon even the odor of the slime will be gone. Every dump-cart in the -city is at work. - -Every Galveston business man talks confidently of the future of the -city, though many of the clerks announce their intention of going away -as soon as they can accumulate money enough. “I’m not afraid of another -storm,” said a clerk in one of the principal stores. “But I’m sick and -tired of the whole business.” - -The Southwestern Telephone and Telegraph Company, which is a branch of -the Erie system, will rebuild its telephone system here. “This will take -us three months, and in the meantime we will give no service save -long-distance,” said D. McReynolds, superintendent of construction. “We -will install a central emergency system the same as that in Chicago and -put all wires under ground. We will employ five hundred men if necessary -to do the work in ninety days. The company’s losses in Texas are -$300,000—$200,000 here, $60,000 at Houston and the rest at other -points.” - -Residents here are greatly pleased at this announcement, as it shows the -confidence of a foreign company in the future of Galveston. - - - ONLY ONE WHO ESCAPED. - -Cooped up in a house that collapsed after being carried along by a -deluge of water, John Elford, brother of A. B. Elford, Chicago, his wife -and little grandson, met death in the flood during the Galveston storm. -Milton, son of John Elford, was in the building with the family at the -time, and is the only one of the many occupants, including fifteen -women, that is known to have escaped. - -A. B. Elford was dumbfounded when he received the first information of -the disaster, for he had no idea of his brother being in Texas. John -Elford was a retired farmer and merchant of Langdon, N. D. He recently -had taken his family on a trip to old and New Mexico. Mr. Elford -yesterday received the following letter from Langdon, N. D.: - - -“We have just received a letter from Milton. Father, mother, Dwight and -Milton went to Galveston from Mineral Springs, Texas, where they had -previously been stopping. They were so delighted with Galveston on -reaching there that they sold their return tickets and decided to remain -about two months. They were at first in a house near the beach, but -moved farther away and to a larger and stronger house when the water -began to rise. - -“All at once the water came down the street, bringing houses and debris. -They started to build a raft, but before it could be got together the -house started to float. It had gone but a short distance when it went to -pieces. Milton was struck with something and knocked out into the water. -He came up, caught a timber and climbed to a roof, and thus managed to -make his escape. - -“He saw no one escape from the building as it collapsed. We do not -believe the bodies have yet been recovered. We have wired for more -definite news regarding the bodies, but have heard nothing more. - - “EDGAR ELFORD.” - - -William Guest, a Pullman car porter, returned to Chicago from the -storm-stricken district. He said: - - -“I left Harrisburg night before last, and things then in the -neighborhood were in a dreadful state. Galveston is about twenty miles -distant, and the refugees were pouring in the direction of Houston in -great numbers. Many well-to-do colored people have lost all they had. -The Rev. W. H. Cain, a colored Episcopal minister and his entire family -were killed, and it was reported to me that Mrs. Cuney, the widow of -Wright Cuney, was also lost, as well as a number of colored teachers -employed in the public schools. At Houston relief committees have been -organized.” - - -The Rev. Mr. Cain was well known in Chicago, having preached several -times from the pulpit of the St. Thomas Episcopal church in Dearborn -near 30th street. - -The Quinn chapel congregation decided at a meeting that the church at -24th street and Wabash avenue should be opened in order that -contributions of clothing and food for the sufferers might be received. - - - KAISER MOURNS FOR GALVESTON. - -Washington, D. C., Sept 17.—President McKinley has received the -following message of sympathy from Emperor William of Germany: - - -“Stettin, Sept. 13, 1900.—President of the United States of America, -Washington: I wish to convey to your excellency the expression of my -deep-felt sympathy with the misfortune that has befallen the town and -harbor of Galveston and many other ports of the coast, and I mourn with -you and the people of the United States over the terrible loss of life -and property caused by the hurricane, but the magnitude of the disaster -is equaled by the indomitable spirit of the citizens of the new world, -who, in their long and continued struggle with the adverse forces of -nature have proved themselves to be victorious. - -“I sincerely hope that Galveston will rise again to new prosperity. - - “WILLIAM, I. R.” - - - PRESIDENT THANKS THE KAISER. - -The President’s reply was as follows: - - -“Executive Mansion, Sept. 14, 1900.—His Imperial and Royal Majesty, -William II., Stettin, Germany: Your majesty’s message of condolence and -sympathy is very grateful to the American government and people, and in -their name as well as on behalf of the many thousands who have suffered -bereavement and irreparable loss in the Galveston disaster, I thank you -most earnestly. - - “WILLIAM MCKINLEY.” - - -W. B. McGown, a member of the Dallas Rough Riders, to-day arrived at -Dallas from Galveston on sick leave. He denies the reports that have -been current in Dallas and other Texas cities of trouble with soldiery -at Galveston or of any misconduct on the part of the militia. Mr. McGown -says more and fresh troops are needed at Galveston. One-half of the -Houston Light Guard have had to be relieved and placed on sick leave. A -number have died from malarial fever contracted at Galveston. - -The Houston Cavalry, the Navasota Infantry, the Trezevant Rifles, of -Dallas, and the Rough Riders were the only troops on duty last night, -and a considerable part of these companies were unfit for duty. Two -infantry companies from Fort Worth, Claburn, and the Dallas Artillery -were expected to-day. - -There were twenty-five fires kept burning to consume dead bodies in the -debris in a stretch of three miles. McGown says information was received -at the Dallas headquarters of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad -that construction trains with materials had already crossed the bay from -the mainland to Galveston Island. Local Santa Fe officials say supplies -and building materials will be rushed to the island rapidly from now on. -Galveston now has railroad, telegraph and telephone connection with the -outside world. - -A special correspondent writing from Galveston on September 19th, said: - -“The most serious problem which now confronts those in authority here is -the disposition of the dead and the removal of wreckage. This matter is -being attended to by a large force scattered through the city, but the -number is inadequate to meet the requirements. - - - EXHAUSTION THINS OUT THE WORKERS. - -“At a meeting of the Auxiliary Health Board to-day a committee was -appointed to suggest to Adjutant General Scurry, in charge of city -forces, and the General Relief Committee, the advisability of having the -work done by contract and importing men to do it. Reports from various -wards where men have been engaged in this work show a decrease in -numerical strength, due to exhaustion and other causes. In some -instances men who are skilled mechanics and have assisted in the -disposition of the dead have obtained employment at their regular -trades. - -“It was announced this evening that a contract will be let for the -removal of bodies and the huge mass of debris, which, in some parts of -the city, reaches a height of fifteen feet. To do this, about three -thousand men will be brought here from the interior. They will come with -their own cooks and rations and camp on the beach, and will be paid $2 a -day. It is estimated that it will require from twenty to thirty days to -remove the wreckage. - -“Under one pile of debris to-day thirty bodies were found and cremated. -Bodies are still being washed ashore at Texas City, Bolivar Point, -Pelican Island and other coast points near Galveston. There is no time -to dig graves, and the bodies are hastily consigned to the flames. - -“The city is still under martial law, and guards are patrolling the -streets day and night. An example was made of a man arrested for selling -liquor. The offender was marched to general headquarters, and, after a -severe reprimand, was put to work on the street gang, removing and -disposing of bodies. He will serve without pay for an indefinite period. - -“All hospital relief stations and all points in the city are thoroughly -disinfected. Dr. Peckham, of the United States Marine Corps, has -established a camp for the injured and ill at Tremont and Beach avenues. -Directly opposite is a camp for refugees. Camps will be established on -the beach at the foot of Fifteenth street. - -“Reports from Sealy Hospital, St. Mary’s Infirmary and other temporary -hospitals are that sanitary rules are strictly followed, and the -buildings are in fairly good shape. A great many patients from Sealy and -St. Mary’s have been sent to Houston. - - - SERIOUS CASES OF INJURY. - -“In the vicinity of the hospitals there is a mass of debris containing -many bodies, and the Health Board has sent an urgent appeal to -headquarters to have this debris cleared. - -“Emergency hospitals report wounds dressed on an average of 150 to 200 a -day. Many report serious cases. - -“A census has been taken of St. Mary’s Catholic parish, embracing the -territory from Sixteenth to Twenty-seventh street. It shows a loss of -267 from this parish alone. A census of the city is now being taken, -which will embrace a list of the survivors, the dead and the amount of -personal and property losses. - -“Death from a broken heart was the doctor’s verdict when Miss Clara -Olson died at an early hour this morning. When the storm was at its -height the little house Miss Olson occupied with her aged mother -collapsed. Mother and daughter found refuge on a floating housetop for -several hours. A floating timber driven with terrible force crushed Mrs. -Olson’s skull. The girl drifted to the Ursuline convent, where she was -cared for by the Sisters. She grieved constantly for her mother, and at -last died of a broken heart.” - -Houston, Tex., Sept. 20.—Official reports of conditions of interior -towns have begun to come in from agents sent out by Governor Sayres. -Following are summaries of reports so far received showing the -conditions of half a dozen towns on the Santa Fe. There are probably -fifty small towns, which are in just as bad shape and from which reports -have not been received, but which are being supplied with provisions, -clothing, and drugs from Houston by the committees: - -Pearland—Fifty families depending on Relief Committee; some supplies -received but assistance in other ways than provisions needed. Families -at Erin and Superior are to be supplied through Pearland. - -Algoa—Twenty-five families to be supplied; enough provisions for the -present. - - - DESTRUCTION IN OUTLYING DISTRICTS. - -Alvin—In the town of Alvin and vicinity there are probably six houses on -blocks out of a total of 1,000. The population of Alvin now to be fed is -about 1,500; Manvel, 250; Liverpool and Amsterdam, 250; Chocolate and -Austin Bayous, Chigger neighborhood, Dickinson Bayou, east and outside, -or the surrounding country, 2,500, making a total of 5,000 persons under -the supervision of the Alvin committee. The committee admits having a -sufficient amount of clothing. They have received a cash subscription of -about $2,000 and have spent $400. Have received two cars of flour from -Dallas, one car of meal from Dallas, one car of mixed goods from Tyler. -Along the bay shore, from Virginia Point to Liverpool, for a space of -six or eight miles from the bay front, there are many thousands of dead -cattle that should be immediately cremated or properly looked after. - -Arcadia—In the town there are 300 destitute, and those in the immediate -vicinity will make the aggregate 500. Provisions already supplied -sufficient for immediate needs only. - -Hitchcock—In this town and immediate vicinity are more than 500 -destitute. Of about 300 houses, only about ten are standing. A wave of -salt water, from four to ten feet in depth, covered this section; -thirty-eight lives were lost, and, for the time being, it is feared that -the soil has been seriously damaged by the effect of salt water. -Supplies of provisions were sent yesterday. There are probably 10,000 -dead cattle within a space of a few miles south and surrounding the -town, and every house should be supplied for at least ten days with -disinfectants. Fever is now settling in there, and Dr. J. T. Scott, of -Houston, went there yesterday. An idea of the velocity of the wind and -wave of salt water that swept over this immediate section may be -imagined when it is known that the Texas City dredge boat is now lying -high and dry in a garden at this place, a distance of eight miles or -more from its moorings. - - - HOUSES AND OTHER PROPERTY GONE. - -Alta Loma—This committee reports about seventy-five families, or 300 -persons, to be cared for. Have received 530 rations. People have no -money and their property destroyed. In the neighborhood of 100 houses -existed; forty destroyed and about twenty untenantable. There are about -four houses now on blocks. Two lives were lost. The population is mainly -of northern people. A shipment was made them of provisions and -medicines, but other things are needed at once. - -Col. B. H. Belo, publisher of the “Galveston News,” said that Galveston -would be rebuilt at once. - -“The storm and flood taught us several lessons,” said Col. Belo, in an -interview. “The loss of life would have been comparatively light if the -buildings had been of a more solid character. The Ursuline convent, for -instance, was surrounded by a brick wall, and there was no loss of life -there, although it stood right in the path of the flood and storm. There -were no lives lost in the ‘News’ office, and we would not have been -badly flooded had it not been for a building falling and battering in a -part of our wall. - -“I believe that all buildings will be of a more solid and enduring -character than formerly. I think, too, that the streets along the water -front will be built higher than they were. The city must be rebuilt. It -is the only outlet worthy the name on the Gulf west of New Orleans. The -government spent $6,000,000 to make a thirty-foot harbor there, and the -shipping is so extensive that rebuilding the wrecked portions of the -city is imperative.” - -A tale of self sacrifice comes from the western part of the city. A -young man by the name of Wash Masterson heard the cries of some people -outside. They were calling for a rope. He had no rope, but improvised -one from bed sheets, and started out to find the people who were -calling. The wind and water soon tore his rope to shreds and he had to -return to the house, where he made another and stronger rope. - - - THE CRIES OF THE PEOPLE. - -The cries of the people still filled his ears. He went out a second time -and after being gone for what seemed an hour or more to those who were -waiting he returned with the people. They had clung to the branches of a -salt cedar tree. Mr. Masterson was not satisfied with that, but went out -for other people immediately, the water having begun to fall about that -time, and worked all night. - -A little black dog stood barking over a sand hill in the west end beyond -Woollam’s lake. Those who endeavored to stop his barking by driving him -away did not succeed for he returned as soon as they ceased their -attempts. It was suggested that he was guarding a body, but others -scouted the idea. - -Finally they dug beneath the spot where the dog stood, and there they -found the remains of a young girl whom they identified by the rings she -wore as Miss Lena Everhart, a popular little lady, well known both in -Galveston and Dallas. This whole family, with the exception of one son, -Elmer Everhart, and a daughter, Mrs. Robert Brown, who lives near -Dickinson and was there at the time, was lost. The father ran a dairy -just southwest of Woollam’s lake. - -At Twelfth and Sealy avenue there lived a colored man and his wife. -There was a grocery on the corner and those who weathered the storm -report that he stood near the beer keg in the bar room of the grocery -drinking steadily until he was swept away, his idea evidently being to -destroy consciousness before the storm did it for him. His body was -picked out of a pile of debris between Twelfth and Thirteenth on Sealy -avenue. - -The Catholic Orphans’ Home on the beach at the west end of the city went -some time after 5.30 o’clock Saturday evening. Mr. Harry Gray, who lived -in Kinkead subdivision, just beyond the city limits, was compelled to -leave his house at that hour and says the home was standing then. Now -not a vestige of it remains. Eight nuns and all but one of ninety-five -children were lost. This child, a little tot, was found on the north -side of the island in a tree. “I’se been ’seep,” he lisped. “My head was -in de water.” - - - MR. GRAY’S STORY. - -Mr. Gray’s story is interesting. His house fell and he fought his way -out with a wife who was just out of a sick bed. He managed to get to the -next house with her. This was the home of Ed. Hunter. That house went -between 6.30 and 7, and the Hunter family was lost. Mr. Gray caught a -transom, put the arm of his wife through it, and soon found that the -transom belonged to the side of the house, about 20×20 feet in size. It -was nothing but the side of the house made of ordinary siding and -studding. He swung onto this and even now does not understand how it -stood up under them. - -All the time he kept telling his wife to hold onto him, and this she -did. Along in the night the raft struck a tree and was swept from under -them. Gray caught a limb with his wife still clinging to him. By this -time he was almost completely exhausted but he managed by a hundred -successive efforts to get his wife into the tree. - -A little later a colored man was seen coming through the water. Gray -called to him to take to the lower limbs and not come higher, for he was -afraid the tree with three people on it would be made top-heavy. When -daylight came he took his wife in his arms and told the negro to go -ahead for a house they saw in the distance, for had there been any holes -he wanted to be advised of it before he went into them with his wife, -for it was all he could do to push through the water in his exhausted -condition. - -After walking until 10 o’clock he reached the high land in the Denver -resurvey and eventually got to town. Not until yesterday had he -sufficiently recovered from his exhaustion to come onto the streets. He -is cut and bruised in a dozen places. He says the water in Kinkead -addition was ten feet deep. - -Robert Park and a party of men came in from Hitchcock Sunday, arriving -that evening. They started in a skiff, and finally reached a prairie, -over which they carried the boat. Finally they reached water again, and -along about noon went alongside the British steamer “Roma,” which was -dragged from her moorings in the roads between the jetties, about seven -miles up the channel and landed in the draw of the county bridge. They -report the steamer in good condition. They got water and food there and -came on across. - - - A GRUESOME SIGHT. - -Mr. Park says twenty people arrived at Hitchcock on rafts from Galveston -before he left. These had been carried by the storm from Galveston to -Hitchcock, a distance of about eighteen miles. They also saw a pile -driven from the Huntington wharves high on the prairie far beyond -Virginia Point. - -A gruesome sight passed along the street Monday afternoon. Workmen in -digging bodies from the debris found one of a handsome man with dark -hair and mustache and dressed in a light suit of clothes. He was on his -knees, his eyes were uplifted, and his clasped hands were extended as in -prayer. It was evident that the man had been praying when he was struck -and instantly killed. As a rule, the attitudes of those who were found -were with hands extended up as if endeavoring to save themselves. - -The destruction of the Catholic Orphans’ Home and the loss of -seventy-five lives with it was told by one of three boys who came -through a terrible experience by dint of good Providence and nothing -else. It is a fact that three boys came into the city from there who had -passed through a terrible experience. With these three and one reported -on the bay shore but four out of a total of seventy-eight people lived -to tell the tale. - -According to the story all the children were gathered with the Sisters -and the two workmen in the chapel on the ground floor in the west wing -of the building. The storm was raging terribly outside and they all -engaged in prayer. The east wing finally went down and they were driven -from the chapel to the floor above, the water coming in and threatening -to drown them. Some clambered out on the roof of the part remaining, but -not all. Finally along about 8 o’clock—they are not positive as to the -time by an hour—the remainder of the building went and the roof went -into the water. - - - DESTRUCTION OF CATHOLIC ORPHANS’ HOME. - -What became of the others nobody can say. Campbell only knows that he -got out from the building somehow and caught a piece of drift, either a -part of the roof or something of the sort. The Murney boy broke through -a transom and got out. He drifted for some time and finally caught a -tree to which he clung and soon found that the two other boys had caught -the same tree. Prior to that they had been separated, but a strange fate -attracted them to the same place. - -This tree, it developed later, had caught in the masts of the wreck of -the schooner “John S. Ames,” which lies almost south of the home. There -they remained all night. At one time Campbell was about to give up and -cried that he was drowning. The Murney boy caught him and lashed him to -the mast with a piece of rope that he found there. In that way was his -life saved. - -When morning came they found that they were alone in the open Gulf on a -tree. The tree soon broke adrift from the mast, and, strange as it may -seem, brought them in shore. They finally landed and started west, not -knowing which direction to take. They finally brought up at a house -something like two miles from the place where the home had been but so -recently located. There they found their location, but were unable to -get anything to eat because the woman in the house had nothing herself. - -So they came on toward the city, but it was a long, hard pull through -wet sand, and hungry and faint for the want of fresh water and food. -They brought up at a house that had gone through the storm, was partly -demolished and at the back of which was another house supporting it. -There they remained during Sunday night, and were afraid every minute -that the force of the little blow that came up during the night would -demolish the place of refuge. But it stood, and in the morning they -started on, reaching the home of young Murney during the day. There they -got food and dry clothes. The other two boys were taken to the -infirmary, where they are being cared for. - - - NEW FEATURES OF THE CALAMITY. - -Another account is as follows and contains new pictures of the scene: - -The elements, which had been cutting up didoes and blowing every which -way during the preceding twenty-four hours, got down to it in earnest -fashion Saturday morning, when a strong wind, accompanied by rain, which -first came in great splashing drops which one could almost dodge, but -afterwards became a hard, driving rain, began to get in its work. - -Along the bay front the waves rose higher and higher and tossed about -the small craft anchored in the slips like cockle shells. Striking the -bulkheading of the wharves with mighty force the waves broke into clouds -of spray, which leaped over the wharves and drenched the men whom duty -or curiosity caused to be in that neighborhood. - -Although the wind was in the north, a heavy sea was running and the -breakers rolled up the beach with angry roars. The little bath houses on -wheels scattered along the beach were picked up by the great waves and -dashed against the row of little, flimsy structures along the Midway and -piled up against them in uneven stacks. Early in the forenoon the Midway -presented a picture almost of desolation, filled as it was with debris -from the small platforms, stairways and landings along the beach front, -which had been carried away and washed up by the sea. At times the waves -would recede, leaving the beach almost bare of water, and then, as if -gathering force anew they would sweep in, rolling several feet high, -passing over the shelving beach, lapping over tracks of the street -railway and gushing the water into avenue R. - -Early in the forenoon the waves were leaping at times over the trestle -work of the street railway along the beach front, making it impossible -to operate the cars around the belt, as the water would have burned out -the motors. The cars were therefore operated between town and the Gulf -on the double tracks of either side of the belt line. A little later in -the forenoon the waves undermined the track at Twenty-fourth street and -avenue R. They washed under the little Midway houses on the south side -of avenue R, which were built on piling, and in places carried away the -sidewalks in front of the buildings, which were not thus supported. - - - THE ANGER OF THE SEA. - -The platform which supported the photograph gallery at the Pagoda bath -house was washed away. This was not a part of the original structure, -and was not as strongly built as the remainder of the bath house. The -bath house proper and its pier, extending out to sea, were not at that -time (Saturday noon) disturbed by the waves, although the high rollers -at times dashed so near the flooring of this and the other bath houses -that it looked like a rise of a few inches would punch up the flooring. - -The scene at the beach was grand. The sea in its anger was a sight -beautiful, though awe-inspiring, to behold. Notwithstanding the wind and -the driving rain, thousands of people went to the beach to behold the -maddened sea, and the street cars were kept quite busy. Down town, -during the early morning, when the rain was not so heavy, there seemed -no apparent necessity for getting into rainy day garb to make this trip -to the beach, and many people went out in their best bibs and tuckers, -to their sorrow. Well dressed men and women disembarked from the cars at -the beach and picked their way amid swirling pools of water and the -spent waves to get into midway and to pass along to places where a good -view of the sea might be obtained. - -For a few minutes they succeeded in keeping feet and bodies reasonably -dry, but using umbrellas counted for naught, and were soon turned wrong -side out or ripped into ribbons, and their owners getting partially wet, -abandoned themselves to the inevitable and went around seeing the -sights, caring not for the weather, nor worrying about their good duds. -Some people, with abundant foresight, appeared on the scene in bathing -suits, and, of course, they were right in it from the jump. - -At Twenty-fifth street the big waves rolled up the shelving beach, -crossed the street railway tracks, leaving the water impounded behind -the embankment. These waters backed up in the ditches and the low places -of the street as far as avenue N, and the supply being ever replenished, -both from the sea and from the clouds, there was no opportunity for this -water to run off. - - - IMPOSSIBLE TO NAVIGATE. - -The shell man and others of the Midway folk moved their stocks out -during the morning to be on the safe side, but others, who have long -been acquainted with the sea and who were less timorous, stayed by their -places and kept their goods and chattels there. - -At that hour the water was on a level with the wharf at pier 23, and was -rapidly rising. Later it was almost impossible to navigate along the -wharf front on account of the deep water and the high wind. Of course, -it was wholly out of the question for any vessels to move for any -purpose, and equally impossible for steamers to make an entry into the -harbor. The pilot boat would not have been able to get alongside, and if -any vessel approached the harbor she would have to put to sea for fear -of grounding if she came too close. Several vessels are due. - -No attempt at doing any business was made after noon, for it was equally -out of the question to load steamers as it was to move them. If damage -was done it was the result of pounding. Some cement stored on the pier -head was damaged by the water washing up under it in the morning, and as -it was not practicable to move it, it is a total loss. - -While working with a gang of men clearing the wreckage of a large number -of houses on avenue O and Center street, Mr. John Vance found a live -prairie dog locked in the drawer of a bureau. It is impossible to -identify the house or the name of its former occupant, as several houses -were piled together in a mass of brick and timber. The bureau was pulled -out of the wreckage a few feet from the ground, where it had been buried -beneath about ten feet of debris. The little animal seemed none the -worse from its experience of four days locked up in a drawer beneath a -mountain of wreckage. It was taken home and fed by Mr. Vance, who will -hold the pet for its owner if the owner survived the storm. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. -An Island of Desolation—Crumbling Walls—Faces White With Agony—Tales of - Dismay and Death—Curious Sights. - - -One of the most graphic and thrilling accounts of the overwhelming -calamity is contained in the following pages. It is from the brilliant -pen of a visitor to the city and eye-witness of the awful ruin: - -The story of Galveston’s tragedy can never be written as it is. Since -the cataclysm of Saturday night, a force of faithful men have been -struggling to convey to humanity from time to time some of the -particulars of the tragedy. They have told much, but it was impossible -for them to tell all, and the world, at best, can never know all, for -the thousands of tragedies written by the storm must forever remain -mysteries until eternity shall reveal all. Perhaps it were best that it -should be so, for the horror and anguish of those fatal and fateful -hours were mercifully lost in the screaming tempest and buried forever -beneath the raging billows. Only God knows, and for the rest let it -remain forever in the boundlessness of His omniscience. But in the realm -of finity, the weak and staggered senses of mankind may gather fragments -of the disaster, and may strive with inevitable incompleteness to convey -the merest impression of the saddest story which ever engaged the -efforts of a reporter. - -Galveston! The mournful dirges of the breakers which lash the beach can -not in the remaining centuries of the world give expression to the -sorrow and woe which throbs here to-day; and if the sobbing waves and -sighing winds, God’s great funeral choir, fail, how can the weak pen and -appalled imaginations of men perform the task? The human heart can -merely feel what language will never be able to express. And in the case -of Galveston, the heart must break before it can begin to feel. - -I struggled all day Tuesday to reach this isle of desolation. With Gen. -McKibben, Gen. Scurry, Gen. Stoddard and several who had relatives here -about whom they were anxious, I spent five hours on the bay in a row -boat, kindly loaned by the captain of the “Kendel Castle,” a British -steamship hopelessly stranded at Texas City, but finally we landed on -the island just as the stars were coming out. - -The very atmosphere smelt of death, and we walked through the quiet -streets to the Tremont Hotel. Long before we landed we had seen the -naked forms of men, women and children floating in the bay and were -depressed until the entire party was heartsick. - -Men were grouped about the streets talking in quiet tones. Sad and -hopeless women could be seen in dismantled houses, destitute children -were about the streets, and all about them was nothing but wreck and -ruin. Night had drawn a gray pall over the city and for awhile the -autumn moon covered her face with dark clouds to hide the place with -shadows. The town was under martial law, every saloon was closed, and -passers-by were required to give an account of themselves before being -allowed to proceed. The fact, however, that the streets were almost -impassable on account of the debris kept us reminded that we were in the -midst of unprecedented desolation. - - - REVEALED A SCENE. - -Wednesday the sun drew aside the curtains of darkness and revealed a -scene that is impossible of description. I spent hours driving or riding -about the city, and witnessed the saddest spectacles ever seen by human -eyes. What were once Galveston’s splendid business thoroughfares were -wrecked and crumbled. The Strand, known to every business man of the -State, was lined on both sides with crumbling walls and wrenched -buildings, and the street was a mass of debris, such as metal roofs -rolled up like a scroll, splintered timbers, iron pillars, broken stone -and bricks; the same was true of Mechanic, and Market, and Tremont, and -Twenty-first and Twenty-second, and every other street of the great -business heart of Galveston. - -The stores were ruined and deserted, and the blight of destruction was -visible as far as the eye could reach. As horrible as all this was, it -was as nothing to the hopeless faces of the miserable men, women and -children in the streets. - -I will not undertake to describe them, but as long as I live I will -never forget them. Many I knew personally, and these gave greeting, but -God, it was nothing but a handshake and tears. It seems that everybody I -had ever known here had lost somebody. The tears in their eyes, the -quiver of their voices, the trembling of lips! The brand of agony was -upon their faces and despair was written across their hearts. I would -plunge a dagger through my heart before I would endure this experience -again. - -The readers of this must pardon the personal nature of this narrative. -It is impossible to write without becoming a part of the story this -time. I met Elma Everhart, formerly a Dallas boy. I had known him from -childhood, and all his people. Indeed, I had once been an inmate of -their home in Oakcliff. I hardly knew him when he stopped me, he had -grown so much. He said: “Katy and her baby are at Dickinson. That town -was destroyed, but they are alive. I am going there and leave Galveston -forever.” - - - A TERRIBLE FATE. - -I knew he had woe in his heart, and I queried. - -“I am the only one left,” he answered. “Papa, mamma, Lena and Guy—they -are all gone.” - -I remember the last time I saw this family before they left Dallas. I -remember Lena, one of the most beautiful children I ever saw. I recall -her beautiful eyes and long, dark curls, and I remember when she kissed -me good-bye and joyously told me she was coming to Galveston to live! -And this was her fate. - -With all my old fondness for the ocean, recalling how I have lain upon -the sand hour after hour, looking at its distant sails and listening to -its mysterious voices, recalling happy moments too sacred for -expression, when I think of that sweet child as one of its victims, I -shall hate the sea forever. - -And yet, what can this grief of mine amount to in the presence of the -agony of the thousands who loved the 5000 souls who took leave of life -amid the wild surging waters and pitiless tempest of last Saturday -night? - -After surveying the dismantled business section of the city, a cabman -made his tortuous way through the residence sections. It was a slow -journey, for the streets were jammed with houses, furniture, cooking -utensils, bedding, clothing, carpets, window frames, and everything -imaginable, to say nothing of the numerous carcasses of the poor horses, -cows and other domestic animals. - - - HOUSES COMPLETELY CAPSIZED. - -Some of the houses were completely capsized, some were flat upon the -ground with not one timber remaining upon another, others were unroofed, -some were twisted into the most fantastic shapes, and there were still -others with walls intact, but which had been stripped of everything in -the way of furniture. It is not an uncommon thing for the wind at high -velocity to perform miraculous things, but this blast, which came at the -rate of 120 miles an hour, repeated all the tricks the wind has ever -enacted, and gave countless new manifestations of its mysterious power. -It were idle to undertake to tell the curious things to be seen in the -desolate residence streets; how the trees were uprooted and driven -through houses; how telegraph poles were driven under car tracks; how -pianos were transferred from one house to another. - -More ominous than all this were the vast piles of debris, from which -emanated odors which told of dead victims beneath, men, women and -children, whose silent lips will never reveal the agony from which death -alone released them. - -More sorrowful still the tear-stained faces of the women, half-clad, who -looked listlessly from the windows, haunted by memories from which they -can never escape—the loss of babies torn from their breasts and hurled -into a maelstrom of destruction, to be seen no more forever. - -What were those dismantled homes to the dismantled hearts within? How -can it be described? Will the world ever know the real dimensions of the -disaster which crushed Galveston and left her broken and disconsolate -like a wounded bird fluttering on the white sands of the ocean? - -And the beach? That once beautiful beach, with its long stretches of -white sand—what has become of that? Misshapen, distorted, blotched and -drabbled and crimsoned, it spread away to the horizons of the east and -west, its ugly scars rendered more hideous by the glinting rays of the -sun. Part of it had disappeared under the purling waters. Far out here -and there could be seen the piling, where once rested the places of -amusement. - -The waves were lashing the lawns which once stretched before palatial -homes. And the pools along the shore were stinking with the remains of -ill-fated dogs, cats, chickens, birds, horses, cows and fish. Shoreward, -as far as the eye could reach, were massive piles of houses and timbers, -all shattered and torn. - -A cloud of smoke was noticed, and driving to the scene, we found a large -number of men feeding the flames with the timbers of the wrecked homes -which once gave such a charm to Galveston beach. - - - BURNING 1000 HUMAN BODIES. - -And why the fire? The men were burning 1000 human bodies cast up by the -sea, and the fuel was the timber of the homes which the poor victims -once occupied! And yet this awful spectacle was but a fragment of the -murderous work of the greatest storm which has swept the ocean’s shore -for a century! - -There were dozens of piles of sand in every direction along that -mutilated shore. And men were noticed in the distance shoveling these -uncanny mounds. - -We saw what they were doing. The bodies brought in by the tide were -being buried deep in the sand. Driving beyond the grave diggers we saw -prostrate on the sand the stark and swollen forms of women and children -and floating farther out in the tide were other bodies soon to be -brought in to be buried. The waves were only the hearses bringing in the -dead to be buried in the sand along the shore. It is the contemplation -of such scenes as these that staggers consciousness and stings the human -soul. - -They told me with sad humor that what I had seen was as nothing to what -I could have seen had I been here Sunday and Monday mornings. I am glad, -then, that I did not come sooner, and I am sorry that I ever came at -all. What I have seen has been sufficient to make me miserable to the -longest day of my life, and what I have heard that I could not see and -could not have seen had I been in the storm, will haunt me by day and -night as long as my senses remain. - -I am telling an incident repeated to me by one of the most prominent and -distinguished citizens of Galveston. On Monday seven hundred bodies had -been gathered in one house near the bay shore. Recognition of a single -one was impossible. The bodies were swollen and decomposition was -setting in rapidly. Indeed, the odor of death was on the air for blocks. -What disposition should be made of this horrifying mass of human flesh -was an imminent problem. - - - IMPOSSIBLE TO DISPOSE OF THE DEAD. - -While the matter was under discussion, the committee was informed that -there was no time to waste in deliberation, that some of the bodies were -already bursting. It was impossible to bury them, and they could not be -incinerated in that portion of the city without endangering more life -and more property, as there was no water to extinguish a fire once -started. It was decided to load the bodies on a barge, tow it out to sea -and sink them with weights. That was the only thing to be done. - -Men were called to perform this awful duty, but they quailed at the -task. And who could blame them? They were told that quick action was -necessary, or a pestilence might come and sweep off the balance of the -living. Still they were immovable. It was no time for dallying. - -A company of men with rifles at fixed bayonets were brought to the -scene, and a force of men were compelled, at the point of the bayonet, -to perform this sad, sad duty. One by one the dead were removed to the -barge, everybody as naked as it had come into the world—men, women and -children, black and white, all classes of society and station and -condition, were represented in that putrid mass. The unwilling men who -were performing this awful task were compelled to bind cloths about -their nostrils while they were at work, and occasionally citizens passed -whiskey among them to nerve them to their duty. - -Who can conceive of the horror of this? - -After awhile the seven hundred dead were piled upon the barge and a tug -pulled them slowly out to sea. Eighteen miles out, where the sea was -rolling high, amid the soughing white caps, with God’s benediction -breathed in the moaning winds, all that was mortal of these seven -hundred was consigned to the mystic caves of the deep. - -And yet, this was but another incident of the sad tragedy of which we -write. - - - STORIES OF SORROW. - -George H. Walker, of San Antonio, known well in theatrical circles, was -a member of the party which struggled all day Tuesday to get to -Galveston, and he landed late at night. It was an anxious day for him, -for this was the city of his birth and before the storm he had six -brothers and five sisters living here, in addition to his son, an aunt -and his mother-in-law. - -He found his son safe and many other members of his family. They told -him how the boy, Earl, a lad of 15, had at the height of the tempest -placed his grandmother, Mrs. C. S. Johnson, on the roof of the house -after it was floating in the current, and had made a second trip to -bring his aunt to the roof. When the lad returned the grandmother was -gone, finding in the raging current her final peace. The boy and his -aunt, another Mrs. Johnson, clung to the roof throughout and -successfully weathered the gale. - -George Walker found later on, however, that his brother Joe, and his -stepbrother, Nick Donley, had been swept away to feed the fury of the -storm. - -I met W. R. Knight, of Dallas, who arrived yesterday at noon. He told me -that he had found his mother, two unmarried sisters and a married -sister, Mrs. E. Webster, safe. But he, too, had his sorrow. A sister, -Mrs. Ida Toothaker, and her daughter Etta, were lost, and his -brother-in-law, E. Webster, Sr., and five children, Charley, George, -Kenneth, Julia and Sarah, had joined the other two loved ones on the -bosom of the unresting sea. - -How many stories of sorrow like this that remain to be told cannot now -be numbered. The anxious people who have been straggling into Galveston -from a distance have usually found some dear relative or many of them -missing and numbered among the thousands who became in a few brief hours -the victims of the remorseless furies. - -It is with reluctance that I relate one case that came under my own -observation. It was so horrible that perhaps it ought not to be told at -all, but only such instances can convey a faint idea of the horror of -the Galveston disaster. While rowing near the Huntington wharves the -naked upturned body of an unfortunate woman was observed floating in the -water, with a half-born infant plainly in view. - - - MASSACRE OF THE LIVING. - -Mr. L. H. Lewis, of Dallas, arrived yesterday looking for his son, -George Cabell Lewis, who was found alive and well. Mr. Lewis said: “I -helped to bury sixteen at Texas City last (Tuesday) night—all Galveston -victims. They buried fifty-eight there Tuesday. Coming down Buffalo -bayou I saw numberless legs and arms, mostly of women and children, -protruding from the muck. I believe there are hundreds of women and -children near the mouth of the bayou. As soon as men can be found to do -the work these poor victims should be looked after. Unquestionably most -of them were from Galveston Island. Among other things I saw were -tombstones with inscriptions in German and rusty caskets which had been -beached by the waves.” - -The cruel elements were not content to massacre the living, but had to -invade the silent homes of the unoffending dead. - -No man has been busier comforting the grief-stricken people of Galveston -than Dr. R. C. Buckner of the Buckner Orphan Home in Dallas county. He -leaves Thursday morning for his institution with the homeless orphans of -the Galveston Orphans’ Home, which was wrecked by the storm. He has -others besides these, and altogether he will take one hundred home with -him. - -What a grand old man Dr. Buckner is! I will take off my hat to him any -day in the week. I have known him for years and there is not a nobler -character alive. I saw him at Sherman when that city was ravished by a -cyclone several years ago. He was there looking for orphans, and I know -that he has always been quick to reach the scene of disaster and death. -He got here Tuesday afternoon and lost no time in reaching his part of -the work, and heaven knows there was none more important than that to -which he assigned himself. - - - RESCUING DESTITUTE CHILDREN. - -But the people of Texas ought to know what he has done. They have always -loved the Buckner home. They know what it has done in the way of -rescuing destitute children. They know that hundreds of good men and -women of the State have come from that institution—men and women who -have become successful in life and who honor the State and the home by -their useful and upright lives. But Texas will have greater cause than -ever to love and revere Dr. Buckner and his institution when it is known -that he has added to his family a hundred hapless victims of the -Galveston storm, making in all 400 in his entire family. The heart of -this State is throbbing here now, and whoever renders a good service to -Galveston will be honored by the State. - -If the people of the State and the outside world can not grasp the full -measure of the Galveston horror, neither can the people of Galveston -themselves. The town is dazed, and self-contained people are hard to -find. There is a well-organized Citizens’ Committee at work in a -consecutive and business manner, but the work before it is beyond the -ability or power of any committee. - -It will be some time before thousands will know the real nature of the -disaster which has overtaken them, and the world will never know it all. -Men and women walk the streets and tell each other experiences and weep -together as gradually the stories of loss come out. They are hysterical, -half crazy, paralyzed and utterly dejected. There has been so such death -and so much ruin that they don’t know which way to turn or what to do. - -There has been much complaint on the part of visitors that the men don’t -go to work and help clear the debris from the streets. This job alone -would give three thousand men a month’s hard work. But a man can’t work -when he has before him the vision of his loved ones hurled to death in -an instant and thinks of what has happened. - -A man who lost a wife and children, no matter how strong he may be, -can’t get his mind on the necessities of this town when he thinks of his -family among the seven hundred sunk in the sea last Monday or the -thousand burned in trenches on the beach yesterday. If he does not -become a maniac or does not commit suicide it is a wonder, if one will -stop to think of it for a minute. - - - SHATTERED LIVES. - -They will come around after a while and will do their part. Thousands of -them have not slept since last Friday night and may not sleep for a week -to come. Pity them, for God knows their shattered lives are enough to -drive almost any of us insane if we should stop to think. - -J. W. Maxwell, general superintendent of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas -Railway; J. W. Allen, general freight manager of the same road, and -Major G. W. Foster, of the Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company, -got in yesterday from Texas City. Coming across the bay, Mr. Maxwell -said, not less than 300 bodies were seen floating in the water, and many -more were being buried on the mainland shore. This proves what many have -contended from the first, that the casualties from the beginning have -been understated. Under the debris of wrecked houses all over the city -there is every reason to believe there are hundreds of bodies, and these -must be disposed of as early as possible. In the rafts of the bay there -are yet many bodies which must be looked for. - -It will never be possible to get the names of all who are lost, but -every day makes the list more definite. It will never be possible to get -an accurate estimate of victims. It is safe to say that more than 3000 -bodies have been seen so far, and the Gulf and bay and the debris of the -city will unquestionably bring many more to view. If Mr. Lewis, of -Dallas, has not overestimated the number he observed in Buffalo bayou, -that stream may largely swell the total. How many have been buried -beneath the shifting sand of the beach, will probably remain a secret -forever. - -It is touching to witness the sympathy of the nation with Galveston. As -the means of communication are improved, the people here are getting a -definite idea of what it means to stir the sympathies of mankind. It -seems that the country has for the time forgotten its politics and its -curious interest in the broad affairs of the world to weep over this -stricken city. It is said a touch of pity makes the world akin, and -Galveston is compassed about by the throbbing heart of mankind. - - - HAS REACHED A CRISIS. - -It is well that it so, for this town has reached a crisis in its life -when this sustaining influence is needed. It is not surprising that many -surviving victims of the storm are about to succumb to despair. God -knows the burden of anguish which oppresses every heart here is -calculated to breed despair. The duty of the hour, however, is too plain -to be disregarded. This island must be restored to its former beauty and -greatness in all the arts and industries of civilization, and it is -fortunate that some of the citizens here realize this. They are going to -encourage the others and there is no reason to believe that there will -be failure. - -It required more than half a century to build up what the storm -destroyed in twelve hours, but it will not require but a fraction of -that period to restore the city. As Chicago rallied from the great fire, -so Galveston must and will arise from the ruins of this hour. The -wharves, which are the foundation of the city’s commercial -establishment, will be rebuilt and the traffic will come as of yore. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - Thousands Died in their Efforts to Save Others—Houses and Human Beings - Floating on the Tide—An Army of Orphans—Greatest Catastrophe in Our - History. - - -“When did you first realize that you were in danger?” That, ordinarily, -would seem to be a foolish question to put to a man who had escaped -death as it rode on the storm, and yet it was not a foolish question, -but the natural one. For the Galveston people had for years argued out -the question of the danger attending the living on the island. True, -Indianola, awful even now in memory, stood out as an alarm to those who -live down by the sea. True, there had been storms and storms in -Galveston. True, there were people on the great mainland who contended -that wind and water would bring disaster to Galveston whenever the two -acted in concert and from the right direction. - -But the answer to the Indianola alarm was that the situation of that -unfortunate town exposed it to a storm fury; that it was a fair mark; -that it was almost level with the water and all that. The fact that -there had been storms and storms at Galveston only confirmed the people -in their security. For as each had passed away without carrying any -great number of lives with them, why should not this do the same? - -As to the people on the mainland who had prophesied disaster, why, they -were merely timid and ignorant people. Therefore the question “when did -you realize that you were in danger” was a reasonable one. And the -answer was the same in nearly every case. There might have been a -difference as to the moment when these people, penned like rats in a -cage, first felt the terror of impending death, but invariably the -answer was that the storm was almost at its height before the -realization came. In many cases only the falling houses brought the -realization. - -One little girl at a grocery store out on avenue P, from which street to -the Gulf, the storm swept the island like a broom, answered me: “Mother -and my eight little brothers and sisters were upstairs, and I went down -to see what the water was doing in the store. You see we live upstairs -over the store. My papa is dead a long time ago. When I went down my -brother went with me and the water was half way up the counter. But that -didn’t scare us, because we have seen high water and heard the winds -before. Well, we went back and in a few minutes we were down again. - -“Then the counter was floating. Brother said not to tell mother, but I -did. Then we saw a house tumble down and we heard people crying. We got -scared then and me and mamma prayed. We prayed that one of us would not -be drowned if the little children were not drowned, because one of us -would have to be their mother.” - -The maternal love was uppermost. But the love of that little girl for -her little brothers and sisters, as she told me the story in her simple -way, passeth in greatness all understanding. - - - “I FELT THAT THE END HAD COME.” - -“When did you think you were in real danger?” I asked of a merchant. - -“Not until Ritter’s house went down and I saw the waters rapidly -climbing the walls. We had passed through the terrible storm of 1875, -and had lived. Since then the island has been raised five feet or more. -Why should we not have felt easy? But when the wind and waves began to -show their fury, when I saw these extra five or more feet covered by a -raging torrent which raced hither and thither, I felt that the end had -come. Up the waters came about the fence—up they came and covered the -hedge. Up they came and knocked at the door. - -“Yet I still thought the end would be reached. We had been told that the -height of the storm would be at 9 o’clock. At 5 and 6 and 7 the waters -continued to climb and the winds to take on new strength. At the last -hour they were at the door. What must come, then, at 9? My heart fell -then. I had peered out of the window and saw the dreadful enemy assault -the house. Then agonized people were heard. It was dark and the spray -sped in sheets. Yet it was light enough to see now and then. People in -boats and wading came along. Their houses were gone. Mine rocked like a -cradle, and I felt the end had come.” Thus said another man: “What were -your feelings?” “Nothing but that of complete resignation. I have read -much in books of the tableaux of the past appearing to the human mind on -the eve of man’s dissolution. In no instance have I found that the -survivors of this terrible thing remembered the past. Some were -frightened and simply shrieked and laid hold of anything that would -relieve them from the embraces of the water. Some were frightened and -prayed for mercy. Some were frightened into dumb resignation, partaking -of dumb indifference.” - - - NOBLE DEEDS IN TIME OF DISASTER. - -In all great catastrophes I have yet to know of one that some special -act of selfishness and brutality did not occur. There is hardly a great -wreck recorded in which is not depicted the brute who pushed women from -boats or from spars. In all I have heard of the thousands of incidents -connected with this storm, not an instance of that selfishness which -would cause one person to deprive another of his means of escape has -occurred. Thousands of instances of devotion of husband to wife, of wife -to husband, of child to parent and parent to child can be mentioned. - -One poor woman with her child and her father was cast out into the -raging waters. They were separated. Both were in drift and both believed -they went out in the Gulf and returned. The mother was finally cast upon -the drift, and there she was pounded by the waves and debris until she -pulled into a house against which the drift had lodged. During all that -frightful ride she held to her 8–months-old babe, and when she was on -the drift pile she lay upon her infant and covered it with her body, -that it might escape the blows of the planks. She came out of the ordeal -cut and maimed. But the infant had not a scratch. - -Another man took his wife from one house to another by swimming until he -had occupied three. Each fell in its turn, and then he took to the -waves. They were separated and each, as the persons above mentioned, -believed they were carried to sea. Strange to say, after three hours in -the water he heard her call, and finally rescued her. - -It is not necessary to go on and recite these instances, for there were -thousands, each showing that in time of danger at least the best -sentiments in man’s nature are aroused. It can be safely guessed that -one-half of those who perished, died in their effort to aid others. The -trite expression of “man’s inhumanity to man” has no place in all that -may be written or spoken of this great tragedy. - - - DIRECTION OF THE STORM. - -It is not at all remarkable that of all the statements in regard to the -details of this storm no two persons can be found who agree on the -direction of the wind and the currents. All agree that the most terrible -blows which the town received came from the point of the compass which -may be spoken of as between northeast and east. There are those who -declare that first the wind was almost from the north. Then it veered -till it was almost east, and then settled down to its herculean efforts -from a point between the two; and yet there are others who say that it -came from all directions at different times and prove it by the loss of -windows in their houses. - -These waves came in from the Gulf. They filled the bay. The water chased -across the island, met the waves and then it seems there was a battle -between the two elements. For the currents ran criss-cross. They went -down one street, up another street and across lots. They seized a house -here and placed it there. They seized a house there and placed it here. -Men were carried to sea. Men were carried down the island. Men were -carried across the bay by it. No chart can be even dreamed of their -peculiarities. The wind lashed the water and it fled. That was all there -was in it, and it fled in every direction, carrying on its bosom a -shrieking people. It carried too, houses whole, houses in halves, houses -in kindling wood. - -The winds dipped and seized the debris and hurled it on. The air was -filled with missiles of every kind. The water held them and threw them -from wave to wave. The winds grasped them as they were thrown and hurled -them further. Stoves, bath tubs, sewing machines, slates from -roofs—these were as light in the hand of the two giants, wind and water, -now in their fury, as the common match would be in the hand of the -strong man. - -From the northeast it is generally conceded the storm came. Galveston -island runs nearly east and west. So it will be seen that it had a clean -sweep from end to end of it. The streets are numbered across the island. -They are lettered as they run with the island, east and west. For -instance, the street running east and west nearest the bay is A street. -Then there is B, and so on toward the Gulf. P and Q streets may be said -to be two-thirds across the island, that is to say, they are -three-quarters of a mile from the bay and a quarter of a mile from the -Gulf. This is not an accurate statement and is only given to illustrate. -Between Q street and the Gulf were hundreds and hundreds of houses. -While many were fine mansions, the great majority of them were the -houses of the poor. - - - HAMMERED INTO SHAPELESS MASSES. - -Coming down the island from the east, the storm struck these -habitations. - -It was in this area, east and west, from one end of the town to the -other, it did its worst. The large houses were overthrown. Where they -fell they were hammered into shapeless masses. The small ones were taken -up. A man can take two eggs and mash them against each other. The waters -took the remnants and pushed them forward. One street of buildings would -go down. That would be next to the Gulf. The timbers were hurled against -another street. It would go down. The debris of the two would attack the -third. The three would attack the fourth, and thus on till Q street was -reached. Here the mass lodged. - -It is said by some, though I know nothing of it, that about it is the -backbone, or high part of the island. The great mass of matter became -heavy. It must have dragged upon the ground as the water here could have -only been five to seven feet deep. But this would not have stopped it, -had the last street to be assaulted, Q street or Q½ street, not -interposed. The houses here were rather large and strong. This battering -ram made by the winds and worked both by the winds and the water, met -with resistance from the houses and was impeded by its own weight, which -dragged it on the bottom. Its efforts at destruction became more and -more feeble. The houses stood, though wrecked. The debris climbed to the -very eaves. - -But the more that came, the heavier the mass became. And lo! the very -assailant became the defender! For, piling higher and higher—piling -higher and higher by the addition of houses lately splintered, by the -addition of everything from a piano to a child’s whistle, there was a -wall built against the great waves which rolled in from the Gulf, and -thereby the territory lying between the bulwark and the bay, was -protected to some extent. True, the casual observer will think as he -looks even up and down the main streets of the town, that very little -protection was given. - - - A BULWARK OF DEAD PEOPLE. - -But few lives were lost, in comparison, in this district, and while the -stores were flooded and houses toppled over by the winds and undermined -by the water, yet that bulwark made of dead people and all they had -struggled for and owned in this life, kept back the savage waves from -the Gulf and saved the rest of the town. Looking at this wall, from -which, as I write, come the odors of decomposition, climbing it, as this -correspondent has done, he is sure in his mind that if it had not been -formed not as many people of Galveston Island would have escaped as on -that day when Pompeii was shut out from the eyes of the world by the -veil of ashes. - -These are speculations. In years to come men may be able in talk of this -greatest of catastrophes in the cool, deliberate way which will admit of -reasonable hypotheses as to the causes of the results, but they cannot -do it now. The wind blew from the east. The currents were criss-cross. -My God, it was awful. And that is as far as you can get with any of -those left. For they know no more. They know that the wind blew. They -know the waves rolled. They know, or most of them do, that they lost -dear ones, and that is all. The hydrographer of the future may tell us -all. - -But as far as such people of North Texas, as I am, they will leave it to -him. He may know the currents and the winds, and tell to the -satisfaction. But he will never tell of these horrors. I cannot in the -present. I may not be able to do it in the future. When the story of the -funeral pyres and the burials at sea, and the reasons for both, are -explained—when the pictures are given of the rescued, hunting for the -dead—then indeed if all are drawn as they are—natural and -unstained—another monstrosity in news paper life will have arisen. - - - GALVESTON SAFE NOW. - -No man—scientist or mere citizen—is authority upon the wondrous winds -and ties that reduced the island of Galveston to an incomprehensible pot -pourri of devastation. All is guess work, behind which there is neither -science nor common sense. As far as a deliberate proposition evolved by -a fair measure of judgment in which there enters as little of egotism as -is possible with human beings, I would rather trust the guesser than the -scientist. - -As I begin the story at nightfall, the lightning is illuminating the -bank of clouds massed over the Gulf horizon. For the past half hour I -have looked upon the flashes, and those around me wondered if it were to -come again. The “it,” of course, means the visitation of last Saturday -night. They look anxiously around as the streaks of gold and silver -illumine the sky at quick intervals. - -My friends are those who went through the awful experience of the -cataclysm. I know as well as mortal man can know any thing that this -island is no longer a target for the elements. I know that a target like -this devastated island could no longer invite the shafts of the -elements, even if the elements were endowed with human or divine -intelligence. And I know in the simple faith of humanity that the God -who “plants his footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm” would -reach out with his omnipotent arm and throttle the agencies of nature if -they should again aggravate wind and wave to vent their wrath upon these -desolate shores. - -I know that if the sorrows of this community, what remains of it, have -thrilled humanity, they must have touched the wellsprings of divine -mercy and sympathy, and that the helpless victims who have survived the -tragedy of this moment may feel safe from another attack from the -remorselessness of the storm. - - - LIGHTNING FLASHES IN DARKNESS. - -Galveston, stricken and bleeding, is safe from the wrath of all powers, -human or divine. The vivid lightnings may cleave the sleepless waves of -the sea and the thunders may play at will among the fantastic clouds in -the sky. Galveston, soothed and compassed by the tenderness of mankind, -is veiled in the folds of heaven’s mercy, and the shrieking tempest is -now but a whisper from the sky, the angry wave but the gentle falling of -tears from above the stars. - -It is so hard to write the story or a chapter of it without feeling the -power that appalls human intelligence, just as it is hard to -disassociate overwhelming sorrow from that broad sympathy which we do -not understand, but which never fails to nestle close to human misery. -Call it what you may, it is part of human life, and its presence comes -when disaster overwhelms to bring humanity in the presence of God. - -Who can dispute this in the presence of the all-pervading mystery of the -storm? Who can laugh to scorn the sympathy whose manifestations have -already reached the widows and orphans, whose desolate lives now find -comfort from the realms above? This is not a matter of appealing to -emotion. I have before me this minute four rings. The man who brings -them tells me that they were taken from rigid fingers, among the 700 who -on last Monday were sunk to rest amid the borderless fathoms of the sea. -He says they may be the means of identification of three lost ones. No; -there can be no identification; but who can tell the tender secrets -which these circlets pledged? Identification is impossible deep down -among the mysteries of the sea. - -The tragedy grows greater every moment. The romances dead to the world, -the grief lost beneath the wave or carried to the vapors above the -earth, the aching hearts soothed by lasting peace, the tired souls in -the arms of endless rest, the ambitions stilled by the calm which -banishes the anguish of life’s dreary struggle—it matters not what these -rings may bring to mind—we are yet confronted with the loss of the -thousands who shall never again press these wave-kissed shores. The -sentiment of this people is, God rest every one who sleeps beneath the -wave, and gather to everlasting peace the ashes of all whose funeral -pyres were built of these shattered homes. - - - A DAY OF ANGUISH. - -It has been a day of anguish like all the days of this week have been. -There has been no cessation of tear-stained faces appearing here and -there to tell of the lost. And it is a wonder if the end of this sad -divulgence will ever come. A motherless boy or a fatherless girl, a now -childless mother or father, or whatever it may be, they still come to -tell of their woe, and the stolid men who glide over the water or who -search the shore, still bring in the swollen and unrecognizable victims -of the storm. It will end some day, and agonizing hearts may rest the -painful throbbings of this hour. - -It matters not how great the numbers of the dead, they are numerous -enough to shock the sympathies of the world, and they are gone forever. -But we fear to look upon the sea, lest some heartless wave shall bring -to view the cold, stark form of somebody whom somebody loved. The -victims are still growing into larger thousands, and the bereft are -still coming in to tell of losses. It is a continued story of anguish -and death, such as Texas has never known before and will never know -again. - -It is needless to repeat the sad discoveries which every day brings -forth. It is said that every wave of the sea has its tragedy, and it -seems to be true here. In Galveston it has ceased to be anxiety for the -dead, but concern for the living. The supreme disaster, with its -overwhelming tale of death and destruction, has now abated to lively -anxiety for the salvation of the living. - -Men are at work clearing the streets of piles of timber and refuse. Men -are beginning to realize that the living must be cared for. It is now -the supreme duty. There is much work to be done, and it is being done. -Women and children are being hurried out of the city just as rapidly as -the limited facilities of transportation will permit. The authorities -and committees are rational and idleness is no longer permitted. There -is an element with an abundance of vital energy, who intend to save the -town, and the town is being saved. - - - WORK RAPIDLY PUSHED. - -Burying the dead, feeding the destitute, cleaning the city and repairing -wrecks of all characters is under fair headway and will be pushed as -rapidly as men can be found to do the work. The great utilities of the -city are being repaired to a state of usefulness, men are in demand, and -workers are coming to engage in the duty of restoration. Life is -beginning to supersede death, and there is apparent everywhere a desire -to save the city and rebuild it. Before another week has passed, the -listlessness of mourning people will have been changed into a lively -interest in life, and as this becomes so, Galveston will begin to -realize just what the world expects of her. - -Colonel W. L. Moody reached Galveston on Friday night, returning from -New York. He was in New York when the news of the storm reached there -and he immediately started for home. - -He had determined before he reached here that he would rebuild -everything he had which had been damaged by the storm, and he was hoping -that telegraphic communication would be restored so that the work of -relieving the distress might be rendered more efficient and so that -people might wire for the material necessary to repair and rebuild their -houses. - -When asked for a statement as to his intentions, he said: - -“I was in New York when the news of the storm came, and intended to -start for home the last of this week, but immediately changed my plans -and left for Galveston at once. The people of this country have -responded generously, liberally, to the cry for assistance; the disaster -is appalling and appeals to the feelings and sympathy of mankind. And -the country has responded liberally, as I said, even before they knew or -appreciated the extent of the ruin and its consequences. - -“The first news we received was very mild compared with what followed. -Galveston was cut off from communication with the world, and the story -of the storm was but partially told. The further along I got on my -journey home, the fuller became the information in regard to the storm -and we learned more and more of the greatness of the disaster. The fact -that the world responded so freely to the first appeal is gratifying and -inspires us with confidence in humanity. Those who have suffered from -the storm will be cared for by a generous and sympathetic public. The -prompt and generous aid is a beautiful thing. - - - DAMAGE WILL BE REPAIRED. - -“What of the future? Galveston will be rebuilt; it will be stronger and -better than ever before. On my way home I stated that I would restore my -property, whatever the damage might be, as quickly as money and men -would do it, if I was the only man to take that course; and I -furthermore said that I believe I knew and understood what the feeling -of the business community of Galveston was in this respect and that I -had voiced it. - -“At Texas City I met a woman from Kansas City. She was demoralized by -what she had passed through and seen and she declared that Galveston -would never be rebuilt; that no one would be foolish enough to again -build in a place which had been so storm swept. - -“Answering her, I said that she did not know what she was talking about; -that Galveston would be rebuilt because it was necessary to have a city -here; that if the storm had swept the island bare of every human -habitation and every structure and had left it as barren as it was -before civilized man set foot upon it, still men would come here and -build a city, because a port was demanded at this place. ‘And why should -we not restore our city?’ I asked. ‘It has been visited by the severest -storm on record. As it has withstood that storm, partially, why should -we hesitate to rebuild? Why should we consider it less safe than another -place? Can you conceive that another such a storm is more likely to -strike at that exact spot again in a thousand years? Can you tell me any -spot on earth, on hill or dale, on mountain or plain, on which you can -guarantee me any immunities? If so, I would like to go there. If I were -in the accident insurance business, I would rather insure a man against -storm in Galveston than to insure a man in New York against accident on -the railroads. You are now on your way to Kansas City. Do you know that -you will reach there safely? Do you know that you may not be pitched -into some river and drowned, or being only half drowned be burned to -death?’ - - - WILL BUILD BETTER THAN BEFORE. - -“I slept at my home last night with as great a sense of security and -safety as I ever have felt during my residence in this city,” Colonel -Moody continued. “There may be some people who will leave here, but -there will be enough people left here who will rebuild their properties -and go ahead with the city to form the nucleus for its future growth. We -will build better than before, and the city will be better and stronger -and safer than ever. - -“The railroads are leading off with this better construction; they will -build a double track steel bridge. Every man who builds in this city -hereafter will build better and stronger than before, and the weaker -structures will be weeded out. We will have better building regulations, -and men will not be permitted, if they would, to construct faulty -buildings. - -“Some people may say, ‘Oh, Moody can afford to make this talk; he is -planted down here and can not get away.’ But let me tell you I could get -away very easily if I wanted to. The greater portion of what I hope I -own is not in Galveston, but is scattered throughout the State. It is in -the hands of merchants throughout Texas to whom we have made advances on -cotton. I could get away very easily if I had any desire to do so; in -fact, I believe I could liquidate and get out of town about as easily as -any man in it. - -“So far as our business and property are concerned, the bank is running -along with unimpaired facilities. I have had an architect at work all -day preparing for the immediate restoration of the bank building, the -compress buildings and my other property. The compress machinery is -intact, and we will be pressing cotton again within a week. Some of the -partition walls in the cotton warehouses were blown out, but we will -have a force of men at work immediately and will have them rebuilt -before it is realized. And the walls will be better than they were -before, because they were originally constructed by contract, while I am -now having them rebuilt myself by day’s work. - - - MOST MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. - -“The people of Texas have not lost confidence in Galveston and have not -manifested a disposition to quit the city. In to-day’s mail we received -bills of lading for three hundred bales of cotton shipped to us since -the storm.” - -The most miraculous escape from the storm reached one of the newspapers -in a roundabout way. An employe of the paper was coming to work when he -overheard a few words passing between a couple of men talking on the -street. He heard enough to elicit his interest and made inquiries. One -of the men told him that an old German, whose name he did not know, had -been picked out of the debris at Sherman square Saturday evening after -having laid there a week. - -People going by heard a sound which seemed to them like a groan. They -stopped to listen and the groan was repeated. They hastily pulled off -the debris and there found the old man still alive. It was understood -that he was immediately taken to the home of friends at Tenth and -Mechanic streets for care and treatment. - -This story is the most remarkable instance of preservation of life -recorded. The man must have gone through at least a portion of the storm -to have been caught in the drift. He must have been above the water line -at that point or he would have drowned. Why his groans were not heard -before is not understood, unless it be that he laid unconscious until -shortly before he was found. What a tenacity of life the man must have -had to lie there for a week without food or water buried beneath all -that debris. - -Pete Brophey, clerk of the corporation court, is lying in a room at the -Tremont Hotel suffering from injuries received in the storm. The story -he tells of his miraculous escape, like the many others, wonderful, yet -terrible, is also one of sorrow, as he lost his aged parents in the -storm. - - - HE TOOK THE AWFUL RISK. - -When the storm began to get so ferocious he became frightened. In the -evening, just after dark, securing a boat, he started out with his -parents to a Mr. Cleveland’s, a neighbor’s house, it being large and the -most substantial in the neighborhood. At that time the water was rising -rapidly and was being lashed into a perfect fury by the terrific wind. -It was a terrible thing to start out in the water under such conditions, -but he saw that their house would not stand long, so he took the awful -risk. The boat was a small affair, and with three people in it, it was -overloaded; nevertheless, with great daring he succeeded in getting his -mother and father into it, the former being 62 years of age and the -latter 66. It was a terrific risk, but he had to take it. After getting -his parents into the boat he started out to his neighbor’s house. - -The waters were rushing like mad down the street and whipped the boat -around as if it were but a straw. Added to the terrible force of the -waters was the terrific wind. They were getting along all right, -notwithstanding this, and were making for the house below them, when, -just ahead, he saw a man and woman and several children making for the -boat. When it came near enough they grasped its sides and begged to be -taken in. - -It was indeed a trying situation. There he was, with his aged parents -with him in a boat already overloaded, with the wind blowing almost a -hundred miles an hour and carrying all before it, with the waves dashing -everything to pieces and hurling the timbers of the houses against -whatever might be in the way, with a force that only the most vivid -imagination can picture. It was a terrible ordeal, but like the man that -he is, he could not leave those begging parents and crying children -without making at least an effort to save them. So, after great -difficulty, the woman and children got aboard, and the perilous journey -to what they hoped would be a haven of refuge was again begun, or rather -it had been going on all the time, as the boat was being carried down on -the crest of the waves with frightful velocity. - - - THE BOAT CAPSIZED. - -When almost abreast of the house the boat capsized. Then again Brophey -showed his bravery and that he was through and through a hero. Instead -of striking out alone for the house he thought of his parents and the -drowning family. After much difficulty, after having gone under time and -time again in his frantic efforts to save his loved ones and the -destitute family, he at last succeeded in getting them into the house. - -That place they found filled to overflowing with refugees like -themselves. The house was creaking and trembling under the terrible -force of the water and wind, and Brophey saw that it would be but a -little while before it, too, would have to succumb. So he braced himself -in a door and waited for the inevitable. It was but a little while till -it came. The house went down and all with it except Brophey, who found -himself on top of the water in a gurgling and seething mass of timbers, -roofs and other debris. He crawled up on one roof only to have another -one thrown like a blanket over him. - -Thus he struggled for two hours in what was an enormous raft of several -hundred broken up houses, going before the wind, being churned together -in a huge caldron by the waters. Whole roofs and sides of houses were -bobbing, striking, sinking, turning over and moving together like chips -in a huge whirlpool. Words can not describe that awful scene. In it all -Brophey and hundreds of others were struggling for their lives almost -all in vain. Dead bodies of women and children who had succumbed to the -inevitable in the early part of the storm, and men and women whom the -waters had not yet killed, but were playing with like a cat does a mouse -before hurling them into the beyond, were carried hither and thither. - - - DODGING TIMBERS IN THE WATER. - -Thus Brophey struggled, several times giving up and letting himself go -down, but rising each time with a determination to fight until the -bitter end, although terrible odds were against him. After having been -in this mighty whirlpool for almost an hour, dodging huge timbers, -crawling on roofs and sides of houses, being sucked under with them, he -saw a house standing. With almost a last effort, he struggled and fought -his way to a window of the house. There were ready hands to pull him -through the window. - -This haven which saved his life, together with a number of others, -belonged to a negro and is situated near Thirty-seventh street. It was -filled with negro refugees, and it is, indeed, to their credit that they -struggled with such heroism to save Brophey and several others who -drifted by. - -Getting into the house, he threw himself on the floor, more dead than -alive, and there remained until after the storm, when he was taken by -friends to the Tremont Hotel, where he has become convalescent. - -One of the interesting features of the story of his terrible struggle is -his unintentional rescue of a dog. Early in his mad career in that most -awful caldron he ran across a dog. From that time until his rescue it -stayed with him, and would not be pushed off, and at last succeeded in -crawling into the window after him. He is going to send for the dog, and -declares that never while he is living will it want for a rug to sleep -on and a bone to eat. - -A. C. Fonda, chief clerk in the Santa Fe general freight office, at -Galveston, had a fearful experience during the storm. He said that on -Saturday afternoon, when it became apparent that the flood was going to -be very high, that he went down to his home to remove the furniture from -the lower floors to the upper, never dreaming that the effects of the -storm would be more than a flooding of the first floors of residences. -His family being away in California, fortunately for them, he worked -alone and had about removed everything when the water got so high that -he could not escape from the house. - - - FLOATED IN A TANK. - -He had noted a large zinc-lined wooden tank on the upper floor, used for -holding water, and which he thought might be used for a boat, when -suddenly the crash came and he knew no more for possibly an hour. He -recovered consciousness to find himself floating in the tank on the -surging waters, bruised, bleeding and almost drowned. He managed to -escape to higher ground in a short while and crawled into a deserted -house, where he spent a night of horror, suffering from his injuries and -momentarily expecting death. As soon as daylight came he sought surgical -assistance, and then saw the awful results of the hurricane’s work. Mr. -Fonda is bruised all over, and has a deep wound on the back of his head, -but no bones were broken and he is able to be at work. - -E. F. Adams, chief clerk in the Santa Fe passenger department, at -Galveston, is also a flood sufferer, but happily his family are in St. -Louis at present, and his residence, being at Alvin, only suffered -slight damage. He said that he and fifty-two others occupied the Santa -Fe general offices on the night of the storm, and, in his opinion, very -few of them, if any, realized the awfulness of the disaster until next -day, as the sheet-iron roof on the train shed became loose early in the -evening, and the tremendous noise it made in flopping up and down -prevented them from hearing the crash of falling buildings, or, perhaps, -the screams of drowning human beings during the night. - -It was only when they came out next morning, Mr. Adams said, that he -realized what the storm meant to thousands in the fated city. Almost the -first object that met his eyes was the corpse of a child lying on the -sidewalk, which staggered him, and with the sickening sights afterward -presented to his view, gave him a shock whose gruesomeness it will take -a lifetime to efface. - - - TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF A SURVIVOR. - -A letter to a newspaper furnishes the following account of the terrible -experiences of one of the survivors: - -“I came home from my work Saturday evening about 4 o’clock, with Lewis -Fisher. I left Lewis on Tremont street and avenue O, where the water was -three feet deep. He said he was going out to help his people, and told -me good-bye. So I started for home to see how my folks were. When I got -home I found my folks all there, and the water was then five feet deep. -I lived one block from the beach. I began to take them out. Our front -steps had already washed away. I took them to S. Smith’s house on -Seventeenth and O, a big two-story house, thinking it would be safe. - -“But it began to grow worse, so I took my father, sister and two smaller -brothers on Nineteenth and O, in Mrs. Carlstedt’s house, where there -were some thirty people. I told my father to take care of the children, -and started back for my mother and brother. On my way I met my friend, -Gus Smith, of Nineteenth and O, and he told me that he would go with me -and help me get my mother and brother. - -“It took us an hour to swim one block, and when we got to the house it -had already been washed into the street, and my little brother had been -washed outside and was drowning, but I got him in time and took him back -inside. Smith and I went inside and there we found a colored family and -the Armour family, all asking us to take them away, but it was too late, -as the water was then eight feet deep. Finally, the whole top of the -house blew off and the water was pouring in, and all the people began to -pray. - -“The house was twenty-five feet high, and the waves went clean over it. -Finally the whole thing fell in, and I grabbed my mother around the -waist and Smith took my brother, and down we went. It was two minutes -before we had a raft and were on Eighteenth street and O. There were -twenty-eight in the house, and all we could save were seven people, as -it was so dark that you could see no one. We got one little negro by the -name of Albert of the negro family. We stayed out on the raft all night, -without a stitch of clothes on, and the rain was something awful. It -felt like some one was shooting buck shot at us from a distance. - - - CAPTURED SOME BLANKETS. - -“About 2 o’clock in the morning we caught two trunks and broke them -open, and it looked like a godsend to us, as both were full of blankets. -We took these blankets and covered the women and children, or else I -believe they would have frozen to death. About 5 o’clock in the morning -I got up and started in search of my father and sister and other two -brothers, and the first thing I did when I got off the raft was to step -on a dead body. - -“I then went a few steps further and found Mrs. A. C. Bell, of -Eighteenth and O, and Mrs. Junker, of O, between Sixteenth and -Seventeenth streets, both dead. We had come from Seventeenth and Beach -to Nineteenth and N. Right across the street was Mr. Sewall’s house, and -I went over there to search for the rest of my folks and found them -there all right, so I went back and got my mother and brother off the -debris, and brought them all together once more. - -“We have lost everything we owned and can’t find a piece of the house or -a button off any one’s clothes, but I still have my front door key. My -folks are cut up pretty much, and so am I about the feet, but I am going -to stay here and try and make Galveston what it has been. In the house -on Seventeenth and O is where Mrs. Armour and her five children were -drowned.” - -Another letter says: - -“I, together with many others, was a passenger on the Houston relief -train last Tuesday, and among the number there was one who should have -special mention. This was Miss Lillian Bleike. I am informed she is the -daughter of W. T. Bleike, a travelling salesman. This young lady was at -Brenham when the news of the storm was reported, and as everything on -earth near and dear to her was on the doomed island, she embarked upon -the first train out. - -“Ladies were not permitted upon this train. However, nothing daunted, -she boarded the relief train at Houston, and through the kindness of -those in charge, was permitted to go. At Lamarque, all had to foot it, -and also to assist in clearing the debris. This, too, she would have -done, but was not allowed to do so, and, like a good soldier, footed it -through mud and slush to Virginia Point, boating it to the city, -determined to learn the fate of the loved and dear ones. I have since -learned her family was saved, and what a happy reunion this must have -been. For pluck and courage, the adventures of this young lady stand -among the few.” - - - - - CHAPTER XX. -The Storm’s Murderous Fury—People Stunned by the Staggering Blow—Heroic - Measures to Avert Pestilence—Thrilling Story of the Ursuline Convent. - - -While the story of Galveston’s woe can never be told, yet the demand -naturally should be that as much shall be told as the human mind is -capable of telling. The man does not live now, and the man never lived -who could draw the picture in all its horrible details. The greatest of -poets sang of the destruction of Troy. Tacitus, and later other -historians, have told of the deeds of the madman Nero. The contests -between Marius and Sulla have filled pages through all time. The -destruction of Pompeii has been vividly described by novelists and -historians. - -The French revolution, with its September and August massacres, its -ravages, and its other fiendish details, have been in the hands of -Carlyle and a score of French writers; the Gordon riots have been -described by Dickens—but never a poet or historian or novelist has drawn -anything near as shocking a picture of any event in the past as this -stern and frightful reality. - -Nearly every event of the past which has shocked humanity came about -through contests between men. But men tire and men, however bitter, at -last will abate their anger. In this case it was helpless humanity on -the one side. In this case it was terrible nature in all its fury and -strength on the other. There could be no appeal for mercy, because the -winds have no ears. There was no resistance, because the arms of the -waters were those of a giant demon. There were appeals, but they were -directed above the storm. There were struggles, but they were simply -those of the drowning. Those who survived were incoherent to a great -degree. - -The wind shrieked; it did not whistle as winds do. They all agree on -that. The air was filled with spray, a blinding spray which affected the -nostrils and throat and begat an inordinate thirst. It was dark. Yet it -was light. They all agree on that. Was there a moon? No one saw it. Yet -even late at night they could see the clouds in the sky. The light, they -say was a silvery one—a sort of sheen—a strange, and yet to all a -fearful kind of light. Only one person ventured an explanation. She said -the air was filled with the finest spray, and that this was -phosphorescent. There is something in this idea. - - - HOUSE ROCKED LIKE A CRADLE. - -Did the wind blow straight away or come in gusts? Here they differ -again. One man told me that his house rocked as a cradle rocked by a -mother getting her half-sleeping child to sleep. Dr. Fly described how -it blew in a way to be understood. He was in the Tremont Hotel, a brick -structure. He said that while it blew hard all the time gusts would come -every few seconds and the wind took the strong building in its teeth -then and shook it like a terrier would shake a rat. - -There is sitting out on the mainland, not far from Texas City, a dredger -which was employed about the wharves at Galveston. This vessel is a mile -and a half or two miles from the water now. One of the men aboard told -me that the boat was anchored with a steel rope. The Kendall Castle, a -large iron steamer, dragged her anchor across this steel rope and cut it -as a thread. - -“On my word,” said the man who told me this, “the moment the steel rope -was cut the dredger seemed lifted in the air, and it appeared scarcely a -minute till she was where she is now.” - -The vessel had been carried for miles in that short period. And there is -nothing unreasonable in the story. The wind gauge at the office of the -Weather Bureau showed eighty-seven miles an hour when it went out of -business. They believe it blew 100 miles an hour after that. The people, -before their houses fell about their ears, nailed up their window -shutters and doors because no door latch and no windowpane ever made -could stand the strength of the wind. Every one knew that once the wind -entered the house, that moment the walls would be blown in every -direction. No one fought against the water. It was the wind they put -their feeble efforts against. - -It will be remembered that the storm began to become serious early in -the afternoon, and hence no one had undressed for bed when the climax -came. The female survivors, or at least those who were upon the waters, -came out naked. I asked a lady whether it was the waves or the flying -timbers that did it. She said it was the wind. “Why, on the raft with me -and my baby was a colored woman. The raft seemed to me to be the ceiling -of a house because it was white. We had to lie as flat on it as we could -without placing our faces in the water. The colored woman became tired -and raised in a half-sitting posture. The moment she did it the wind -stripped her of every stitch of clothing.” - - - CLOTHES TORN TO SHREDS. - -The men, too, were deprived in a great measure of their clothes, but not -to the extent of the women. Their clothes were torn from them now and -then by the wreckage, but nearly all the corpses had on some garment. -The reason of this was probably that the women’s apparel was of weaker -texture. People ask why the people did not move when the storm came from -unsafe houses to safe houses. The answer is twofold. In the first place, -death was on them before they realized their danger. The Galveston mind -had for years been firmly convinced that Galveston Island and Galveston -houses could weather any storm. - -An illustration of this confidence is in order. A woman who lived at one -of the numerous corner groceries said the water was almost to her neck -before she left her place. She waded to the house of a near neighbor, -where many of the people in the locality had assembled, because all -thought it a perfectly safe house, as it proved itself to be. Here, she -said, they chatted and even joked as the building rocked in the hands of -the storm. When the people saw that their lives were in danger, it was -then too late to try for other houses. They remained where they were -till the buildings either fell and parts were being torn away and they -were assured that they would soon fall. - -The air was filled with every conceivable missile. Great beams and -sleepers of houses went through the air like arrows. Slates from the -roofs hurtled over the heads. One of these would have cut off the head -of a man as easily as a guillotine. There are thousands of mangled and -wounded people in the town. One poor fellow was picked up alive at Texas -City. He was cut in fifty places on his body. The tendons of his arms -and legs were exposed. Others were hacked as if they had been laid down -and scored as cooks score their meats. One-half the dead, perhaps, were -relieved of their agony through these missiles of the storm. - - - CRUSHED BY A PIECE OF TIMBER. - -One poor woman was carrying her child and its head was crushed by a -piece of timber. It did not even whimper, yet she carried the dead -infant at her breast for three long hours before it was torn from her -grasp. When one sees the debris piled twenty feet high, in many places -on the backbone of the island—that is, along Q street, running east and -west—and when one sees the broad prairies for miles and miles covered -with the wreckage that came from Galveston across the bay, the wonder -with him will be that anything out on the waters that fearful night -escaped to look, not tell, the story of that fearful night. For few can -tell it; all look it. - -Something of the strength of the winds and waves can be known when it is -stated that along the beach at Texas cities I saw dead turtles even. -Fish floated dead in the bay. They may have come from some wrecked -fishing smack, and I am inclined to take this view of it, but there they -were, covering a large space with their dead bodies. There were -thousands of rats floating about. I saw even dead snakes along the -shores. The chickens which lined the beach along the mainland were -entirely denuded of their feathers. Not a buzzard or bird was to be -seen. Not a mosquito was heard. The wind had carried all winged things -away. - -Down in some parts of the debris the planks and beams and sills of -houses had been thrown together with such force that they were driven -into each other and made as solid a mass as the most skilled workmen -could join two pieces of timber. The foreman of one of the working gangs -said it was impossible to remove certain portions of the mass except by -clipping it away with axes or by burning it. If such a wind had struck -Dallas or any other town in the State, it would not have lasted a -moment. - -Another thing I have been asked by the people of the interior was why -the resort to the ocean as a burial ground was had, and why burning was -afterward resorted to. When day broke after that night of horror, the -people could not realize the immensity of their woe. It required but a -short time for them to know it. The first on the streets were the first -greeted by the corpses. - -They fled hither and thither, wringing their hands. Others stood still -and stared in a dumb way. Some cooler citizens suggested that the bells -be rung and the people assembled to grapple with the situation. And lo, -there was not a bell in town to sound the alarm. It was suggested that -the steam whistles be blown. And lo, there was not a whistle with steam -to give it note on all the island. Then they went up and down the -streets, crying, “Fall in, people; for God’s sake, fall in.” They got a -few people together in this way. As they had gone about, more corpses -appeared. - - - THE NUMBER GROWS LARGER. - -What should be done with them? Strange to say, the suggestion was made -that inquests must be held on the bodies and the law complied with. But -the corpses began to grow larger in number. Inquests now were no longer -discussed. Those who could work began to gather the dead bodies and -carry them to the undertaker shops. There was confusion, but all were -doing their best. The purpose now was to place the dead in coffins. But -the number increased. The idea was abandoned because, simply, it could -not be done. Seven hundred putrid bodies were piled up in the building. -Something must be done. - -Then it was suggested that they be taken to the sea. The substitute was -offered that they be burned. But where burn the latter? It could be done -on the beach where the debris was, but how get there? Every street -running across the island to the beach was blocked. The substitute -suggestion was abandoned. But how get the bodies to the sea? Then it was -that the law was laid aside. - -Martial law was declared in fact, whether according to law or not. Men -armed themselves and went on the streets in posses. They captured negro -men and forced them to take hold of the bodies. Whisky was poured into -them—argument was made to them. They were nauseated with the work, but -more whisky was poured into them. They piled the bodies on floats and -drays and every kind of vehicle and thus took them to the wharf. - - - A GHASTLY SPECTACLE. - -Here they were placed on barges. The poor living creatures, wild with -liquor, bestialized by it, because they could not have done it, embarked -with the putrifying cargo. The white men retched and vomited. The -negroes did the same. Yet more work had to be done and now they pleaded -for whisky to dull them more for their horrible work. It was given them. -No man in all the world can tell of the horrors of this trip. Those who -were not wild shrunk in agony from it. Those who were mad stumbled over -the corpses and laid with them in drunken stupor—but beyond the jetties -the cargo was tossed into the sea. - -It is claimed that they were sunk with weights. This may be partly true. -This disposition of the corpses was found impracticable. The work was -too slow. The sea would give up its dead. As time passed the difficulty -of transporting the bodies became greater. Then the burning began. The -corpses wherever found were burned on the spot. If the fire might be -dangerous they were pulled to an open space. - -Where several were found in close proximity they were placed together -for the final act. Kerosene was poured over them. Planks, lumber, -anything combustible were placed upon them and the torch applied. The -incineration was never complete enough to completely destroy the bones. -But the flesh, breeding a pestilence, was gone. Many were buried. But -the graves were only deep enough to receive the bloated bodies. The sand -was full of water. Graves could be dug no deeper than as mentioned. - -A shudder will go through the world when some one properly tells of how -the beloved ones found their last resting-place. For it is horrible to -think of disposing of human corpses in this way. But what could be done? -What else? Nothing—absolutely nothing, except what was done. The dead -threatened the living. Even if the living had desired to flee from the -dead, which they did not, they could not have done so—but on an island -were the living and the dead. There were no vessels to run from the -island to the mainland. There were no railroads or bridges. The hot sun -beat down and quickly decomposed the bodies. The bruised and maimed -could not work. What could be done? Nothing but what was done. ’Twas a -sad and horrible thing, but it was charity for the dead to do it, and -preservation to the living to do it. - -It is utterly unreasonable for one to think that the people of Galveston -and the workers in the cause of cleaning can proceed rapidly. Not only -is it a task, but it is a task which has conditions existing which are -new to the people engaged in the work, and they cannot work with the -energy which is their wont. - - - FULL LIST CANNOT BE KNOWN. - -As to the dead, as stated before, how the full list will be ever known -is hard to say. There are places in the city where for blocks and blocks -not a house remains, and no one can give an instance of having seen a -resident of the locality since the fury of the storm was spent. Whole -families were swept out to sea, and the survivors of the calamity are -too busy with their own and the work which must be done to remember whom -they knew when the Island City was in its prime. - -Another point in the matter of the dead is that there were many visitors -in the city at the time whose names have never been reported either in -the list of the living or of the dead. Possibly few people knew they -were here, and in the confusion incident to the days following the storm -those who were cognizant of the presence of these visitors have been too -busy to think of the stranger in the land. - -It is true that a clew to missing people is gained by the inquiries of -anxious friends or relatives, and these queries are answered either -“dead” or “alive.” But remember that in every city in the country there -are a certain number of people who are unknown beyond the limits of -their own home. - -In this class also can be included many colored people. Colored people -always know each other, but it is in many instances that they know -nothing of surnames. There are servants whose names are not known beyond -Mary or Liza or by whatever appellation they are addressed, and it is -possible that a great many of these have been lost, increasing the -number of dead, but never getting upon the roll of those who were so -suddenly swept away. - - - STORY OF URSULINE. - -The Ursuline Convent and Academy, in charge of the Sisters of St. -Angeli, proved a haven of refuge for nearly 1000 homeless and -storm-driven unfortunates. The stories of this one night within the -convent walls read like the wildest dream of a novelist, but the half -can never be told. Every man, woman and child who was brought to the -convent or drifted there on the raging torrent could tell of an -experience that would be well worth its publication. - -The convent, with its many associate buildings, cottages, etc., occupies -four blocks of ground extending from Avenues N to O, and Rosenberg -avenue to Twenty-seventh street. The grounds are, or rather were, -surrounded by a ten-foot brick wall that has withstood the severest -storms in Galveston’s history up to the destructive hurricane that swept -the island last Saturday night. This wall is now a crumbled mass of -brick with the exception of a few small portions that stand like marking -pillars to show where the property line should be. - -No one was refused admittance to the sheltering institution on this -night of nights. Negroes and whites were taken in without question, and -the asylum thrown open to all who sought its protecting wings. Angels of -mercy went through the army of sufferers whispering words of cheer, -offering what scant clothing could be found in this house of charity and -calmly admonishing the terror-stricken creatures to have faith in God -and say that His holy will be done. - -In contrast with this quiet, saintly and loving spirit of the nuns, the -hundred or more negroes grew wild as the storm raged, and shouted and -sang in their camp-meeting style until the nerves of the other refugees -were shattered and a panic seemed imminent. It was then that Mother -Superioress Joseph rang the chapel bell and caused a hush of the -pandemonium. When quiet had been restored the Mother addressed the -negroes and told them that it was no time nor place for such scenes; -that if they wanted to pray they should do so from their hearts, and -that the creator of all things would hear their offerings above the roar -of the hurricane which raged with increased fury as she spoke to the -awe-stricken assemblage. - - - A SOLEMN CEREMONY. - -The negroes listened attentively, and when the saintly woman told them -that all those who wished to be baptized or resign themselves to God -might do so, nearly every one of them asked that the sacrament be -administered. - -The panic had been precipitated by the falling of the north wall or that -section of the building in which the negroes had sought refuge. Order -and silent prayer were brought about by this noble woman’s sweet -determination and great presence of mind. - -Families that had been separated by this merciless and devastating -conflict of the elements were united by the cruel waters of the gulf -tossing them into this haven of refuge. What scenes, what heart-bleeding -pictures these unions presented as the half dead, mangled and bruised -wretches were rescued and dragged from the raging waters by the more -fortunate members of their own family, mourned as victims of the storm. - -The academy was to have opened for the fall session on Tuesday, and -forty-two boarding scholars from all parts of the State had arrived at -the convent preparatory to resuming their studies on that day. The -community of nuns comprises forty sisters and they, too, were there -administering cheer and deeds of mercy to the sufferers, many of whom -were more dead than alive when brought into the shelter. Early in the -storm when people dragged themselves or swam to the convent and asked -for protection an attempt was made to keep a register of the -unfortunates. - -Their register reached nearly a hundred names and then the storm-driven -humans began to arrive at the shelter in crowds of twenty and thirty. -They were taken in through the windows and some were dragged through -five feet of water into the basement, which long since had been -abandoned, by ropes from treetops and snatched from roofs and other -wreckage as it was hurled in the maddening torrents through the convent -yards. - - - LIVING TO TAKE PLACES OF THE DEAD. - -Within this religious home and in cells of the nuns four babies came -into this world. Four mothers who had braved the treacherous elements -and were snatched from the jaws of tragic death lay on cots in the nuns’ -cells and four little innocents came into this world of sorrow where the -world looked the blackest. Truly it could not be said that the quartette -of precious ones first saw the light of day in the cell of a nun on this -eventful night. It was the darkest and most terrible night in the lives -of their mothers, and yet the mingled sadness and joy attending the -birth of these angels was beyond the power of man to describe. - -Mother Joseph, in speaking of the incidents of the night within the -convent walls, said she believed it was the first time in the history of -the world that a baby had been born in a nun’s cell in a convent. And -they were christened, for no one expected to live to see the light of -day, and it was voted that these jewels should not leave the world they -had just entered without baptism. Regardless of the religious belief of -the parents, a house dedicated to God and charity had afforded shelter -to the storm-victim mothers, and they felt in their hearts that the good -sisters should administer the baptism, which is administered in time of -great danger, the presence of clergymen not being required. - -The names of the mothers and the children could not be learned, with the -exception of Mrs. William Henry Heldeman, who was one of the mothers, -and whose new-born baby was christened William Henry. The experiences of -this mother, if they could be reduced to words, would read like the -wildest fiction. Only a chapter was learned, as told by Mother Joseph. -Mrs. Heldeman was thrown on the mercies of the storm when her home went -down and was swept away. The family had been separated when they started -to abandon their home to the greed of the battling storm. - -When Mrs. Heldeman was carried away on the roof of a wrecked cottage she -lost all trace of the other members of the family, but never lost faith -and courage. The roof struck some obstruction, and the next instant Mrs. -Heldeman was hurled from her improvised raft and landed in a trunk which -was rocked on the surging waters. Crumpled up in the trunk, the poor -woman was protected to a limited extent and was afforded much warmth. On -went the trunk, tossed high on the treacherous sea, bumping against -driftwood, until the crude bark was hurled against the Ursuline Convent -walls and was hauled into the building. - - - CLEARING THE STREETS. - -The following report of the situation at Galveston bears date of -September 17th: The work of clearing the streets of debris and wreckage -is progressing steadily and with systematic rapidity. The military -authorities have gradually perfected the system and divided the labors -so that there is comparatively no interruption or delay in the gigantic -undertaking. - -To-day the reports filed at General Scurry’s headquarters up to 9 -o’clock to-night reported the recovery and disposition of but forty-five -bodies. A reporter, who made the rounds of about twenty gangs in charge -of removing debris, noted the finding of 130 bodies of men, women and -children and this report is known to be incomplete for the day’s work. - -City Health Officer Wilkinson stated that he estimated that 40 per cent. -of the debris of every description had been removed from the streets; -that 95 per cent. of the dead bodies had been disposed of, and that 95 -per cent. of the carcasses of animals had been removed from the city. -But as the work of removing debris goes on more bodies are being -unearthed every hour. There is still an immense amount of work to be -done in this respect and in some quarters hardly an impression has been -made in the mountains of wreckage piled up fifteen and twenty feet high. - -Still the gruesome work of recovering the dead from the gigantic mass of -debris that lines the south side of what remains of the city goes on. -Yesterday 107 bodies were recovered and cremated. Among them was a -mother with a baby tightly clasped to her breast. As the body of the -mother was moved the body of the baby rolled off. In this imperative -necessity of the dispatch of the dead tragic scenes are witnessed that -move the stoutest hearts. - - - THE INDESCRIBABLE SUNDAY SERVICES. - -The body of Major W. T. Levy, United States Immigrant Agent of this -district, was among the number. He made a gallant struggle to save his -wife and three children. All were lost, and the bodies of the wife and -children have not been recovered. They are still among the uninterred -dead, and when found will be disposed of as the father and husband has -been. - -What pen can describe the religious service on Sunday? Houses of worship -ruined, congregations scattered and in despair, yet all those who -survived gathered in impromptu temples and in sorrow and grief prayed -for loved ones gone, and in humble thanksgiving offered up their hearts -for their own preservation. The scene at the little chapel in St. Mary’s -University was pitiful in the extreme, the Sacred Heart Church lying in -ruins, the Jesuit fathers threw open their private chapel to those who -formerly worshipped in this once magnificent church. Within this meagre -little chapel none could for a moment lose sight of what now existed -here; many of those who received the communion from the priests’ hands -know no home other than this same building; children came to this -sacrifice of the mass barefooted and hatless, even their expressions -showed the awe struck feeling which shrouded all. - -At the low mass no sermon was preached, no word spoken, all prayer was -in silence, nothing but the words of the mass was heard, as each heart -poured forth in feeling deep and still their thanksgiving. The -environments there each told the sad, sad story. On the lower floor of -this chapel were the destitute waiting for the food supply to be given -them, this in itself the saddest picture the miseries of life can -sketch. On the same floor with the chapel are the priests’ rooms, now -the hospital wards, everywhere the sick being tended by skillful hands, -looked wistfully at the passer-by. Thus in this one corner of the -university, the whole effect of the tragedy is enacted; the hungry, the -homeless, the ill, and above all these earthly miseries, the kneeling -before the throne of God in submission and prayer. - - - A GLORIOUS RECORD. - -There has yet to come to light any tale of brutality; those who spent -the night of the storm battling the waves never witnessed a selfish act; -this in itself is a glorious record to hallow the event. Man after man -secure in his own house, hearing the cry for help plunged out in the -fury to rescue the helpless ones; oftentimes this was attended with loss -of life to the rescuer. There was no question of kin or color that awful -night, the ties of a common sorrow united all, and not only was man with -his intellect and strength the courageous one; children who could have -been rescued would not be taken from their loving ones, and as for the -mothers who sought death with their little ones such tales as these are -as manifold as the waves of the sea. - -Nor were the humbler animals forgotten, many instances are known where -men wading waist deep in water holding their wives and children above -the water, found hands somewhere for the household dog. One young lady, -a society girl, when forced to abandon her home gave no thought to -silken finery and jewels, but waded in water nearly to her shoulders -holding fast in her arms a large sized sky-terrier. Nor was this -devotion only from man to animal, it was equal if only all were known. - -One dog, we call him “Hero,” as there is none to tell us otherwise, is -truly a hero worthy the Legion of Honor. This four-footed hero is a -small-sized Newfoundland, and in the storm he was cast adrift on Seventh -and Broadway, with his master, an old gentleman about seventy years of -age. Around Hero’s neck is a stout black collar; to this the old -gentleman clung. Hero did the rest, he swam pulling along his old master -from Seventh to Fourteenth streets, where they found a house standing -with veranda piled with debris but intact, and into a sheltered corner -of this the dog dragged the man for safety. Both were alive, the old -gentleman was much bruised, but his mind was active, and his only grief -was for the loss of his wife and daughter, for save the dog he had no -one. - - - A DOG’S DEVOTION. - -Kind hands did for him all that could be done, and while feeble and -heart-broken he appeared to suffer no pain. The dog never left him -there, the two throughout that fateful Sunday clung together. Toward 3 -o’clock in the afternoon the old man, still sitting in a rocking-chair, -covered in blankets, no dry bed being available, appeared drowsy. This -was only natural from fatigue and age, but when the head gently bent -forward it was the sleep of death. However, such a gentle passing away -of the soul could not be termed by such a harsh name; it was more a -caress, in which the transition of the soul was wafted from the body. - -The dog all these hours had nestled close to the old man’s feet under -the blanket, never sleeping, but guarding carefully the master. When the -feet became cold, then the four-footed hero scented trouble. He tried to -lie on them with his body. This not answering, he licked the cold feet; -still no warmth. Then he sprang into the rocking-chair in which the -corpse sat, carefully covered in sheets, tried to warm the body by -covering it as much as possible with his own shaggy hair. By force the -dog had to be taken away and locked up, for in his instinct he scented -something wrong with the old man and strove to make things right by -supplying the warmth of his own body. Such scenes as this old man’s -beautiful death and the dog’s deep devotion are among the sublime -lessons. - -Photographers are hourly taking views of the ruins. However, there is a -picture about the debris which demands a sketch to itself. The Sacred -Heart Church before the storm had in the right aisle, near the altar, -erected to the mother of Christ, a large crucifix affixed to a pillar. -Now all the sides of this church are demolished save where this crucifix -in this pillar stands and the crucifix untouched. It is a sight not to -be forgotten to see this image of the Man of Sorrows looking down upon -the ruin everywhere. - - - THE WORST EXPERIENCES. - -Naturally one would say that the living through the experience of the -storm was the worst part of the catastrophe, but those who had their -families here but were themselves away affirm that the suspense and -anxiety they underwent to learn the fate of their loved ones could not -have been worse. Mr. Frank Gresham shows this. He was at Cornell College -when the news that Galveston had been swept off the earth reached him. -At first these reports seemed exaggeration, but when the truth became -known the Galvestonian became panic-stricken. Mr. Gresham tried to -communicate with his family, but as no word was received, his fears grew -worse. - -Deeming it not a time for thinking, but action, he came south -immediately. En route he said the fast trains which make no stops would -wait two or three hours for Galveston people, and trains having -passengers for this city had the right of way over all lines. The sight -of this panic-stricken crowd, eager to reach home or hear of friends and -family was pitiful indeed. - -At St. Louis one lady, already in heavy mourning, was greeted with a -telegram saying her entire family had been washed away, and thus it was -all along the road. Several ladies personally known to Mr. Gresham were -on the train, but all were in tears from nervousness and anxiety. Words -of recognition were hardly exchanged; it was a case where the heart was -too full for utterance. - -Two Galvestonians were on the Mallory steamer from New York which came -in Saturday, after having been abroad since June. The news of -Galveston’s disaster did not reach the boat till they touched Key West. -Up to this time all was joy on board, but when the news was received the -vessel seemed to drag until this port could be reached. The passengers -tried to wire from Key West to some one in Houston for information, but -were greeted with the information that there were thousands ahead of -them and no word could be received. - - - THE RESPONSE FOR RELIEF. - -Thus the suspense had to be borne till the pilot reached the boat, and -at this junction only the confirmation of their worst fears were -realized. Only the passengers who were Galvestonians, all of whom agreed -to work upon their arrival, were allowed to come in; the others were -sent to Texas City, from which place they reached their various homes. -The papers show how letters, telegrams and cables are daily coming in by -thousands; also how the whole world has responded to the cry for help. -Even the actors in New York, Philadelphia and all the large cities gave -performances for the benefit of the sufferers. - -One lady writes to a newspaper as follows: “While so many deeds of -heroism shown during this late storm are being told I deem it one of my -greatest privileges to be able to mention the names of Mr. Clark Fisher, -Mr. Sam Robertson and Mr. Clarence Anglen, who, by their daring and -courage, so heroically saved my family of six ladies with their large -raft on East Avenue I, during the fiercest part of the storm. We had -drifted with our house until it had become dismembered and then were -thrown upon the mercy of the waves and strong current. These young -gentlemen all cleverly proved by their coolness and bravery what was in -them.” - -Another lady writes: “September 8, at about 4 o’clock, things began to -be alarming at my place, at Seventeenth and O, and houses were leaving -before that. I hoped my little home was an ark. It proved to be until -the water began to pour wildly into the windows. I and an old man named -Inco, who rented a rear room from me, got over the stair-casing and -climbed until our heads were at the ceiling. He said to me: ‘We die here -together; good bye.’ - -“At the same moment the house separated. I climbed over the door through -the transom and on to the roof, thence from one timber to another, -always keeping to the top. A dog always kept by me and caused me a great -struggle. It was about Twentieth street and O½ that something hit my -head, which seemed either to give me courage or ease. I remember laying -my head down on the raft and felt indifferent. - -“About 4 o’clock the next morning I rejoiced to see where the gulf and -island separated. I was resting not extremely uncomfortable at the top -of drifts of a two-story house at Twenty-fifth and beach. Some Italians -came along, looked unconcernedly at me. They were hunting someone and -went on. I still halloed until I heard Mr. Beckman, who, with -assistance, took me to a house. They could find nothing to cover me, but -gave me whisky. - -“Then came Mr. Womack, who left nothing undone to make me safe. He -carried me over lumber on a board, with blanket and pillows, to his -rooming house. From there I was taken to the Sealy Hospital, with the -two blankets and pillows.” - - - THE AWFUL STORY. - -The following from the columns of a well-known journal has a mournful -interest: - -“In Galveston there is mourning; in the city by the sea there is sobbing -and tears. When the young of us have grown old, when they, in their -turn, are grand’thers, when a century of years has drifted past as -sea-wreck drifts will the legend of Galveston be told and retold again, -and white-faced children, clinging to the granddames’ robes, will listen -to the story of how the storm-god came in rage, and how the gulf, beaten -by his thong, rushed in and did his bidding. They will hear the awful -story that will never die, the tale of how the tempest and the tide slew -men as pestilence slays; slew praying women and prattling babes as Herod -slew the boy-children twenty centuries ago; will hear of how the sea, -that once calmed at the Maker’s word, made war on the orphan’s home, as -if he who said ‘Suffer little children to come unto me,’ had repented of -his bargain. - -“Men strive for the art of remembering—lo, now we beg that some great -magician may teach us how to forget. To forget the horror of it all; and -the sobbing and the prayers. To forget the wail of the mother bereft of -her young, and women’s prayers that came echoing back from the flinty -sky. To forget the death struggles of the legion of the dead, and the -cries of ‘Mamma! Mamma!’ as the screaming little ones were sucked into -the throat of the tide. To forget that the sweet-voiced nuns bound the -charity orphans together in lots and committed them to the care of -God—to forget that the reaper came with the storm in his heart and the -salt spray in his beard and gathered them by sheaves. Do not talk of -consolation—there is none. Try to forget. Muffle your clamoring church -bells—their noisy songs blend illy with the screams of despairing -mothers beating their breasts and calling to their dead. To-day your -prayers are useless, and the solemn organ’s mellow tide can be freighted -only with a requiem for the lost. O, for the sadness of it all; and the -sobbing and the tears; for the cries of women and the thunder of the -tide; for the shouting of men and the burials in the sea.” - - - LABORERS’ HEROIC WORK. - -Under date of the 18th the condition of the city was stated to be as -follows: - -Slowly but surely the streets are assuming a decent appearance, and in a -few days all evidence of the storm on the streets of the business -district will have been removed. A large force of men are working -systematically, and the beneficial result is shown in every quarter. The -greatest amount of wreckage is piled high along the beach and for -several blocks inland, where hundreds of homes fell victims to the rush -of waters and devastating hurricane that swept that portion of the city -bare. The amount of debris in the district extending from the extreme -eastern end of the island to the western city limits, and even beyond -that point, is incalculable, and the manner in which the storm packed -this long ridge of wreckage challenges the heroic efforts of the army of -laborers engaged in its removal. - -But great progress has been made and is being made. The work cannot be -described in words, even as the devastation wrought by the awful storm -defies description. One must visit the scene and note the progress of -the work in order to gain an intelligent idea of what it was and what is -being done. - - - MORE VICTIMS EVERY HOUR. - -As the force of wreckers make inroads into the mountains of debris the -bodies of more victims are unearthed every hour. And the end is not yet. -A most conservative estimate of the dead and missing is enough to prove -that the wreckage yet undisturbed will reveal several hundred more dead -who perished in the storm. There is no doubt that at least 200 or 300, -perhaps many more, bodies were carried to sea, and that the number of -bodies recovered and to be recovered and accounted for will fall short -of the actual number of creatures who were hurled into eternity while -the storm raged. - -The record kept shows that ninety-eight bodies were reported as having -been dug from the ruins yesterday. But it is known that this record is -not a complete list of the bodies found and disposed of. For the first -three days after the storm bodies were found by the score and disposed -of by the parties finding them. Some of these persons kept a sort of -record. Others, acting upon the impulse of the moment and what they -deemed their duty, stopped in their search along the beach to bury the -poor unfortunates whom they found in and about the ruins and debris. - -Several important orders were issued from military headquarters, -Brigadier-General Scurry commanding. The most important, perhaps, to the -general public was an order which decrees that heroic measures are -necessary for the preservation of the health of the community. It is -ordered that all persons occupying houses within one block of debris -which is presumed to contain dead bodies will have to vacate the -premises temporarily. - -This step has been taken by the military authorities in charge of the -city after deliberate consideration and consultation with the Board of -Health and the general committee charged with looking after the general -welfare of the citizens. Camps will be established and comfortable -quarters provided for all those who will be subjected to this ruling, -and ample notice will be served upon the tenants of such houses. It is -not compulsory that all such persons must accept tent accommodations, as -it will be discretionary with them to move into some other house or -other premises away from the forbidden district. - - - ADVISED TO LEAVE THE CITY. - -In this regard it may be well to call attention to the advice given -early in the present military régime that all those who can leave the -city should do so; especially does this apply to women and children. A -month away from the scenes of the calamity would prove beneficial to -their general health, and would greatly aid in facilitating the work of -cleaning the city and putting it in a thorough sanitary condition. A man -who knows his family is enjoying good health away from Galveston can do -better work at home under existing conditions. Should any of his family -be taken sick here at home, he would necessarily be compelled to give -them his time and attention, and this would greatly interfere with the -progress of the good work so laudably commenced. - -Another important order issued was one which establishes a cattle -corral, where idle cattle and horses will be cared for and fed and used -in public service if the emergency requires. There are a large number of -unclaimed and strayed stock running at large about the city. A number of -cows have been picked up by people who out of compassion for the -suffering beasts fed and cared for them. Several cases have been -reported where families leaving the city after the storm turned their -stock and horses loose on the streets, or, strictly speaking, who in -their haste to leave the city, failed to collect their stock which had -strayed away during the storm. - -The work under the direction of the Health Department is pushed with -vigor. All the departments are working systematically and doing all that -is possible under the circumstances. As fast as disinfectants arrive -they are being distributed over the city, and large quantities are -arriving daily. Over a carload were taken from the wharves yesterday and -sent to the Health Department’s supply depot, and almost as much was -taken from that place and distributed over the city. As fast as it can -be done the city is being placed in a thoroughly sanitary condition. -Much was done yesterday in the way of removing debris and disposing of -animal remains. - -The sick and wounded are receiving the best of treatment, and the -facilities are such now that any one needing medical treatment can have -it by letting the fact be known. Besides the other hospitals and medical -relief stations already in service, the marine hospital and refugee camp -was opened up yesterday afternoon and is in shape to care for a large -number of patients. A number of those able to travel have been taken -from the hospitals and sent in the revenue cutter and by other means of -transportation to Houston and other relief stations on the mainland. In -all the outlook from a health standpoint is very encouraging. - - - ANXIOUS ABOUT THE CITY’S HEALTH. - -The Auxiliary Board of Health met at the usual time and place on the -18th with almost all the Board present. President Wilkinson called the -meeting to order, and after it had been decided to waive the regular -order of business and dispense with the reading of the minutes and the -reports from the committees, Dr. Trueheart offered the following -resolution and moved that it be adopted: - -“Be it resolved by the Board of Health and the Auxiliary Health Board of -the city of Galveston, General Thomas Scurry in command, concurring, -that the surgeon in charge of each and every hospital, permanent or -temporary, and all camps and one and all of the medical relief stations -for the care of the sick and wounded within the corporate limits, are -hereby instructed and empowered to proceed without delay to thoroughly -cleanse, disinfect and place in as perfect sanitary condition as -practicable their respective hospitals, stations or camps and the -premises thereof for the care of the wounded and sick, and they are -hereby authorized to send in requisitions to the proper department for -such disinfections, etc., as may be required, and empowered to secure -the services, by impressment or otherwise, of such labor, implements or -vehicles as may be found necessary to fully carry out this order. This -is to be done without delay.” - -The resolution was adopted and arrangements were made to carry it into -immediate effect. - - - RESTORATION OF GALVESTON. - -An intelligent and well-posted citizen, writing to the leading journal -of the city, expressed the following sentiments: - -“The restoration of Galveston is a question which does not alone -interest the people of the stricken city, but all Texas as well. The -discussion now going on is not confined to Galveston, but is on the lips -of every public-spirited citizen of the State. The preponderance of -opinion among the people of the interior is that the city will be -rebuilt or restored upon a scale of magnificence and stability far -superior to anything it has ever known. There are some, however, who -express the opinion that it would be worse than a waste of energy, -enterprise and money to do so, for the reason that it is liable to be -swept away at any time. This opinion is fallacious in the extreme. - -“We are not prepared to give precise historical data in support of the -assertion, but crossing the limits of the circle in which only exact -information is contained, and invading the circle in which conclusions -are only reached by a system of reasoning, it can be quite confidently -asserted that the island of Galveston has been standing since the waters -of the flood receded from the earth, and quite likely from the -foundation of the world, and though it has been swept by a thousand -storms, tossed by a thousand tidal waves and deluged a thousand times by -rains, it still stands securely where the Almighty Creator placed it a -million and perhaps a billion years ago. - -“To successfully maintain the assertion that the island will be -ultimately swept away, it is necessary, first, to prove the assertion -that the storm, or tidal wave, that will do the work will be a thousand -times more furious than any the world has heretofore known. Any attempt -to support either proposition is absurd. It is admitted, however, that -the assertion that the island has been standing since the flood, or is a -part of the original creation, is a theory, and worth no more than any -other theory started from a proper predicate, but Galveston island has -been known for more than 400 years, and has a fairly well-authenticated -history since 1542. In 1541 De Soto is said to have landed on the Texas -coast near the island, established a base of operations and penetrated -the interior as far as the present site of the town of San Marcos. - -“After his death a part of his exploring force settled on Galveston -island in 1542, and constructed some kind of fortifications to protect -themselves from the Indians and Spanish pirates or freebooters. This was -358 years ago. This undisputed historical fact proves beyond question -that the Spanish pirates and the American Indians were acquainted with -the island before De Soto’s men established themselves. Just how long is -not known, but a knowledge of the island strip may be contemporaneous -with the existence of the aborigines of America that were here during -the explorations of the Norsemen, who made several voyages in the ninth -century, 1000 years ago. In 1585, while La Salle was cruising around in -the Gulf of Mexico, he mentions having lost a man in the Maligu (Brazos) -River, and it is therefore very probable that he touched at Galveston -island. - - - A MATTER OF HISTORY. - -“In 1715, Governor Caspardo Awaya established the Orquisaco mission on -Galveston bay and made a thorough exploration of the island. In 1816 the -Mexican envoy to the United States, General Herrera, and Commodore Ansy -took formal possession of Galveston island in the name of the Mexican -republic, and from that time until now the history of the island is a -connected, well-authenticated story, and as much is known of its -climate, soil, products, temperature, rainfall, wind storms, etc., as -any part of Texas. At that time the island was much lower than now, much -of it a mere marsh, entirely unprotected by improvements, and a thousand -times more liable to be swept by storms than now, and still it stood, -and still stands. - -“When Commodore Ansy abandoned the island, Lafitte succeeded him in -possession and held it until 1821. Lafitte’s description of its -topography agrees with Commodore Ansy’s in every essential, and both -state much of the area was marshy and low-lying, and unfit for -settlement. Is there any man who will assert that during the past -eighty-eight years the altitude and stability of the island has not been -constantly improved or increased? If such is the case, and truth forbids -its denial, the conclusion is unavoidable that Galveston island may be -crossed by howling tornadoes every week, but it is just as secure as any -part of Texas from destruction. - - - MANY DESTRUCTIVE AGENCIES. - -“In the excitement and for the moment men forget that there is any other -element or power, except water, that destroy towns, when in fact the -cities of the interior have suffered more destruction from cyclones and -storms than all the towns on the Texas coast from Sabine Pass to Brazos -Santiago. Fort Worth is as liable to destruction as Galveston. In fact -insecure residences in every section of the country is a harvest for -fires, floods or cyclones, as was demonstrated in Chicago, Boston, New -York, ’Cisco, Sherman, Plano and scores of cities and towns in Texas as -well as other states during the past decade. - -“In the present deplorable disaster in Galveston the lamentable loss of -life was brought about, not from its hazardous or insecure location, but -largely on account of the unstable character of the buildings. True, -some fine structures were demolished, but much was also the case in -Brenham, Hempstead, Houston and Alvin. In Brenham 100 houses were blown -to pieces; of these a half dozen were substantially built. Eye-witnesses -state that about the same proportions hold good in Galveston and about -the same conditions prevail. - -“Nearly every island city on earth, in its early life, has suffered just -as Galveston has suffered. People attracted by business opportunities -would rush in, and rush up cheap, insecure and temporary residences, -only to be devoured by the flame or swept from the earth by the first -blast. New York, Liverpool, Edinburg and other coast cities suffered in -this way, and learned lessons from such sad experiences that made them -prosperous, stable and great. So will Galveston. - -“Many who passed through the recent storm will leave, but commerce knows -no such thing as an insurmountable obstacle. The commerce of the West -demands the port; Galveston will be rebuilt, by new people largely, -seeking and embracing the business opportunities offered. Lots will be -staked out, houses more substantial in structure erected. The whole -Atlantic Ocean might roll over New York and it would roll off again, -leaving the city unscathed. Manhattan island originally was no more -secure than Galveston island, and Galveston island in time will be -rendered just as safe as Manhattan is to-day.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - Unparalleled Bombardment of Waves—Wonderful Courage Shown by the - Survivors—Letter From Clara Barton. - - -A visitor to Galveston thus gives his impressions on the 12th day after -the great flood: - -“For two days after the great catastrophe, the people of the city of -Galveston were stunned. They seem to be dazed. It is a remarkable thing -that there were no signs of outward grief in the way of tears and groans -to mark the misery that raged in the breasts of the people. Only when -some person who was thought to have been dead, appeared to a relative -living who had mourned for him or her, were there any tears. There was a -callousness about all this that attracted the attention of those who had -just come to the unfortunate place. There was a stoicism in it. But it -was unexplainable. It indicated no lack of appreciation of what had -occurred. - -“It demonstrated no lack of affection for those who had gone. Nature, -generous in this instance, came to their relief in a way and made them -dull to the seriousness of what had occurred, to an extent which -prevented them from becoming maniacs. For, if the grief which comes to a -mortal when he loses a dear one, had come to this whole community, the -island would have been filled with raving maniacs. In case of individual -losses, there is always some one near to give consolation. Had the grief -came to the whole island, there could have been no consolation, for -every soul on it had lost in some way that which was dear to it. - -“‘The case is just like the afterthoughts of those who have participated -in a great battle,’ said an old soldier to me. ‘If a popular man was -lost on the picket line, there were tears for him, but when the time -came for all to be mowed down, the horror of it dulled the sensibilities -of those who survived.’ - -“I was talking to an estimable and bright woman on the subject. She had -lost members of her family, though not immediate ones. She said to me: -‘I study myself and am overcome at myself. I know what has happened. I -know the losses. I have lost some of the members of my family, though -they are not blood kin. I have lost the dearest friends of my life. And -yet I have not shed a tear. My eyes are hot. I would give anything to -cry, but it looks as if the fountains were dried. I am ashamed of my -seeming indifference to this horrible thing and the loss of those who -were so dear to me. But I cannot cry. I know that I suffer, but it looks -so cruel to sit here with dry eyes and without any other evidence of the -deep sorrow that fills my bosom.’ - -“I talked to one man and asked him how many people he had lost. He had -saved his daughter and her child. All the rest, amounting to three -souls, were gone. But they were dry. He spoke in a low voice, but it did -not tremble. He was agonized—I saw that—but his mind was unable to grasp -the true meaning of his loss, and when he had finished he asked if I had -a match about me.” - - - THE SAME BELL. - -“Up to Thursday night there had been no sleep in the city. True, -exhausted nature had thrown men and women and children on their beds and -they had closed their eyes and the physical strain had been to some -degree relieved, but the mental strain was still at the breaking point. -One man said that on Thursday morning he was awakened by the convent -bell summoning the living to mass. It was the same bell that had rung or -tinkled in the tone since the day of the storm. - -“He bounded from his bed a new man. He was hopeless the day before. He -had seriously thought of abandoning his house, which he believed beyond -repair, but when he looked at it on Thursday morning it did not look so -badly. He resolved to fight it out. He went and found others like -himself—resolved to fight it out. - -“Thursday night’s sleep made the people a new people. The difference in -their look and deportment from that of the day before was observed by -everyone. The streets were filled with them, when on the day before the -streets were silent of all except those who had the horrible work of -taking care of the dead on their shoulders. Now women could be seen -talking to women. They met on the corners in the residence portion of -the town and told their adventures. The men began to discuss the future. -By 10 o’clock the town was up and buoyant. The effect of that one -night’s sleep was marvelous. There was no longer any talk of abandoning -the town. Galveston should be greater than Galveston had ever been. That -was on the lips of everyone. - - - GALVESTON SAFER THAN EVER. - -“On Friday I would not have given $10 for the place. On Thursday I would -have given more for a lot than I would have given before the deluge and -storm. Why? Because the pluck of the people came out through that night -of rest. Galveston should be greater than it had ever been. That is what -they said. Galveston was safer than before by the island’s weathering -such a storm. That is what they said, too. They began to talk of their -own pluck. We have stood so much, but the world will say that we stood -it well. If we can do as we have done in such a trial, what can not we -do in the battle of life? Galveston shall be rebuilt. - -“Galveston shall be the greatest of towns. Hurrah for Galveston! Thus -they talked and went about their work of throwing up breastworks against -disease by cleaning the town. Thousands of the people, negroes as well -as whites, went about the work of burning the dead and cleaning away the -debris. They asked nothing about wages, even those who had no property. -They had begun the fight. It was evident that they intended to keep it -up. The cold, calculating speculator would have had something to study -over if he had seen these people as I saw them the day after their one -night’s rest. Well, there was nothing wild in their determination. The -island has not a break in it. - -“There is a story of millions of feet being torn from it and cast into -the sea. This story may be true if applied to some part of the island -which I did not visit. But where I went it is not true. There was -erosion. That was to be expected. Erosion would have come from a far -less storm than this. I have seen a common “rise” on the Ohio River -carry away more dirt than this storm carried from Galveston Island into -the Gulf. The people of the interior know where the old Beach Hotel -stood. - -“They know where the chimney of that house was built. They know how far -it was from the beach. They will understand the work of erosion. I -stated that the brick of that chimney is not in the water. The piling on -which the hotel was built are in some places in the water. In fact, -according to my observation, the erosion at this point has not been -above 300 feet. I went to the east end of the town and to the west end -of it. The destruction of the island is no greater anywhere that I saw -than at the location of the hotel mentioned. - - - PREDICTIONS OF DISASTER. - -“For years and years people have said that when the right kind of storm -came the island would sink under it or be washed away like a house of -cards in a flood. It was supposed that the great currents which would -rush across the island would dig bayous as deep as the bay. These would -grow in width, and finally the great island would be cut into small -ones, if it did not disappear beneath the waves. But the result of this -greatest storm on record? Why, there is not, as far as I could hear, and -I made inquiries, a single excavation made from the Gulf to the bay or -the bay to the Gulf. The island stands there in all things, except in -the matter of the erosion mentioned, as stable and firm as it has ever -been since man knew it. That is enough. The foundation is there. Man can -do most any thing with a proper foundation. - -“The only need now is stable and the right kind of houses. The old -houses seem to have stood the shock better than the new ones. The reason -of this is apparent. The old ones were built with an eye to storms. The -new ones were built in book times. One young fellow told me that his -house, the one in which he was born, had stood the storm of 1875 and -every storm since that time without a quiver. - -“‘And it would have stood this one had it not been for one thing,’ he -said. ‘That thing was the outward flow of the tide when the storm was -over. The water rushed back to the sea like a torrent. It fell over a -foot and a half in fifteen minutes, and as it went out it swept many a -house from its foundations.’ This flow, running like a torrent, swept -across the island, and yet there was not left a single evidence in the -way of excavations of it going. - - - “FOUNDED ON A ROCK.” - -“Attention was attracted to the house of Mr. J. H. Hawley, the brother -of Congressman Hawley. He bought the property from an engineer who lived -in Galveston some time about the flood of ’96. He said he would build -him a house which would stand. He placed the foundations on an iron -fence two feet in the ground. This foundation was of brick. In this -foundation he placed the railing of the iron fence running up three -feet. At the top he placed filagree brick work. His house was braced -well and the timbers were heavy and well put together. The storm did not -phase it. - -“The fence acted as a barrier to timbers from the houses which had been -destroyed. It kept away the battering rams with which the waves -assaulted all places. When the night’s horrors were at an end the house -stood intact. Even the cistern, which was on piling, stood the test and -was uninjured. Now the Galveston people begin to consider the question -of whether much was not their fault in that their structures were not of -the kind that should have been built, when storms were sure to come. - -“It is just such things as this that give them hope. As I have said, I -despaired of the town when I walked among the dead bodies and saw the -destruction on every side. But like the rest I got over this depression. -I caught the infection of the new life when it came. I know that I speak -the truth when I say that the life in Galveston now is capable of -upbuilding the town, and building it better in every way than it ever -was. Millions of dollars are invested in enterprises in the town. The -men who have lost thousands, not to say millions, will not permit the -rest to go without a struggle. - -“The railroads running into the place and depending on the thirty feet -of deep water, which is said now to exist in the channel, for export of -the freight, will not agree to abandon the port, the only one of such -depth for thousands of miles. Cotton factors in all the world, who look -to this port for their supplies, will not abandon it. The monetary -interest in the city of itself would save it even if the people were not -so full of heart as they are. But above this, the poor people and the -working classes have no where else to go. With many of them, it is too -late in life to begin it anew. It is too late for them to build up -acquaintances again. They have lost their houses, but the lots on which -the houses were located are there. - - - EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC CHARITY. - -“Subscriptions to the amount of perhaps $2,000,000 have poured in for -their relief. The well-to-do Galvestonian is determined that this relief -shall go to those who are poor, that they may to some extent repair -their fortunes. The rich themselves will build. In a month from now -every man in the place will have all the labor he can perform. Every -person will be busy. The work of upbuilding will in some measure rub out -the recollection of the horrors of the storm. The Huntington estate will -continue its work. Bridges of the very first class will span the waters -between the island and the mainland. If great corporations can risk -their money, as they are determined to do, why shall not a poor man risk -his labor to build another house on the lot he owned? - -“Why, even behind the business and necessitous phases of the matter, -there rises a sentiment among the people. That sentiment is that we will -show the world the stuff that Galveston people are made of. Galveston is -all right. The storm could not kill her, though it wounded her to the -death almost. There is pluck there. There is pride there. There is money -there. And, above all, there are recollections there for the -Galvestonian, and he will not be downed by wind and wave. Mark that.” - -Galveston, Tex., Sept. 18.—It would be somewhat difficult just now to -give an answer to the question: “What is new in the situation at -Galveston?” The situation has resolved itself into a routine of hard and -systematic work which presents no features of special or startling -interest, and which will, in the end, have the effect of showing what a -stricken people can accomplish in the face of a fearful calamity if they -go about their work in the proper manner. - -Generally speaking, conditions are improved at every point. The various -committees continue to carry out the tasks they have in hand, and on all -sides progress which would not have been thought possible is being made. -Business concerns are resuming business or making every possible effort -toward that end. Wherever possible, buildings are being repaired, at -least to an extent which will protect their contents from the elements. -Roofs are being replaced with temporary shields against the wind and -rain, panes of glass are being placed in the frames which were destroyed -by the storm, and stores are being cleaned out and the damaged goods -they contain exposed to the sun and wind in order to dry them and thus -minimize the damage done. - - - RAIN ADDS TO THE SUFFERING. - -Early this morning there was a sharp shower of rain—the first since the -storm—which, while it lasted but a few minutes, showed how absolutely -necessary it is to get the buildings of the town in something like their -normal condition as soon as possible. In the Tremont Hotel, the rain -over a part of which is the office, came in in many places—through parts -of the roof itself, through the broken skylight and through the empty -window panes. Out in the residence portion of the town the rainfall -undoubtedly caused at least a great amount of discomfort, for hundreds -of houses which were not absolutely uninhabitable during the prevalence -of fair weather were drenched and deluged, and the weary and heartsick -people they sheltered were rendered all the more miserable. - -It must be understood in this connection that while the work of -repairing and making proof against the elements the building of the city -is a very important feature of the situation, the matter of cleaning up -the debris and disposing of the dead bodies therein is paramount on -account of the danger which might result to the public health were this -work not done as rapidly as possible. - -Right here it should be said that, all reports to the contrary -notwithstanding, there is at present practically no likelihood whatever -that anything like an epidemic will result from the presence of -decomposing bodies and the deposits made by the water during the storm. -This is perhaps a broad statement, but it is one which is backed by all -of the eminent medical authorities of the city, who are certainly in a -position to know if any one is. - - - DISINFECTING THE CITY. - -Satisfactory progress is being made in the work of removing the -offending matter, and a large amount of disinfectants of various sorts -is being used where it will do the most good. The fear of an epidemic is -one which has probably caused a great deal of uneasiness among the -people who have friends and relatives still in the city, but from the -standpoint of a layman, who has formed his opinion largely from -investigation and from physicians who are interested in the work of -caring for the health of the city, it may be stated, without any -reservations whatever that the possibility of the prevalence in the -future of any malignant disease is very remote indeed. Those interested -may well set their fears on this score at rest. - -The progress that has been made in securing a correct list of the dead -is something wonderful, considering all the circumstances. Debris is -being removed in all parts of the town and many more bodies were burned -to-day. There are places here, however, which the workers have been -unable to reach. Unless he goes into the mass of debris he can not -imagine a condition equal to that which exists. There are places where -the wreckage is piled so high and is in such an entangled mass that the -workers will have great difficulty in getting it cleared away. There are -some places where timber enough is stacked in a confused heap which is -of quantity sufficient to stock a good-sized lumber yard. Houses have -been torn limb from limb, as it were, and from beneath the unexplored -depths of these places more bodies will be found. - -Dr. J. Wilkes O’Neill, of Philadelphia, Secretary of the Associate -Society of the Red Cross, received a letter from President Clara Barton, -dated Galveston, September 19, in which she says: - - - CLARA BARTON’S LETTER. - -“The conditions here are as much as you will gather from what you have -read. Like some other fields that we have visited, it does not admit of -exaggeration. One can scarcely imagine how it could have been worse, and -yet one sees the city full of people left alive; but when we think of -the hundreds, and it may be even thousands, lying buried and decaying in -great heaps of debris stretched for miles along the edge of what was -once a town, it is hard to conjecture anything worse. - -“Supplies are coming in from all sides. Of course, disinfectants were -the first thought, to protect the living against the dead. All that can -be done by the purification of fire is being done, the pyres of human -sacrifice are burning day and night. I have never had any fears of an -epidemic. We have in all our experience, you will remember, never known -an epidemic to follow a flood. There will, I believe, be no pestilence -here. - -“There is a portion of the town containing business houses, which, while -being terribly damaged, stood upright, and stores with their valuable -contents were entirely submerged. The streets are filled with elegant -goods, drying off, and it will be most reasonable charity to buy these -of the merchants at the prices put on them—which are scarcely half—in -preference to using first those that are sent, until these dealers are -relieved in a measure. - -“Every accommodation which the city can afford was placed at our -disposal. A large warehouse is being fitted to-day ready to receive the -carloads of goods on the way. Every official, from the highest to the -least, calls to know what the Red Cross needs, and how it can be served. -The grateful confidence with which they approach us, or even speak the -name, makes one humble, filled with the fear that we will fail to -justify the fullness of the confidence and hope that is offered. - -“There seems to be an unusually large number of children with no one to -care for them or who knows them. There are five or six hundred of these, -it is stated, gathered in the houses of the poor, overburdened with -their own wants, and yet cannot see another child suffer. We will help -them as far as possible, gather them in, and the world will give them -homes. It requires great calamities to show how generous and great are -the hearts of the people of the land. - - - GUARDING AGAINST FUTURE DESTRUCTION. - -“This city will be built up again, probably finer than before—and it was -a fine city always—but I hope never without a protection from the -storms. It is criminal to allow people perfectly unsuspecting to settle -themselves and live on territory, however beautiful, that is morally -certain at some evil moment of destruction. If Galveston is worth the -possession that it is and has been to our country, it is worth its -protection; therefore we shall see that it shall not fail to implore of -the government that it give work to its men and security to its -inhabitants by a sea wall, which shall render it almost safe.” - -On September 20th we find this tragic recital: - -“The storm has claimed another victim, and another soul that passed -through that night of nights has gone to its reward. In chronicling the -death of Miss Clara Olsen, another pathetic chapter is added to the -thrilling tale of horrors which will never be told in its entirety. Miss -Olsen, who was a graduate of the Ursuline Academy, and a most estimable -young lady, lived with her aged mother on Twenty-seventh street, near -the Ursuline Convent. When the storm rose to its height, and their -humble home succumbed to the destructive elements, mother and daughter -were thrown out into the surging waters. - -“With one hand firmly grasping her mother, the young lady bravely -struggled against the wind and sea. At last the branches of a large tree -were sighted above the raging torrent, and mother and daughter exerted -their fast failing energies to reach the luring tree top. As the two -weary creatures neared the haven, the daughter reached with one hand to -grab a swaying branch. She missed it and was carried backward by the -wind. Another attempt and she secured a hold, but her mother had been -torn from her embrace by the sea, and was swept to her death beneath the -waters. - - - LODGED IN A LARGE OAK. - -“In the early hours of the morning a rescuing party found the almost -lifeless form of the young lady resting in the tangled branches of the -large oak. She was carried to the home of friends and recovered from the -shock. But the thoughts of her mother’s tragic death, and the strange -feeling that she was responsible for it, weighed heavily on her heart -and mind. The haunted thoughts racked her brain and slowly undermined -her failing health until the end came, when the broken-hearted and weary -spirit responded to death’s sweet sleep. ‘Mother’s in heaven and I’ll -soon be with her,’ were the last words whispered by the girl.” - -The work of clearing the streets and the city in general progresses with -surprising rapidity and systematic thoroughness. Street after street is -being cleared up and the wreckage being stacked away. In accordance with -an order from military headquarters, a new plan has been inaugurated in -removing debris. Instead of removing the debris and throwing it to one -side to remove the dead, it is ordered that the ridge of wreckage along -the beach be separated into two piles. The first pile removed is to be -stacked out near the beach, where it can be fired and consumed. The -bodies found are to be disposed of on pyres placed at convenient -intervals between the two piles of debris. The second pile will be fired -separately. - -Military law has had a wonderful effect in placing the operations of all -classes of work under one head, and the work of this general -headquarters has won the highest commendation from the good citizens. -Every ward has its supervisor, who reports daily all work done in his -respective ward, files complaints, makes suggestions, and, in fact, -keeps the general headquarters informed on all matters pertaining to the -management of his district. - -The ward supervisor has in charge a number of foremen, who in turn are -in charge of gangs of workmen numbering from ten to twenty men. General -Scurry holds the ward chairmen responsible for their districts, and the -chairmen hold their foremen accountable for the actions of their gangs -of laborers. Every department and branch of public service is under -control of Brigadier General Scurry, who is ably assisted by Adjutant -General McCaleb, Assistant Adjutant Reid and a score or more of -efficient clerks and stenographers. At headquarters is a busy place. -There all complaints, all reports, all requisitions and all operations -of the military force of over 200 soldiers are filed and made note of. - - - FLOOD OF TELEGRAMS. - -Every class of work has its corps of officers and clerks and every -communication or record is carefully filed in the proper place. Hundreds -of telegraphic messages are received and answered every day. Orders are -promulgated and duplicate copies distributed around the city and a -thousand and one matters must be attended to and all of them require -prompt action and attention. - -General McCaleb, who is in touch with the pulse of the community by -reason of his office and who is familiar with the detailed operations of -the military department, stated that Galveston was recovering amazingly -from the calamity, and that it could be stated as a fact that in three -or four days the city will have resumed normal conditions. - -“This department has accomplished a great deal, and to the several -hundred men who have devoted their time and attention to the city’s -welfare too much credit cannot be given,” said he. “It is astonishing to -note the spirit of the people of Galveston and the manner in which they -go about the work of restoring the city. We have had no serious trouble -either in having to impress men into service or in keeping the lawless -element under control. Considering the condition of affairs, the city -has been unusually orderly and very few arrests have been made of a -serious nature. I have tried but five cases since the establishment of -martial law, and that tells the story of how the law is being -respected.” - - - A MARVEL OF BRIDGE BUILDING. - -The construction of the bridge across Galveston bay has been a marvel of -hustling, and the dispatch with which it has been done reflects the -indomitable energy, good judgment and skill of the men who had it in -charge. The work was not started on the bridge until Thursday of last -week, because the material could not be gotten to the place, but when it -was started Vice President Barr and General Superintendent Nixon said: -“We will run trains into Galveston next Thursday.” Not many people -expected that they could make good the promise, and almost everybody -said they would be satisfied if the trains came within a fortnight. But -the men who directed the work said that trains would cross on Thursday, -and they stuck to it. - -No work was ever beset by such difficulties as the work of restoring the -tracks on the island and the mainland and the building of the bridge. -The men on the track had to bury dead humans and animals, strewn by the -hundreds over the prairies. They toiled in mud and water under a blazing -sun. They had to remove hundreds of wrecked cars and twisted and tangled -steel rails. They worked in the stench of dead flesh and the horrible -odor of rotting grain and other wreckage. They built the track over a -wreck-strewn prairie torn by the angry sea. It was difficult to get -supplies to them and difficult also to get material. - -The men who rebuilt the bridge worked the first day without dinner. It -was difficult to get boats light enough in draft to bring provisions or -materials or pile drivers to Virginia Point. When the boarding camp was -pitched it stood in a new made cemetery, where hundreds of victims of -the storm lay unidentified, unshrouded and uncoffined. - -For the first four days after construction was commenced, the bridge -timbers were rafted down Highland bayou and West bay, a distance of -seven miles, to Virginia Point. When the track on the mainland had been -restored to Virginia Point, the delivery of material by rail began. The -storm swept away most of the pile drivers around Galveston. One marine -driver was sent out and put to work on Sunday closing the gaps -aggregating about 1000 feet of trestlework, where the piling had been -carried away. The next day another marine driver was sent out, and -Assistant Engineer Boschke, of the Southern Pacific, built two skid -drivers and sent them out to the work. - - - GETTING THE TRACKS READY. - -When a reporter was at the island end of the bridge, at 9.30 o’clock -yesterday morning, the Santa Fe track at the island had just been -completed. The steel laying gang on the bridge was about a mile from -shore, with the stringer gangs about half that distance away. The caps -were laid up all the way to the shore. The Santa Fe has some pretty -rough tracks for a short distance this side of the bridge, but the track -through the west yards is in good condition and in fair condition the -rest of the way in. - -The Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad completed its island track -to a connection with the Santa Fe at the bridge yesterday forenoon, and -the Southern Pacific folks expected to complete their track last night. -The Southern Pacific track is in very good condition. It has been -rebuilt under the direction of Mr. E. K. Nichols, the agent of the -company at this point. Nearly all the material used was gathered up from -the prairie, some of it having been washed several hundred feet away. -The work was delayed by a large number of wrecked cars. There was no -wrecking outfit to be had in the city, and it was necessary to remove -the wreckage by slow processes. - -The Southern Pacific had about 200 cars in its west yard loaded with -grain, cotton and merchandise. The yard was terribly swept and many of -the cars wrecked, some of them being washed nearly a quarter of a mile -away. The new double-track railroad of the Southern Pacific, near the -bay shore, was torn to pieces. - -Bradstreet’s weekly report commented on the great calamity as follows: - -“Galveston was flooded by one of the tropical storms which from time to -time vex the southern coast, and as the result of its ravages, thousands -of people have been killed, many more have been made homeless, and the -city has been reduced to a condition which has led some people of a -pessimistic turn to despair of its future. Views of this kind, however, -do not take sufficient account of the energy of the American people or -of the efforts which will be put forth to save to the commerce of the -world one of its great ports. - - - SUPERIOR TO THE CALAMITY. - -“It may take some time for Galveston to recover from the shock and the -horror of its late visitation, the most destructive in its effects that -has darkened the annals of the United States, but the pride and energy -of its people may be counted upon to rise superior to even this -calamity. Meanwhile the spirit of helpfulness and charity that has made -the people of the United States conspicuous among those of all the world -may be counted upon to aid in healing the wounds made by this signal -disaster, so that, before long, after the succor most immediately and -imperatively demanded has been furnished, the great Gulf port may be -once more rebuilt and made to contribute as it has done in the past to -the extension of the trade of the country, for whose commerce it has -furnished a conspicuous outlet. Earnestly desirous of contributing to -such a result, Bradstreet’s will be glad to forward to the proper relief -committees any subscriptions which its readers may deem proper to -confide to it for the aid of the distressed city and its inhabitants.” - -St. Mary’s Infirmary was the refuge where over a thousand of lives were -saved from a cruel death, which the terrible storm seemed so anxious to -administer, and if it had not almost ceased to be at a premium on -account of so many displays of that most noble virtue, the heroism -displayed at and around that institution that afternoon and night would -be something remarkable. Men worked with five boats all of that -afternoon, never tiring in their heroic efforts in bringing women and -children from their frail dwellings to this haven of safety, and when -these poor frightened people arrived they were still heroically dealt -with by the Sisters of Charity. - - - ONSLAUGHTS OF THE STORM. - -Of all those who took refuge there only two lost their lives, and those -were in an outbuilding where some fifty-two had taken refuge. While the -main building, where most of the people were, shook and trembled under -the awful onslaughts made on it by the wind and water, and although the -water kept coming up into that building until it stood three and a half -feet deep on the lower floor, the building stood the shock bravely and -not a life was lost in it. - -Only those who were there and heard the terrible noises that the wind -and water made in their mission of destruction, and only those who felt -the building tremble and saw the houses around the place torn down and -washed away, can realize the fearfulness of that evening and night. But -during it all the Sisters were there, forgetting their own personal -danger in quieting the fears of those who had come to them for refuge. -It was indeed a hardened man that did not there that night ask his -Creator for protection. - -It was early in the afternoon that the refugees began to come. They came -first from the flats east of the building, which is lower than the -ground around and to the west of the Infirmary, the water rising there -first. Then, as the storm kept increasing and the water rising, they -began to come from the houses all around. They waded in first, but it -was not long before it was too deep and turbulent for that. It was then -boatloads began to arrive, and it was in this way that the boats were -brought there which afterward were the means by which so many others -were saved. - -No sooner would a cargo of precious lives be left at the door than the -boat would be snatched away by ready hands and taken out to pick up -another load. This was continued all the afternoon and up until it -became so dark the men could not see which way to go after they had -procured a load of frightened people. At first it was a comparatively -easy thing to push the boats about and collect people, but along in the -afternoon the wind had so increased and the water became so agitated -that it was with the greatest danger this was done. - - - THE MEN STUCK TO THEIR WORK. - -Notwithstanding this great danger and the hard task of handling the -boats, the men stuck to it manfully. Not once did they stop for even a -breathing spell. They realized the terrible danger that was before those -who had not found a stable refuge, and stood to the work heroically. -Many times were the boats almost swamped, and many times did the -occupants and those who were pushing come within an ace of drowning, but -looking death in the face and defying the wind and waters to do their -worst, they kept at their mission of salvation until blinded by the -darkness. Even before they made their last loads houses were beginning -to go down, maiming and drowning their inmates. - -After the men had shown the heroism born in them, it was the turn of the -women to show their mettle, and they did it, every one of them. The -Sisters forgot the great danger of instant death and went about -comforting and trying to ease the fears of the many who had come to -their institution seeking safety. But even they shuddered with fear when -they saw the house formerly occupied by the patients from the Santa Fe -road, go down, burying the refugees whom they knew to be in the -building, go down, not onto the ground, but into a boiling, seething -mass of water—that water which seemed to vie with the wind in its -destruction. - -Then when the water kept rising and the wind increasing in velocity, -until it seemed that nothing could stand before it, it was, indeed, a -time to be afraid. This condition continued for several hours, which -seemed days to those whose hope was in its abatement, until about -midnight the waters began to subside and the wind to decrease in -velocity. - -It was not until between 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning, however, that -the water had gone down enough to allow any one to venture out. When the -water had receded enough for one to go outside, it was found that the -Santa Fe wing of the hospital, which was a frame building, was a mass of -wreckage and had washed over against the rear of the Infirmary building -proper. Knowing that there were refugees in the building when it went -down, there was fear for their safety. - - - IMPRISONED IN THE WRECKAGE. - -At once men began a search and found the frightened and maimed refugees -imprisoned down among the wreckage. The work of getting them out was -begun. All were found to be alive except two, a child and a crippled -woman named Mary Sweeny. Although the survivors were alive, they were -horribly cut up and wounded, which was proof of the terrible night they -had spent and of their awful experience. - -Then daylight came to present a picture such as none had ever seen and -none ever cares again to cast his eyes upon. The clean sweep of the -waters and their horrible destruction was in full view, and to add to -the awfulness of the picture, the water had left several bodies of its -victims at the door of the Infirmary. The people then left, not to go to -their homes, but to go to where their homes had been. Many returned on -account of having no place to go, and for days stopped at the Infirmary, -their wants being administered to by the good Sisters. Since then, that -institution has been, as well as a hospital where the injured have been -attended to, a house of refuge where those made destitute and homeless -by the storm have stayed. - -Martial law, which had been declared, was suspended at the earliest -moment consistent with the peace and safety of the city, as will be seen -by the following: - - -Headquarters Office, Galveston, Texas, September 20.—Hon. Walter C. -Jones, Mayor of Galveston, Texas—Sir: “I have the honor to report that, -in my opinion, the conditions upon which you based your proclamation -declaring martial law in Galveston, have rapidly changed. Order has been -restored, the energies of the city have been directed into the proper -channels, and the moment is opportune for a return to civil processes. - -“I would respectfully ask that you prepare to resume the functions of -civil government within twenty-four hours. - -“Such troops of the Texas volunteer guard as may be necessary will be -retained here while needed to aid the civil authorities in maintaining -order. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, - - “THOMAS S. SCURRY, - “Brig. Gen. Commanding City Forces.” - - - CITY GOVERNMENT THE SAME. - -As far as the general public is concerned, there is to be no radical -change in the general government of the city. The change means a -shifting of the powers that govern from the military to the civil -process, but the good work inaugurated and expedited under the able and -efficient direction of General Scurry will be continued and hastened to -an early completion. General Scurry and his military command will remain -in the city, and will be continued in service for police and guard duty -as heretofore, except that they will act under the direction of the -civil authorities. - -The resumption of civil control of the affairs of the city will remove -the bars to traffic into and out of the city so far as good citizens are -concerned, but certain restrictions will be maintained to keep out -persons not wanted in this community. With the military force and the -increased police department and sheriff’s department there will be -enough men to guard all the gateways to the city and patrol the streets -of the city. - -Mayor Jones and General Scurry desire it to be clearly understood that -the lawless element will be shown no quarter. Mayor Jones has instructed -General Scurry that he wants law and order maintained at any cost and -that the military command shall be backed in their work. - -From to-day noon it will not be necessary for persons desiring to leave -the city to secure passes, nor will it be necessary for persons desiring -to come to Galveston to secure passports. However, all gateways will be -guarded and suspicious characters will be subject to scrutiny and -examination before being allowed to enter the city. - -The sporting element, including gamblers and others of the sporting -fraternity, will not be allowed to come to Galveston, and if found here -their immediate deportation will follow their conviction. Drunkenness -will not be tolerated and all arrests upon this charge will be -prosecuted to the severest extent of the law. On this score Mayor Jones -and General Scurry are most emphatic and they seek to impress the people -most firmly in this regard. - - - SALOONS CANNOT OPEN. - -“I want it distinctly understood that the suspension of martial law does -not mean that the saloons may open up,” said Mayor Jones yesterday. “I -desire ‘The News’ to announce that the saloons must remain closed until -further orders and that no back or side door business will be permitted. -The saloons were not closed under martial law, but were closed by my -order before martial law was proclaimed. The proclamation closing them, -therefore, holds good and will not be revoked until I am satisfied that -it can be done with safety. Although martial law will be raised -to-morrow, General Scurry is going to remain with me and assist me as he -has so admirably done during the past ten days.” - -The citizens of Galveston were not in a position to look after the -affairs of the city government under the circumstances. It was a public -calamity that befell the city and every citizen had his burden of sorrow -to bear. There is no gainsaying the fact that the establishment of -martial law was the best course to be pursued under existing -circumstances and the beneficial results are plainly manifest on every -hand. Public spirited citizens volunteered their services and men who -held back were promptly impressed into public service for their own as -well as the good of every person living in Galveston. - -Organization of this vast army of workers was perfected, departments -were instituted to conduct the different classes of labor, and under -strict military discipline order was restored. The clearing of the -streets, burial of the dead, caring for the living and providing for the -restoration of the city was commenced in earnest under military -supervision and urged to most flattering success. There are few who -regret the institution of martial law, but there are many who would -deplore the removal of the military forces. - -General Scurry, who has won the commendation and heartfelt thanks of -this community, is a man of few words. He says he tried to do his duty -and he is glad that the people of Galveston appreciate the fact. He says -he was never treated more kindly and he feels that the citizens were -alive to the fact that what he did was for their own good and the good -of Galveston. - - - PLACE AND ORDER OUT OF CHAOS. - -Mayor Jones stated to a “News” reporter yesterday that the people of -Galveston are obligated to General Scurry for the way he has conducted -the affairs of the city in this hour of peril. He has brought peace and -order out of chaos and with a remarkable display of executive ability he -has brought sunshine from darkness and gloom. Without the slightest -friction, without disturbance of any consequence, and without aid or -advice from anyone, he has wrought wonders and restored the city to -normal conditions. - -As the work of removing the debris progresses more dead are found buried -beneath the ruins. There are no official records at hand of the bodies -found, and it is probable that the record will never be completed. It is -known that there are many bodies found and disposed of by volunteer -parties who failed to make a detailed report of the work. It is also -known that there were many dead swept to sea and to mainland. Only those -found on the island and on Pelican are accounted for. Even those on the -mainland were not recorded. Some of them were from Galveston and some -were from that section. - -Several hundred of these bodies were disposed of by relief parties -coming into Galveston on the first relief trains which came near the bay -shore after the storm. The trains could not get to the bridge nor to -Virginia Point, and the relief parties put in their time burying the -dead. No record was kept of this work. - -It is not known how many bodies are still in the ruins. It is known that -there are many dead buried beneath the debris yet undisturbed. There is -absolutely no way of estimating with any degree of accuracy how many -unfortunates remain in their death prisons beneath the mountains of -wreckage yet to be released. It is believed by some that many surprises -await the removal of all the wreckage. - - - LAST TRAIN OVER THE BRIDGE. - -Mr. J. T. Grimes, of near Brandon, has a fine farm and is a substantial -and reliable citizen highly esteemed and respected. He was in Galveston -during the hurricane and related a remarkable experience. He said: - -“I left here Friday and got there Saturday evening. The storm was on -when we got there. Our train was the last that went over the bridge -before it went down. The water was then rising rapidly and nearly over -the tracks. The conductor asked if any one had ever seen it that high -before. Nobody had. A carload of cattle that followed us on the bridge -went down with the bridge.” - -“How came you to go to Galveston?” asked the reporter. - -Mr. Grimes hesitated, as if considering, then said: “Well, sir, it was -this way: I was sitting on the gallery with a baby in my arms—the child -of that man standing there, whose wife cooks for me. Suddenly it was -just like some one came to me and told me to go to Galveston. It came so -powerfully I sprang up and handed the baby to its mother and told her I -must go, and ordered my clothes prepared for the trip. In two hours I -was on the way.” - -“Did you have any idea what you were summoned to Galveston for?” - -“No; only I knew there was some disaster threatening my children. I did -not know what it was, but I could not refrain from going.” - -Asked further about the trip to Galveston, he said the passengers got -into the depot, but he never saw or heard of any of the train crew, and -he thought they all must have perished. “I got a negro to show me the -way to where my daughter, Mrs. Chilton, lived. The water was then all -over the city and rising rapidly. When we got to Eighth street, my -son-in-law here, Stufflebram, called out to me across the street. He had -seen and recognized me. I went over and we started on. There was a lot -of timber and driftwood floating, and some people along the way were -pulling all of it in the houses they could get. - - - HOUSE WASHED TO FRAGMENTS. - -“We had to push it apart to get through in places, and some of them -laughed and said push it to them, and I did so, and they began hauling -it in. Nobody thought how serious it was, but looked on it as merely -high water. A little later all those buildings along there were -destroyed and all the people there drowned. Stufflebram had taken his -wife up to Chilton’s and Clarkson also, because it was a little higher -ground there. We finally reached it, on Twenty-second street, just -opposite Harmony Hall. We were all in the house together when Prof. -Smith sent word over from Harmony Hall that we had better get out at -once. - -“We went to the hall, and the last of the party had hardly cleared the -sidewalk when a large brick building gave way and mashed Chilton’s house -to fragments. We staid in Harmony Hall until the cyclone ceased, though -it looked once as if the hall would go when the roof blew off. It was -the awfulest time I ever saw. My daughters and their families were -saved, and I am truly thankful for it. They said at Galveston that we -were the only family in the city who all got away alive. It must have -been providential. - -“We left there Thursday and went to Houston, where we were nicely -treated. I never saw such charitable people and I just love Houston. -Charity was a mile high there. They fed us and clothed our children and -paid our fare to Hillsboro. The railroads, too, were nice, and did all -and more for us than one could expect. I never saw or heard of such a -time as we experienced at Galveston. Nobody can tell it as it was. It is -impossible. For two days we didn’t think of eating. The dead people -floating, the ruins all about us, destroyed all sense of hunger. It -wasn’t the water that killed, death seemed to be in the atmosphere, -there was so much electricity and such furious winds. It is awful, even -to think of.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. -Galveston Storm Stories—Fierce Battles With Surging Waves—Vivid Accounts - from Fortunate Survivors—A City of Sorrow. - - -A resident of the stricken city gave the following graphic narrative of -his experiences, which help to make up the dark picture of Galveston’s -agony and desolation: - -“Some people asked, ‘How did you feel when your house went down in the -storm?’ It is a question easier asked than answered. I was among the few -who lost their houses early in the storm and before darkness set in. Up -to fifteen minutes or less before the house went down I had hopes that -it might survive the storm. For three hours before it went I watched the -waters patiently, mostly from the south windows, but of course had the -restlessness natural to people who are waiting for a great crisis in the -lives of themselves or those dear to them. To sit perfectly still under -the circumstances was impossible. - -“A few moment’s rest by a south window was followed by an uncontrollable -desire to go to some other part of the house to see how matters were -looking. Wandering from one point to another, the round of the house was -made, and once more I found myself back of the south windows to watch -the waters from the main danger point. I do not think that I or any of -my family could have been called excited. There was a restless, uneasy -feeling among us all, but actually no fear. When my wife left the house -she fully expected to return to it when the storm was over. My boys were -with her and my little girl, and for probably half an hour I was alone. - -“During that time I was partly engaged in keeping the north and east -doors closed. The wind blew them open several times, but did not break -the hinges. When one was blown open torrents of rain poured in, and I -remember thinking of the task the women would have in drying the floors -and disposing of articles that had suffered from the water. From this it -can be judged that even at that time I was not looking for a total -wreck. How did I feel? I was not excited. I was not in fear of my life. -It seemed to me that what I regretted was the property loss and the -struggle I would have to repair damages. - -“But a total loss—a sweeping away of everything I had in the world—was -not thought of. In fact, it is hard to realize now, a week after the -storm. The mind cannot rest all the time on one’s loss, and at times it -seems when I want something at my house all I have to do is to go out -and get it. My good wife last night caught herself the same way. -Speaking of the need of a shirt for Sunday, she asked: ‘What do you want -to buy a shirt for, when you have three or four—oh, I forgot; they were -lost in the storm.’ We have been housed safely, and it has seemed more -like a visit than a total loss of property to her, except when she has -felt the need of something that was carried away in the storm. - - - THE OLD FAMILY BIBLE. - -“As time passes and we begin to realize that all is gone, there is a -desire to find something, even if it is of no value, when the wreckage -is cleared away. My wife expressed the wish that the family Bible might -be found, be it ever so dirty and torn. It contained records that could -be nowhere else secured, and if a new one is purchased and the records -again written, it must be entirely from memory. - -“But though we lost all, we were among those families where no life was -sacrificed in the storm, and in that respect were more fortunate than -some of our neighbors and many of our friends. The number of broken -families in Galveston seems innumerable. As one walks the streets he -meets friends of whom he had never thought, and the first greeting is -‘Did you save all your family?’ An affirmative answer brings out the -remark, ‘You are lucky; many have lost not only all their worldly goods -but their families.’” - -“In many instances the reply is that your friend has saved his family -but has lost his other relatives. It seems that there is scarcely an -individual in the city who has not lost some relative. Where the loss is -not positive it is believed to have occurred, because no news of the -supposed dead ones has been received. - -“Tales of rescues and narrow escapes continue to come to light, but to -record them all would require the work of hours in writing up and fill -the paper full to the brim with this class of matter alone. - -“The stores and groceries are again getting down to business, but they -are badly handicapped by damaged stock, more especially the dry goods -and clothing stores. A complete overhauling of these establishments has -been necessary and the separation and sorting out and drying of damaged -goods is not yet complete. Those which have fully opened for business -are crowded with customers, and in some instances it is still necessary -to keep the crowds out, letting in only a few customers at a time. - - - HARD WORKED CLERKS. - -“The clerks are a hard worked set of people just at the present time. -With the changes in overhauling the stock they have not yet become -acquainted with the exact location of articles called for, and it -requires a search to find them. This naturally retards the quick -execution of business, and throws additional labor on those waiting on -the customers. But order is rapidly being evoked out of the chaos -existing after the storm, and in the course of time things will be -moving along with their old-time uniformity. - -“The street forces have got fairly to work on the business streets, and -they are rapidly assuming a more passable condition. Drays are hauling -away the trash, and in the course of a week or so the worst evidence of -the storm will be removed. The damaged buildings will take longer to -repair, but the streets will present more of the old-time aspect than -for the past week. - -“Work on the pile of wreckage back from the beach is progressing, and -now and then one hears of bodies taken from the ruins, clearly showing -that the full extent of the loss of life has not yet been realized. - -“In this storm the usual conditions have been reversed. Whereas, in -wrecks by wind, water or rail, first reports greatly magnify the loss of -life, while in the present case it seems that the estimate of lives lost -is increasing rather than diminishing as each day passes. While the -total will never be known, it will be far above the early estimates. - -“The relief system is fairly in operation, and it is now claimed that no -one need go hungry except able-bodied men who refuse to labor. But it -should be understood that those desiring relief should go to the -different ward headquarters, or send some one. The committees and heads -of departments have no facilities for forwarding goods to the destitute -in the various portions of the city. Their time is taken up with -procuring and distributing supplies from the various headquarters. - - - REASONS FOR BURNING RUINS. - -“Suggestions have been made to burn the pile of lumber of all kinds in -the rafts, but this seems both impracticable and unadvisable, If it can -be preserved, every stick and board will be of use hereafter. The only -reasons for burning the rafts given are that it will cremate the bodies -of the dead known to be in some and supposed to be in almost all of -them. Sickness resulting from the decaying bodies is predicted if this -is not done. But if it is attempted more loss of life is likely to occur -from it than will result from sickness arising from putrid bodies. - -“Once let the fire demon get hold of the immense masses of lumber and -the remaining portion of the city may be wiped out. No one who has seen -a conflagration in a city can doubt that all the fire apparatus in Texas -would be ineffectual to stop the march of the flames to the bay in case -of a strong south wind. Many houses, partially wrecked, are in the -piles, and many household goods belonging to people who have lost all -may be recovered. Disinfect the rafts as far as possible, and remove the -lumber. Preserve it as far as can be done conveniently. It will be -needed for building temporary homes for the destitute. - -“We have thousands of homeless people in the city, and while free -transportation is offered to those who wish to go, there are many who -have no friends to go to. These people must be cared for. Some are now -crowded in the homes of friends, and others are located in the large -buildings in the business district. All are only temporarily provided -for. Something must be done to house them, at least temporarily, when -cold weather approaches. It would be well to issue permits for temporary -buildings to be erected from the debris of wrecked homes, without regard -to the fire rules of the city as they now stand, but with the distinct -proviso that they should be removed after a certain date. I am no -advocate of ramshackle shanties as permanent buildings in the city, in -any part of it, but I appreciate the fact that we are facing an -emergency that requires prompt action to prevent severe suffering in the -near future. - - - A CHARITABLE PEOPLE. - -“Galveston’s people have not in the past turned their faces against the -suffering poor, and I do not think they will do so in the future. While -strong, substantial buildings should be required in permanent -structures, there is no reason why the wreckage should not be used in -erecting temporary shelter for the homeless. Lumber promises to be a -scarce article when once the resumption of building is begun, and every -board, rafter and scantling on the pile of wreckage should be saved. - -“There is valuable wreckage strewn through the rafts. There are desks -and trunks that may contain papers of value to the owners but valueless -to others. These should be placed aside and saved for identification by -their owners. Articles of personal apparel may some time be of use in -settling the estates of the dead. Wills may be found stowed away in -frail desks that by some chance may have escaped total wreckage in the -storm. Jewelry and personal ornaments are not unlikely to be found in -places where least expected. People fleeing from wrecked houses do not -stop to search in trunks for jewel boxes. Many of them doubtless remain -in the mass of chaos-like wreckage and may be recovered as the piles are -cleared away. - -“In a walk over the flats on Friday I turned off the water—or rather -turned the faucets so as to prevent the water running out—wherever I saw -a water pipe, and I would suggest that others seeing water pipes should -do the same thing. The waterworks employes are doubtless looking after -these pipes as far as practical, but where so large a district is -covered as in the late storm it is almost impossible to find all of -them. Water is the prime necessity at this time, and every pipe turned -off saves that much water when the works once start up.” - -Mr. David H. Hall, city electrician, completed a thorough canvass of the -condition of affairs regarding the electric plant of the city. He said -it was like awakening from a nightmare to get around and hustle to -repair the appalling losses and destruction of property. Speaking after -his canvass of the city and inspection of the city’s electric light -plant, Mr. Hall said: - - - PREPARING TO LIGHT THE CITY. - -“While the damage to the municipal electric light plant is very -extensive, there is a great deal of salvage and nothing to interfere -with an early resumption of operations. Temporary sheds will be erected -at once over the engines and dynamos and they will be soon put in -condition for service. The principal mains, on Market street and Ball -avenue, I find to be intact. The engines can be operated as soon as the -steam pipes and the breaching to the boilers can be repaired. We will -have the business district between avenue A and Church street, Twentieth -street and Rosenberg avenue, lighted within a week or ten days. This is -about the earliest date that we deem it safe to turn on the current -owing to the amount of debris in the streets, the large number of men -engaged in saving property and the menace to life and property that an -electric current might prove to be. - -“One circuit in the business district will be completed in two days. The -entire lighting service in that territory embracing Tenth street to -Thirty-seventh street, avenues A to avenues K and L, can be restored and -in operation within sixty days. The lighting service for the public -buildings will be reinstalled as soon as the buildings are put in -condition to receive the wiring. I have received such generous and noble -offers of assistance from strong financial quarters in the north that we -will be able to secure all the material necessary to restore the plant -and system at our own terms and have as long as the city wants to pay -for same. The most regrettable and deplorable feature to me is the loss -of fifteen of my employes and their families. - -“I am not inclined to give up or lose courage or heart, and I feel like -the old king at the siege of Megara, who is reported to have said when -taken prisoner: ‘My palace has fallen about my head, my city is in -flames, my state ravaged by my enemies, my wife and children I know not -where; no cloak to shield me from cold, but I have lost nothing. I have -my intellect, my faith, my courage and my loyalty. These can not be -taken from me, and, having them, I have lost nothing.’ - - - OVERCOMING DISASTERS. - -“Despite our tremendous losses, we can save much and make good much if -we have not lost our heart and courage. Galveston will be restored; if -not by us, by sturdier men who are equal to the task. I was living in -Chicago at the time of the great fire in 1871. Many men, and some of -them of apparent good judgment, declared that Chicago would never be -restored; would never rise from the ashes. Within one year there was a -better Chicago than ever before. Four years ago I went through the track -of the St. Louis cyclone, and the same was said of that city. Now there -is nothing to be seen there but scars of that awful storm. - -“The same will be with Galveston. In three or four years, or less, -Galveston will be as great, if indeed not greater, than she was before -the storm, if the people are true to themselves. It is surprising what -can be done where willing and cheerful hearts go to work and work in the -right way. Galveston citizens are not only hopeful but determined that -the city shall be resurrected, as it were, and when that spirit animates -us enough is said.” - -“Did you ever feel the thrilling experience of being on a ship as she -was just in the act of sinking?” said a sunburnt sailor to a citizen. He -was one of the survivors of the ill-fated dredge boat which sank near -Texas City. - -“The night of the terrible hurricane at Galveston,” he continued, “it -was predicted by several of us on board the dredge boat that a -destructive storm was approaching, and it was deemed best to put out all -anchors. We had no more than done so when the wind veered to the -southeast. We had not put out all of the anchors any too soon, for of -all the high winds and waves, those that lashed our boat were the worst -I have ever seen. - -“I have been in many a shipwreck, and realized that it was only a short -time before I would be in another world, for I felt the boat dragging -her anchors and drifting inland at a terrific speed. We were then some -eight or ten miles from shore. - - - BOAT PASSING OVER TREE TOPS. - -“It seemed to me only fifteen or twenty minutes before the fury of the -storm struck us. I saw our boat passing over tree tops. I knew we were -then approaching the bay shore, and possessing that knowledge as to when -to leave a sinking ship, I procured some fifteen life preservers and -gave one each to the crew, and told each man how to put them on and to -follow me to the upper deck, and be ready to dive off when I gave the -word. - -“They were all frightened nearly to death, and only two succeeded in -getting their life preservers on and reaching the top deck with me. When -the fearful moment came for man to battle with the winds and water, I -gave command to jump. In an instant three of us made a plunge into an -immense breaker, which carried us high into the air. - -“I looked back and could see nothing of the boat that I had just -abandoned. I have been informed that she went ashore about a mile and a -half west of Texas City. If the other ten poor souls were saved, I have -not heard of them. - -“Do you know there is something thrilling and exciting about being -shipwrecked when you are near the shores. I presume a man feels the same -that a parachute man does when he gets near the ground in his downward -flight. If his parachute works all right he is safe. With a sailor he -must first adjust his life preserver and try to avoid the rocks and -trees.” - -Mr. E. W. Dorris, of Houston, was one of the relief party that helped to -bury the dead as they washed ashore from Galveston. At daybreak he was -unable to secure a boat of any kind to cross, but he and two others -constructed a raft of some loose planks and started across the bay, -reaching the draw of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson bridge. They -were unable to go any further or cross the channel, the party being -entirely exhausted, and after signaling distress for more than an hour, -the tramp ship grounded at the wagon road bridge, in the middle of the -bay, finally sent a lifeboat to the rescue of the party, taking them -ashore to the Galveston side. Mr. Dorris states that the party saw no -less than 600 dead bodies between the bridge and the Santa Fe depot. - - - GLARED AT THE THRONG. - -He stood on the corner of Main and Congress streets in a half dazed -condition. He glared at the great throng that was passing, some on -business bent while others were seeking the latest news and hunting -their relatives. He did not observe that he was being watched, nor would -he have cared, for the expression upon his face showed him to be a man -of great determination to be brave under the greatest misfortune of his -life. You could trace in his every action a man in great sorrow. - -But he had to show his emotion and give vent to his feelings, which so -long he tried to smother; mechanically he raised his hand and covered -his face in order to hide his grief. As he took his hands down he wiped -both eyes, which had been flowing with tears. At this juncture he was -approached by a citizen who, in kind tones, asked him of his -solicitations and grief. - -He said: “I am trying to be strong both in mind and body, but I cannot -suppress my feelings in this public thoroughfare. Yes sir, I am -suffering, mourning for the dead; my wife and sweet baby are among those -who have gone to the great beyond.” - -“How did it occur and bow did you escape?” - -“Six weeks ago I kissed her (my wife) and my darling baby good-bye and -took the first train for an interior town, where I had secured -employment. By correspondence it was arranged between us that she was to -come to me on Monday. The storm occurred Saturday night and she and the -baby were drowned. - -“Were the corpses found?” was asked. - -“Yes. She had the baby clasped in her arms. She was found within fifty -feet of where our once happy home stood. She was given as decent a -burial as circumstances would permit. I am sorry, but I cannot talk any -further upon this subject, as my grief knows no bounds.” - - - THE USUAL QUESTIONS. - -After uttering the last sentence be pulled his hat down over his eyes -and he passed into the crowded throng that was headed down the street. -He looked around and said: - -“There are hundreds of cases that are similar to mine, the result of -this great hurricane.” - -“Was your father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter or other -relatives saved from the Galveston horror?” are questions that are -frequently heard asked as friends meet and greet each other in Houston. - -“Yes,” said a gentleman speaking to another, who asked him if his son -was safe. “I have just returned from Galveston with him. You would -hardly recognize him, though, bruised, battered and bleeding, with a -bandage around his head and his arm in a sling. These wounds were not -caused by trying to save himself, but others. He was boarding with some -lifelong friends of our family who had been extremely kind to him. When -the storm was at its height and danger appeared on every hand and it was -deemed advisable to abandon their home to its fate, Charlie was the sole -protector of two lone women. He took the elder one first and carried her -to a place of safety, after being washed about by the water and debris -of trees and buildings for an hour or more - -“When the storm was raging in its greatest fury he returned to the home -of his friend for the young lady. Reaching her he was surprised to find -the water nearly five feet deep all around the place, and the house -careened over, nearly ready to fall. With his arm tightly clasped into -hers they started for the high ground. The Gulf was now raging in all -its madness; billows were piling many feet into the air, and each billow -seemed to vie with the other as to which could raise its head the -higher, and do the greatest destruction. - -“Sometimes Charlie and his precious, helpless burden would be entirely -submerged for some time. At other times they would be lifted off their -feet and carried a distance of fifteen or twenty feet. After regaining -their equilibrium they would again forge forward to meet the elements, -of danger of life and limb. Each wave had cunningly hidden beneath its -sprays missiles of death, such as pieces of planks, house tops, buggies, -wagons, pianos and other articles too numerous to mention. It kept these -two wearied and exhausted creatures nearly all the time dodging and -escaping those death missiles. - - - PIANO TOSSING IN THE WATER. - -“When they had nearly reached a place of safety they noticed a larger -wave than usual coming. Charlie saw upon its crest an upright piano -being tossed about as though it were a feather. Would it miss them? was -the question that flashed into both of their minds. - -“Onward it came, with its ivory keys, showing it was once a messenger of -joy and happiness, but it was now a messenger of death, for with one -mighty bound it went straight up into the air upon the foaming and -frothy water and plunged straight down at Charlie and his fair -companion. He saw that he had to make one more death struggle in an -instant. He threw himself in front of his lone midnight charge and -placed her arms around his body and told her to hold on to him with all -her strength. - -“The supreme moment was over—the piano had been thwarted in its effort -to crush them, but in the struggle Charlie found that he had been torn -loose from his lady friend, who had been swallowed up by the raging -wave. He at once began a search by feeling and diving for her. Not a -flash of lightning, nor the glimmer of an arc light was visible, for, -like the life of this dear creature who was engulfed by the torrent -waters, they had gone out. - -“At this juncture a remarkable thing happened. He had decided to dive -once more. He did so, and grasped the hand of what he thought to be his -missing friend. He was overjoyed, but upon bringing her to the surface -he found that it was not her, but another. - -“The waters had increased so in depth by this time that it was -impossible for him to attempt to wade, and about this time a house top -came along and he crawled upon it. While drifting about on it, he picked -up four boys from 6 to 12 years of age. His frail craft finally drifted -to a place of safety, where he and his young companions were rescued.” - - - ATTRACTED NO ATTENTION. - -So many are the stories, so harrowing the details, and so miraculous the -escapes that for the present the experiences of different persons on the -night of the storm in Houston attracted no attention; in fact, if a -person wished to tell of his experience in Houston that night he could -scarcely find an interested listener. - -Nevertheless, Mr. Fred. Chadly, who lives near the Arkansas Pass depot, -came as near losing his life that fatal night as did any who passed -through its fury in the city of Galveston and escaped. Mr. Chadly left -the Capitol Hotel for home about 10 o’clock, not realizing the intensity -of the storm. - -After an hour’s fighting the strong wind and rain and dodging falling -trees and flying debris of all kinds, he arrived at his house only to -find the front door impregnably barricaded by a large fallen tree. -Nothing daunted, however, Mr. Chadly immediately proceeded to make his -way around to the back of the house and gain an entrance there. - -He was walking in a crouching position with his head bent down so that -the wind would not strike him squarely in the face, and was not looking -ahead, therefore the large cypress cistern, as it tottered on its -foundation preparatory to being blown down, escaped his notice until he -was too late to dodge it. The cistern was blown over, turning twice in -rapid succession, falling top downward directly over Mr. Chadly. - -The cistern was about one-third full of water, but as Mr. Chadly was -already thoroughly wet, the water made very little difference, as it -soon ran out. Mr. Chadly called loudly for help, but owing to the -pandemonium caused by the hurricane, no one heard him. The next morning -the carpenter came to fix the cistern, and after raising it discovered -Mr. Chadly, who was nearly smothered to death. - - - HOUSE ROLLED MANY YARDS. - -One of the experiences of the storm was that of Miss Reine Stanton of -Houston, who, with her father and a younger sister, were camping on her -farm two and a half miles from Letitia. The house rolled for a distance -of 200 yards and then collapsed. The girls were rescued several hours -later in an unconscious condition, but, though quite seriously injured, -they may recover. All the buildings on the place were wrecked. - -“You have often heard that men are fond of the ‘jug,’” said one of the -refugees. “Well, I am fond of two jugs, for they are the cause of my -being here to-day. I owned a little shanty on the west end of Galveston -Island, and, like many others who lived there, I thought and argued that -we were not in the storm center, and had seen the water come up near my -shanty many times before and recede. This time it not only came up to my -little home, but into it. After waiting patiently for it to go down, it -kept climbing higher and higher into it. It dawned upon me all of a -sudden that all means of escape had been cut off. - -“I looked around for something that would bear my weight upon the water. -I saw in the corner of my house two two-gallon jugs. I took them and -securely fastened a stopper in each and got a piece of rope and then -fastened them to my body by passing the rope around under my arms, and -securely tying them to each other. I then went out on the gallery and -when the crash came I dove off into the maddening waters. I suppose that -I was carried about twenty miles down the island and thence back, God -knows how far, and inland about eight miles. When I became conscious it -was nearly daylight Monday morning. I walked here, where I have some -friends, and have been recuperating. - -“Yes, I believe in jugs, at least for life saving purposes only.” - -An amusing incident occurred at the International and Great Northern -depot. One of the ladies’ relief corps from the North was highly -indignant and pitched into Superintendent Trice because sleepers were -not attached to the train going down to Texas City. - - - WANTED PALACE CARS. - -“We’ve rode in those Pullmans all the way from New York, and it’s a -shame and outrage that you intend making us ride in a day coach now. We -want those sleepers to live in.” She was wrathy, but when the colonel -informed her that before the party got out at Galveston they’d have to -walk on dead bodies, wade through slush and slime and have a tough time -generally she’d think a day coach was a palace, she said no more. It is -evident that some of the “relief corps” consider the trip a pleasure -jaunt. When they have been in Galveston a few days they will probably -change their minds. - -“First reports of storm damage are always rather exaggerated,” remarked -a gentleman of the Arcola plantation. “At first everything looks as -though it were completely wrecked, but after the calm comes and the work -of straightening up begins it is astonishing to see how little property -really is damaged. We had considerable damage on our place. The cabins -blew down and the convict house was unroofed. When this occurred we -turned all the convicts out on the prairie and the next morning all of -them voluntarily reported for duty except six, and they worked like -trojans assisting in the work of cleaning up. The cane crop suffered -considerably, but is by no means a loss. It is recuperating nicely. Very -little corn was lost, because most of it was gathered.” - -Mr. Fred. Erickson, who returned from Galveston, says he saw a lady, who -was drowned among the many others on a burial barge, who had on a fine -watch, diamond earrings, several diamond finger rings; besides, he -noticed that she wore gold clasp garters with her name upon them. - -He asked the party in charge why these valuables were not removed and -the garters removed as a means of identification, and he was told that -they were not allowed to remove anything from the bodies, no matter how -valuable and how it might aid in future identification. - - - JEWELS ON THE DEAD. - -He noticed a woman floating in the water, and he and a policeman turned -her over, and attached to her bosom was a very fine gold watch with her -name upon it. He called the policeman’s attention to the importance of -securing the watch for future identification, and was given the same -information. - -Mrs. John P. Smart returned from Galveston on board the steamer -“Lawrence,” along with about 400 women and children. Mrs. Smart had been -in Galveston for some three weeks, and came away on the first trip made -by the “Lawrence.” She said of her experience during the storm: - -“At 3 o’clock Saturday afternoon, in spite of the efforts of the lady of -the house to persuade us all to remain at home, we set out for a place -of safety, the Atlanta Hotel. The water was then three feet deep on -avenue P. On the way to the hotel I saw three women drowned. They were -making their way down the street and were blown down by the wind and -lost. We left the house none too soon. After the storm not a trace of it -could be found. - -“The wind was then blowing at the rate of about sixty miles an hour. At -11 o’clock, when the wind was at its height, the water around the -Atlanta Hotel was nine feet deep and the building shook terribly. As the -windows were blown in, the men stopped them up again with doors. But -when the worst was over and the house still stood, we found that not one -of all those who had crowded there for refuge was lost. - -“The sight on Sunday morning defies description. One could not look in -any direction without seeing scores of human bodies. One building in the -west end, in which between 400 and 500 had taken shelter, went down and -every human being in it was lost. Not a house was left along the beach. -On the bay shore I saw three men on horseback dead. Horses and riders, -with reins gripped as if to ride through the peril at any cost, had -passed over the river. - - - MAJORITY KILLED OUTRIGHT. - -“There were a number injured, but the overwhelming majority were killed -outright. The injured were taken care of at the Sealy and St. Mary’s -hospitals, both of which were injured, but not totally destroyed. There -are doctors enough in Galveston, but medical supplies are needed. - -“One pitiful incident came under my observation. Mrs. Baldwin clung to a -raft for twelve hours, from six o’clock Saturday night until six Sunday -morning, holding a child, a baby two years old, in her arms. The baby -begged her to save its dog, a beautiful St. Bernard, too. Of course this -was impossible. The baby was killed in its mother’s arms by flying -debris and the dog was saved. - -“The horror of that Sunday morning I shall never forget; white, ghastly -corpses turning up their faces to the light, or clinging to a child or -loved one, their twisted, agonized faces, showing the anguish of that -last unequal struggle against death, were everywhere. One woman I saw -holding fast to two bags of silver, as if to say: ‘Better die than be a -beggar.’ Nearly all the west end people were lost. Those who sought -safety in large houses had but the grim consolation of dying in company, -for the whole of that portion of the city was destroyed. The work of -rescue began as soon as the storm abated. But the crowd of survivors on -the street Sunday morning was pitiably small. They seemed to me scarce -10,000. Clad in next to nothing, bathing suits and the like, the sun -brought them only the sight of dead relatives and friends—some -starvation. - -“There was no food and no water. For two days I tasted no water and food -was scarce indeed. The city, as soon as soldiers could be gotten, was -put under the strictest martial law, under protest of Mayor Jones and -Chief of Police Ketchum. These officials desired to enforce the law by -civil authority. Fully seventy-five men have been killed for looting the -dead and refusing to halt when ordered. Every house has to be guarded -lest thieves break in them and steal. - - - OCEAN GIVING UP ITS DEAD. - -“The ‘Lawrence’ which at first was under the control of the relief -committee and charged nothing for passage, now exacts $2 per capita to -Texas City. Besides this, there are three boats in the service. The only -way to get away from Galveston is to go by boat to Texas City, where -there are about 1000 women and children and almost no accommodations. - -“The bodies have been all cleared away from the central portion of the -town and there is a continual stream of corpse laden floats, drays, -etc., to the barges. The west end has been set on fire, as the mass of -wreckage there makes recovery impossible. But the beach is lined with -bodies yet. Every day they wash up upon the sand. Old ocean is giving up -its dead. - -“The women and children will probably be compelled to leave. They are -badly in need of clothes and avow that they want no rags but nice new -clothes, ‘to avoid epidemic.’ I attribute the terrible loss of life,” -concluded Mrs. Smart, “to the fact that the people trusted Galveston too -much, and clung too long to a failing hope. This has often appeared to -be a strange trait of human nature.” - -A correspondent furnishes the following account of a well-known family: - -“One of the saddest cases which has come to light is that of the -Jalonick brothers of Dallas. No man is better known than Isaac Jalonick, -of Dallas, who was so long the secretary of the Texas rating bureau, and -he and his brothers have hosts of friends all over the State. There were -three of them, George, Ed and Isaac. The family of Ed Jalonick, -consisting of his wife, son and daughter, the children being young, came -to Galveston several weeks ago to spend the latter part of the summer on -the Gulf coast. They had taken a house on the southern part of the -island, west of the Denver resurvey. - - - ONE OF THE SADDEST CASES. - -“It was far removed from the city, and was in a section which was so -badly storm swept that not a house remains. Mr. Jalonick came last week -to take his family home, but the bad weather interfered and the trip -home was postponed. Saturday the storm came, and when the two brothers, -George and Ike, in Dallas, heard of the disaster they came here at once, -to ascertain the condition of their brother and his family. They went to -the former home and but a vacant spot met their anxious search for the -house which had sheltered their loved ones. They decided to make a -search among the dead on the island, in the hope that they could find -the bodies and give them decent burial. - -“For three days they were on the hunt. Mounted and accompanied by a -team, with burial boxes, they moved across the island in every -direction, examining every body they found. During their journey they -viewed not less than 150 corpses. Now and again they thought they had -found him or her whom they sought. Here it would be a piece of clothing, -there a feature, and again the form, but each time only disappointment -repaid them for the task of love, devotion and duty they had undertaken. -It was an anxious search with hope deferred. - -“They had no idea that they would be successful, but so anxious were -they to have their relatives given decent burial, so strong was the -desire to prevent them being in an unmarked grave, or consigned to the -deep, or perhaps cremated with hundreds of others, that they decided to -continue until every chance of a success was lost. Thursday at noon they -were successful. They had searched for six miles west, and two to two -and a half miles across, when suddenly Isaac recognized a shirt worn by -a body which he found. - - - IDENTIFIED BY LAUNDRY MARK. - -“It was a blue garment, one the brother had worn when with one of these -brothers who was searching, and its color and cut brought to mind days -when he and the lost one were together in happiness and in health. They -investigated and turning back the collar they found the initials of -their lost brother, as the garment had been marked by the laundry. This -removed all doubt, and the body was put into a box and prepared for -burial. It had badly decomposed, having laid for five days where the -waves cast it, beneath the warm rays of a summer sun, and exposed to the -elements of the night. With the helpers they succeeded in gathering it -tenderly into the confines of a rough box. - - “‘They dug out a grave a few feet deep, - And there in earth’s arms they laid him to sleep.’ - -“They did not abandon the search because of finding one body, but -continued it further on, and at 3 P. M. they found the boy. The little -fellow was not far from his father, showing that the two had remained -together as long as life remained in the parent. He was identified -beyond all doubt. He was laid by the father. The two graves were marked, -and it is the intention of the surviving brothers to have the bodies -removed to the family lot in Dallas as soon as conditions justify. They -will continue the search for the body of Mrs. Ed Jalonick and the little -girl.” - -It is at a time like the occasion of the Galveston storm when real -heroes are made, when individuals become men of the hour, and when the -true manhood of a man is made known to his fellows. The silent, modest, -quiet man of every day life has never the credit that is his due, -because he does not seek the notoriety which is necessary. There are men -praised by the people of the United States because they were on a boat -at Santiago or Manilla, or followed a commander up a hill at San Juan; -by Great Britain because he was of Modder river, Ladysmith, or possibly -Pretoria; and by other countries because of distinguished bravery in -battle. - -“They were men who had been schooled to danger, who had gone into the -fight, with the one idea in mind, to kill and be killed for the honor of -the flag they followed. They went into the conflict believing that it -meant death or honors of war, and their heroism was of a character -qualified by the conditions leading up to it. Not so with the men who -passed through the flood of last Saturday and enrolled their names upon -the tablet of fame. There are many instances, but they can not all be -told. They were frequent during the terrible times of that day. One of -these has already been told, that of the act of the boy of George -Walker, of Austin, a little fellow not yet in his teens, who, by his -heroic act, saved his aunt, who was all but drowned.” - - - GALLANT WORK OF FIRE DEPARTMENT. - -But one has not been told. The people of the west end of the city speak -in the highest praise of the boys of No. 6 fire station, which is -located on Broadway, near Thirty-seventh street. When the water was very -high, they secured their horses in the basement of the Broadway school -building, tying high their heads so that they would be saved, and they -were all brought out alive. The men then worked manfully for those about -them; man after man, woman after woman, with many children were brought -out of the water by these men of the fire-fighting force, and taken to -the large school building opposite their station. They saved many -people. There were 1200 people in this building at one time, and every -one of them was saved. - -Mrs. Frank Nichols, her daughter and little Miss Selkirk were down the -island at their summer home, and Mrs. Nichols tells of the bravery of -Captain White of the “Wasp.” The “Wasp” saved Captain Andrews and family -of the life saving station. The sails blew away and the boat capsized -with all on board, but the mast broke in the water and she righted -herself. She drifted all night and landed in the bayou near the Nichols -place Sunday morning with all safe. - -The son of Mrs. Nichols got a horse in Galveston at 2 o’clock and -managed to get to them, saving their lives. Their home was wrecked, but -the young man built a rude shanty of the wreckage on the shore and they -secured enough food in the ruins of their home to give the people on the -“Wasp” a Sunday dinner. Mr. Nichols was in town. His home was completely -wrecked and the clothes were torn from his back by the wind and -wreckage. He is a little disfigured, but still able to be about. - - - MAN CARRIED THIRTY MILES. - -Mr. A. A. Van Alstyne had a large quantity of provisions, such as rice, -canned goods, etc., stored with him. He and his family escaped unhurt, -and every since have been using their house as a basis of supplies for -the needy in their immediate neighborhood. - -Mr. Henry R. Decie, who lives eight and one-half miles down Galveston -island, was in Houston, and reports that he was at his home when the -storm began, but took his wife and children to the house of Mr. Willie -Raine, a close neighbor. After reaching there he says the water, with -one bound, raised four or five feet which took the house off the blocks. - -“My wife and I were sitting on the foot of one of the beds at that time, -which was 6 o’clock. We felt the house quiver, and my wife threw her -arms around my neck and kissed me and said, ‘Good-bye, we are gone.’ - -“Just then the house crushed in and we struggled hard to get out. My -baby boy was in my arms a corpse, having been killed by a falling -timber. Another wave came and swept the overhanging house off my head. I -looked around and discovered that my wife was gone and the remaining -part of the house was drifting apart. Catching a piece of scantling I -was carried thirty miles across the bay, landing near the mouth of Cow -bayou.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII -Heroic Incidents—Arrival of Relief Trains—Hospitals for the Injured—Loud - Call for Skilled Labor. - - -A lady correspondent who went from Houston to view the wreck of -Galveston reported as follows: - -“We are only just beginning to find out what this awful calamity has -been to the people in this vicinity. The first shock is wearing off, the -long lists of dead and missing are getting to be an old story now, and -the sick and suffering are crawling into our places of refuge. Some of -them have been sleeping on the open prairies ever since the storm, most -of them, in fact, men with broken arms and legs, sick women and ailing -children. - -“They crawl out of the wreck of their homes and lie down on the bare -ground to die. Our relief corps are finding them and bringing them in as -fast as they can. Dr. Johnson and his party came in from the Galveston -district and reported that they found over 5,000 people and attended -medically about 200 patients. - -“While we were standing at the door of the hospital talking things over -a man rode up on horseback. He threw his arms up to attract our -attention. - -“‘Is this the relief hospital?’ he said. - -“Dr. Johnson told him that it was.” - -“‘I’ve come in from the Brazos bottoms,’ he said. ‘The folks there are -starving. There is not a pound of flour left and the children are crying -for milk. There are so many sick people there that we don’t know what to -do. Can you send some one down?’ - -“Dr. Johnson had not slept for twenty-four hours. He had not had time to -get a full meal for thirty-six hours. He was worn out and travel -stained, but he heard what the man told him. - -“‘All right,’ he said. He picked up his coat, put on his hat and turned -to his assistants. ‘Come on, boys,’ he said. ‘Let us go down and get the -cars into shape. We’ll get down to your place, my man, just as fast as -the Lord will let us.’ - -“The man on horseback leaned over his saddle and tried to speak. -Something in his face frightened me, I called to two doctors. They ran -out and caught him. He was in a dead faint. When we had brought him to -he laughed sheepishly. ‘I don’t know what’s the matter with me,’ he -said. ‘Ain’t never been taken this way before.’ The doctors looked at -each other and smiled, but the nurses’ eyes were full of tears. The man -had not tasted food for thirty-six hours, and he had ridden fifty miles -in the broiling sun of Texas. Dr. Crossway and his men are down the -island relieving the sick and burying the dead. - - - HOSPITAL OVERCROWDED. - -“‘Alkali Ike,’ they call Dr. Crossway, that is because he is tall and -rawboned and comes from Texas himself. If a man gets a nickname in this -part of the world you know that he is loved. The women and children who -came from the district where ‘Alkali Ike’ is working know his name and -their eyes fill with grateful tears at the mention of it. The hospital -at Galveston is well named. The corps is effectively organized and we -hear from there that they are doing splendid work. Our own hospital here -in Houston is in ship-shape condition. - -“We have built a partition or two, put up temporary quarters for a -dressing room for the nurses and doctors. The great ice boxes are filled -and the range, which burned wood, has been replaced with a gas range to -keep the heat down as much as possible. - -“There is a little railing just back of the great wide door of the -hospital where the entrance to the theater used to be and there the -relieving nurse sits with her assistants. The bookkeeper has her desk -there and the man who answers inquirers is standing there. - -“This is no ordinary hospital work. People come crowding to the doors, -and nearly all night they come. Some of them are hungry, some of them -are sick, some of them are hunting for missing friends, and some are -merely curious. Some are neighbors who come to offer help, some are -women bringing delicacies to offer to the sick. It takes the entire time -of three persons to attend to this crowd of visitors intelligently. - -“We are keeping records of every case entered at the hospital. The name -and age and final disposition of the case. These names and the facts -concerning them are kept on the books for reference, so that people are -easily identified, and so that any one who has contributed to the fund -can investigate and find out just exactly what became of the money he -gave. It is hard to pick out a case in the hospital which does not -deserve special attention. A man was brought in with three broken ribs. -They were broken the night of the storm, he having been working ever -since burying the dead. - -“A young man was carried to the hospital on a stretcher late last night -who was wandering up and down the island for the past three days trying -to find the body of his young wife. He found and buried over forty -bodies which had been overlooked by the burying committee, but he did -not find his wife. He is lying out at the hospital now in a stupor. - - - SUFFERING UNTOLD AGONY. - -“A boy of twelve was brought in who has been suffering untold agony from -an injury to his eye for four days. He has not had a soul to help or to -speak to him, and all he has had to eat in that time was a handful of -crackers. A woman came in at 11 o’clock last night. She had a baby in -her arms and three children hanging to her skirts. None of them had -tasted food for nearly three days. - -“A young girl was brought in by one of the outside corps at 9 o’clock -last night. The relief corps found her huddled up in an empty freight -car, laughing and singing to amuse herself. The doctors say food and -care is all she needs to restore her to reason. Three-fourths of the -people who come in are mentally dull. The physicians say with proper -care that most of them can be cured.” - -One of the many touching incidents of the storm occurred at Houston on -the 18th. Mrs. R. Qualtrough and Mrs. Will Glass were at the -International and Great Northern depot Monday intent on the relief of -any who needed, when they saw a little woman with a baby of about eight -months in her arms. The mother was weeping bitterly, so the two -kind-hearted friends went up to see what was the matter. The stranger -said she had just arrived from New Orleans to find Galveston shut off -from the world, and her husband, mother and sister were there, and she -feared they were all lost. Mrs. Glass finally prevailed over the little -woman to go home with her, where she could care for her. - -Tuesday Mrs. Qualtrough was busy at the market house helping to -distribute the clothing and food to the sufferers, when her son came to -her and told her there was a man from Galveston in the room, and he -wished she would go to him. The man, who was bruised and beaten in his -fight with waves, was in great distress. He wanted to get to New -Orleans, but had no money, his wife and child were there, and he had to -tell her that her mother and sisters were drowned. - - - WOMAN DRIFTED NEARLY THREE DAYS. - -An instinct told Mrs. Qualtrough the truth. She asked what was the size -and complexion of his wife, and how old was the baby. Looking at her -strangely, the man described exactly the woman and child found at the -International and Great Northern station. “I believe your wife is here,” -was the extraordinary comment on his story. Calling to Mrs. Ward, the -fish merchant, Mrs. Qualtrough asked her to take the man to Mrs. Glass’ -home, and the husband and wife met. It was a pitiful scene, for while -she had got her husband back, the poor woman learned of the loss of -mother and sisters. - -A woman was brought into Houston who was two days and a night drifting -about in Galveston bay, bringing with her a parrot which she had held -above the waters all that time. The parrot and a bag of money was all -she had left. - -Mr. A. C. Fonda, a patient at the Houston infirmary, was a clerk in the -Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe freight office at Galveston, and lived on -Broadway. He tells a tale of his experience which is miraculous. He -remained in his house until it was blown down, and then, in some -miraculous manner, he was blown into a large cypress cistern which was -about half full of water. After being in the cistern for about an hour a -kind of twister struck it and blew all the water out, but left him. When -the cistern was relieved of the water it rose and was finally washed out -on the Gulf, where it remained until Monday morning, when the wind and -tide brought it back to Galveston and its occupant was rescued in a -thoroughly exhausted condition. - -Beaumont, Texas, September 14.—Mr. A. Zwirn, one of the Beaumonters who -left for Galveston on a freight train Monday afternoon, returned -yesterday after having spent fourteen hours in the stricken city. Mr. -Zwirn reached Galveston Tuesday evening, having succeeded in getting -across the bay on a small sailboat. He went to the Island City to search -for friends and found a greater portion of them alive. - - - FIRST CITY TO GIVE ASSISTANCE. - -Mr. Zwirn says Beaumont was the first city to get assistance into -Galveston. He was present at a meeting of Galveston citizens when it was -announced that a boat with ice and water from Beaumont had arrived, and -he says the fervent thanks which went up from the gathering and the -tribute one of the men paid to the Queen of the Neches made him feel -proud of his residence here. - -“It was, however, not the fault of Houston,” said Mr. Zwirn, “that the -Bayou City did not get supplies to the Island City quicker. The train on -which I came to the end of the railroad track had several cars of -provisions, ice, etc., and many more were standing on the tracks when we -arrived. The trouble was the absence of transportation across the bay to -Galveston. There were many boats, but the owners found it more -profitable to carry passengers from $1 per head up than to transport -supplies. I can not describe the joy with which the boat from Beaumont -was received. It not only contained that which the sufferers needed -badly, but it was evidence that there was communication with the outside -world, and revived the spirits of many who bad become despondent.” - -Under the rules and regulations prescribed by the military laws -governing the city, the work of clearing the streets, disposing of the -dead and cleaning the city in general have progressed very favorably. -The plans mapped out by the military department brought the operations -down to a system. Where there is order and system much can be -accomplished, and this was most clearly demonstrated by the reports of -one day’s labors in this field. Nearly three thousand men were organized -in gangs and squads of from ten to twenty-five, working under the -direction of foremen, supervised by ward superintendents, started out -early in the morning and worked faithfully until dark. The detailed -results of their labors were not to be had, but enough was shown by the -reports to demonstrate the value of organization. - - - THE ARMY OF WORKERS. - -All foremen were ordered to report daily at military headquarters, where -a large force of clerks were kept busy chronicling the amount of debris -removed, the number of dead bodies disposed of, etc. Another force under -command of Adjutant-General McCaleb was kept busy printing orders issued -for the guidance of the work, laws governing the protection of property -and the lives of citizens, etc. - -The militia was placed on guard duty in all parts of the city and the -city police and sheriff’s department are co-operating with the military -authorities, which is supreme in control of the city. - -While the power is invested in the military authorities, -Brigadier-General Scurry, commanding, Adjutant-General Hunt McCaleb -directs that men may be impressed into service in cleaning the streets -and performing other labors incumbent upon the department, it is -gratifying to know that very few men had to be impressed into service. -Some few held back under one pretense and another, but when given to -understand that they would be compelled to work they invariably joined -the army of laborers. - -The beach and the western part of the city presented the picture of -about one hundred or more pyres where human bodies and the carcasses of -dead animals were disposed of by fire. Separate pyres were designated -for human bodies and animal carcasses and the work progressed rapidly. -The gruesome task was heartrending and many able-bodied men succumbed to -the terrible ordeal. The bodies recovered yesterday and those still -buried beneath the debris are in an advanced state of decomposition and -utterly beyond recognition or identification unless by the clothing or -some ornament worn by the dead. Ninety-five per cent. of the bodies -recovered are naked. - -The hurricane, aided materially by the action of the raging torrents, -invariably stripped the victims of all vestige of clothing or other -articles that might lead to identification. Another remarkable fact, -which shows the force of the storm in packing the wreckage and debris in -high mounds, is seen in the amount of water held by the wreckage. - - - MILES OF WRECKAGE. - -Six days of sunshine and seven nights of cool Gulf breezes have failed -to draw the water held by the wreckage which, jammed into water-tight -ridges, formed tanks to hold the salt water which inundated the city. -While the ground all around these ridges is dry and hard, the removal of -the top ridge disclosed several feet of water. At least 20 per cent. of -the bodies recovered yesterday from the wreckage were taken out of -water. - -A reporter who attempted to make a circuit of the rescuing parties -working on the beach and throughout the western part of the city, noted -the finding of 123 and the discovery of at least twenty more bodies, -which were so hemmed in by wreckage that it was impossible to get them -out. It is impossible to estimate the number of dead buried beneath the -miles of wreckage. - -When the forces started out yesterday morning it was thought by many -that the greater number of dead had been removed from the prisons built -by the storm. The work had not progressed far before the workmen began -to dig into ruins where bodies were found. During the hasty tour of the -reporter he witnessed the finding of ten bodies between Tremont and -Thirty-first streets along the ridge of wreckage which marks the path of -the storm from the east to the west on the beach and extending inland -from three to seven blocks. - -The most important journal in Texas, the “Galveston News,” commented as -follows: - -“The ‘News’ desires to repeat what it has already said to its now -unhappy people on Galveston Island. The sorrows of the past few days are -overwhelming, and we all feel them and will continue to feel them so -long as we live. It could not be expected that our friends and relatives -and loved ones should be so suddenly torn from us without leaving scars -from which those in the ranks of maturity can never recover. - - - FORTITUDE OF SURVIVORS. - -“But it is all in the past now. We cannot recall our dead thousands. -Wherever they sleep, beneath the tireless waves or under the arching -skies, we will love their memories and recall as long as we live the -unspeakable and mysterious tragedy which destroyed them. But it must be -remembered that we have more than 30,000 living, and many of these are -children too young to have their lives and energies paralyzed by the -disaster which has overtaken us. - -“Our homes must be rebuilt, our schools repaired, and the natural -advantages of the port must sooner or later receive our earnest -attention. We have loved Galveston too long and too well to desert her -in the hour of misfortune. Our distress and destitution are going to be -relieved, for a sympathizing country is already providing for temporary -needs. This people are too proud and self-reliant, however, to lose -spirit and fail of duty. In the very darkness of the moment there is -light ahead, and we must look to the light ahead. Even in the midst of -our dead and our ruins light appears. - -“The railroads are bending every effort to repair the bridges and place -us once more in commercial communication with the mainland; the -telegraph companies, putting their heavy losses behind them, are -restoring their wires as fast as men can do it; the telephone company is -doing likewise, and the wharf companies are similarly engaged. As the -‘News’ understands it, the Southern Pacific Company proposes to double -its force to complete the improvement which was so damaged by the storm. - -“The waterworks will soon be restored, the street railway repaired, and -all the other elements of a metropolitan life placed in working order. -The ships will come into the harbor for traffic and get it, and that -traffic will afford employment to thousands. If the people will take -heart, they will soon find that all has not been lost, and, moreover, -much is to be saved. If we lost 5000 people, there are more than 30,000 -to be provided for; if we have lost $15,000,000 in property, we still -have that much to save and restore. - - - REBUILDING GALVESTON. - -“There is much to hope for and to strive for, and we must hope and -strive to save ourselves and meet the expectations of the world. The -‘News’ received a telegram last night from a great New York paper -inquiring if Galveston would rebuild. The answer was sent back that -Galveston did not intend to succumb to her crushing misfortune, but -would again resume her place as the great port of the Gulf. This is the -duty of the people here, and the ‘News’ expects in good time to see all -the energies of the people concentrated upon the great work of -recuperation and restoration. Will this expectation meet disappointment? -Knowing this people for nearly sixty years, the ‘News’ answers, No.” - -Colonel John D. Rogers was at Toronto, Ont., when the big storm swept -Galveston. He and Colonel D. C. Giddings, of Brenham, have gone North -together for a vacation every summer for several years past, and this -year they picked Toronto as the place of recreation. As soon as the news -of the storm reached them they started for Texas, and Colonel Rogers -arrived on Friday, the 14th. - -To a gentleman who called on him and asked for an expression of his -views as to the future, and his intentions as to the various properties -he is interested in, Colonel Rogers talked most hopefully and -confidently: - -“So far as property losses are concerned,” said he, “I suspect I have -lost about as heavily as any men in Galveston in proportion to the -property I own here. But this constitutes no reason why I should be -discouraged. I felt that way even before I reached Galveston. Colonel -Giddings, from the newspaper accounts of the storm, doubted somewhat -that Galveston would come again. But I told him Galveston was bound to -be restored. I told him I didn’t believe the wharves were gone; no man -who knows anything of the construction of wharves could have believed -that story. I told him that the maintenance of Galveston as a port for -the west was imperatively necessary, and that if the people of Galveston -laid down and got off the island, other people would come here and build -up a city. - - - RESUMING BUSINESS. - -“A week in Galveston has made me still more confident that I was right -in my conclusion. The work done during the past week has been wonderful, -and within another week, I believe, every kind of business will be going -on as before. We are again ready to receive cotton, and I have -instructed our shippers to send it in. Before this business season is -over we will be doing as much business as ever before, and before twelve -months have passed our buildings will be restored. - -“I know that croakers will say that this cannot be done, but the croaker -will never rise in any country. I don’t believe in croakers. I believe -with ‘The News,’ that this storm has indisputably proven that the island -will not wash away. If that storm, the severest in the history of the -world, did not wash the island away, nothing ever will eliminate it from -the map. And it is not conceivable that another storm of that severity -will ever strike again in this spot. The flood of the Brazos river, in -last July, was unprecedented. - -“There had never been such a flood before, and there had never been an -overflow of that river in the month of July in all the history of the -State. Again, the previous rises of the river had been gradual, but in -July, 1899, the river rose two and a half feet in one night. All of that -was very unusual, and it is improbable that it will ever be repeated. -The storm at Galveston was likewise very unusual. The waters came from -the bay and Gulf simultaneously, and met on the island. They did not go -up Buffalo bayou, as they did in 1875, when lives were lost at -Lynchburg. - -“A great deal of the loss of life has been due to flimsiness of many -houses put up here in recent years for rent. The lesson which Galveston -has received is a terrible one, but it will lead to safer and better -buildings. It is true that some good buildings were wrecked by the -jamming of wreckage from flimsy buildings, but the fact that we have -many buildings standing unharmed, proves that we can build enduring -structures. - - - GREAT DETERMINATION. - -“I have given my attention since coming home to the restoration of the -Gulf City compress and other property in which I am interested. We are -going right ahead, with greater determination, to increase our business -and to build up the city.” - -“I am glad to see you alive” is the greeting with which a Galvestonian -now meets his fellow-citizen on the rubbish blocked streets of the once -proud city by the Texas coast. Those who have not been here can not -realize what it is to a man to meet a friend alive, or to find a -relative who since Saturday has been missing from the huddled few -remaining who are gathered in some desolated, wrecked and wind torn -building, which but a week ago was a happy home of happy people. - -When a drama has finished, the curtain falls, and as the orchestra plays -some popular air the audience makes its way to the street, talking for a -few moments of the characters and the scenes, but shutting out from -mind, with the falling of the curtain, the happiness and the pain which -was depicted by moving characters who but represented a story of man’s -imaginative mind. Not so with this. - -No curtain can be drawn and the stage remains ever before them. They -have it now as a desolate picture to gaze upon, and they will have it -forever, wander where they will upon this earth’s surface. No curtain -can force it from the mind, and no effort can efface it from the tablets -of memory. Many of the actors in this great drama are not here. Some of -them yet remain, and their stories are stranger than fiction which Jules -Verne or Dumas have written. - -Amid the smoke of battle, when men meet men in armed conflict, and -thousands fall beneath the leaden hail, there is time taken to make a -trench and consign to a resting place the bodies of the fallen -thousands, and the chaplain has his moment to ask a merciful God to -receive His own. Not so with this. No trench can be made for those -people who have been found where the angry waters threw them up, where -the falling timbers caught them, or where they are floating on the -waters of a waved lashed shore. - - - QUICK WORK NEEDED. - -They are disposed of, not as humanity would direct, or as sentiment -dictates, but as necessity demands, and it is not with the accompaniment -of a clergyman’s prayer, or the simple words of the man of the cloth, -that “God has given and God has taken away, blessed be the name of the -Lord; earth to earth, dust to dust and ashes to ashes.” Bodies have been -consigned to that element which destroyed the vitality of the -material—the water and the waves which came from the storm tossed Gulf -of Mexico to invade the portion of land which nature set aside for the -habitation of man. - -This could not be continued for long. The conception of man’s mind, -which first suggested this disposition, proved to be wise judgment in -the first emergency, but nature’s laws prevented a continuance of the -plan, and it became necessary to turn to a quicker and more convenient -method, as the decomposition which fast began a destruction of the -mortal, rendered handling impossible. Cremation was then resorted to, -and without the facilities of science to assist, the destruction of the -remains was affected by using burning debris, upon the places where the -corpses were found. - -Humanity may think this is terrible and sentiment may revolt at this -story, but that humanity and that sentiment is not to be found in -Galveston. Here the people have thrown aside custom and formalities, all -men are equal and that equality extends throughout the whole city. No -custom of dress, no formality of appearance and no false modesty enters -into one’s mind. Men and women cover their nakedness with what they can -procure from neighbors, from friends or from the relief committee or -what perchance was saved from the wreckage of their own homes, and they -proceed with the work of looking after their own, their friends and -their neighbors, as necessity demands. All people are neighbors here and -all have a common interest. - - - NEW CHART OF BAY NEEDED. - -A phenomenal thing has occurred in the bay. There are now bars there -which have never before been seen. They are across from the Twenty-fifth -street wharf and from the Twentieth street wharf. There may be others, -but these two long ridges of sand have been noticed by the observing men -who know the bay front as well as they know anything, and it is possible -that when the water is sounded quite a number of these will be found in -various places. It may require a new chart of the bay to determine the -damage, and until this is done the greatest care must be exercised in -moving about the harbor. - -Those who live away from here will have an idea of the wreckage when it -is stated that within an area bounded by Thirteenth street on the west, -the end of the island on the east, the Gulf on the south and Broadway on -the north, there is not a standing house. Between Broadway and -Postoffice street and between Thirteenth street and the end of the -island there is not a house standing. In the territory south of avenue K -and east Tremont street all the way to the Denver resurvey there is not -a house standing. There are other portions of the city which are in a -similar condition, but it is impossible to tell them now. - -The Sealy hospital was first reported as having been blown away, but it -survived the storm in a most remarkable manner, notwithstanding the fact -that it is situated where the raging waters were the highest. With the -exception of broken window panes, a damaged ceiling and a good drenching -of a number of the rooms, with their contents, it is virtually unharmed. -The nurses’ home, which stood opposite the infirmary and was used in -conjunction with it, was completely demolished, but with no loss of -life. - -There was no loss of life among the regular inmates of the hospitals. A -number died during the storm, but they had been brought in in a dying -condition. - - - CLOTHED ONE THOUSAND. - -One thing developed by the storm that has not been commented upon is the -manner in which the so-called “society men” have taken hold of things. -They have worked like Trojans, every one of them, and have proven that -the wearing of good and fashionably cut garments is no evidence of lack -of manhood. Some of the first to go out in charge of gangs of men -clearing away the debris and burying the bodies were the young fellows -one meets at cotillions and fashionable functions. To-day their fair -skins are cracked and burned with sun and wind, their hands blistered -and burned, and their clothes covered with mud and slime. They glory in -their young manhood, and are not one bit ashamed to go about with their -collarless negligee shirt open at the neck, or their sleeves rolled up. -Some of them have not shaved since the storm, and look more like -subjects for charity than many who apply for relief. - -One young man, who probably clothed one thousand people in two days, is -going around in a very much soiled, borrowed shirt. His home was -destroyed, and all the clothes he saved he had on his back at the time. -He has not had time to buy new clothing, although he has probably -clothed one thousand people. He would as soon have stolen as to have -taken one of the nice clean shirts he was giving away. Besides, it never -occurred to him. - -Mr. J. Martin, one of the refugees at Houston, who passed through the -storm at Galveston all right, save a gash in the head, a black eye, a -mashed nose, and a sprained arm and leg, says that on the night of the -storm he sought shelter in six different houses. As the last of these -houses in turn succumbed to the force of the hurricane, Mr. Martin was -plunged into the dark and angry waters, amid its splintering ruins. -Numerous times, he said, falling timbers would knock him unconscious for -a few moments, and after regaining his senses he would be so full of -water, so exhausted and weak from his desperate exertions and loss of -blood, that he felt like giving up all hope and allowing the water to -draw him under and relieve him of his sufferings. - - - FOR A MOTHER’S LOVE. - -He says he saw other men who were physically stronger than he do that -very thing. Still he would not give up and he struggled on. He had no -wife or child to live for—there was just one person in the world whom he -fondly loved, and that was his mother. Every time, he says, that he -decided to let himself go down beneath the water and drown his mother’s -face would appear before his vision. Clearly and distinctly he could see -the look of reproach in her eyes at his threatened weakness, and each -time this vision would spur him to greater effort, and he would battle -on until he reached another place of safety. - -Finally, when the storm had spent its fury and he crawled into a place -of safety, he drifted into unconsciousness and remained in that -condition until late Sunday evening. Mr. Martin says that his mother -lives in New York and he knew she was safe, but says had it not been for -the image of her face which constantly appeared before him he certainly -would never have lived to tell his experience. - -There are no better hearted people in the world than the Americans. Not -a case of genuine suffering or honest and unavoidable misfortune need -ever go long without generous assistance in any part of the United -States, if only the people know that it is a proper case for their -sympathy. And this is true whether the misfortune be an individual and -private or a public calamity. - -The papers in all parts of the country, without exception, called the -attention of their readers to the destructiveness of the hurricane in -Texas, expressed their profound sympathy with the sufferers and urged -instant relief measures. There never was a more general manifestation of -popular solicitude, or a readier or more widespread response to an -appeal for assistance. - -And yet this is the American rule in such cases. The humblest and the -highest give and give quickly. Nothing is too good for the unfortunate -when it is known that their misfortune could not be warded off and that -they are left utterly helpless. - -It makes us love our country better when we find it has such a people -within its borders. We regain the confidence in mankind which may have -been shattered in sordid every day business. We feel that down in the -heart, the good impulses remain, and that only something a little out of -the ordinary is necessary to reveal (to slightly paraphrase Goldsmith) -that - - To relieve the wretched is our pride, - And e’en our failings lead to virtue’s side. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - One Hero Rescues Over Two Hundred—Traveler Caught in the Rush of - Water—Report of a Government Official—How the Great Storm Started. - - -There are many people who are composed of the material that constitutes -a hero, but the majority pass through the time allotted to them on earth -without having the opportunity of demonstrating the fact to the world. -On the night that the awful catastrophe visited the city of Galveston -few were those who had not this opportunity presented to them. - -Of course there were some who failed to develop this quality. The every -effort of these was directed with the one supreme purpose of self -preservation. Others there were who devoted their services unreservedly -to the helpless and in consequence their names will never be forgotten -by those whom they preserved from a watery grave. - -Some of the deeds of this nobler class will never be known—not even -after the relentless sea gives up all its dead. There is one name, -however, which will be recorded and preserved in the memory of some as -long as that never to be forgotten night of the hurricane at Galveston -is remembered by the sons of men. That name will be taught by mothers to -their children in the age to come as the name of one possessed of -undying courage and heroism. - -The name is that of Zachery Scott, a young medical student who was at -St. Mary’s Infirmary at Galveston on the fateful night. Alone and -single-handed Mr. Scott rescued over 200 souls from the very jaws of -death. St. Mary’s Infirmary is composed of a large brick building and -several wooden structures, and the latter were entirely destroyed by the -fury of the wind and the water. In the wooden buildings were nearly 200 -patients who were too sick and weak to battle against the elements and -the raging storm, besides a score of the sisters who were at the time -acting as nurses. - -When the water began to rise, Mr. Scott, who was in the brick building, -went over to where these patients were quartered and soon returned, -through water waist deep, with one in his arms. Over 200 times he -performed this feat, although before the task was completed the water -between the two buildings was over six feet in depth. - -Back and forth, during all the stormy night, he went and every time he -returned another soul was saved from a dreadful fate. When the storm was -at its height, the debris was flying in all directions, the resistless -waters carrying people on to destruction and when he was weak and weary -from his exertions, the inmates of the brick building begged him not to -attempt the feat again. But still, with a dauntless courage born of -devotion, he never faltered in his duty, and every person in the doomed -building was taken to a place of safety. Such courage, devotion and -heroism deserves a place side by side with that of the greatest heroes -who ever lived. - - - A MARVELLOUS ESCAPE. - -Harry Van Eaton, a well known traveling salesman for Tenison Bros., -Dallas, was in the midst of the disaster, but saved his life in a -marvellous manner. - -“It was the worst trial of my life,” he said with a shudder. “I shall -never forget its horrors. I arrived in Galveston Saturday morning and -immediately went to the beach with a party of us and for a while had a -good time in bathing. But the waves soon became furious and we were -notified by the life saving crew ‘to get out of the water as there was -danger coming.’ - -“Luckily we obeyed their command, for when we had dressed, the waves -were enormous. We had to wade waist deep in water before we reached the -Tremont Hotel. The wind kept increasing and at this stage of the game I -began to realize something awful was going to happen. - -“At eight o’clock that night the wind must have been going a hundred -mile an hour gait and it was about this time that the roof of the hotel -gave away and the skylight fell in on the thousand or more people who -were there. I walked through three or four feet of water to reach the -front door. - -“There was a regular millrace rushing past the door and I was caught in -it, but by God’s help and by expert swimming I managed to reach the -mainland. - -“It was a terrible experience; whirling by me were hundreds of bodies, -more than I dared to count, crushed and mangled between timbers and -debris. Men, women and children sinking, floating and dashing on, many -to an instant death. I also passed many dead horses and cattle. How it -all ended, that I reached safety, I hardly know; but I kept my presence -of mind and by God’s help was saved.” - - - PERILS OF A RELIEF TRAIN. - -One of the passengers on the first relief train that went out of Houston -on Saturday evening, during the prevalence of the storm, to bring the -people in from La Porte and Seabrook, gives the following description of -the trip: - -“Little did we know what trials were before us as we started out for La -Porte and Seabrook at 8 o’clock on that fatal Saturday night. But we did -know our loved ones were in danger, and with a brave volunteer crew in -charge of the train, and trusting to the good God above to care for us, -we started, hoping for the best. - -“The first obstacle that impeded our progress was a pine tree of about -two feet in diameter across the track. This was soon cut in two and we -journeyed along, the wind almost blowing the train off the track. We had -gone only a few miles further when we collided with two box cars that -had been blown from the switch to the main track. - -“After a considerable delay we started again, engine crippled, and -everybody wet as water could make them. At Pasadena we took on board -several men, ladies and children, who had been standing waist deep in -water for several hours. Soon Deep Water was reached. Here two ladies -got off and were carried to the residence of Mr. W. E. Jones. The train -had just started again when the depot blew away, part of it against our -train, breaking the windows and blinds of the coach and throwing glass -all over us. Luckily no one was hurt. - -“We had now been three hours coming twelve miles, and we all began to -grow more uneasy. It was at this point where we first felt or knew what -a storm we were in. The coaches rocked like cradles, windows blew in, -and it seemed that we would be blown away ourselves. After two hours -more we reached East La Porte. There most of our companions left us to -look for their people. It did not seem that anyone could live in that -storm—the wind must have been blowing 100 miles an hour. But our friends -knew that they were needed at their homes, and they launched out. Some -to be blown back to us, only to try it over again; others to be blown in -the mud and water. - - - DIFFICULTIES OF A TRAIN. - -“After a considerable delay the train started on. At West La Porte we -found the depot blown across our way. All went to work cutting and -moving timbers, and with the assistance of the wind, we soon had the -track clear. We now had but one more serious place to get across before -we could get to Seabrook. At last we reached it, and were in a few -minutes across Taylor’s bayou, which we found to be a half mile wide and -the waves four feet high. This bayou, in ordinary weather, is about -fifty feet wide. On reaching Seabrook we found the depot full of -refugees, houses all gone, water over everything. Some of the families -of our companions on the way were lost, never to be seen alive again. - -“Here we started out to work in earnest and it was only a very short -time before we had everyone that was without a home on board. By this -time the train crew had fires in the coaches and we served coffee, -cheese and bread to the hungry ones, and made them as comfortable as -possible. We still had lots of work to do, though, and we were looking -for it when a man appeared on the scene, reporting Judge Tod’s barn had -blown down on two ladies and several children. We went to work to get -them out, and after three hours’ work we rescued all alive except the -mother. She probably could have saved herself, but she gave up her life -for the children. She was found in a position leaning over them, -protecting them. - -“Finally day came and we could now see what damage the storm had done. -Mr. Hamilton’s house was the only one left in the flats, and most of the -houses on the ridge were blown to pieces. It was a miracle that more -lives were not lost. - -“We gathered up everyone who wanted to come and left for Houston at 9.30 -A. M. Sunday, and arrived at Houston about 12 o’clock; our journey -lasting eighteen hours, was over. The gentlemen on the train who had -families at La Porte and Seabrook are under lasting obligations to the -Southern Pacific officials and especially to the train crew. No braver -crew ever went out with a train, and we wish to tender them our earnest -and sincere thanks. Courage and manly conduct have always been lauded by -the world, and no men ever stood more nobly to duty on battle grounds -than did these men who ran the relief train in the full fury of the -storm to the search for the wave-tossed people of La Porte and -Seabrook.” - -As showing the immediate demand for laborers, the following -advertisement inserted in the “Houston Post,” will be of interest: - - - WANTED AT GALVESTON IMMEDIATELY. - -“24 plasterers, $4.50 per day and board paid; 30 bricklayers, $5.50 per -day and board paid; 25 tinners, $3.50 per day and board paid; 100 -laborers, $2.00 per day and board paid.” - -The old saying that it is an ill wind that blows good to no one is -illustrated in this advertisement. Probably never before in any Texas -city were workmen offered wages so high. - -Colonel Walter Hudnall, the representative of the Treasury Department of -the Government, who was sent from San Antonio to Galveston, to -investigate the conditions and report completed his work. - -Colonel Hudnall spent several days in the stricken city. He came -prepared for the worst, but when he saw what actually had occurred, he -threw up his hands in amazement. No man, in his opinion, can form an -estimate of the loss of life and property from the reports which have -been sent out, and the extent of the devastation is beyond the grasp of -human reason. He has made a canvass of the city mounted; he has visited -every place which a man could on a horse, and he has made a complete -investigation of the conditions as they exist. - -He knew Galveston as she was before being struck by the storm, and he -knows her as she is to-day. In his report to the Treasury Department, he -will say that no man can estimate the property loss in the city, and -that it is his opinion that any one attempting to make such an estimate -will miss it by $10,000,000; the idea of making any estimate of property -loss appears to him ridiculous. - - - MAYOR JONES’ STATEMENT AND APPEAL. - -Of the loss of life, Colonel Hudnall believes that it will be between -6000 and 8000, and he will so report. He will say that he does not -believe that it is possible for it to be less than 6000 lives, and he -would not be surprised should it be 8000. He calls attention to the fact -that in places there are from forty to sixty solid squares of ground -swept clean as a parlor floor, as far as standing buildings are -concerned. Colonel Hudnall does not believe disease will result if the -proper sanitary precautions are taken, and this is being done as fast as -the laborers can distribute the quicklime and carbolic acid. - -As he was leaving he was asked regarding his idea of the future of -Galveston. He said: “If the expression of the people who live here is to -be my guide in forming an opinion I will say that Galveston will be -rebuilt and will be a prosperous city. There is no doubt that the -property owners expect to go to work repairing the damage as far as they -can. - -“There has been a great deal said about martial law,” continued the -colonel. “The city is yet under the control of the mayor, and civil law -is in force. The soldiers are being used simply to enforce the civil law -and to maintain a discipline which is necessary under the disturbed -conditions. The soldiers do not work a hardship on any one.” - -A statement and an appeal addressed to the American people, signed by -Mayor Jones and members of the Relief Committee, and endorsed by -Governor Sayres, was issued September 25th. It set forth in detail the -extent of the disaster which overtook the city, in part as follows: - -“Seventeen days after the storm at Galveston it is still impossible to -accurately estimate the loss of life and property. It is known that the -dead in the city will number at least one sixth of the census -population. The island and adjacent mainland will add perhaps 2000 to -this number. Actual property damage is incalculable in precise terms, -but we have the individual losses, and losses in public property, such -as paving, water works, schools, hospitals, churches, etc., which will -easily amount to $30,000,000. This estimate takes no account of the -direct and indirect injury to business. Along the beach front upwards of -2600 houses, by actual map count, were totally destroyed. Moreover, we -estimate that 97½ per cent. of the remaining houses throughout the city -were damaged in greater or less degree. In fact none entirely escaped.” - - - CONFRONTED BY A GREATER PROBLEM. - -Grateful thanks are extended for the help received, and the address -continues: “But a greater and a graver work confronts us. Some kinds of -homes, be they ever so humble, must be provided for the 10,000 people -now huddled in ruined houses, public places and improvised camps, to the -end that they may not become paupers, but may speedily set up their -households wherein repose all that is best and noblest in American life. -We believe that the well to do and the charitable people of this nation -will not be contented to merely appease hunger and bind up bruises, but -will in very large measure and with more far reaching effect contribute -to the restoration of this people to a plane of self support and self -respect. It is for this purpose that we make this further appeal.” - -Miss Clara Barton also endorsed the appeal, saying: “Could the people of -our generous country see as I have seen in its dreadful reality the -desolation and the destruction of homes by thousands, the overwhelming -bereavement in the loss of near and dear ones, and the utter -helplessness that confronts those remaining, the appeal of Mayor Jones -for continued help would meet with such a response as no other calamity -has ever known.” - - - REVIEWING THE SITUATION. - -Reviewing the situation in Galveston, a correspondent communicates the -following: “On Sunday following the storm all saloons were closed by -order of the Mayor. On the following Sunday several saloonists began -selling liquor on the quiet. They were arrested and taken before -Adjutant General Scurry, who warned them they must not repeat the -offense. A prominent saloon man was arrested for disobeying the order -and was put to work in a street cleaning gang. Dr. Donaldson, chief -surgeon of one of the relief corps, says it will not be necessary for -the outside surgeons to remain here longer than two or three days more. -He has written an article for a medical journal commenting upon the -comparatively small number of seriously wounded and sick persons. He -explains the absence of a large number of seriously wounded persons by -saying that most of those so wounded were drowned, but says it is -surprising that more people, especially women and children, did not get -sick from such trying experiences. - -“Efforts are being made to open the public schools on October 1, the -date set before the storm for their opening. Three of the school -buildings can be made usable at slight cost and it is planned to hold -two sessions a day. - -“The estimated losses to the life insurance companies at Galveston are -about $500,000. Most of those who carried old line life policies -escaped. The fraternal orders will lose quite heavily.” - -The Gulf Port Trading Company addressed a letter to General Manager Polk -of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railway, advising him that strenuous -efforts were being made to divert business from Galveston to other ports -on representation that Galveston would be unable to take care of the -shipments. He was asked to say whether his line would issue domestic and -foreign bills of lading for export shipments through Galveston. Colonel -Polk replied that the representations were entirely false; that it is -expected to have rail communication open to Galveston very soon and to -begin the delivery of local and export freight here Friday morning the -21st; that orders have already been issued to superintendents to let -Galveston freight come forward and that agents have been authorized to -accept freight for Galveston and sign domestic and foreign bills of -lading as usual. - - - A PECULIAR CONDITION. - -The wheat in elevator ‘A’ is being turned over and put in shape to -deliver to vessels. There were about 1000 cars of wheat on track here -and most of these show a peculiar condition on inspection. It appears -that in nearly all of them there is a foot of wheat on the bottom to -which the water rose. It was salt water and the wheat caked so hard that -the ‘tryer’ used by the inspector will not penetrate it. The grain above -this water line appears not to have been damaged. The good grain was -being transferred by hand to other cars and that on the bottom will -probably go to distilleries or some other places. A number of grain -exporters, in fact, all who do business through this port, have written -letters of sympathy and express themselves as having confidence in the -ability of the Galveston people to care for their wheat in the best -manner. - -“Hanna & Leonard’s new elevator has started. It was about completed -before the storm, little damaged during the storm, and has been -completed since the storm in order to handle the grain and put such as -is out of condition into condition for export. - -“A census bureau has been established and placed in operation. A -mortuary bureau has also been opened where relatives and friends make -oath of the known death of persons lost in the storm. These bureaus will -greatly assist in securing an accurate estimate of the loss of life. The -clearing of debris in the streets proper has progressed and the spirit -of rehabilitating the city is seen in every business. The military -forces are accomplishing wonders, and the prediction is made that -Galveston will assume normal conditions in a week. Resumption of trade -in every channel is apparent. But five arrests and court martial trials -is the record for the past week (the second after the flood) since -General Scurry assumed control of the city. - -“Insurance Inspector J. G. Youens has begun to go over the town to make -a detailed report of the houses destroyed. Up to date he has covered the -district bounded on the north by East Broadway, on the east and south by -the Gulf, and on the west by Fourteenth street. In these forty-five -blocks he found destroyed an average of sixteen houses to the block. The -fire insurance companies are arranging to refund a pro rata on policies -on houses and furniture where the same have been entirely destroyed by -the hurricane, and the holders thereof want them cancelled.” - - - DR. YOUNG’S GRAPHIC STORY. - -The following very interesting account of the beginning of the great -Galveston storm and graphic story of his experience was prepared by Dr. -S. O. Young: - -“Tuesday morning, September 4, I was standing near the signal service -officer who makes the weather bureau map each day for the Cotton -Exchange. This is simply a large blackboard on which is painted a map of -the United States. Wherever the bureau has a signal station the readings -of the barometer, thermometer, direction and force of the wind and -rainfall are recorded on this map, different colors of chalk being used -to indicate each. - -“When the observation at Key West was-recorded I saw that the barometer -was low, that the wind was from the northeast, and the map as a whole -showed pretty plainly cyclonic disturbances to the south or southeast of -Key West. There was a region of high barometer over Pennsylvania and New -York, shading gradually down to Key West and presumably far to the south -of that point, while there was another region of high barometer over -Colorado, with a comparatively low barometer between the two, all -shading toward low the further south the records were made. - -“I remarked to the observer who was making the map that the Key West -record, backed by the map as a whole, showed pretty plainly that there -was a cyclone forming. He agreed with me, but said his office had -received no notice of anything of the kind. Wednesday afternoon the tide -in the Gulf was high and the water was rough, though there was no wind -to cause the disturbance. Thursday afternoon the tide was again high and -the water very rough, while the atmosphere had that peculiar hazy -appearance that generally precedes a storm, though not to a marked -degree. - -“The wind was from the north, and during the night was rather brisk. -Friday the wind was from the north, and as night came on it increased in -violence. The tide was very high and the Gulf very rough, though as a -rule with a north wind the tide is low and the Gulf as smooth as the -bay. I was then confident that a cyclone was approaching us and -accounted for the high tide by assuming that the storm was moving toward -the northwest or against the Gulf stream, thus piling up the water in -the Gulf. - - - KNEW CYCLONE WAS COMING. - -“For my own satisfaction, and at the request of my friends, I -constructed a chart, outlining roughly the origin, development and -probable course of the cyclone. From the Key West observation and the -map of Tuesday I assumed that the center of disturbance was originally -somewhere south of Cuba; that it moved to the northwest as cyclones -always do at first, and that the storm had developed into a cyclone in -the neighborhood of Yucatan; would move to the northwest and strike -somewhere near the mouth of the Mississippi, going thence to the -northeast and passing into the Atlantic ocean off the New England coast. -The error I made was in placing its course too far east. - -“My residence was within two blocks of the beach, so I had ample -opportunity to observe the Gulf. Friday night there was a strong wind -from the north, and Saturday morning, about 6 o’clock, I went to the -beach. I saw that the tide was high, but that it had fallen again and -was then at a stand. While I was out there the tide began to rise again, -and soon washed up to and over the street railway track near the -Olympia. I was certain then we were going to have a cyclone, and so soon -as I could get to town I telegraphed to my wife, who, with my children, -was on a Southern Pacific train coming from the West, to stop in San -Antonio. I told her that a great storm was on us, but not to say -anything about it and not to feel anxious about me. - -“By 12 o’clock the wind had increased in violence to between 40 and 50 -miles an hour, blowing from the north, and the water, both in the bay -and Gulf, was very high and still rising. At 1 o’clock I visited the -wharf front. The wind had shifted a point or two to the east of north, -and was over fifty miles an hour. The bay water was over the wharves and -was slowly encroaching on the Strand. All low places were completely -inundated. - - - LARGE BUILDINGS FLOATED PAST. - -“From the bay I went to the Gulf side, and found the tide very high and -the water very rough. At 2 o’clock I concluded to go home and look after -things there. My residence was on the northeast corner of avenue P½ and -Bath avenue. As both P½ and Bath avenues were low at that point, my -sidewalk had been curbed up about four feet and the whole lot raised -four or five feet above the level of the street. When I got home I found -about two feet of water on my lot. I sat on my front gallery and watched -the water. It rose gradually until the third step was under water, when -it apparently stopped rising and for over an hour remained stationary. - -“My house, a large two-story frame building, stood on brick pillars -about four feet high, so I had no fear of the water coming into the -house. I dismissed a negro boy I had with me, went inside and proceeded -to secure the windows and doors, and to make everything ship-shape -before dark, for I felt pretty sure the electric lights would all be -knocked out. - -“At 4 o’clock the water was two feet deep on my ground floor, and was -rising gradually. The wind had hauled further to the east and was -blowing at a terrific rate. I moved my chair near the window and watched -the water as it flowed down avenue P½ the west at a terrific rate, -carrying wretched shanties, boxes, barrels, wooden cisterns and -everything else that fell in its power. The flow was almost exactly from -east to west, just as the streets run, for a box or barrel that passed -my house, in the middle of the street, kept the same position as far as -I could see it. - -“Between 5 and 6 o’clock the wind became almost due east and increased -in violence. The debris fairly flew past, so rapid had the tide become. -At twenty minutes to 6 o’clock (I am exact because I noticed my large -clock had stopped, and wound it up and set it by my watch) there was a -marked increase in the violence of the wind. I went to a west window to -watch a fence I had been using as a marker on the tide, and while I was -looking, I saw the tide suddenly rise fully four feet at one bound. In a -few minutes several houses on the south side of P½, between Twenty-fifth -and Twenty-sixth, went to pieces and floated away, and the debris from a -number of large buildings began to float past from the east. - - - THE ROAR WAS AWFUL. - -“It was then getting dark very rapidly. I turned on my lamps, but, as I -had anticipated, there was no electricity. I had found a candle and lit -that, then I thought I had best save it, so I blew it out, got a -comfortable arm-chair and made myself as comfortable as possible. Being -entirely alone, with no responsibility on me, I felt satisfied and very -complacent, for I was fool enough not to be the least afraid of wind or -water. - -“About 7.30 o’clock I heard heavy thumping against the east side of my -house, and concluded it was downstairs in one of the lower bed rooms. I -lit the candle and went to the stairs, and found the water was very -nearly up to the top of them. I put the candle down, went to the front -door and opened it. In a second I was blown back into the hall. I eased -myself along the east side, caught the door knob, then the side of the -door on the gallery and drew myself out far enough to catch hold of a -blind, and, clinging with both hands, I drew myself out on the gallery -and stood there. The scene was the grandest I ever witnessed. It was -impossible to face the wind, which had now increased to fully 100 miles -an hour, and drove sheets of spray and rain, which were blinding. - -“The roar was something awful. I could see to the right and, to the -left, and, so far as I could see, only my house and that of my next door -neighbor, Mr. Youens, were left standing. All the others were gone, and -we were left practically out in the Gulf of Mexico. About two minutes -after I got on the gallery, I saw Mr. Youens’ house begin to move -forward. It turned partly around and then seemed to hang as if -suspended. Suddenly the wind switched to the south by east, and -increased in violence. Mr. Youens’ house rose like a huge steamboat, was -swept back and suddenly disappeared. I knew that he had his family with -him, his wife, son and two daughters, and my feelings were indescribable -as I saw them go. - - - POSTS BLOWN AWAY LIKE STRAWS. - -“The new position of the wind and its increased violence caused a sudden -rise in the water, and at one bound it reached my second-story and -poured in my door, which was exactly thirty-one feet above the level of -the street. The wind again increased. It did not come in gusts, but was -more like the steady downpour of Niagara than anything I can think of. -One of the front posts on my gallery blew out, split my head open and -mashed my shoulder badly. I was knocked insensible for a moment, but -pulled myself together and hung on. - -“The constant shaking and jarring had loosened the front door facing, -and I saw I could tear it loose from the top when the crash came, so I -kept hold of it all the time. I had outlined a plan of campaign from the -first and carried it out to the letter. The other posts and railing of -the gallery blew away like straws. The top of the gallery was lifted up -and disappeared over the top of the house. The gallery floated away, -and, with one foot inside the door, I was left hanging against the front -of the house. It was an easy thing to stay there, for the wind held me -as firmly as if I had been screwed to the house. - -“It is hard to believe, but still it is true. A little after 8 o’clock -the wind actually increased in violence. I am confident I do not -exaggerate one bit when I say it was blowing fully 125 miles an hour. I -could see into the hall, and saw a beautiful phenomenon when the wind -was at its height. Whether from phosphorescence of the sea water or from -electricity generated by the high wind, I can’t say, but, from whatever -cause it was, the drops of rain became luminous as they struck the wall, -and it looked like a display of miniature fireworks. The luminous -particles were about the size of a pin head, though one ball about half -as large as a boy’s marble, formed on the door facing and slowly slipped -down into the water. - - - WIND AT 125 MILES AN HOUR. - -“The wind at 125 miles an hour is something awful. I could neither hear -nor see when it was at its height and it was difficult to breathe. I am -nearly six feet in height and estimating the surface of my body exposed -to the wind at five square feet, my body sustained at that time a -pressure of 390 pounds. I began to think my house would never go. The -wind acted as if it thought so, too, for it got harder and harder and -harder until finally I felt the house yielding. I took a firm hold of my -door facing, placed both feet against the house, exerted my full -strength, tore the facing loose and as the house went kicked myself as -far away from it as possible, so as to avoid sunken debris rising to the -surface. - -“The house rose out of the water several feet, was caught by the wind -and whisked away like a railway train and I was left in perfect -security, free from all floating timber or debris, to follow more -slowly. The surface of the water was almost flat. The wind beat it down -so that there was not even the suspicion of a wave. - -“The current impelled by the wind was terrific. Almost before I had felt -I had fairly started I was over the Gartenverein, four blocks away. The -next moment I was at the corner of the convent. Here I got in a big -whirlpool and caught up with a lot of debris. I was carried round and -round until I lost my bearings completely and was then floated off (as I -found afterwards) to the northwest, finally landing in the middle of the -street at Thirty-fourth and M ½, or fifteen blocks from where I started. - -“It was very dark, but I could see the tops of some houses barely above -the water; could see others totally wrecked and others half submerged. I -knew it was not so very late and as I could not see a light or hear a -human soul I concluded that the whole of that part of the town had been -destroyed and that I was the only survivor. For eight hours I clung to -my board, which had found a good resting place, and during the whole -time I did not hear a human voice except that of a woman in the distance -calling for help. - - - NEARLY FROZEN TO DEATH. - -“The wind beat the rain on me and nearly froze me to death. I was never -so cold in my life. I think I had at least a dozen good hard chills -before the water fell sufficiently for me to wade to a house half a -block away, a little elevated cottage of two rooms in which fifteen or -twenty colored people, who forgot their own misery when they saw me -bareheaded, covered with blood and shaking with cold. They pulled me in -out of the rain, wrapped some half dry clothes about my shoulders to get -warmth in my body and for the moment forgot their own misery. - -“When daylight came two of the men piloted me to town, where I met a -friend whose room had escaped destruction. He took me there, sent for a -doctor, had my wounds dressed and by 9 o’clock I was myself again and -barring weakness from loss of blood was as well as ever. - -“In conclusion, I desire to say this of the storm. In my opinion it -began south of Cuba, developed fully near Yucatan, came to the -northwest, landed west of Galveston, its center passing south of -Galveston between 6 and 7 o’clock Saturday evening, and that it was from -200 to 300 miles in diameter. It passed to the northeast, going out of -the United States over the great lakes through Canada and died out in -the far North Atlantic. I have seen absolutely no report of this storm, -but this is my conclusion from my observation.” - -Said a citizen of Galveston: “It is not all tears in Galveston, not all -sorrow. Hearts bowed down with grief are not heavy all the time, and -there are smiles and good cheer and hearty hand shakes with it all. Here -is a sample of the conversation: - -“‘Hello, Bill, I’m glad to see you alive!’ - -“‘Same to you, old man,’ as they join hands in hearty clasp. - -“‘How ’bout your family?’ - -“‘All safe, thank God.’ - -“‘I lost my little one, but the rest are safe. How’s your home?’ - -“‘Gone: knocked into kindling wood, but that don’t matter, as I saved my -wife and children after a hard struggle.’ - - - TEARS IN MANY EYES. - -“And the two pass on, the one light hearted, the other a smile -glistening in his tear dimmed eye, both glad for what was left them. I -saw a telegram to a Galveston woman from a sister in Houston with whom -she had hardly been on speaking terms for years. It read: - -“‘Are you safe? Do you want any money? Come up to Houston and live with -us.’ - -“Is there necessity of comment? I saw neighbors who had been quarreling -and saying spiteful things about each other for months, riding down the -street in the same buggy, the most loving chums in the world. I saw -rival candidates for the same political office catch hold of opposite -ends of the same log, and with a ‘heave ho!’ toss it up out of the way -of wagons and pedestrians, each doing the work for humanity’s sake. - -“Social distinction is wiped out. I heard the banker tell his story of -the storm to his stableman with as much vim and gusto as though -hobnobbing with his heaviest depositor. White and colored stopped to -make inquiries of each other and shake hands. I saw a blind mendicant, a -continual object of charity, on the corner of Twenty-first and Market, -and heard of hundreds upon hundreds of great, strong, useful men who -went down with the flood. Life is stranger than fiction, but it does -seem an ironical providence that saves the halt and the maimed and takes -away the useful.” - -Police Officer W. H. Plummer is the happy possesser of a four-oared boat -which he has christened “Cyclone Rescue,” in honor of its work in the -storm. The boat is constructed on the pattern of what is known as an -Eastern pod, such as is used by the lobster fishermen of Maine. The boat -was built to withstand the rough seas, and was so constructed with two -air-tight compartments as to be used as a lifeboat. This boat, with -lashed oars, was kept by Officer Plummer in his yard, corner of Seventh -and Church streets, one of the first districts to suffer from the -invasion of the destructive Gulf on the fatal day of the storm. - - - GRAND WORK OF RESCUE. - -When Captain Plummer went home to dinner on that day the Gulf was rising -very rapidly and the storm gave indications of greater severity. Having -spent many years at sea, Captain Plummer called his two sons, who are -sailors, and the three men launched the boat and started rescuing -families in the neighborhood, taking them to St. Mary’s Infirmary. From -noon until late that night the good boat and its faithful crew braved -the terrific storm and are credited with having saved two hundred lives. -On the last trip that night, with Captain Plummer almost helpless from -exhaustion and his sons fast succumbing to the terrible battle of the -day, the boat suffered a slight mishap. She was struck by a piece of -wreckage driven with great force into her side. But the boat held the -water and landed her crew safely at the Infirmary. - -Once, during the height of the storm, the boat, with seven on board, was -capsized, but the experienced seamen soon had her righted and bailed, -and all on board were saved. Captain Plummer lost his home and -everything but the scant clothes on his back, but he says he wouldn’t -part with the “Cyclone Rescue” for its weight in gold. - -Some who were out in the water from the time the houses first began to -go down drifted but a few hundred feet, while others were carried miles -by the water. So it was with Miss Anna Delz, a 16–year old girl, who -lived out in the west end near the beach. She drifted a distance of over -eighteen miles, landing not far from Texas City. She passed the bay -bridge and hung for some time on one of the piling, then catching a -piece of driftwood, continued her perilous journey, landing not far from -her aunt’s house on the mainland. - - - STORY OF A PERILOUS TRIP. - -She tells the story of her trip on the crest of the waves as follows: - -“It was about 2 o’clock in the afternoon when I first realized that the -storm was increasing. Together with a girl-friend who was in the house, -I packed my mother’s trunk and carried all of the household goods that I -could and piled them in the second story to keep them from being washed -away by the water, which was rapidly rising. During this time the wind -had been increasing in velocity all of the time. - -“At about 4 o’clock my mother and sister, who is 13 years of age, were -taken to a place of refuge by a friend. A girl friend and myself were -left, thinking that we would be safe, but it was not over an hour after -that when the house went down. It went with a crash, and myself, -together with the others in the house, were thrown out into the furious -waters. I caught onto a tree and stayed there for a little while, but -was dashed off and sank under the water several times. While hanging on -to the tree a roof came along, on which there were about twenty people, -mostly women and children. I got on with them and stayed there for some -time, seeing my companions in distress being washed off one by one, -until at last there were only a young girl and myself left. Soon she -went, and I was left alone to battle with the waves. Soon I caught a -piece of driftwood and I think I floated out into the Gulf. Then the -wind changed and I began going the other way. I was tossed out into the -bay at last, having passed during this time many people floating on -drift of all kinds, and people struggling in the water trying to save -themselves. - -“I drifted thus for a long time, coming after a while to where the -railroad bridges crossed the bay. I caught hold of one of the piling and -stayed there for a time trying to rest. During the night my clothes had -been entirely torn from my body and I was in a horrible plight. After -having stayed there a little longer, I caught a piece of drift and -turned loose and drifted with the tide. At last I drifted to a pile of -lumber, and finding that the water was not deep there, I fell on top of -the lumber. I was so exhausted by the terrible ride that I had taken -that I immediately went to sleep. - -“About daylight I awakened and found myself in a strange place. I walked -to a house some distance from there, and on inquiring, found that I was -at Lamarque. Remembering that I had an aunt living at that place, I -found her house, which was also almost a ruin. This aunt took me in -charge and I stayed there until I heard from my father, and then came -back to Galveston.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXV - Storms of Great Violence Around Galveston—Wrecked Cities and Vast - Destruction of Property—Appalling Sacrifice of Life. - - -A close observer and correspondent who is familiar with every part of -Texas and is capable of sizing up the situation, writes as follows -concerning the disaster which has left Galveston a scene of death and -ruin: - -“At first glance it would seem that the population of Galveston had been -endowed by a thoughtlessness which invites the calamities it has -suffered. Three times in twenty-five years storms of great violence have -swept over the island on which it occupies a position exposed to every -energy of the elements, and on the two occasions whose history is -complete the survivors rebuilt their city, as they probably will do -again, and the storm broke upon it, as most likely it will once more, -with death and destruction in its blast. - -“Apart from the deep sympathy which one feels for the people the -situation may awaken a philosophic inquiry whose consideration is of -less importance than the interest the subject awakens and which is -reinforced by parallel cases in the history of disaster since the world -began, and I propose to show in a few great cases how the citizens of -Galveston are only repeating history when, even as they gather their -dead, they plan a new city whose foundation shall be enduring and which -shall stand defiant and permanent, a triumph of man over antagonistic -nature and a civic crown of glory to their efforts. It is no ignoble -purpose. - - - THE DYKES OF HOLLAND. - -“The sturdy Dutchmen who threw their dykes across the sea, the Sicilians -who terraced Aetna’s lava sides with vineyards, the people of San -Francisco who rebuilt their city when it was cast down by earthquakes -until at last they found a structural design that would resist the -seismic influence that hold the Pacific coast in tremulous expectation; -Chicago that has risen twice from ashes to finer and more secure -architectural proportions, and Calcutta, whose existence has been marked -by three beginnings, are all expressions of the same splendid -pertinacity with which the people of Galveston are already animated and -from which will certainly appear a new and grander Gulf city offering to -the menaces of nature a richer challenge. - - - A GREAT BREAKWATER. - -“It was no accidental selection that caused Galveston to be built as it -was upon a low island whose approach from the sea offered no harbor to -ships and to whose low, sandy shores the products of the State of which -she is the metropolis came only by artificial and difficult channels. -The sweeping curves of the Gulf of Mexico reach its northern apex at or -near this point, and it is there that the ships seeking the nearest -approach to the cotton fields of Texas came, while the bay itself is as -nearly as possible the average centre of industrial life in the State. -The bay was never a harbor. To those who are familiar with the Jersey -coast the situation of Galveston is easily presented. - -“Just as part of the land has reached out into the sea and swinging -around in different directions the points came in touch and raised a -breakwater which, gathering sand and pebbles, became the beach at -distances of four to ten miles from the mainland, leaving interior bays, -with shallow inlets connecting them with the ocean, Galveston island was -formed. - - - THE SWIRLING TIDES OF THE GULF. - -“If the visitor to Barnegat or even to the Inlet end of the island at -Atlantic, will recall how a narrow channel of tidal water reaches back -to the sedge fringed bays that extend from Sea Girt to Cape May, and -quadruple the width of those interior waters, he will have a fair idea -of the position and surroundings of Galveston. Across Galveston Bay the -railroads make their approach over eight to fifteen miles of tracks -supported by piling. - -“The waters of the bay are indeed navigable and through its shallows the -moderate tides of the gulf swirl out channels, which the small draft -boats of Buffalo Bayou paddle and sail just as the wood and oyster -schooners and yachts move up Great Little Egg Harbor Bay on the Jersey -coast. In fact, the situation of Galveston is not unlike that of -Atlantic City, except that the sandy island on which it is built is -lower and its front is to the south instead of to the east. - -“Of course there is no well or spring water and the potable supply comes -from the house roofs, which are carefully built to gather as much rain -as possible, to be stored in cemented cisterns for use. As to the harbor -itself for sea-going ships there is, in fact, none. Only the open gulf -pushed at this point furthest into the shore, but in a sweep so grand -that there are no headlands whatever. The water shoals slowly from the -sea and ships of the draft of eighteen feet or more come in to take the -first parts of their loads in the shallower water from lighters and move -out from time to time until, when down to the load line, they are -sometimes six or seven miles from land. - - - TRYING TO MAKE A HAVEN. - -“Great efforts have been made to give Galveston a harbor commensurate -with her commercial enterprise, and in some ways success has attended -these efforts. Long spurs of breakwater were built out on the principles -of the Boca harbor at Buenos Ayres, with a view to enclosing an -artificial haven for ships, but the prevalent southerly winds, the -currents which they engender and the ceaseless tides have made this work -one of great difficulty. A further obstacle has been the shifting, sandy -bottom, whose permeable formation reaches down many feet before it rests -upon clay or rock. - -“The city itself is built chiefly of wood and on the lines of -architecture adopted for coolness in tropical climates. That is to say, -with vast doorways and windows, cutting out as much of the framework as -possible and yet leave enough of support for a roof. This structural -form permits the whole house to be opened for the passage of every -breeze, but at the cost of stability. - -“At intervals and particularly when the spring or high tides prevail, -and when the southerly winds bank up the waters of the northern gulf, -the streets of the city are flooded, the sewers deliver themselves the -wrong way and the uncertain foundations of the city are weakened and -prepared for the fall which follows close upon the weather conditions -when they are intensified. - - - THE CITY A PREY TO THE STORM. - -“We have now the situation of Galveston fairly before us, and can -understand how it easily succumbed to the violence of the late storm. It -is true that the cyclone was of a potentiality which might have razed a -more firmly built city, but probably in no other city in this country -could it have caused such complete devastation. - -“In twenty-five years the city of Galveston and the coast line of Texas -have had three visitations of tropical hurricanes, bearing death and -destruction in their blasts. Every year about the equinoctial season -storms of greater or less fury occur and never, on account of the -fragile materials and loose methods of building, have they failed of -doing damage, but these three occupy thrones of mark above all others. -In September, 1875, the coast of Texas, from the mouth of the Rio Grande -to the Sabine Pass, was swept by a cyclone that followed with its -central zone the curve of the coast, the wind varying at different times -in its journey to southeast to southwest. - -“The town of Indianola was blotted out of the world in an hour. Not half -a dozen of its 1,200 inhabitants escaped, and the sea swept away the -island on which it stood, and its site has no other mark than that which -the waves rolling over it can offer. There were not enough of people to -ask for help. And as there was no longer a place to rebuild, the little -remnant moved elsewhere. The storm swept over Galveston, raising a tidal -wave that changed in its impetuous flow the whole shape of the island. -From the western end nearly two miles of land was cut off and carried -around to the north side. The city was unroofed, houses toppled and -fell, the water flowed in resistless currents along the levees, floating -off to sea thousands of bales of cotton and destroying in its wild -swirls the contents of stores and houses and many lives. The number -never will be known but estimates place it at 800. For a week -telegraphic communication was cut off. - - - SPILES WRENCHED FROM THEIR PLACES. - -“It was my fortune to be in Texas as a correspondent at the time and on -the day of the storm at Houston, some sixty miles away, built at the -head of Buffalo Bayou, and I was ordered to the wrecked city. At that -time there was only one railroad, the Houston and Galveston, and it was -utterly destroyed for over thirty miles of its length. The top structure -on the spiling across Galveston Bay was, of course, swept away, but it -was a remarkable fact as showing the violence of the storm that about -one of every three of the great spiles, 50 to 55 feet long and driven -down 25 to 30 feet in the sand, was wrenched from its place and swept -away. - -“Others had resisted, but were twisted and split by the fury of wind and -waves. Two small boats, stern wheelers, drawing from 28 to 30 inches of -water, built on the Mississippi steamboat model of ancient times, with a -cabin over the cargo and engine deck, a Texas or officers’ cabin on top -of that, and a glass wheel house on top of that—more fragile things you -could not imagine—were moored at the mouth of the bayou, where the -sluggish stream enters the bay. - -“Strange to say these escaped with the loss of their smokestacks, and -were available to send aid, which was not lacking, to the desolate city. -It was impossible to transport the quantities of food and clothing that -poured in from the North, and more rotted and was lost on the levee at -Houston than reached the distressed inhabitants of Galveston. - -“That part of the city which was not blown down was imbedded in sand. -The Strand, a street in Galveston, whose name is now familiar to the -world by reason of the awful scenes that so recently have been witnessed -there, was four feet deep in sand, and the Tremont, Cosmopolitan and -Great Southern Hotels were filled with sand and hotel was kept on their -second floors. - - - AROSE LIKE A PHOENIX. - -“But the city, although cast down, was not discouraged. It began to -rebuild itself, and by Christmas of that year almost every trace of the -awful calamity had disappeared. The question naturally arises why a -population which had received such an awful warning of its exposed -condition should not abandon what in a military term would be called an -untenable position. The answer is obvious. They had something left -there. Even the island, although distorted and out of shape, was still -there and theirs, and they had nothing elsewhere, nor means to go to -another place. - -“So, with hopeful philosophy they rebuilt their city, restored its -commerce and, encouraged with such empty precepts as ‘Better luck next -time,’ ‘Lightning never strikes twice in the same place,’ went forward -to meet their next blow, in 1893, when another hurricane visited them. -It was not so terrible in its effect, but differed only in degree. The -late severe storm gives further emphatic warning, more terrible and -heart-breaking in its losses of life and vaster in its destruction of -property. But they will, of course, rebuild their city and seek to -establish protective barriers of breakwaters and seawalls to maintain it -in existence. In all likelihood they will succeed, for the history of -these efforts is of final security after trial and loss, and the firm -resolution of man rises over every obstacle. - - - ASLEEP OVER A VOLCANO. - -“Perhaps the persistency of the people who dwell on the slopes at the -foot of Mount Vesuvius offers the most striking illustration of -disregard of danger against which no human provision can be made. With a -volcano boiling on the verge of eruptions that are forever imminent they -pasture their flocks and press their grapes, careless of the menace -which familiarity has taught them to despise. The whole kingdom of -Naples is marked by the same disregard of natural and uncontrollable -danger. The statement is accepted by the encyclopedias that in -seventy-five years—from 1783 to 1857—the kingdom lost 111,000 -inhabitants by the effects of earthquakes. About 1,500 a year in a -population of less than 5,000,000. - -“The city of Lisbon sits smiling and prosperous on the north bank of the -Tagus, and its inhabitants still point with pride to scarred earth -dating from the earthquake in which 40,000 lives were lost. Charleston, -S. C., is rebuilt. Johnstown, Pa., is restored to its prosperous -industry. The Japanese still go their flowery way in Jeddo, where in one -great shock 200,000 lives are said to have been lost—which figure is -even approximately the greatest disaster the world has ever known. St. -Thomas, in the West Indies; Port Royal, Jamaica; Cape Haytien, in Santo -Domingo, with a tribute of 45,000 lives within the memory of men yet -living, and the spice island of Krakatoa, are still peopled despite the -black danger signal of the death which constantly waves over them. - - - MYRIAD LIVES LOST IN GREAT DISASTERS. - -“If you will refer to the statistical sources of information you will -find that in one hundred and fifty years, a mere moment in the life of -this world and its races, and add up the round thousands only and leave -out the hundreds of lives which are charged to lesser lists the sum will -reach 1,563,000 souls in the thirty-seven most important earthquake, -volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and inundations that have visited the -earth. It is, of course, impossible to give any sort of guess as to the -accuracy of the estimates of the loss of life. - -“Even in Johnstown it is not certainly known to this day within 2,000 -persons how many were lost. The identified dead numbered 2,228. The best -informed and conservative estimates place the figure at 3,500, and -others reach 5,000, while published reports, which ought to be -authoritative, calmly name the death list at 9,000. It is the same at -Galveston, where the number is so variously stated that no reliance can -be placed upon any numerical report beyond the fact that anywhere -between 1,000 and 3,000 lives have been lost. If this, then, is the -waywardness of figures in cases where not only the population is known, -but in communities where the associations of commerce and social life -has been such that the survivors can count the missing and recognize -such of the dead as may be found, how wild must be the estimate placed -upon such cataclysms as that in Southeastern Bengal and the Niegen -Islands, where on October 31, 1876, in a cyclone, 215,000 people are -said to have perished. - - - CARELESS ABOUT ALL DANGER. - -“But even there, where such a loss would imply the sacrifice of one in -every four persons inhabiting the territory so awfully stricken, the -people still pursue their daily avocations, toil and rest, love, hate, -mourn and die with the composure and ease of mind that prevail in -Philadelphia or New York, where no shadow of storm is known to hover and -where no devastating earthquake or fiery volcano lurks for victims. But, -of course, these awful figures have very little relation to the actual -losses. In the storm in Bengal Sir Richard Temple, who had charge of the -crown relief, did not find that 20,000 lives were lost and that probably -not more than 10,000 died of the famine which the loss of the crops -insured. In the potato famine in Ireland, in 1846 and 1847, the loss of -life was named at 120,000 by those who charged the whole business to -English misrule and was named at from 8,000 to 20,000 by the royal -commissioners entrusted with the distribution of the £10,000,000 of -Parliamentary grant for the relief of the famished land. - - - LAWS REGULATING STORMS. - -“So the loss in battles always begins to be told in numbers that -occasionally would require more than the combined forces of the two -armies to supply. The first reports of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing, in -the early days of the Civil War, is a case in point. Had we fought on at -the rate given then the country would not have had a male person in its -population a year before the date of Appomattox. So that we can hope -every day will reduce the number, although it cannot lessen the horror -otherwise, of the visitation the death angel has made in the Lone Star -State. - -“It is interesting to study the law of storms which take on such a -rhythmical obedience as it would seem to appear at given places and -times. In this case the weather bureau was accurately alert to the -approaching disturbance. Four days before its arrival on the coast its -formation in the Caribbean Sea was noted and its probable course -northward chartered and proclaimed as a danger to the Atlantic States. -The meteorological phenomenon was correctly defined and watched in its -development until on Thursday night it reached the Florida coast and -struck a rude blow at Tampa. Up to this moment the weather office had -made no mistake and its predictions lifted its utterance to the domain -of verified prophecy. - - - FREAKS OF THE HURRICANE. - -“Then the behavior of the storm with reference to its movements becomes -almost fantastic. It was as if its controlling spirit had received a -notice of the warning that had preceded it and the preparations of -commerce to defend itself from its attacks. Therefore it made a feint -demonstration upon the Atlantic Ocean, and suddenly turning fairly about -in its course flew westward out of barometric supervision to seek a more -vulnerable spot. Galveston was open to it, and sweeping across the gulf, -from which no herald of warning could hasten in advance, it struck the -Texas coast on Saturday and went howling with demoniac fury over the -Mississippi plateau, across the lakes and down the St. Lawrence Valley -out to sea again, to be chilled to death in the frigid air currents of -the polar seas. - -“When the West India Islands and the ports of Mexico are equipped with -weather observing stations from which prompt and frequent reports shall -be made, no storm can draw nigh on shores to effect a surprise. Commerce -can in a measure protect itself, but ill-built cities and crops must at -intervals suffer. The lesson of the last one is of warning, but how to -profit by it outruns prevision that seeks absolute security. There can -be no such thing, ‘for as the pestilence walketh in darkness and -destruction wasteth at noon still a thousand shall fall and ten thousand -at thy right hand, for the hand of man cannot stay the tempest.’ This is -according to all human experience.” - -To have saved and then to have lost is if anything harder to hear than -to have lost at first. It was thus with Mr. William H. Irvin, who -succeeded in saving his wife and all but one of his children from the -death which the elements were so anxious to administer, but afterwards -lost his wife, who succumbed to the injuries she received that night. - -The story of Irvin and his family’s escape is like those of others who -succeeded in getting out alive. It is simply marvelous, and their coming -out with their lives can only be credited to that supreme power which is -even mightier than the winds and sea. While he did all that any human -could in saving his loved ones, yet his efforts were naught in that -mighty battle of the elements. - - - GREAT DARING SHOWN. - -In point of detail his story corresponds with the many others that are -told of that night, but it is one of great daring also, one in which -quick action and a trust in Divine Providence played an important part. -Irvin was living with his happy family in a little story and a half -cottage near the corner of Nineteenth street and Avenue O ½ before the -storm, but now all of that happy home is gone, and two of that happy -family are no more. - -It was early in the afternoon that the water began rising out there, but -it was not until later, when all chance of getting out and coming to -town to a place of safety was gone, did they become frightened. The -house, though small was strongly built, and it was this that caused -several of the neighbors who were living in frail houses to come to the -Irvin home for refuge. They were Mrs. Crowley, two sons and a daughter, -and Miss Aldridge. Along in the afternoon they became thoroughly -frightened by the waters, which were rapidly rising, and the wind which -was increasing in velocity every minute. - -And well they might, for at that time the house was beginning to groan -under the fierce onslaughts of the wind and the water. They stayed -downstairs until the water had creeped up into the house, coming up and -up until it drove them to the stairs. Then it drove them up step by -step. They were frightened, yes, but never did the dreadful picture of -what did happen present itself to even their terror-stricken minds. No -imagination was then able to make a picture like the one in reality. - -They were thus driven up into the attic by the waters and terrorized by -the wind until after dark. Then, as if to follow out the idea that whom -the gods wish to destroy they first make mad, the wind added to their -fright and almost crazed them by carrying before it to their ears the -frantic appeals for help from those who were already in the storm’s -clutches and were soon to become its victims. The houses around them -went, nothing being able to stand against the mighty force of the wind -and waves. Then it was that their house began to creak and groan louder -than ever, until at last Irvin and his fellows in distress felt that it -was going the next minute, and if they did not get out then they never -would. - - - EIGHT CHILDREN THROWN OUT OF WINDOW. - -So, having no time for a second thought, he picked up one of those eight -children, whose life was part of his and who made his life worth living, -and with a prayer tossed him out of the window, to alight on what he did -not know, if to alight on anything. But he thought, and wisely, as -circumstances proved, that they would have a better chance in the open -than in a falling house. He risked their falling into that turbulent sea -and sinking, never to come up, to leaving them in the building to be -maimed by flying timbers and killed by the falling house. - -Thus he threw out all of the eight, then came his wife, then the others -who had come to him for refuge. He did not know what the fate of each of -the former was when he threw out another, but trusted to Divine -Providence, and not in vain. For as he threw the first out a shed in the -rear of the house, as if with heroic instinct, washed against the -building directly under the window, and there it stayed for a few -seconds, catching each member of the family as he or she fell, even -waiting for him. - -The rest of Irvin’s story is that of a continual fight to keep his -family from being blown and washed off of the raft that Providence had -given him. This fight lasted for hours and their perilous position was -made even greater by the flying timbers and pieces of slate which the -wind would seem to take such delight in hurling at them. It was a battle -between providence and the elements to see which should claim the family -for its own, and not until nearly three o’clock did the wind and water -cease in their efforts to add the Irvin family to their long list of -victims. The elements were recompensed by taking one of the eight -children and injuring the wife so that she would later become one of -their dead. - -At about three o’clock the next morning Irvin found himself and family, -except the little one who had been lost, several blocks from where he -had formerly lived, and mixed up in the debris. At daylight he succeeded -in getting his wife and children out and brought them to the business -part of the town. - - - THE MOST REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE. - -As soon as possible he sent the children to relatives in Houston. In the -meantime his wife had been taken to the Sealy hospital suffering from -the injuries she had received during the storm. At this time he realized -that he was hurt also and went to the temporary hospital at the Custom -House, where he stayed for several days under treatment. It was while he -was there that the last sad chapter was added to his story. While there -confined to his bed, his wife died in the Sealy hospital, and he had to -lie at the Custom House without getting a last look at the woman whom he -loved, while strangers were burying her body. Of his neighbors who took -refuge with him all were saved except the little daughter of Mr. -Crowley. - - - - - IMPRISONED BY THE STORM. - Thrilling Experience of Colonel Anderson, the Fort Point Lighthouse - Keeper and His Wife—In the Face of Death the Light Was Put Up—Isolated - for Days in the Wrecked House Without Supplies. - - -The government reservation of several hundred acres situated at the -extreme eastern end of Galveston island met the full force of the storm -of September 8th. Unprotected from any side the destructive hurricane -and relentless gulf swept the historic spot and the massive concrete -fortifications crumbled like so much papier mache. The substantial, -double iron-braced barrack buildings and quarters were battered into -kindling wood and not a stick stands to mark the place where thirteen -buildings stood. Situated within the United States government -reservation were the quarantine officers’ home and headquarters; the -torpedo casemate, torpedo cable-tank, torpedo warehouse, engineers’ -store rooms and wharf leading to the cable tank and casemate. - -These structures were located on the bay shore in the northwestern -corner of the immense reservation. Following the jetty as it extended -eastward and curved to the south were the United States life saving -station and the Fort Point light house, each about two hundred yards -apart. At the northeastern point of the island are the two rapid-fire -batteries pointing over the jetty and commanding the channel in the bay -between the two jetties. Around on the eastern and southeastern edge of -the point are the 10–inch rifle battery and the 12–inch mortar battery, -about 500 yards apart. In the centre of the reservation were grouped the -barrack buildings. These buildings were built about eighteen months ago -and afforded accommodations for a one-battery post. - -The government was raising this reservation by filling in the site about -ten feet above mean low tide. The quarters had not been occupied, having -been built on piling, high in the air, to allow for the filling which -was being distributed in the shape of sand pumped from the bay by the -government dredge boat. The detail of twelve men from battery O which -cared for the batteries at Fort San Jacinto, which was the new name -given to the historic “Fort Point” of early Texas days, occupied -quarters in temporary structures erected in the rear of the 10–inch -battery. - -Before the storm Fort San Jacinto was a most inviting and attractive -place. The immense reservation east of the fence, which marked the -western boundary, extending across the island from bay to gulf, was a -most picturesque section of the island. When the storm had finished its -merciless onslaught, Fort San Jacinto and its government structures -presented a picture of terrible ruin. The costly coast fortifications, -which had been constructed to withstand the attacking powers of the -navies of the world, were silenced and rendered helpless by the combined -batteries of the wind and sea. - -The life saving station, where Captain Edward Haines and nine of his -brave comrades stood ready to render succor to the storm-driven -wretches, was picked up with its load of boats, beach apparatus and -other life saving paraphernalia and crushed like a match box. Only four -or five of the long pilings mark the site of the station house. Mrs. -Haines, wife of Captain Haines, and one of the crew met their death at -the station when the building collapsed. - - - WATERS OF BAY AND GULF MEET. - -The south jetty, which marked the northern and eastern boundaries of the -reservation, pointed its long line of rail-capped rocks five feet above -the tide before the storm. But when the northeast gale backed the waters -of the bay against the stone wall and the storm swelled the bay out of -its banks, the water rose above the jetty and swept like a millrace to -meet the waters of the gulf, which came running in from the southeast. -This was early in the afternoon, and as the hurricane increased in -velocity and the gulf roared out its warning, the terrible work of -destruction commenced. The reservation was inundated and the force of -the mighty waters quickly dug channels beneath the fortifications. - -Then the wind and gulf joined forces and the great coast defenses -succumbed to the attack and were washed from their foundations and half -buried in the grave dug by the waters of the gulf. The immense concrete -and rock structures toppled like toy houses as the greedy waters plowed -channel after channel in the quicksand upon which the batteries stood. -With the wooden structures, the barracks and warehouses, the wind made -quick work, and the wreckage was shot through the rapids and carried to -sea. - -As the waters on their reservation rose higher and higher and the -fortifications sank from view the lighthouse stood alone in the high sea -which made the gulf and bay one. In this structure two human souls -watched the storm gods at work and waited for their time. There was no -hope of escape. The steel bridge leading from the top of the jetty to -the lighthouse had been twisted by the wind and carried away; the -lifeboat which hung from davits beneath the house had been snatched from -its position and smashed against the iron supports, and the water -carried off the splintered remnants. - -Night came and the lamp in the tower, as though defying the hellish work -of the raging elements, cast its mellow rays of light upon the scene of -devastation and death which Night had just covered with its mantle. That -human hands should dare to illuminate the appalling scene of tragedy -must have enraged the murderous elements, and the storm batteries were -turned on the tower. For an hour or more the attack continued with -increasing vengeful power, and then—the light went out. Satisfied, -perhaps, that the last defender of the reservation had been silenced the -warring elements abandoned their fierce attack and entered the city to -finish their destruction. - -With the dawning of day an aged couple, who had faced many dangers in -life’s stormy sea together, came out on the gallery of the lighthouse -and, standing arm in arm, viewed the funeral procession in the bay. They -had survived the night, and while they stood there high above the water -in silent thanksgiving for their safe deliverance, they saw the ebbing -tide carrying its dead to sea. Out through the jetties the long cortege -moved swiftly, with the angel of death piloting the craft of human -corpses. - - - RISES TO A HEIGHT OF SIXTY FEET. - -Fort Point lighthouse is situated two miles from the city. It is a -six-sided iron structure rising above the water to a height of about -sixty feet. It stands about 300 feet south of the jetty, and the water -up to the time of the storm was never over two feet in depth around the -house. At times it was dry, but usually only a few inches of water -played around the iron screw piles, which were screwed into the sand -about eighteen feet, and upon which the iron superstructure is -supported. The metal framework supporting the lighthouse proper and the -light tower rises about thirty-five feet from the base. - -Then comes the living apartments of the keeper, Colonel C. A. Anderson, -and his wife. On top is the light tower, a six-sided glass house, with -iron framework. A gallery encircles the living apartments, and another -the light tower. About ten feet beneath the living apartments and about -twenty-five feet above the base a wooden platform served the dual -purpose of basement and back yard to the isolated habitation. On this -platform two large tanks furnished fresh water for the household, a shed -held the wood supply and another shed was used as a storehouse for a -several months’ supply of kerosene oil for the light. - -From the jetty a steel bridge led to the lighthouse, and from the bridge -a stairway extended to the basement and living apartments. In the rear -an iron ladder leading from the gallery of the keeper’s home -communicated with the “back yard” and basement, and also with the boat -house and a platform extending from the rear of the structure to the -bridge in front. - -When the wind had subsided and the sea receded the naked metal frame -supporting the house was all that was left of the lower structure. -Wrapped around the iron pillars and braces were steel railroad tracks, -which the wind and sea had wrenched from the jetty railroad and twisted -around the lighthouse supports. The bridge had fallen an easy victim to -the storm, and the water supply, wood, oil, lifeboat and stairway were -torn from their fastenings and carried to sea. The jetty, with its huge -rocks, weighing tons, had suffered many a breach, and a large opening -was in front of the lighthouse. Through this break the waters of the -gulf and bay rushed like a mill race, and a new channel connecting the -bay and gulf was cut in a night. The isolation of the lighthouse was -most complete. - - - STORM HOWLS A DEATH WARNING. - -Colonel Anderson is seventy-three years of age and his wife some years -his junior. No human mind can picture their experiences on that night of -nights. Words are inadequate to convey an idea of the feelings of this -devoted couple while the storm cried out its death warning and these two -mortals prepared for the end which they were so sure was at hand. To -attempt to leave the home would have been madness itself, but this -thought was not for a moment entertained. The colonel would never desert -his post, and his consort was happy to be near that they may both go to -their death together. - -Four rooms and a bath room comprised the home of the keeper, and the -many friends of the family speak of the place as “Mamma Anderson’s doll -house.” Not because the apartments are small, for they are comparatively -good sized rooms, but because they were the cosiest and prettiest -furnished rooms to be found, perhaps, on the whole island. Every nook -and corner reflected the exquisite handiwork of the dear housewife who -made this home an emporium of fancy needle work, embroidery, dainty -laces and other rich and beautiful decorations and ornaments in which -she justly took great pride. - -The affectionate couple addressed each other in the endearing terms of -“Mama” and “Papa,” and their home far beyond the city is truly “home, -sweet home.” - -Early in the afternoon of the storm Captain Haines and his brave crew -from the life saving station manned the life boat and started to go to -the lighthouse to bring the keeper and his wife to town. But even at -that early hour no boat could live in the gale and raging sea that was -threatening the destruction of the whole island. The wall of rock, -called the jetty, would not permit any boat approaching within several -hundred feet of the sharp-pointed line of stone extending five miles to -sea. But, as Mrs. Anderson said in relating the incident to a _News_ -reporter who visited the stricken home two weeks after the storm: “It -was a noble act for Captain Haines to attempt to rescue us, but it would -have resulted in a useless risk, because Papa would not have left the -lighthouse while it stood and I would never leave without him.” - - - PREPARED FOR THE WORST. - -Two hours after Captain Haines’ attempt, the life saving station -collapsed and Mrs. Haines, the nearest neighbor of the lighthouse -keeper’s family, and one of the crew were killed. As the shades of night -began to fall the destruction in and about the Point was about complete, -and the keeper of the light and his faithful companion withdrew to -prepare themselves for the worst. From the sleeping room of Colonel -Anderson a stairway, winding around a steel post, which extends from the -top of the light tower through the center of the entire structure, and -fastened to a screw pile in the sand bed, leads to the light tower. - -Promptly at the usual hour the keeper who, for five years, has watched -and cared for the light, made his way to the tower with his brass -kerosene lamp, and placed it within the strong, magnifying circular -lens. The linen curtains which shade the glass enclosure during the day -were drawn aside and the bright light shed its rays out into the gloom, -and storm-tossed vessels in port were able to get their bearings. - -The water rose higher and higher and the storm waves sent their spray -over the top of the tower. The hurricane increased in violence and the -slate from the roof of the keeper’s home was picked off piece by piece -by the wind. An hour passed, and the keeper had made frequent journeys -to the tower to see that the light was burning. He went up again, but -had hardly reached the landing through the small opening in the floor, -when one of the large panes of thick glass on the northeast side was -smashed by flying slate. The light was extinguished and a piece of glass -struck the aged keeper in the head and face. The opening in the lens -faced the broken window pane and it was useless to relight the lamp. -Stunned by the blow, and bleeding from the wounds in his head and face, -the old man made his way down the stairs where his wife waited and -watched for his return. “Mama” quickly dressed the wounds, and then the -aged couple went into the parlor and in silence waited for the end. - -Above the howling tempest the agonizing grinding of the jetty railroad -iron on the metal supports of the lighthouse struck terror to the hearts -of the anxious watchers imprisoned above. The slate roof suffered -severely and the rain pouring in from above added to the pitiful -experience of the night. - - - IN DANGER OF STARVATION. - -This is just the plain story of what happened on that fateful night, but -the sufferings of the next few days were even greater to the keeper and -his wife. There were no provisions in the house and the supply of -vegetables, fuel and fresh water in the “basement” had been washed away. -The water around the house even after the tide went out was over ten -feet deep. The life boat had been stolen by the storm, and not even a -plank to serve as a raft was to be found on the premises. Having -weathered the terrible storm they were apparently left to starve to -death. The shipping in the harbor had suffered and no boats were to be -seen in the channel. The flag of distress hoisted on the gallery was not -responded to, and no small boat could enter through the breach in the -jetty; it was too dangerous. Alone and forgotten. Who thought of the -lighthouse and the two mortals imprisoned there by the storm and -isolated by fate? - -Three days passed and the scant supply of three or four cans of soup and -fruit had long since been exhausted. On the third day a voice was heard -calling from below and Mrs. Anderson recognized her son, C. D. Anderson, -Jr., a boy of 16 years, swimming in the water from the jetty to the -lighthouse. He had for three days been trying to get to his father and -mother, having been up the bay with a surveying party when the storm -struck the island. Dr. Mayfield, the quarantine officer, had brought him -in his boat from town. - -Young Anderson was fearful of the fate of his parents and he made his -way to them as soon as possible. In a small bundle which he managed to -save while he swam the stream, he carried some nourishment, but he had -not contemplated that he would find his mother and father suffering for -food and water. The boy returned to town and notified the authorities to -send food and fresh water to the water-bound keeper and his wife, but -the request was not complied with. The city was weighted with sorrow and -every man was burdened with grave responsibilities. No boats were -running out in that direction. - -Ten days wore away and the situation had become critical with the noble -keeper and his wife when the Arbutus, the lighthouse tender, came into -port, and passing the light house saw the signal of distress flying from -the prison-home. That day a supply of food and two small casks of -tainted water were delivered at the light house. It was not the food -that the family was accustomed to—it was simply hard tack and salt meat, -which is supplied as rations to the crews of vessels. The government -does not furnish supplies to its light house keepers, and Colonel -Anderson’s home always boasted of the goodies served at meal time at his -own expense. - - - THE COLONEL A NOTED CHARACTER. - -Two weeks after the storm the situation had been somewhat improved, but -the fresh water supply had been exhausted and when a News reporter -visited the home Colonel Anderson and his wife were praying for rain -that they might catch a supply of heaven’s dew in a tub which had been -placed under the spout from the roof. The light house tender Arbutus had -sent a man who repaired the damaged light tower, but the aged couple -were left to their own resources to get water and food. The reporter, -who had been able to reach the light house through the kindness of -Assistant Engineer Wilcox of the United States engineering office, -brought back to town another communication asking that food and water be -sent out to the light house. - -Colonel C. D. Anderson is quite a noted character and is well known as a -man who figured conspicuously and gallantly in the civil war, and also -in public office since the war. He is a native of South Carolina, a -graduate of West Point and held a commission in the United States army -before the civil war. He received his appointment as second lieutenant -in the Fourth artillery from Texas on June 26, 1856, was made first -lieutenant July 6, 1859, and on April 1, 1861, resigned his commission -and came south to join the army of the confederacy. He was appointed to -a captaincy and distinguished himself and rose rapidly to the rank of -Colonel and was given command of the Twenty-first Alabama infantry. - -He was in command of Fort Gaines and his gallant defense of that fort -won the admiration of Admiral Farragut, who returned Colonel Anderson’s -sword which was delivered to the admiral at the surrender of the fort. -Colonel Anderson has the sword in his possession and prides it as a gift -from his friends when he came south and joined the confederate army. The -blade of the sword bears the following inscription which Admiral -Farragut had engraved on the weapon before its return to its owner: - -“Returned to Colonel C. D. Anderson by Admiral Farragut for his gallant -defense of Fort Gaines, April 8, 1864.” - -The sword was carried by Colonel Anderson in the battle of Shiloh and -through many other battles and historical occurrences in the long -struggle between the north and the south. - -After the war the colonel, who is a civil engineer of note, held several -prominent positions under the government in river and harbor -engineering, and finally came to Texas where he has resided for many -years. He engaged in railroad construction and built many miles of Texas -roads. He served two terms as city engineer of Austin and then came to -Galveston. The new custom house in this city stands as a monument to the -engineering skill of the aged keeper of Fort Point lighthouse, whose -life history reads like a romance. Mrs. Anderson comes from a family -closely associated with the history of this country, and the department -of justice building in Washington was her father’s home and the house -where Colonel Anderson, then a gallant young army officer, claimed her -as his bride. - - - - - NAMES OF THE VICTIMS - OF THE GREAT - GALVESTON HORROR. - - - The Galveston Daily News printed the following list of those known to - have perished in the hurricane. The names given below make a total - of nearly 5000. - - =Ackermann=, Herman, wife and daughter. - =Ackerman=, Chas. - =Adams=, Mrs. Mary (colored). - =Adams=, Miss Katie May, daughter of H. B. Adams of Malvern, Ark. - =Adams=, Bennie and Jesse. - =Adams=, Mr. and Mrs. Toby (colored). - =Adameit=, Mrs. Gotleib and seven children. - =Adascheck=, Mrs. Powell and four children, 2810 R. - =Agin=, George and child. - =Aguilo=, Joe B. and three children. - =Ahy=, Mrs. John and three children. - =Akers=, C. B., wife and three children. - =Albano=, Mrs. and two children, Tony and Mary. - =Alberto=, F. L., longshoreman. - =Albertson=, M., wife and daughter. - =Albertson=, Emile. - =Anderson=, Henry. - =Albertson=, A., wife and two children. - =Alexander=, Annie and Christian, children of Thomas. - =Allardyce=, Mrs. R. L., and three children. - =Allen=, W. T., wife, daughter and one son. - =Allen=, E. B., and wife. - =Allen=, Mrs. Kate. - =Allen=, Mrs. Alex, and five children (colored). - =Allen=, Wm., wife and three children, Fifty-eighth and Q ½. - =Allen=, Mr. and Mrs. E. - =Allerson=, Edward, shoemaker, Twenty-seventh and Q ½. - =Allison=, S. B., wife and six children, Thirty-fifth and S ½. - =Almeras=, Mrs. P., visiting Oliver Udell down the island. - =Almos=, Mrs. P. - =Alphonse=, John, wife and family, with one exception, Forty-fourth and - S. - =Alpin=, George and wife (colored). - =Ammundsen=, Emil, wife and child, Lucas Terrace. - =Anderson=, J. W., wife and three children. - =Anderson=, L., and wife, Seventeenth and O. - =Anderson=, H. E. - =Anderson=, Mrs. Dora and child Louise, wife of C. J. Anderson, 901 - Broadway. - =Anderson=, Ella, daughter of John Anderson, between Thirty-sixth and - Thirty-seventh on Postoffice; lost down the island. - =Anderson=, Ned, wife and two children. - =Anderson=, Ella, Heard’s Lane, shell road. - =Anderson=, L. (shoemaker) and wife. - =Anderson=, Oscar wife and child. - =Anderson=, A. G., wife and children. - =Anderson=, Amanda (colored.) - =Anderson=, Mrs. Sam (colored.) - =Anderson=, C., Anderson ways. Bay Shore. - =Anderson=, Andrew, wife and two children. - =Anderson=, Nick, and sons Henry and John. - =Anderson=, Mrs. Carl and four children, stockyards. - =Anderson=, Nels., shipbuilder, Galveston island. - =Anderson=, Edward, longshoreman. - =Andrew=, Mrs. A. and family. - =Andrews=, Mrs. A. and three children. - =Andrews=, Mrs., on the Hisser place, Bay Shore. - =Andro=, Mrs. and three children. - =Angily=, Mrs. P. - =Anizan=, Mrs. Frank and two children, Lamarque, Tex. - =Antonovich=, John and Pinkie, 3808 P ½. - =Antonovich=, Eddie. - =Aplin=, George and wife. - =Appel=, Fritz and son. - =Applin=, Mrs. Lucy and four children (colored), L and Eleventh. - =Ardisson=, Mrs. J. and eight children. - =Armitage=, Miss Vivian. - =Armour=, Mrs. and five children. - =Armstrong=, Mrs. Dora, wife of C. F., and four children. - =Artisan=, John, wife and nine children, of Thirty-ninth and S ½. - =Ashe=, George, Jr. - =Ashley=, Mr. and Mrs. F. C. - =Astheimer=, Betty, Henrietta, Philip and Frank. - =Atanasso.= - =Augustine=, Pasquil and wife. - =Aull=, Nicholas and family of eight. - =Aull=, George and family of five. - =Aull=, Joseph and family of four. - =Aull=, Mary, wife of Joseph Aull. - =Azteana=, Captain Sylvester de. - - =Badger=, Otto, N., between Thirteenth and Fourteenth. - =Bailey=, George, wife and three children. - =Baker=, Miss Florence (colored). - =Baker=, Mrs. and three children (colored), 2828 avenue P. - =Baldwin=, Miss Sallie (colored). - =Balliman=, Gussie, 3602 Q½. - =Balliman=, Irene, 3602 Q½. - =Balliman=, John, 3602 Q½. - =Balzman=, Mrs. - =Bammell=, Mrs. - =Bandus=, Mr. and family, down the island. - =Bankers=, Mrs. Charles. - =Barden=, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. - =Barnard=, Mrs. Mary A., 2113 Thirty-third street. - =Barnes=, Mrs. Louise M., widow of William Barnes, 2003 Tremont street. - =Barnesfki=, family of eight, down the island. - =Barry=, Mrs. James and six children, K between Forty-second and - Forty-third. - =Barry=, wife and six children, Forty-third and K. - =Bass=, John, wife and four children (colored). - =Batchelor=, Frank, wife and four children, Bennie, Roy, Lawrence and - Harris; lived at Forty-first and S½. - =Batja=, Otto, Fifteenth and M. - =Batteste=, Horace, aged 50, Lucas Terrace. - =Baurlot=, V. C. and wife. - =Bausens=, wife of C. J. - =Bautch=, William, wife and two children. - =Baxter=, Mrs. and child. - =Beall=, Mrs. Dudley and child. - =Beaudoin=, Mrs. and two children, Twenty-eighth and P. - =Becker=, Mr. and Mrs. John F., and two children. - =Bedford=, fisherman (colored). - =Beekman=, Martha Louise, daughter of Ed. Q., 1906 Twenty-first street. - =Belcher=, three children of Mrs. Marguerite. - =Bell=, Eugenia, Alex. C., Beulah and Guy, 18th and Q. - =Bell=, George. - =Bell=, Clarence. - =Bell=, Henry (colored). - =Bell=, Mrs. Mattie, on country road. - =Bellew=, Mr. and Mrs. J. F., and daughter. - =Benn=, Mrs. Annie and two daughters. - =Bernardoni=, John, Eighth and L. - =Benson=, Mrs. Amanda (colored). - =Benson=, Miss Delphia (colored). - =Benson=, Mrs., Seventeenth and O½. - =Benson=, Andrew, longshoreman. - =Bernard=, Mrs. ——. - =Berger=, W. L., wife and child. - =Berger=, Theo., wife and child. - =Bergman=, Mrs. R. J. and little daughter. - =Betts=, Walter. - =Betts=, Mrs. Mattie, lost at Giozza residence. - =Beyer=, Mrs. Lincey, 1109 Broadway. - =Beveridge=, Mrs. J. L. and two children. - =Bierman=, Frederick, S and Forty-third. - =Billigman=, Mrs. Lizzette, found on 13th and Broadway; resided on M - and 13th. - =Birge=, ——, and wife. - =Bird=, Mrs., and child. - =Bird=, Mrs. Joseph and five children. - =Blackson=, baby of William. - =Blake=, child of F. W., British vice consul, 3206 avenue Q. - =Bland=, Florence (colored). - =Bland=, Mrs., and seven children (colored). - =Block=, son of Charles. - =Blum=, Mrs. J., Twenty-second and P. - =Blum=, Isaac, Sarah and Jennie. - =Blum=, Mrs. Sylvania. - =Boatwright=, Mrs. - =Boddeker=, Austin, son of Will Boddeker; drowned at Arcadia. - =Boddeker=, Charles. - =Boedecker=, H. C., wife and two children. - =Boedecker=, H., father, brother and sister. Thirty-seventh and Q½. - =Boening=, William, wife and three children, milkman, down the island. - =Bogel=, Mrs. H., and children Florence, Marguerite and Alma, - Fifty-second and P½. - =Bohn=, Dixie. - =Bonner=, Mrs., avenue S, between Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh. - =Borden=, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. - =Bornkessel=, T. C., of United States weather bureau, and wife. - =Boske=, Mrs. Charles, and two sons. - =Boss=, Charles and Detleff. - =Boss=, Fred. (colored). - =Boston=, Mrs. Clara (colored), Eleventh and M. - =Botsford=, Edwin and wife, Kinskead addition. - =Bowe=, Mrs. John and four children. - =Bowen=, Chas. K., of Half Moon lighthouse. - =Bowen=, Captain Chas. K., daughter and grandchild, of North Galveston, - visiting at Thirty-eighth and S. - =Bowie=, Mrs. John, and two children. - =Boyd=, Andy, wife and four children, Buelah, Bessie, George and Mabel, - Nineteenth and P. - =Bradfield=, Tom and wife, down the island. - =Bradfoot=, and wife, seven miles down the island. - =Bradly=, Miss Nannie. - =Bradly=, Miss Ethel. - =Brady=, —— and wife, Twenty-eighth and P ½. - =Branch=, Allen (colored), Mrs. Eva. - =Branch=, Miss Pearl G. (colored), Forty-fourth and S ½. - =Brandes=, Fritz, wife and four children, milkman, down the island. - =Brandon=, Lottie, Lamarque, Tex. - =Bray=, Mary, niece of Alex. Coddou. - =Brentley= family. - =Briscoll=, A., (milkman) and family. - =Britton=, James (colored), Lamarque, Tex. - =Brockelman=, C. J. - =Brockelman=, three children of J. T. - =Brocker=, Joe and family. - =Brooks=, J. T. - =Brown=, Wm., Forty-third and R. - =Brown=, Adolph, wife and two children, S and Forty-third. - =Brown=, Mrs. Gus (colored), son and two grandchildren, down the - island. - =Brown=, Gus (colored), down the island. - =Brown=, Joseph and family. - =Brozis=, M. G., wife and child, Thirty-seventh and S. - =Brunner=, Albert, longshoreman. - =Bryan=, Mrs. L. W., and daughter Alice, of South McAlester, I. T., at - H. C. Ripley’s house. - =Buckley=, Selma and Blanche, and their mother and father. - =Buckley=, Mrs. S. and daughter. - =Bupen=, Marco, wife and five children, down the island. - =Burge=, Wm., wife and child, postmaster Heard’s postoffice. - =Burge=, S. W., wife and two children, Twenty-fourth and Beach. - =Burgess=, Mrs. and child. - =Burgoyne=, Francis, Mrs., Twenty-eighth, between Q and Q ½. - =Burgoyne=, Dugle, Twenty-eighth, between Q and Q ½. - =Burke=, J. G., Thirty-seventh and Q. - =Burke=, Jessie K., Mrs., Thirty-seventh and Q. - =Burnett=, baby of Mrs. Annie Burnett. - =Burnett=, Mrs. George and child. - =Burns=, Mrs. M. E. and child, Mary E. - =Burns=, Mrs. - =Burns=, Mrs. P., and daughter, Mary, Kinkead addition. - =Burnett=, Mrs. Mary, P ½ and Twenty-fourth. - =Burnett=, Mrs. Gary, and two children. - =Burrell=, Elvie, and two children, (colored). - =Burrell=, Mrs. Gete, (colored). - =Burrows=, Mrs. - =Burwell=, T. M., 1423 L. - =Buscher=, F. and wife. - =Bush=, Charles, wife and three children. - =Bush=, Hisom. - =Bush=, Mr. Charles and daughter, Mrs. Bettie B. Sawyer, all colored, - Fifty-sixth street, between Church and Winnie, across the mud - bridge. - =Butler=, Captain Green, Thirty-third and Q. - =Butterfield=, John. - =Butts=, C. H., lost from barge. - =Byman=, Mr. and Mrs. Geo., and daughter, Mary, Forty-fourth and S ½. - =Byrd=, Mrs. J. C. and child. - =Byrnes=, ——, wife and sister. - - =Cain=, Rev. and Mrs. Thomas W. (colored). - =Calhoun=, Mrs. Thomas and three children. - =Calvert=, George, wife, son and daughter, Thirty-second and Q ½. - =Campbell=, Miss Edna, Thirty-ninth and T ½. - =Capers=, ——, and wife; lived at southeast corner of Forty-second and - S. - =Capps=, Chas. C., wife and six children. - =Caroline=, Alice, Elizabeth and one son, Edmund, two grandchildren. - =Carou=, Mrs. Jenne. - =Caribaldi=, August and family, Sydnor’s bayou. - =Carlson=, Charles, wife and boy, bay bridge. - =Carren=, Mrs. Eugenie Souhet, washerwoman at the Home for the - homeless. - =Carson=, Frank C. and wife. - =Carter=, Betsy (colored), and daughter Sophia. - =Carter=, Miss Sophie. - =Carter=, Corrine and family. - =Carter=, Adeline. - =Carter=, Alf, and seven children, colored, down the island. - =Casley=, Sanders (colored), wife Samantha and children Samantha and - Walter, Twenty-ninth and P ½. - =Casey=, Mrs. Amelia. - =Cazenave=, Jean (milkman). - =Chaffey=, Mrs. and son. - =Chambers=, Ada D., wife of J. F. Chambers, Fifty-seventh and M ½. - =Cheek=, Mrs. Mary, and one child. - =Chenivere=, Mrs., shell road. - =Chester=, Frank, Ellen and Mary (colored). - =Chouke=, Mrs. Chris and daughter, Annie, down the island. - =Childs=, Wm. and wife. - =Childs=, J. T. - =Chrestin=, Paul and wife, Thirty-ninth and Q. - =Christian=, John (night engineer water works) and wife. - =Christianson=, Miss Annie, of Shreveport who was visiting Geo. Dorian. - =Clancy=, Pat., wife and five children, down the island. - =Clancy=, Pat (screwman), wife and three children. - =Clark=, Billy, Twenty-sixth and P. - =Clark=, Cy (colored). - =Clark=, Thomas. - =Clark=, Mrs. C. T., and child. - =Claude=, Joe and daughter, Emily. - =Clausen=, Katie. - =Clear=, William E., Twenty-sixth and P. - =Cleary=, Mrs. Leon and one child, Virginia Point. - =Cleveland=, George, wife and children, Ruth, Roy and Senreta, - Twenty-seventh and Q. - =Cline=, wife of Dr. I. M. - =Close=, J. N., of Chambersville, Tex. - =Cobbe=, Archie, wife and two children (milkman), five miles down the - island. - =Coates=, Mrs. Wm. A. - =Cobbe=, Mrs. Thomas A., and two daughters, down the island. - =Coddou=, Alex, and three children, Claude, Edward and Drouet. - =Coers=, Dr. - =Coleman=, Mandy and child, Elfie (colored). - =Collins=, Mr. and Mrs. Ira’s baby daughter. - =Colonge=, Rachel and four children. - =Coltur=, Joseph, longshoreman. - =Connolly=, Mrs. Ellen. - =Colsburg=, Frank G., wife and baby, Forty-sixth and Broadway. - =Colson=, ——. - =Conget=, Mrs. (colored), K, between Twelfth and Thirteenth. - =Conner=, Captain D. E. - =Conner=, Edw. J. - =Connett=, Mrs. Wm., and children, down the island. - =Connoll=, Mrs. Louisa, Miss Rebecca, Peter and Jane (colored), - Forty-third and T. - =Connett=, Charles, wife and children, Forty-third and S ½. - =Cook=, Mrs. Ida (colored), Forty-first and Avenue U. - =Cook=, Henry (colored), 3601 Q ½. - =Cook=, George. - =Cook=, Arthur. - =Cook=, Irene. - =Cook=, Ashby, of Atchison, Kans. - =Cook=, W. Scott, wife and six children, Ashby, Edgar, Walter, Rex, - Gertrude and Ella. - =Cooke=, Marston, Forty-third and S. - =Corbett=, J., and four children, John Munro Lucas, aged 8 years; Edna - May Lucas, aged 6 years 11 months; Arthur Louis Lucas, aged 5 years - 4 months; Michael Henry Corbett, aged 4 months, 4510 Avenue K. - =Cornett=, Miss Lillie, Kinkead addition. - =Cornell=, Mrs. Peter, two daughters and son (colored). - =Cornett=, Mrs. Eliza, Forty-first and S. - =Cornett=, Charles and wife. - =Cornett=, Miss Lillie. - =Cort=, Cora Virginia, daughter of E. L. Cort, colored. - =Coryell=, Patti Rosa. - =Costa=, A., Virginia Point. - =Costly=, Sanders and wife, and child of Alex. Costly (colored). - =Cowan=, wife and daughter, Isabella, Seventh and Broadway. - =Cowan=, ——. - =Cox=, Lillie, Susie, Frances and John, jr., children of J. R. Cox of - Malvern, Ark. - =Craig=, George. - =Crain=, Maggie McCrea (Mrs. C. D.), aged 37, 2818 P ½, and children, - Annie M., aged 15, and Charles D., aged 6. - =Cramer=, Miss Bessie. - =Crawley=, May, Lottie, Dudie and Lee. - =Credo=, Will. - =Credo=, child of Anthony. - =Crisby=, Mrs. Fred and three children, 55th and Broadway. - =Cromwell=, Mrs. and three daughters. - =Crowley=, Miss Nellie and brother. - =Cuneo=, Mrs. Joseph (from New Orleans, visiting Mrs. Webber). - =Cuney=, R. C., and mother (colored). - =Cuney=, grandma, mother of Wright Cuney (colored). - =Curry=, Mrs. E. H. and child. - =Curtis=, Mrs. J. C. (colored), and one child. - =Curtis=, Lulda (colored). - =Cushman=, Jeanette, Arthur. - =Cushman=, John Henry (stepson of Oliver Udell.) - - “=Dago Joe=” and wife, Mary, Kinkead addition. - =Dahlgren=, A. G., longshoreman. - =Dailey=, Wm. E. - =Daley=, Nicholas J. - =Darley=, John, wife and daughter Belle. - =Darnell=, W. D., and wife (colored). - =Darby=, Charles. - =Davenport=, Wharton, jr., Rebecca Harris and John Harris, children of - Wharton and Cora Harris Davenport, avenue R and Fortieth. - =Davies=, John R. and wife. - =Davis=, Mrs. Robert and child, P ½ and Thirty-third. - =Davis=, Mrs. Ed. and three daughters, Sixteenth and avenue O. - =Davis=, sr., Henry T. (colored) - =Davis=, Irene, 3507 Q. - =Davis=, Mrs. and daughter Grace. - =Davis=, Mrs. T. F. - =Davis=, Mrs. Alice W., and family, eight in all, Sixteenth and O. - =Davis=, Miss Annie N., eldest daughter of Rhoda Milby Davis and the - late Samuel Boyer Davis, trained nurse Sealy hospital. - =Davis=, Gussie. - =Davis=, Mrs. Mary, colored, 2017 N. - =Day=, Mrs. Ellen and daughter, Miss May; lived at Twenty-sixth and P - ½. - =Day=, Willie (colored), Seventeenth, between M ½ and N. - =Day=, Alfred (colored). - =Day=, Miss Mamie. - =Day=, Mrs. Maggie. - =Dazet=, Mrs. Leon, and child. - =Dean=, child of R. F. - =Deason=, Mrs. Mary and son, Ed. Jefferson. - =Decie=, Henry, family and mother. - =Decie=, Dick and family. - =Decker=, Alphonso, longshoreman. - =Deegan=, Paddy. - =Deering=, W. A., wife and six children. - =Deering=, John, wife and six children, Forty-third and U. - =De Herete=, Miss Leonie, M., between Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth. - =Deboer=, P. C., and wife. - =Delaney=, Mrs. Jack and two children. - =Delaney=, Joe. - =Delano=, Asa P., wife and children. - =Delaya=, Paul and two daughters. - =Delz=, M., and son Denis, Thirty-seventh and M. - =Dempsey=, Mrs. and two children. - =Dempsey=, Mr. and Mrs. Robert. - =Derr=, Gus, longshoreman. - =Devoti=, Joe and three children, Heard’s lane. - =Devoti=, Mrs. Julia and two children. - =Devoti=, Louis, Colorado addition. - =Devoti=, “Doc,” Kinkead addition. - =Dickson=, Mrs. Louisa and three children, Eighteenth and P. - =Dickinson=, Mrs. Mary and child (colored), Twenty-eighth and R. - =Diesing=, Mary. - =Diggs=, Henry, wife and four children (colored). - =Dinsdale=, Thomas, wife and three children. - =Dinter=, Mrs. and daughter. - =Dirks=, Henry and family. - =Dittman=, Mrs. F. and son. - =Dixon=, Mrs. Tom and three children. - =Doherty=, Mrs. G. P., 2416 Q ½. - =Dohonue=, Misses Ellen and Mary, of Utica, N. Y. - =Doll=, George W. and wife, Eliza. - =Doll=, Frank and family. - =Donnell=, W. D., wife and one child. A son, aged 13 years, saved. - =Dool=, Mrs. C. C., 16th and A. - =Dore=, ——, an old Frenchman. - =Dorian=, George, jr., wife and two children. - =Dorian=, Mrs. George and five children. - =Dorrene=, Mr. and Mrs. and two daughters. - =Dorsett=, B. and family of five, Lamarque, Tex. - =Dorsey=, Fannie. - =Doto=, Marcus, wife and six children. - =Doty=, Jonathan, P ½ and Twenty-fifth. - =Dowles=, Mrs. Sam and daughter, Nora. - =Doyle=, Jim. - =Dreckschmidt=, H. - =Dreht=, Lottie. - =Drewa=, H. A. - =Driscoll=, T. E., Thirtieth and Q. - =Duane=, Miss Mary Coleman, of Victoria. - =Duffard=, A., county bridge keeper. - =Ducos=, Octavia and Madeline. - =Duebner=, William and wife and three children, stock-pens. - =Duett=, Miss Maria, old woman’s home. - =Duffy=, Mrs. (Mrs. W. Jones’ sister), down the island. - =Dunham=, George R., sr., and wife. - =Dunham=, George R., jr., and two children. - =Dunham=, Mrs. Howard C. and three children. - =Dunant=, Frank, sr. - =Dumond=, Joseph, and wife (stock yards). - =Dunton=, Mrs. Adelina. - =Dunkins=, Mrs. Mahaly (colored), Twenty-seventh and P. - =Dunningham=, Richard, Tenth and L. - =Durrant=, Frank, on Sidney bayou. - =Dutoniovich=, John and Pinkey. - =Dykes=, Thomas J., jr. (colored). - - =Earls=, Mrs. Lizzie (colored). - =Eaton=, F. B., Forty-fifth, between I and Broadway. - =Eberhard=, P. and wife. - =Eberg=, Mrs. Kate, Kinkead addition. - =Eckart=, Will, wife and daughter. - =Ecket=, William, wife and son. - =Eckett=, Charles and Fred. - =Eckert=, Ed and family, Sydnor’s bayou. - =Edmonds=, Mrs. - =Edmondson=, L. E. - =Edwards=, A. R. G. and six children. - =Edwards=, Jim, wife and family. - =Edwards=, Miss Eliza. - =Edwards=, Mrs. Jane and youngest daughter (colored), R. between - Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth. - =Edwards=, Henry, wife and five children, Kincaid addition. - =Eggert=, Fred and father. - =Eggert=, William and son Charles. - =Ehlert=, Mrs. and two daughters. - =Ehlert=, Mrs. and two daughters, down the island. - =Ellis=, Mrs. John and three children, down the island. - =Ellis=, Mrs. (colored), down the island. - =Eichler=, Edward. - =Eichler=, Mrs. A. - =Eichler=, Otto. - =Eichler=, Charley. - =Eichler=, Albert. - =Eisman=, Paul, wife and baby. - =Eismann=, Howard. - =Ellis=, Mrs. Henrietta (colored), Twenty-eighth and R. - =Ellis=, Lewis (colored), down the island. - =Ellis=, John and family of four, Forty-third and T. - =Ellis=, Mrs. and family. - =Ellisor=, two children of Captain Will. - =Ello=, Mrs. Jos., 3624 R ½ - =Ello=, Joseph, wife and two children. - =Ellsworth=, John, Sixteenth and N ½. - =Englehardt=, Louis (butcher). - =Englehart=, Mrs. Ludwig, 2024 P. - =Englehart=, G. C. - =Engelke=, John, wife and child. - =English=, John, wife and child. - =Emanuel=, Joe. - =Eppendorf=, Mr. and Mrs. - =Evans=, Mrs. Katy and two daughters. - =Everhart=, J. H. - =Everhart=, Mrs. J. H. - =Everhart=, Miss Lena. - =Everhart=, Guy. - - =Fabj=, Sumpter. - =Fachan=, Joe, family of. - =Faggan=, Frank, avenue H, between Forty-third and Forty-fourth. - =Fages=, Mrs. Frances, down the island. - =Falca=, J. A. C. - =Falk=, Mrs. Julius, and five children, Forty-third and S. - =Falk=, Gustave, Forty-third and S. - =Falke=, Joseph, and three children. - =Falke=, Hy. - =Falkenhaken=, Mr. and Mrs. George, Thirteenth and M ½. - =Fallan=, Ollie. - =Farley=, Mr. Thomas P. and wife. - =Fawcett=, Miss Isabella. - =Fawcett=, Robert. - =Feco=, Joseph. - =Feigle=, John, sr., and wife, Caroline. - =Feigle=, John, jr., and daughters, Mabel and Georgie. - =Feigle=, Martin. - =Fellman=, John, gardener for Wm. Miller. - =Felfs=, Lewis, down the island. - =Felsmann=, Richard (blacksmith), wife and five children, Forty-sixth - and Broadway. - =Ferre=, B. - =Ferwerder=, Peter, life-saving station. - =Fickett=, Mrs. Anita and four children. - =Filhol=, Mrs. Mary and three children, Offatt’s bayou. - =Figge=, Mrs. and four children. - =Fischer=, Lydia. - =Fisher=, Walter Pemberton and wife, Lillie Harris Fisher, and - children, John Harris, Walter Pemberton, jr., and Annie Pleasants, - avenue R and Forty-first. - =Fisher=, Katie, 2616 Q. - =Fisher=, Jessie and Charlie, lost in Catholic orphan home. - =Fisher=, Mrs. Mary A. (colored), Houston. - =Fishermen=, about ten Italian-Americans. - =Flake=, Fritz (sausage peddler.) - =Flanagan=, Mrs. Martin and child. - =Flanagan=, wife and child, Thirty-ninth and K. - =Flash=, Wm. - =Flash=, Francis. - =Fleming=, A. B., factory district. - =Floehr=, Mrs. - =Fomain=, Mrs. and five children. - =Ford=, Emma (colored), Twenty-sixth and P. - =Fordtran=, Mrs. Claude G., Tremont and P ½. - =Foreman=, Mrs. Mamie. - =Foreman=, Cassie. - =Foreman=, Thomas. - =Foreman=, Amos. - =Foreman=, Webster. - =Forget=, Julius. - =Foster=, Mrs. - =Foster=, Mr. and Mrs. Harry and three children. - =Foulkes=, Wm., Mrs. Viola and Miss Lena, 2620 P ½. - =Fox=, Thomas, wife and four children, Forty-fourth and S. - =Francis=, Mrs. Maggie and child, Kinkead addition. - =Frank=, Miss Anna, Seventeenth and M ½. - =Franks=, Mrs. and daughter. - =Franck=, Mrs. Augusta. - =Franklin=, Geo., 1024 A. - =Frankovich=, John and clerk. - =Friedolf=, ——, wife and son. - =Fredericks=, Corine. - =Frederickson=, Mrs. C., P ½, between Eighteenth and Nineteenth. - =Fredrickson=, Viola. - =Fredrickson=, Mrs. and baby. - =Freytag=, Fred., wife and two children, 1305 M ½. - =Fries= and family, Baker Head’s Lane. - =Friess=, Charles, wife and child. - =Freitag=, Harry. - =Freither=, Mrs. Fritz. - =Fritz=, wife and two children, an oysterman. - =Frohne=, Mrs. Charles and two children. - =Frontenac=, Michael, longshoreman. - =Frostman=, Mrs. Ed. and four children. - =Fryer=, Mrs. W. H. - =Fryer=, Bessie Belle. - =Fugh=, John. - =Fuller=, R. H. - =Furman=, Mrs. (colored), K, between Eleventh and Twelfth. - =Furst=, family of. - - =Gago=, Joe. - =Gabel=, Mr. and Mrs. (colored). - =Garibaldi=, G. and wife, Virginia Point. - =Gabriel=, John and Dodo. - =Gairnes=, Mrs. Lillie J. and two daughters, Sixty-first and R. - =Gaissaffi=, J. - =Gallishaw=, five children of the late Jim Gallishaw. - =Gamblin=, Fred., N and P ½. - =Garnett=, Robert F., son of R. B. - =Garrigan=, Jim, down the island. - =Garrigan=, Joseph. - =Gartner=, Joseph, longshoreman. - =Garth=, A. E. - =Garth=, Mrs. A. E. - =Garth=, Bertha. - =Garth=, Nunie. - =Garth=, Gussie. - =Gecan=, Mat. - =Gehrer=, Geo., wife and children. - =Gent=, Robert, wife and child. - =Genter=, Robert, (butcher). - =Gensen=, four children of F., 1718 O. - =Geoppinger=, Leopold. - =George=, first sergeant battery O. - =George=, Charles and wife. - =Gernaud=, Mrs. John H. and three children. - =Gernaud=, Mrs. Viola and child, Kate. Falks, P ½, between Twenty-sixth - and Twenty-seventh. - =Gerloff=, Adolph. - =Gerloff=, Mr. and Mrs. William. - =Gerloff=, Mrs. Emil and two children. - =Gerloff=, Mrs. C. F. - =Gibbs=, Thomas B., wife and four children, 2018 P ½. - =Gibson=, Miss Mary, Fortieth and S. - =Gibson=, Miss Daisy (colored). - =Gibson=, Miss Mary C., Forty-first and S. - =Gill=, Catherine, Sarah and Harry. - =Gillis=, Dan, Twelfth and M. - =Giorgio=, M. - =Giozza=, Mrs. Amelia, Anthony, Ross, Theodore, Virginia and Julia, - lost in collapse of Giozza residence. - =Giusti=, Adiace. - =Glass=, Mrs. Wm. D., and four children. - =Glausen=, Charles, and family of four. - =Gluger=, E. wife and four children, 4428 Broadway. - =Goldbeck=, Mrs. E. and child, Alfred Goldbeck, of San Antonio. - =Goldmann=, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore and son, Will. - =Goodwin=, two girls of Mrs., Seventeenth between M ½ and N - =Gonzales=, Andrew, wife and daughter, 3428 Q. - =Gollmer=, H. H., wife and five children. - =Gordon=, Mrs. Abe and three children. - =Gordon=, Miss. - =Gordon=, Oscar. - =Gordon=, Asker and baby. - =Gould=, Loue la and Charlie. - =Gould=, Duell and Charles, children of Thos. Geo. Gould. - =Graft=, Mrs. George, and three children. - =Granberg=, Alex., Twenty-seventh and Strand. - =Grant=, Fred H. (colored). - =Grant=, Mamie E. (colored). - =Graus=, wife and two children, down the island. - =Gray=, ——, painter, and four children. - =Green=, Mrs. Lucy (colored). - =Greene=, E. C., wife and daughter, R ½ and Thirty-second. - =Greve=, Mrs. J., and daughter Louise. - =Greve=, Mrs. Ed., and daughters Gertrude and Eveline. - =Grey=, R. L., and five children, Hugh, Cecil, James, Agnes and Lulu. - =Grief=, John, wife and three children of John. - ——, Grace, cook for Mrs. V. C. Hart, 1624 M ½. - =Grisaffi=, Joe, wife and two children. - =Groom=, Ed., and wife. - =Grothgar=, Mrs. Fred, and four children. - =Grosskoff=, Mrs., 13th and M. - =Gruetzmacher=, Louis and family, Thirty-eighth and S ½. - =Guest=, Mamie. - =Gustason=, Gus (Denver resurvey). - =Genning=, Tim and wife. - =Guy=, Henry, down the island. - =Grumberg=, Alex., supposed to belong to life-saving station. - - =Haag=, three children of Mrs. Annie Burgess Haag. - =Haarar=, Martin, wife and child. - =Hagens=, George, longshoreman, and wife. - =Haines=, wife of Captain Ed. Haines. - =Hall=, Mrs. (colored), 15th and N, died day after flood. - =Hall=, Charles (colored). - =Hall=, Melva and Eldred. - =Hall=, Joe and family (colored), R, between Twenty-seventh and - Twenty-eighth. - =Halm=, Frieda, Thirty-sixth and S ½. - =Hance=, Mrs. Emma and daughter, nine mile post, down the island. - =Hanemann=, Mrs., down the island. - =Hansen=, Dick, wife and three children. - =Hanson=, J. C. H., longshoreman. - =Harold=, Laura or Lula. Twenty-seventh and Church. - =Harris=, Lewis, 2310 avenue Q. - =Harris=, Mrs. Jane (colored), Twenty-eighth and R. - =Harris=, Thosman, wife and three children. - =Harris=, George and wife (colored). - =Harris=, Mrs. Emma, Fred and Robert, 4510 Broadway. - =Harris=, Mrs., four miles down the island. - =Harris=, Minnie. - =Harris=, Effie (colored). - =Harris=, L. - =Harris=, Mrs. John and three children. - =Harris=, Rebecca Perry, R and Forty-first. - =Harris=, wife and four children of John Harris, milkman, down the - island. - =Harris=, George and family (fireman). - =Harris=, Thomas, wife and three children. - =Harris=, Robert, wife and one child. - =Harris=, George, Forty-sixth and Broadway. - =Harris=, Mrs. (colored). - =Harrison=, Tom and wife (colored). - =Hart=, Thomas Leo, son of Mrs. Pauline Hart, Thirty-ninth and T½. - =Harvey=, wife and child, Forty-second and M. - =Haslers=, Charles, wife and child. - =Haucis=, Mrs., one child, nine miles down the island. - =Haughton=, Mrs. W. W. - =Hauser=, Lewis. - =Hauser=, H. and wife. - =Hausinger=, Mr. H. A., daughter and mother-in-law. - =Hawkins=, Mrs. Mary Lee, Tenth and Winnie. - =Hayes=, child of Mrs. Era, of Taylor, Tex. - =Haymann=, Mrs. John A., and five children, Kinkead addition. - =Haynes=, Miss L. (colored), servant of D. G. Chinn. - =Hear=, L., wife and twelve children, down the island. - =Heckler=, Charles (white painter). - =Hefty=, Rudolph, Thirty-seventh and S. - =Hegmann=, E. D., sr., wife and children, Albert, Emma and E. D., jr. - seven miles down island. - =Heideman=, Wm.,Jr. - =Heinroth=, Annie, 3610 K. - =Heinroth=, H. and three children. - =Heiman=, Anton (ex alderman), wife and three children. - =Helfenstein=, Jr., John (child), Fifty-eighth and Postoffice streets. - =Helfenstein=, Sophie and Lily, children of W. - =Henbach=, Charles F., and son. - =Hening=, A. B., Factory district. - =Hennesey=, Mrs. M. P. - =Henry=, child of Officer D. W. Henry. - =Hermann=, W. J., 3714 S½. - =Herman=, Mrs. and five children. - =Herman=, Martin and two children. - =Hermann=, Mrs. R. M. and child, Heard’s lane, Shell road. - =Herres=, John and A. - =Hersey=, Mrs. John. - =Hess=, Aug. and family, Thirty-eighth and P½. - =Hess=, bugler, battery O. - =Hess=, Miss Irene. - =Hester=, Charlie. - =Heuss=, G. August, wife and three children. - =Heydown=, W. and wife, R, between Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth. - =Higgins=, Mrs. - =High=, J. B., and wife. - =Hilgenbug=, Jacob, wife and baby. - =Hill=, Mrs. Ben and two children. - =Hoarer=, Martin, wife and son. - =Hodge=, George, wife and son (colored). - =Hodge=, Mrs. Williams (colored). - =Hodge=, Henrietta. - =Hodge=, Georgie. - =Hodge=, James. - =Hodge=, Gertrude. - =Hodge=, Clarence. - =Hoch=, Mrs. and three sons, Mike, Willie and Louis. - =Hoffman=, Mrs. Pauline, Houston, nurse. - =Hoffman=, family. - =Hoffman=, Harry H. - =Hoffman=, Miss Augusta. - =Hoisington=, J. A. (missing). - =Holbeck=, Mrs. L. L. - =Holland=, James H., wife and son Willie, and grandson James Otis. - =Holland= (colored), M½ between Fourteenth and Fifteenth. - =Holland=, Mrs. James. - =Holmberg=, John, wife and three children, Forty-fourth and T. - =Holms=, Mrs. Emma (colored), 2828 avenue P. - =Holmes=, child of Laura (colored). - =Holmes=, Florence (colored). - =Homburg=, Joe, wife and four children, Kinkead addition. - =Homburg=, Mrs. Peter and four children, 3528 R. - =Homburg=, William, wife and two children. - =Hood=, Bessie (colored). - =Hoskins=, Mrs. Helen, Twenty-eighth and Q½. - =Hoskins=, T. D., wife and three children (colored). - =Howe=, Adolph, wife and five children. - =Howell=, Sidney, longshoreman. - =Howell=, Mrs. Addeline, 2824 avenue P. - =Howke=, Mrs. and four sons. - =Howth=, Mrs. Clarence. - =Howth=, Miss. - =Hubner=, Edward and Antoinette, Twenty-first and P. - =Hubach=, Charles. - =Hubbell=, Misses Emma and Maggie. - =Hudson=, Mrs. - =Huebner=, Mrs. A. F. - =Huebner=, Earl. - =Huess=, A., wife and children. - =Hughes=, Mrs. Mattie. - =Hughes=, Stuart G. - =Hughes=, Robert (colored). - =Hughes=, Mrs. M. W. (colored), Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth, between L - and M. - =Huhn=, Mr. F. - =Hulbert=, Mrs. Victoria, Miss Minnie, Walter and Hallie (all colored), - Forty-first and U. - =Hull=, Willie (colored), Twenty-eighth and Q ½. - =Hull=, Charlie (colored), Twenty-eighth and Q ½. - =Hume=, Stephen (colored). - =Humburg=, Ed. (milkman), down the island. - =Humburg=, Mamie. - =Hunter=, Geo., and two children, island. - =Hunter=, Mrs. Alice, and brother and father and three children. - =Hurt=, Walter, wife and two children, their German cook and half grown - boy. - =Huzza=, Charles, wife and five children. - =Hylenberg=, Jacob, wife and child, N and Seventeenth. - - =Iovey=, Mrs. C. (colored), worked at beach. - =Iresco=, James, east end. - =Irvin=, child of Wm. H. - =Irwin=, wife and two sisters of Will. - =Iwan=, Mrs. A. - - =Jack=, Mrs. Pearl A., and two daughters, Forty-second and R. - =Jackman=, Ada, and two children. - =Jackson=, Mr. and Mrs., and daughter, Mabel, Forty-third and S ½. - =Jackson=, Sarah M., between Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh. - =Jacobs=, H., wife and children. - =Jaeger=, Mr. and Mrs., and three children, O ½ between Twenty-eighth - and Twenty-ninth. - =Jaeger=, Wm. H., Tenth and Broadway. - =Jaeger=, John and wife, Eighth and Winnie. - =Jaeger=, H. W. - =Jaenicke=, Mrs. Curt, and three children. - =Jackson=, J. W., Mrs., and two children, Forty-sixth and K. - =Jalonick=, Ed., wife and two children, all of Dallas. - =Jasper=, two children of Perry (colored). - =Jay=, William (missing). - =Jay=, son of J. P., down the island. - =Jefferbrock=, Mr. and Mrs. August, and child. - =Jewell=, J., wife and four children and mother-in-law (milkman), down - the island. - =John=, Henry V., working for E. Allen, Forty-third and S. - =Johnson=, T. D., longshoreman. - =Johnson=, Christopher, lived at 1918 P ½. - =Johnson=, Lorand, wife and four children, Forty-third and S. - =Johnson=, Sydney, child of R. H. Johnson. - =Johnson=, A., and wife, Edith Grey Johnson. - =Johnson=, Mrs. C. S., 1715 N ½. - =Johnson=, child of J. F. Johnson, 1715 N ½. - =Johnson=, Richard (colored). - =Johnson=, Mrs. Wm. - =Johnson=, Adin, wife and son. - =Johnson=, Peter, wife and five children, (milkman), down the island. - =Johnson=, Mrs. P., and child. - =Johnson=, Julian. - =Johnson=, R. D., wife and two children. - =Johnson=, one child of Billy. - =Johnson=, Mrs. Genevieve W., and daughter, Forty-fifth and K. - =Johnson=, W. J., wife and two children. - =Johnson=, Mrs. Ben, and two children. - =Johnson=, Oakey. wife, child and mother-in-law. - =Johnson=, Mrs. H. B., and child. - =Johnson=, A. S., (screwman), wife and six children. - =Johnson=, Miss Mary, 2113 Thirty-third st. - =Johnson=, Dan (colored) Thirty-eighth and T. - =Johnston=, Mrs. Clara, wife of Bernard, and two children, - Thirty-second and K. - =Johnston=, Mrs. H. P. - =Johnston=, Harry P. and wife, Minnie, and baby boy, Ninth and I. - =Johnston=, J. Bernard, wife and two children, avenue R, between - Thirty-second and Thirty-third. - =Johnston=, Mrs. Alice R., Twelfth and M ½. - =Jones=, Mrs. W. D., 3020 Q. - =Jones=, Katie (colored), servant of Rev. H. C. Dunham, 1021 avenue I. - =Jones=, Mary, Sarah, Annie and Lizzie. - =Jones=, Jackson (colored). - =Jones=, John A., and wife, Twenty-first and P ½. - =Jones=, J. H., and wife. - =Jones=, Frank, son of Fred (colored). - =Jones=, Mrs. W. R. and child. - =Jones=, Robert. - =Jones=, Fred and wife (colored). - =Jones=, Walter, Mrs., and two children, down the island. - =Jones=, Mabel, adopted daughter of Mrs. Ella Roach, Thirty-ninth and Q - ½. - =Jones=, Mrs. Matilda W., and daughter Mary. - =Jones=, Sallie (colored), 1715 N ½. - =Jones=, Ernest, Fortieth and R ½. - =Jones=, Evan, and four children, Fortieth and R ½. - =Jones=, William, sr., Fortieth and R ½. - =Jones=, Dora (colored), servant of James Irwin. - =Jordan=, Charles A. - =Joughin=, Tony, former drummer in the Immune regiment. - =Jouguin=, Tony, jr., boatman, found at English bayou. - =Joyce=, Mrs. E. and four children, Forty-fourth and S. - =Juffs=, Ben., wife and four children, 1817 O½. - =Junemann=, Charles, wife and daughter. - =Junka=, Martha, daughter of W. P. - =Junka=, Mrs. Pauline. - =Junker=, William, wife and child. - =Junker=, Mrs. Collins. - =Justinus=, Hammond, wife and five children, and Mrs. Colbert, mother - of Mrs. Justinus, Twenty-seventh and Q. - - =Kaiser=, Louis, wife and three children, Forty-third and S½. - =Kaper=, August, wife and one child, Forty-second and S. - =Kauffman=, Mrs. Elizabeth, Tenth and M. - =Kauffman=, Mrs. Chas. - =Kauffman=, Mr. Henry. - =Kauffman=, baby Margaret. - =Keates=, Thomas and wife. - =Keates=, Miss Tillie, Thirty-eighth and T. - =Keeton=, Mrs. J. O. and three children. - =Kehler=, Mrs. Fred, two girls and boy. - =Keis=, Mrs. John. - =Keis=, Miss Jodie. - =Keis=, Mrs. Louisa and four children. - =Keiffer=, wife and daughter. - =Keller=, Barney J., wife and four children, 2401 Thirty-seventh - street. - =Kelley=, Thos., wife, three children and niece. - =Kelley=, Dan., sr. - =Kelner=, Charles L., sr. - =Kelly=, Florence. - =Kelly=, Barney. - =Kelly=, Willie. - =Kelly=, ——, wife and three children. - =Kelly=, Mike. - =Kelso=, Munson J., jr. - =Kelso=, Roy, baby boy of J. C. Kelso. - =Kelsy=, James. - =Kemp=, Thomas W. and wife, 4205 S. - =Kemp=, Elizabeth, and son Samuel (colored), down the island. - =Kemp=, John W., florist, Forty-second and S. - =Kemp=, W. C. and wife. - =Kennely=, Mrs. Annie. - =Kennedy=, Benton, wife and three children, Thirty-seventh and R. - =Kemp=, Pearlie (colored), down the island. - =Keough=, John wife and four children, island. - =Keogh=, Mrs. and three children, Kinkead addition. - =Kessler=, Joseph. - =Kessler=, Frederick and daughter. - =Kessler=, Aug. - =Kessler=, Emma. - =Kessler=, Gussie. - =Kessner=, August and children, Gussie and Emma, Kinkead addition. - =Killcoer=, E., wife and children. - =Kimley=, Mrs. John and family, Pooleville. - =Kindie=, I. M., and family. - =Kindsfather=, Joseph, wife and three children, Forty-sixth and K. - =King=, Mrs. (colored). - =King=, Rosa J. (colored). - =Kindlund=, Ejnar. - =Kirby=, James, (section foreman) and three men. - =Kirby=, Mrs. George and two children. - =Kirby=, Mrs. J. H. and three children. - =Kissinger=, Mrs. M. J., Eleventh and M. - =Klein=, Ed., wife and two children, nine miles down the island. - =Klein=, Mrs. E. V. - =Kleinecke=, Mrs. H. and children, except Hermann, Fifty-seventh and T. - =Kleinecke=, Mrs., H. and Thirty-eighth. - =Kleinemer=, Mrs. Herman and six children, Galveston Island. - =Kleiman=, Joe, wife, child and two workmen, milkman, down the island. - =Kleiman=, Mrs. John and child. - =Kleimann=, wife and eight children of H. - =Klinemann=, John, wife and one child, a milkman and three hired men. - =Knowles=, Mrs. W. T. and three children. - =Koch=, Mrs. Elizabeth, M, between Ninth and Tenth. - =Koch=, Wm., sr., Tenth and Eleventh on Broadway. - =Kolb=, A. J., wife and child. - =Kolb=, infant of C. L. - =Konstanstopulo=, Thriandefel, Twenty-fourthband Beach (candy stand - near Olympia). - =Kothe=, Wm., Q, between Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth. - =Kotte=, Wm. C. - =Krausse=, John, Joseph and Catherine. - =Koch=, Wm., sr., island. - =Krecek=, Joseph, wife and three sons. - =Kroener=, Will. - =Kroener=, Sophie. - =Kroener=, Florie. - =Kuder=, Ed. and wife. - =Kuhl=, Miss Edna. - =Kuhn=, Mrs. Oscar and children. - =Kuhnel=, Mrs. H. Clem and two children. - =Kupper=, Mr., between Forty-second and Forty-third on S. - =Kurpan=, Paul, clerk at Star mills, and wife, Thirteenth and N. - - =Lackey=, Mrs. Mary B., and four daughters, Pearl, Ilma and two others - and daughter-in-law, Thirty-ninth and S½. - =Lanahan=, Laura. - =Lanahan=, four children of John, Twenty-ninth and B. - =Landrum=, B. and five children, Bolivar. - =Lane=, Rev. and family. - =Lane=, F. and family. - =Lang=, five children of Peter. - =Labbatt=, H. J., Sr., wife and daughter, Nellie. - =Labbatt=, Joe, wife and four children. - =Lafayette=, Mrs. A. C. and children. - =Lamont=, Richard P. - =La Piere=, James, wife and five children, Forty-third and S. - =Larsen=, Ed., boat-keeper of pilot boat Eclipse. - =Larson=, Charles E. - =Larson=, H. and two children. - =Lasoeco=, Mrs. - =Lashley=, Mrs. Dave. - =Lauderdale=, Mrs. Robert and two daughters, one son and Mrs. - Lauderdale’s mother. - =Laukhuff=, Genevive. - =Lausen=, Mrs. Will and one child. - =Lausen=, Aug and three children, Thirty-ninth and avenue S. - =Lawsing=, Mrs., mother of Mrs. J. W. Munn, sr. - =Lawson=, Charles E., longshoreman. - =Leagett=, Mrs. and three children, nine miles on bay shore down the - island. - =League=, three children of Mrs. Lillie. - =Leask=, Maury, clerk of William Burge, Colorado addition. - =Leberman=, Lee H., 1426 N ½. - =Leberman=, Prof. H. A. (missing), 1426 N ½. - =Ledtsch=, Theodore. - =Lee=, Captain G. A. and wife. - =Lees=, Mrs. Elizabeth. - =Legat=, Mrs. Celia and family of six, addition. - =Legate=, three brothers, down the island. - =Lehman=, Charles and son, Forty-fifth and K. - =Lemire=, Joseph, wife and four children. - =Lemons=, Mrs. Celestine (colored), Twenty-eighth and R. - =Lena=, Mrs. - =Lenker=, Tommy. - =Lennard=, Fred, aged 4 years, 4512 K. - =Lenz=, August, longshoreman. - =Leon=, ——, butcher, and two children, avenue N, between Seventeenth - and Eighteenth. - =Leonard=, Bernard. - =Leslie=, Miss Gracie. - =Letterman=, W., wife and three children. - =Letts=, Captain, wife, two children, sister-in-law and one of her - children, Kinkead. - =Leutsch=, Theodore, Thirtieth and K. - =Levine=, Mrs. P., daughter and sons, Leo and Carroll. - =Levy=, W. T., United States immigration inspector and late major of - First United States volunteer regiment, wife and three children. - =Lewis=, Mrs. Agnes (colored). - =Lewis=, Miss Agnes (colored). - =Lewis=, Mrs. C. A. (colored), 44th and R. - =Lewis=, Mrs. Jake and six children, Forty-sixth and L. - =Lewis=, Mrs. Maria (colored). - =Lewis=, Elizabeth Eunice, 1015 M ½. - =Lindgren=, John, wife and seven children (Miss Lillie, eldest - daughter, saved). - =Lindquist=, Mrs. Oscar and three children. - =Lisbony=, W. H., wife and son, W. H., jr. - =Lisbony=, Miss Eunice, daughter of C. P. Lisbony. - =Livingston=, Mrs. Frances, Thirty-second and R. - =Lloyd=, W. - =Lloyd=, “Buck” and wife. - =Lloyd=, Charles H., wife and child. - =Lloyd=, S. O., Twenty-seventh and P ½. - =Locke=, Mrs. Mary. - =Lockhart=, Charles, Mrs. and two children, Forty-second and S ½. - =Lockhart=, Albert. - =Lockmann=, Mr. and Mrs. H. - =Loesberg=, Miss Minnie. - =Long=, two children of Sergeant. - =Longnecker=, Mrs. A. - =Lorance=, Mrs. T. A. - =Losico=, Mrs. Fillimena, daughter, three grandchildren and son-in-law. - =Lord=, Richard. - =Lossing=, Mrs. Sarah A, Fifty-second and S. - =Love=, R. A. (officer). - =Love=, Ed. Grenn. - =Lucas=, Mrs. William, and two sons, John, aged 16 years and 9 months, - and David Edward, aged 13 years and 9 months. 4428 avenue K, wife - and sons of William Lucas, foreman car repair shop Galveston, - Houston and Henderson railway, who was on a vacation in Arkansas at - the time of the catastrophe. - =Lucas=, two children of Mrs. David, 4512 avenue K. - =Lucas=, Mr. and Mrs. H., two children and white nurse. - =Ludwig=, Alfred, mother and sister-in-law. - =Ludeke=, Henry, wife and son. - =Ludewig=, E. A. and mother. - =Ludwig=, Albert. - =Lukenbell=, B. E. and wife. - =Lumberg=, Willie and Lena, down the island. - =Lumburger=, Gus, wife and nine children Forty-third and S ½. - =Lundberg=, Gus. - =Lungren=, Gus. - =Luvis=, Mark (colored), wife and two children. - =Lyle=, W. W. - =Lynch=, A. - =Lynch=, Peter, Forty-third and R. - =Lynch=, John. - =Lynch=, James and wife, 2616 Q. - - =Macgill=, Unagh, daughter of D. Macgill. - =Mackey=, Mrs. W. G. and four children (colored), M ½, between - Thirteenth and Fourteenth. - =Maclin=, John and family. - =Maclin=, J. D., wife and seven children. - =Maclin=, W. L., wife and three children, down the island. - =Magill=, David, Q, between Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh. - =Malitz=, Theodore. - =Males=, O. M., wife and two children. - =Maltzberger=, Tony, and family. - =Manier=, Miss Fisa. - =Manning=, Mark (colored). - =Manly=, Joe, mother and two nieces of Mr. Manly, Sr. - =Mansfield=, Caroline, and mother (colored), Sixteenth, between N ½ and - O. - =Marcotte=, Miss Pauline. - =Marcovich=, Mat, wife and three children, Mud bridge. - =Marquette=, Mrs. Pauline. - =Marsh=, sergeant, battery O. - =Marshall=, Mrs. Harry K., Thirty-fifth and S. - =Mabson=, Grace and three children (colored), K, between Forty-fifth - and Forty-sixth. - =Martin=, Frank, wife and one son. - =Martin=, Miss Annie. - =Martin=, Frank and one son. - =Martyr=, Mrs. R. - =Massie=, T. A. - =Massie=, E., wife and child. - =Masterson=, Annie Dallam, wife of, Branch T., avenue R and - Thirty-ninth. - =Matthews=, Harry L. - =Mati=, Amedio. - =Maxwell=, Robert and Mary, Twenty-eighth and P ½. - =Maudy=, Mrs. and daughter (colored), M ½ between Sixteenth and - Seventeenth. - =Maupin=, Jos., in Kinkead addition. - =McCamish=, R. A., wife and two daughters. - =McCann=, William, wife and six children. - =McCann=, Jas. - =McCarty=, Leon L. (colored). - =McCauley=, Prof. J. P. and wife, Lucas Terrace. - =McCauley=, William H., Mrs. William H., Eugene, Annie and Dewey, lost - at Ciozza residence. - =McCaulley=, J., and wife, Thirty-fourth and P ½. - =McCaughlar=, Iralia (colored), Twenty seventh and P. - =McCluskey=, Mrs. Charles and three children. - =McCormick=, Mrs. D. and four children. - =McCullough=, A. Rallar (colored). - =McCune=, John, Sixth and I. - =McDade=, Mrs. E. (colored). - =McDade=, Ed. (colored). - =McDonald=, Jerry (helper Jones dairy). - =McDonald=, Mrs. Mary, and son. - =McDonald=, Mrs. (widow), Fourteenth, between L and M. - =McGoveren=, James. - =McEwen=, John, island. - =McGill=, D. K. - =McGowan=, Jim. - =McGraw=, Peter and wife. - =McGuire=, John. - =McKenna=, J. P., wife and two children. - =McKenna=, P. J., and two children. - =McLean=, John, bartender. - =McManus=, Mrs. W. H. - =McMillan=, Mrs. M. J. - =McMillan=, Mrs., Kinkead addition. - =McNeal=, Mrs. James and child. - =McNeil=, Hugh, and baby, and Miss Jennie McNeil. - =McPeters=, wife and two children. - =McPherson=, Robert (colored). - =McVeigh=, Mrs. J. M. and Miss Lorena, Forty-fourth and Broadway. - =Mead=, James, Twelfth and I. - =Mealy=, Mrs. John. - =Mealy=, Joseph. - =Mees=, W. H., longshoreman. - =Megna=, Mrs. G. - =Megna=, F., wife and two children. - =Megna=, Mrs. Joe, Nineteenth and P. - =Megna=, one child of Mike, Nineteenth and P. - =Megnar=, Crocifisso. - =Mellor= (better known as Miller), Robert, a butcher, and wife, - Twenty-seventh and O. - =Mellor=, M. O., Twenty-seventh, between Q and Q ½. - =Menzell=, John, wife and five children. - =Merick=, Eugene, and mother, down the island. - =Merick=, John, wife and child (milkman). down the island. - =Mestry=, Charlotte (colored). - =Meyer=, Henry and four children. - =Meyer=, Chris, (missing). - =Meyer=, Tilden, Forty-third and T ½. - =Middelegge=, Sophie, mother of Ernest Middelegge. - =Middlegge=, Ernest H., wife and three sons, Harry, aged 13; Adolf, - aged 10, and Robert, aged 8. - =Midlegge=, August, wife and five children. - =Midlegge=, Aug., sr., wife and three children. - =Midlegge=, George, wife and family. - =Middleburger=, George, wife and three children. - =Middleburger=, John, wife and three children. - =Migel=, Meyer. - =Mihal=, Mrs. A., and three children. - =Milan=, wife and four children of J. H. - =Miller=, Gus., wife and three children, Fifty-eighth and Broadway. - =Miller=, Frank, oysterman. - =Miller=, Henry, and family, Sydnor’s bayou. - =Miller=, Chas. Mrs., and six children, M ½, between Sixteenth and - Seventeenth. - =Miller=, Mr., wife and six children, Galveston island, bay shore. - =Miller=, Wm., and wife. - =Miller=, Mrs. S. - =Miller=, Mrs., and five children (colored). - =Miller=, E. O., twenty-one miles down the island. - =Millo=, Mrs. Joe and two children, down the island. - =Minnis=, Mrs. W. P. (A. S. Minnis from Chicago), and S. A. Minnis, - Forty-fifth and Broadway. - =Minor=, Lucian. - =Mitchell=, Miss Nola, Thirty-ninth and Q ½. - =Mitchell=, Louis D. (colored). - =Mitchell=, Mrs. Annie and son, Twenty-sixth, between Q and Q ½. - =Mitchell=, Mrs. C. R., W. P., Jennie E., Anna and P. L., Thirty-ninth - and Q ½. - =Moffatt=, ——, wife and two children. - =Monghan=, Mike and family. - =Monghan=, John and wife. - =Monroe=, (colored), Mrs. and three children. - =Moran=, James and wife. - =Moore=, Cecelia, Loraine, Vera and Mildred, children of Mr. and Mrs. - Louis Moore, Kinkead addition. - =Moore=, Robert. - =Moore=, Miss Maggie, Seventeenth and Q ½. - =Moore=, Mrs. Nathan (colored). - =Moore=, Wm. (“Dock”) and wife. - =Moore=, Mrs. Nathan. - =Moore=, Alex., butcher. - =Moore=, Estelle (colored). - =Monteleone=, Marie Miss, Hitchcock. - =Moree=, ——, works with Joseph Fachan. - =Morino.= - =Morley=, Rev. and wife. - =Morley=, David, and wife. - =Moreo=, Dotto, wife and seven children. - =Morris=, Harry, wife and four children. - =Morseburger=, Antonia and wife. - =Morton=, Hammond and four children. - =Morse=, Albert P., wife and three children. - =Moserger=, ——. - =Mott=, Mrs. Louisa. - =Mott=, Mrs. B. F., Sydnor’s bayou. - =Motter=, Mrs. and two daughters. - =Mulcahey=, two children of J., of Houston. - =Muletz=, Theo., wife and daughter. - =Mulholland=, Mrs. Louisa, old woman’s home. - =Muller=, Henry, wife and three children. - =Mulsberger=, Charles and family, (butcher). - =Mulsburger=, Tony. - =Mundine=, Mrs. Meria E. - =Munkennelt=, Frank, longshoreman. - =Munn=, Mrs. J. W., sr. - =Murie=, Mrs. Annie and daughter, Laurine. - =Muti=, Amedeo, killed in rescue work. - =Myer=, Herman, wife and son Willie. - =Myers=, Willie. - =Myers=, Mrs. C. J. and one child. - - =Napoleon=, Henry, wife and sister (colored). - =Neal=, a fisherman. - =Necey=, Conrad, wife and six children, Forty fourth and S. - =Neiman=, Charley. - =Neimann=, Mrs. and Miss Dora. - =Neimeyer=, Henry, wife and five children. - =Neimeyer=, J., and family (farmer). - =Neil=, E. - =Nelson=, H., longshoreman. - =Nelson=, Mrs. Alice and three children, Thirty-fifth and S. - =Nelson=, Mrs. P. F. and three children Thirty-fifth and S. - =Nelson=, John P. - =Nelson=, Mrs. and daughter. - =Nelson=, John J., longshoreman. - =Neuwiller=, Wm., wife and three children, Thirty seventh and Q ½. - =Newell=, Sydney, longshoreman. - =Nokis=, Nettie May, stepdaughter of Louis Gruetzmacher. - =Nolan=, Mrs. - =Nolley=, Mrs. Sam and four children. - =North=, Miss Archie. - =Norton=, Mrs. F. S., and son Henry, 3507 Avenue Q. - =Norton=, Mrs. and two children. - =Norwood=, Alberta (colored), Sixteenth, between M ½ and N. - =Norwood=, Mrs. Susie (colored), and baby Sixteenth, between M ½ and N. - =Nuel=, R., wife and children. - - =Oakley=, F., shooting gallery man. - =Oats=, Charlotte (colored). - =Oberg=, Hans. - =O’Connell=, Mrs. - =O’Connor=, Mamie. - =O’Dell=, Miss Nellie. - =Ohlson=, Enfred, 1714 O. - =O’Donnell=, James K., and wife, Thirty-third and Q. - =O’Dowd=, Zeta. - =Offe=, F. and family, down the island. - =O’Harrow=, Wm. - =Ohlsen=, Mrs. Adolph, 1714 O. - =O’Keefe=, C. J. and wife. - =O’Neill=, James and Frank, sons of James, orphans’ home. - =O’Neill=, Lawrence, son of James, Thirty-fourth and P. - =O’Neill=, wife and five children, an oysterman, with four hired men. - =Olds=, Charlotte (colored). - =Oleson=, Otto, longshoreman. - =Olsen=, T. H., wife and two children. - =Olsen=, Ed. - =Olsen=, Mrs. Matilda and two children. - =Olsen=, Miss Clara. - =Olsen=, Stephen and Charles. - =Olsen=, O. A. (carpenter), wife and three children. - =Opitz=, Anita. - =Oppe=, Fritz (milkman). - =Oppermann=, Albert L. and wife, Ninth, between J and K. - =Opperman=, Miss May of Palestine, and Marguerite and Gussie Opperman. - =Ormond=, five children of George. - =Otterson=, A. and wife, K. between Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth. - =Ostermayer=, sr., and wife. - =Ostermayer=, Frist. - =Ostermayer=, Henry and wife. - =O’Shaughnessy=, Antoinette Pauline, 1514 Mechanic. - =O’Tolsee=, H. E., longshoreman. - =Otterson=, Andy. - =One Laborer=, at Dr. Fry’s dairy. - - =Paisley=, A. H. and wife, 610½ K. - =Palmieri=, Salvatore, wife and five children, Hitchcock. - =Parobich=, John, wife and three children, down the island. - =Parobich=, Michael, wife and four children, down the island. - =Paetz=, Mrs. Lina, wife of Louis Paetz, teamster at mills. - =Paisley=, Wm. (colored). - =Palmer=, Mrs. J. B. and child. - =Park=, Mrs. M. L., and Misses Alice and Lucy, Twelfth and K. - =Parker=, Miss Mary E., 1502 M. - =Parker=, Mrs. Ethel. - =Parker=, Mrs. Frank and two children. - =Parker=, Sullivan, wife and three children. - =Pashetag=, Mrs. E. and three children, Louise, Eddie and Gertrude—lost - at Lamarque. - =Paskall=, Augustine and wife, Madeline, Galveston island. - =Pasquale=, S. - =Paterson=, Miss S. (colored), of Houston. - =Patrick=, Maria (colored), Thirty-ninth, between N and N ½. - =Patrick=, Ida and Cora (colored). - =Patrick=, Mrs. Susan (colored), Thirty-ninth and N. - =Patterson=, H. T., wife and children. - =Patterson=, Thompson (carpenter), and wife and four children, - Thirty-first and Beach. - =Pattison=, Florence. - =Patton=, Thomas (colored). - =Pauls=, Willie and Walder, 1708 N. - =Pauls=, Miss Agnes, S ½, between Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh. - =Pauly=, Mr. and Mrs. - =Paysee=, Mrs. Henry and two children (Leona and Louise). - =Peco=, Leon, wife and four children, Walter, August, Mary and Francis, - four miles west of city. - =Pecco=, Lee. - =Peek=, Capt. R. H., wife and six children. - =Peetz=, Mrs. J. J., and daughters, Tillie and Stella. - =Peitzlin=, Rudolph and Robbie. - =Pellenze=, Mrs. and mother. - =Penny=, Mrs. A. and two sons, Forty-fourth and S. - =Perkins=, Albert (colored), Thirty-second and Q ½. - =Perkins=, Lucy (colored). - =Perkins=, Lota (colored). - =Perkins=, Mrs. L. and two children (colored), 3601 Q ½. - =Perkins=, Alfred, wife and grandson (colored), Q ½, between - Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh. - =Perkins=, Arthur (colored), Thirty-second and Q ½. - =Perrier=, H., wife and child, Eighteenth, between N ½ and O. - =Perkins=, Cecile (colored), 2820 R ½. - =Perry=, Mrs. Harry M. and son Clayton. - =Perry=, Mrs. and child, of Houston. - =Perry=, Jasper, jr., wife and two children (colored). - =Perry=, Mrs. Oliver (colored). - =Peters=, Fritz and wife, Twentieth and P ½. - =Peters=, Robert, Thirty-third and S. - =Peters=, Rudolph (saddler), Thirty-third and S. - =Peterson=, George (soldier), wife and two children, Forty-third and R. - =Peterson=, Charles, wife and two children. - =Peterson=, Mrs. A. and four children, Eighth and J. - =Peterson=, Mrs. J. and children. - =Peterson=, H. G. and two boys, lived near race track, down the island. - =Petterson=, K. G., wife and child. - =Pettit=, Walter, 3711 L. - =Pettit=, W. R. - =Pettingill=, W. - =Pettingill=, W. H., wife and three sons, Walter W., James and Norman - (missing), Thirty-third and S. - =Phelps=, Miss Ruth M., Forty-first and S. - =Phelps=, Mrs. Mamie Love and two children (colored), down the island. - =Pierson=, Mrs. Mary and Alice. - =Pierson=, Frank. - =Pilford=, W., Mexican cable company, and four children, Madge, Willie, - Jack and Georgianna, Twenty-fifth and Q. - =Piner=, Mrs. Ella (colored). - =Piney=, Mrs. (colored). - =Pinto=, Mrs. Tony, William and George, Offatt’s bayou. - =Pischos=, Mr. and Mrs., country road. - =Pisi=, C. L. - =Pittel=, Mrs. - =Pix=, C. S. - =Pizzolenza=, Mrs. and four children, Hitchcock. - =Plitt=, Herman. - =Poland=, Ed. and sister. - =Polk=, Cornelius and Violet (colored). - =Pond=, Miss Mary. - =Popular=, Mr. and Mrs. A. and four children, Agnes, Mamie, Clarence - and Tony. - =Poree=, Henry. - =Poretto=, Josephyne. - =Potthoff=, Mrs. C. and five children, Amelia, Annie, Charles, Robert - and Mabel, R., between Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth. - =Potter=, C. H., and little daughter. - =Powell=, William and wife Eva, Forty-sixth and K. - =Powers=, Mrs. Carrie B., 1511 avenue N. - =Powers=, —— and child. - =Powers=, Mrs., mother-in-law of A. R. G. Edwards. - =Praker=, J., wife and child. - =Praker=, William. - =Pratt=, Mrs. Laura, 3602 T. - =Pratt=, Miss Lillian Desautch, 3602 T. - =Preismuth=, Mrs. Fred and three children. - =Pruessner=, Mrs., and three children. - =Pruessner=, Heinrich, down the island. - =Prophet=, Marie (colored). - =Pryor=, Ed., wife and four children, Thirty-seventh and S. - - =Quester=, Bessie. - =Questor=, Mrs. M., son and daughter. - =Quin=, Mrs. Mary and child, Eighth and L. - =Quinn=, Mrs. Thomas, Eighth and L. - =Quinn=, John, engineer, Sixth and H, (missing). - - =Raab=, George W. and wife. - =Radeker=, Mrs. Herman and child. - =Radford=, Mattie Eva (colored), Thirty-second and Q ½. - =Radford=, Claudie G. (colored). - =Radford=, John A. (colored). - =Raleigh=, Miss Lelia, 816 Winnie. - =Randolph=, Edith (colored). - =Raphael=, Nick. - =Ravey=, family. - =Rayburn=, Crawford, 1624 M ½. - =Ratisseau=., P. A. - =Ratisseau=, Baptiste, wife and three children (Louis saved). - =Ratisseau=, J. B., wife and four children. - =Ratisseau=, C. A., wife and seven children. - =Ratisseau=, Mrs. W. L., and three children. - =Ratisseau=, Mrs. J. L., and three children. - =Rattisseau=, A., wife and three children, S, between Forty-first and - Forty-second. - =Raw=, Mr., at Lafitte grove. - =Ray=, Hy, wife, sister and three children. - =Ray=, Miss Susie. - =Reader=, ——, family. - =Reads=, Rutter, wife and children, Forty-third and T. - =Reagan=, Mrs. Pat and son, Sixth and I. - =Reagan=, Mrs. John J., 420 Center street. - =Reagan=, John P. - =Reagan=, J. N. - =Regan=, Mike, wife and mother-in-law. - =Reagan=, Mike. - =Reagan=, H. J., wife and five children, Thirty-fifth and S ½. - =Re m=, Wm., wife and two children, Tenth and Eleventh and M ½. - =Rein=, ——, wife and daughter, Thirty-ninth and R. - =Reinhart=, Agnes and Helen, daughters of John. - =Rehun=, Wm., wife and two children, M ½, between Eleventh and Twelfth. - =Reymanscott=, Louie, Q, between Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth. - =Rhea=, Mrs. M. E. and daughter, Mary, of Buford, Tenn. - =Rhine=, John, wife and five children, Thirty-ninth and T. - =Rhine=, Frank and George, Thirty-ninth, between R and R ½. - =Rhodes=, Miss Ella of Galveston, trained nurse in John Sealy hospital. - =Rhodes=, Annie (colored), cook of Mrs. W. T. Sherwood. - =Rice=, William J. (of Galveston News) and little daughter Mildred. - =Rice=, Ida and Fisher (colored). - =Richards=, F. L, (officer), wife and one child. - =Richaruderes=, Mrs. Irene and baby. - =Richardson=, S. W. and wife, 2304 Q. - =Richardson=, William (colored). - =Richardson=, William M., 4413 Winnie. - =Ricke=, Tony and wife. - =Riesel=, Mrs. Lulu and two boys, Ray and Edna, Kinkead addition. - =Riley=, Mrs. W. and two children. - =Riley=, Solomon and wife, Sixteenth, between N and N ½. - =Ripke=, Thomas B., wife and four children, 2018 P ½. - =Ritchie=, Miss Helena A., Sixth and I. - =Ritter=, Mrs. William (Charley), Twenty first and P. - =Rimmelin=, Edward H. and wife, N., between Twelfth and Thirteenth. - =Ring=, J., proof reader Galveston News, and two children. - =Riordan=, Thomas. - =Ripley=, Henry. - =Ritzier=, Mrs. - =Rizzi=, Domenick, Tenth and M. - =Rhea=, Mrs. and Miss Mamie Rhea of Giles county, Tenn. - =Rhymes=, Mr. Thomas, wife and two children. - =Roach=, Annie. - =Roberts=, Herbert M., yard clerk Galveston, Houston and Northern - railroad. - =Roberts=, John T., watchman. - =Robbins=, Mrs. H. B., of Smith’s Point, visiting W. H. Nelson. - =Roberts=, (Shorty), battery O. - =Rochford=, Ben and wife. Eleventh and A. - =Rodney=, Henrietta, Thirty-ninth and R. - =Roemer=, C. G. and wife, Tenth and L. - =Roemer=, Elizabeth, wife of A. C. - =Roehm=, Mr. and Mrs. William and two children. - =Roemer=, J. C. and wife. - =Rogers=, Blanch Donald, niece of D. B. - =Rohl=, John, wife and five children. - =Rohn=, Annie (colored). - =Roper=, Mrs. Eliza (colored), Eleventh and M. - =Rose=, Mrs. Franklin. - =Rose=, John. - =Rose=, H., wife and children. - =Rose’s=, (Mrs.) baby. - =Roselli=, Mrs. G. - =Roselli=, Angelica. - =Roselli=, Josephine. - =Roselli=, Sam. - =Roselli=, Francis. - =Rosenkranz=, Theresia. - =Rosi=, G. and two children. - =Ross=, nine-year-old child of Mrs. Ross of Houston. - =Rosse=, Mrs. L. and three children, Nineteenth and P. - =Rosin=, Hernann, wife and five children, Hernann, Willie, John, Fritz - and Henry. - =Rossalle=, B., wife and three children. - =Rossian=, John and wife, down the island. - =Rossian=, five brothers, down the island. - =Roth=, Mrs. Kate and three children. - =Roudadaux=, Murray. - =Roudadoux=, Mrs. F. J. and two children, Murray and Cecil, and - sister-in-law, Louise Roudadoux. - =Rowan=, Mrs. John and three children. - =Rowe=, Ada and Hattie (colored). - =Rowe=, Mrs. and three children. - =Rowe=, George (colored). - =Ryan=, Ada and infant (colored). - =Rodger=, C., wife and child. - =Rudireker=, and three women. - =Ruenbuhl=, Johnnie, lost at Lamarque. - =Ruther=, Robert, wife and six children. Forty-third and T. - =Ruhter=, A., mother and father. - =Ruhter=, Lena. - =Ruehrmond=, Prof., wife and two children. - =Rust=, Margaret, Maude and Elvira, all children. - =Rutter=, Robert, wife and six children, Forty-third and T. - =Ryals=, Charles, four children of, Myrtle, Wesley, Harry and Mabel. - =Ryan=, Mrs. Mary, Kinkead addition. - =Ryman=, George, wife and daughter. 4405 S ½. - - =Sansor=, Ernest, longshoreman. - =Sargeant=, Thos., and two children, Arthur and Alice, Thirteenth and - Fourteenth and avenue M ½. - =Sarme=, Mrs. George, 4513 K, between Forty-fifth and Forty-sixth - streets. - =Sawyer=, Dr. John B. - =Scarborough=, Harry, a fisherman. - =Schadermantle=, Maud. - =Schadermantle=, Randle. - =Schaf=, Mrs., and three children. - =Schalea=, Richard, wife, son Frank, Forty-third and T ½. - =Scheller=, Charles, Mrs., and four children, Thirty-fifth and Q. - =Schierholz=, W., wife and five children. - =Schilke=, Mrs. Julius, and two children, August and Albert. - =Schmidt=, Mrs. R., and son Richard, P ½ between Twenty-sixth and - Twenty-seventh. - =Schneider=, J. F., wife and six children, milkman, down the island. - =Schneider=, Henry, and two children. - =Schneider=, John, wife and five children. - =Schneider=, Mrs. Hy. sr. - =Schneider=, child of Hy. jr. - =Schneider=, Caroline. - =Schoolfield=, —— (colored). - =Schoolfield=, Isaac. - =Schrader=, Mary. - =Schroeder=, Mrs. Louise, and two children, Twenty-sixth and Q. - =Schroeder=, Mrs. George M., and four children. - =Schuler=, Mr. and Mrs. Charles, and five children. - =Schuler=, Mrs. A. - =Schutz=, Charles and Fred. - =Schultze=, Charles. - =Schumacher=, Annie. - =Schutte=, ——, wife and two children. - =Schuzte=, Mr. and Mrs. - =Schwarzbach=, child of Theo. - =Schwoebel=, George, wife and daughter Lulu. - =Scofelia=, Miss Ida. - =Scott=, Hughie (colored). - =Scott=, Annie (colored). - =Scull=, Mrs. Mary (colored). - =Seaborn=, J. R. - =Seals=, Wallace D. (colored). - =Seals=, Sarah N. (colored). - =Sedgewick=, child of. - =Seibel=, Frederich, sr., Thirty-seventh and M ½. - =Seibel=, Mrs. Julius. - =Seibel=, Lizzie. - =Seibel=, Mrs. Jacob, and son Julius. - =Seidenstricker=, John. - =Seidenstricker=, John C., 1209 avenue N. - =Siedenstricker=, John N., lived on N. between Twelfth and Thirteenth. - =Seixas=, Miss Lucille. - =Seixas=, Mrs. C. E. - =Seixas=, Armour A. - =Seixas=, Cecile. - =Segers= and family. - =Severt=, John and wife. - =Shaper=, Henry, wife and two sons, milkman, down the island. - =Sharp=, Mr. and Mrs. - =Sharp=, Miss Annie. - =Sharper=, Henry, wife and five children, down the island. - =Shaw=, Frank. - =Shelrey=, Leon, son and daughter (colored). - =Sherman=, Albert, (butcher, better known as “Yammer”). - =Shermer=, A. - =Sherwood=, Charles L., wife and two children. - =Sherwood=, Thomas, wife and two or three children. - =Sherwood=, Chas. Wm., baby seven months old, Eighth and I. - =Sherwood=, Charles, avenue N, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth - streets. - =Shook=, Mr. and Mrs. Robert, jr. - =Siebel=, O. F., jr. - =Sinne=, John, Lizzie and one child, Forty-first and Broadway. - =Sinnett=, Maggie, Twenty-seventh and Q. - =Sinnett=, Eddie, Twenty-seventh and Q. - =Sinpe=, Calvin, and daughter. - =Skarke=, Charles F., son of Charles J. Skarke, in Catholic orphans’ - home. - =Skelton=, Mrs. Emma, and two children. - =Slaughter=, Philip (colored). - =Sliter=, J. M. longshoreman. - =Smith=, Sallie (colored), cook for Dr. Perkins. - =Smith=, Stella, working for Mrs. C. H. Hughes. - =Smith=, Gertrude. - =Smith=, Mrs. Wiley (colored), Thirty-third and Q. - =Smith=, Miss Ellen and child (colored). - =Smith=, Miss Mary. - =Smith=, Mrs., the grandmother of the Foremans. - =Smith=, Mr. and Mrs. and two children, Lamarque, Tex. - =Smith=, Charles L., between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets. - =Smith=, Prof. E. P., wife and five children, Thirty-fifth and T. - =Smith=, Jacob. - =Smith=, Sam (colored), of Olympia theater. - =Sodich=, L. - =Solomon=, Frank, jr. - =Solomon=, Mrs. Frank. - =Solomon=, Herman. - =Solomon=, Lena. - =Solomon=, Julius. - =Solomon=, Mrs. Julius. - =Sommer=, Ferdinand and wife, Fifty-ninth and beach. - =Sommer=, Mollie, Sophie, Annie, Fifty-ninth and beach. - =Sommer=, Mr. and Mrs. Joe, Fifty-ninth and beach. - =Sommer=, Aline, Fifty-ninth and beach. - =Somerville=, S. B. and wife (colored). - =Sourbien=, battery O. - =Southwick=, Mrs. J. Sanford and child. - =Spaeter=, Mrs. Fredericka. - =Spaeter=, Otilia. - =Spaldnig=, Joseph, Sydnor’s bayou. - =Spanish= sailor, steamship Talesforo, body buried north side of - Sweetwater lake; marked “sailor.” - =Speck=, Captain. - =Spencer=, Stanley G. - =Spriggs=, Mary. - =Stacker=, Miss Sophie. - =Stacker=, Miss Alfred. - =Stacker=, George. - =Stackpole=, Dr. and family. - =Stawinsky=, Ed., wife and son. - =Stayton=, Mrs. Carrie B. (colored). - =Stedilng=, Harry, wife and child. - =Steeb=, Julius, wife and two children. - =Steinbrink=, Frederick W. and three children, 4209 S. - =Steinforth=, Mrs. Emma, Twentieth and P ½. - =Stellman=, Lily. - =Stellman=, Robert, wife and child. - =Stenzel=, wife and three children. - =Stering=, O. B. - =Stevens=, Frankie, Leo, Jerald and Edward, sons of T. J. - =Stewart=, Robert C. - =Stewart=, Miss Lester. - =Stiglich=, Mamie. - =Stillmann=, Miss Lily, 3207 K. - =Stillman=, Lillie, down the island. - =Stockfleth=, wife of Peter, and six children. - =Stousland=, Mr. and Mrs. Joe. - =Stravo=, Nick, wife and son John. - =Strunk=, Wm., wife and six children. Thirty-fourth and R. - =Studley=, Mrs. and two children, Fortieth and R. - =Stub=, Julius, wife and two children. - =Sudden=, Clara (colored). - =Sugar=, Mrs. and two children. - =Sullivan=, Mrs. Martha and child, R, between Thirty first and Thirty - second. - =Sullivan=, Mrs. J. A. and son, Thirty-second and Q ½. - =Summers=, Sarah. - =Summers=, Mrs. M. S., 1012 K. - =Swan=, Auguste, Thirty-seventh and Q. - =Swan=, George. - =Swan=, George, wife and four children. - =Swanson=, Mrs. Martin. - =Swain=, Richard D. - =Swain=, Mrs. Mary, avenue I, between Tenth and Eleventh streets. - =Sweigel=, George, mother and sister. - =Swenson=, Mrs. Mary, K, between Eleventh and Twelfth. - =Swickel=, Mrs. Mary, Miss Kate and Miss May, 1902 Twenty-seventh - street. - =Symms=, two children of H. G. - - =Tarpey=, Joseph. - =Tavinett=, Antonet. - =Taylor=, Mrs. (colored). - =Taylor=, Mrs. J. W., Forty-sixth and K. - =Taylor=, Calvin (colored), 2314 Twenty-eighth. - =Taylor=, Sarah (colored), 2314 Twenty-eighth. - =Taylor=, Costello (colored), 2314 Twenty-eighth. - =Teaque=, Lavina (colored), and three children, Twenty-seventh, between - P ½ and Q. - =Tenbusch=, George and John. - =Tenbush=, Steve (butcher), Forty-fourth and R. - =Tentenberg=, Mrs. A. S. and child. - =Terrell=, Columbus, carpenter, wife and three children; lived at 4117 - S. - =Terrell=, Mrs. Q. V., and four children (colored), N and Fifteenth. - =Tetze=, Emet. - =Thomas=, Pat, and eight children, T, between Thirty sixth and - Thirty-seventh. - =Thomas=, Nowen and Nathaniel. - =Thomas=, Milton (colored), Eleventh and M. - =Thomas=, Mr. and Mrs. B. W., and three children. - =Thompson=, Thomas, wife and four children. - =Thompson=, ——, wife and three children. - =Thomssen=, Mrs. W. D. and three children, down the island. - =Thurman=, Mrs. (colored). - =Tian=, Mrs. Clement and three children. - =Tickle=, H. J., wife and two children. - =Tickle=, Mrs. James, sr. - =Tiggs=, Lavinia and daughter (colored). - =Tillebach=, Mrs. Charles and three children. - =Tilsman=, Robert, wife and five children. 46 Broadway. - =Tix=, Herman. - =Told=, Seihel, sr., aged 76 years, Thirty-seventh and M ½. - =Tolomei=, Paul, wife and two children. - =Torr=, T. C., wife and five children. - =Toothaker=, Mrs. J. E. - =Toothaker=, Miss Etta. - =Tovrea=, Sam, wife and four children. - =Tozer=, Mrs. G. M. - =Tozer=, Miss Berna, Thirty-second and Q ½. - =Trahan=, Mrs. H. V. and child. - =Threadway=, Lily. - =Threadwell=, Mrs. J. B. and child. - =Travers=, Mrs. H. C. and son Sheldon. - =Trebosius=, Mrs. George. - =Trebosius=, Fred, Thirty-first and S. - =Trickhausen=, Mrs., an old lady. - =Tripo=, an oysterman. - =Tripo=, Bosick. - =Trostman=, E., wife and three children. - =Tucker=, Mr. and Mrs. and one child. - =Tuckett=, Walter, wife and child, Q and Twenty-seventh. - =Turner=, Angeline (colored.) - =Turner=, Mrs. K. and little girl. - =Turner=, Mr. and Mrs. - =Turner=, Mrs. W. - - =Udell=, Oliver, wife and child, Forty-fifth and U. - =Uhl=, Mrs. Chris and four children, Forty-fifth and K. - =Underhill=, Carpenter, and wife, two weeks from El Paso, formerly from - Michigan. - =Unger=, E., wife and four children (Frank, Eddie and Sophie saved), - Forty-fifth and Broadway. - =Uitt=, Mary, of Houston. - =Ulridge=, Adelaide (colored). - - =Valeton=, Mrs. and Miss Marie, lost at Giozza residence. - =Vamey=, Mrs. B. (colored). - =Van Buren=, Herman, wife and three children. - =Van Liew=, Mollie (colored). - =Varnell=, Jim, wife and six children, Kinkead addition. - =Vassenroot=, Edward, wife and two children. - =Vaughn=, Miss May, Eleventh and Mechanic. - =Vaught=, Edna, child of W. J. Vaught. - =Velin=, Mrs. H. - =Vidovich=, Mike. - =Vining=, Mrs. Annie and four children (colored). - =Vinnie=, Miss Annie (colored). - =Visco=, Franovich. - =Viscovitch=, Magdalena, daughter of Mrs. Veleda Viscovitch, N ½ and - Seventeenth. - =Vitoretta=, Mrs. N. L., Twenty-seventh and P ½. - =Vitovitch=, John and family. - =Vogel=, Mrs. Henry C., and three children. - =Vogel=, Mrs. and daughter Bertha, Twenty-seventh and P. - =Volger=, Mrs. F., and daughter, Bertha. - =Vordenbaumen=, Mrs. and children. - =Vuletuch=, Andrew, wife and daughter, down the island. - - =Wade=, Mrs. Hillie (colored), Forty-eighth and G. - =Wade=, wife and two children, down the island. - =Wade=, Hettie and husband (colored). - =Wagner=, ——, and wife (farmer). - =Wakelee=, Mrs. David. - =Walden=, Sam, son of H. W. (colored). - =Waldgren=, Mr. - =Wallace=, Scott and Earl. - =Wallace=, ——, and wife (Mud bridge). - =Wallace=, George, wife, mother and children, Berth, Tom, Fred and - Florence, 4017 T ½. - =Wallace=, ——, wife and four children Thirty-seventh and M ½. - =Walker=, Mrs. H. V. - =Walker=, Louis D., R and Thirty-ninth. - =Walker=, Joe. - =Wallis=, Lee, wife, mother, four children, and Pearl Ellison, all of - Palestine. - =Walter=, Mrs. Charles and three children. - =Walsh=, James N. and wife. - =Walsh=, Joseph, wife and child. - =Walters=, Gus, 3602 Q ½. - =Waring=, Mrs. (colored). - =Warnke=, Mr. and Mrs., and children, Forty-first and S. - =Warner=, Mrs. A. S. - =Warner=, Mrs. Flora. - =Wanrke=, Mrs. A. W. and five children. - =Warrah=, Martin. - =Warren=, Celia (colored). - =Warren=, James, wife and six children. - =Warren=, John. - =Warwarvosky=, Adolph, mother and sister. - =Washington=, John and five children, Forty-sixth and T. - =Washington=, Mrs. (colored). - =Washington=, William and wife (colored), alley, P and P ½. - Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh. - =Watkins=, Mrs. (mother of Stanly Watkins). - =Watkins=, child of P. - =Watkins=, Mr. S. - =Watson=, J. G., Mrs., and two children, Forty-third and T. - =Waxmouth=, Frank. - =Weber=, Mrs. Charles P. - =Webber=, Mrs. Anna. - =Webber=, Mr. S. and family. - =Weber=, W. J., wife and two children. - =Webster=, Mr. Edward, sr. - =Webster=, Charley. - =Webster=, Julia. - =Webster=, Sarah. - =Webster=, George. - =Webster=, Kenneth. - =Weeden=, L. E., wife and six children, Kinkead addition. - =Weeks=, Mrs. Millie and child (colored), down the island. - =Weideman=, F. W. and wife. - =Weihousen=, Mrs. Minnie, 3413 P ½. - =Weiman=, Mrs. John C. - =Weinberg=, Fritz. - =Weinberg=, Mrs. F. A. - =Weinberg=, Otto, wife and five children. - =Weiners=, daughter of J. C., 2602 P ½, died of injuries. - =Weiser=, Paul, wife and mother, K, between Forty-fifth and - Forty-sixth. - =Weiss=, Oscar, wife and five children. - =Weiss=, Prof. Carl. - =Weit=, Mr. and three children. - =Welche=, Mrs. John. - =Welsh=, Theophiel, in charge of race track. - =Wendemann=, Mrs. - =Westaway=, Mrs. George. - =Westerman=, Mrs. A. - =Westman=, Mrs. - =Weyer=, Judge and wife. - =Weyer=, Alex. - =Weyer=, Hy. - =Weyer=, John. - =Wharton.= - =Whitcomb=, Mrs. Georgia, and baby of nine months. - =White=, Willie (colored). - =White=, family of Walter. - =White=, James, wife and baby. - =Whittle=, Tom, baker at Kahn’s. - =Whittlesey=, one child of Officer H. P. Whittlesey. - =Wicke=, Lena, Mrs., Twenty-eighth and Q ½. - =Wiede=, Mrs. Augusta and five children, 2824 avenue P. - =Wiedemann=, F. - =Wilke=, C. O., wife and child. - =Wilcox=, child of, - =Wilde=, Miss Freda, down the island. - =Wilkinson=, George, wife and son, Thirty-seventh and R. - =Wilks=, —— and wife. - =Williams=, Cæsar (colored), forty-fifth and P. - =Williams=, Ed. (“Crow.”) - =Williams=, Mrs. Adaline (colored). - =Williams=, Mrs. Cecil (colored). - =Williams=, father of Frances (colored). - =Williams=, Mary, Mrs., Twenty-ninth and L. - =Williams=, Rosanna (colored), Forty-first and S. - =Williams=, Miss. - =Williams=, Alex. - =Williams=, Mrs. E. C. (colored). - =Williams=, Joseph N., between Sixteenth and Seventeenth. - =Williams=, Frank, wife and child. Heard lane. - =Williams=, Sam (colored). - =Williams=, Bob (colored). - =Williams=, John, Fortieth and R ½. - =Williams=, Mrs. (mother of Mrs. Joe Jay). - =Williamson=, W., longshoreman. - =Willifred=, Mrs. Elmira, mother-in-law of Louis Gruetzmacher. - =Willis=, Hester, and daughter (colored). - =Wilson=, Mrs. Julia Ann (colored), 2317 avenue P. - =Wilson=, Annie. - =Wilson=, Ben T. - =Wilson=, Mrs. Julia Ann (colored), P between Twenty-sixth and - Twenty-seventh. - =Wilson=, Mary and child. - =Wilson=, Bertha (colored). - =Wilson=, Mrs. B. - =Winscoath=, Mrs. Annie. - =Winscoatte=, Mrs. W. B. - =Winscott=, Mrs. William. - =Windman=, Mrs. - =Winn=, Mrs. and child. - =Winsmore=, James and family, seven members. - =Withee=, N. H. and wife. - =Withey=, H. - =Witt=, C. F., wife and two children. - =Wolfe=, Chas., wife and two children. - =Wolfe=, Officer Charles, wife and son, Edward. - =Wolfe=, Mrs. Louis and child (recently from Florida). - =Wolthers=, F. A., wife and child, Thirty-sixth and Q ½. - =Wood=, Mrs. S. W., mother of United States Marshall Wood. - =Wood=, Mrs. R. N., between Fourteenth and Fifteenth (colored). - =Wood=, Edie and Burley (colored). - =Wood=, Wm. (colored). - =Wood=, Mrs. S. W. - =Wood=, Mrs. Caroline and two daughters, Mary and Katie. - =Wood=, Mrs. Julia (colored), Twenty-eighth and Q ½. - =Wood=, James Horace. - =Woodmannie=, Miss (of Joliet, Ill.). - =Woodrow=, Matilda (colored). - =Woodward=, Mrs. R. L. and daughters, Miss Mollie Parker and Misses - Hattie and Maggie Woodward, Fifteenth and M. - =Woodward=, E. G., jr., Eleventh and M. - =Woollam=, C. - =Wootun=, Gus, wife and three children, Forty-fifth and J. - =Wright=, Louise and Johnnie. - =Wuchnach=, M., wife and two children. - =Wurzlow=, Mrs. Annie, Twenty-sixth and Q. - - =Yeates=, child of J. K. - =Yeager=, William. - =Youens=, Hy. Geo., 5 years. - =Youens=, Miss Lillian, 20 years. - =Young=, Francis. - =Young=, Ferdinand. - =Young=, Mrs. Mary, of Lamarque. - =Young=, Mrs. Paul, Lamarque, Tex. - =Young=, Mrs. ——, two daughters and one son, Lamarque, Tex. - =Youngblood=, L. J., wife and child. - =Younger=, Evelina (colored), and two children. - - =Zickler=, Mrs. Fred and two children. - =Zipp=, Mrs. and daughter. - =Zurpanin=, Mrs. N. and eight children. - =Zwanzig=, Adolph, sr. - =Zwanzig=, Richard. - =Zwanzig=, Herman. - =Zwanzig=, three daughters of Adolph. - =Zweigel=, Mrs. and two daughters. - - - Templars of Honor and Temperance. - -To the News: The Templars of Honor and Temperance sustained the loss of -nine of its members during the late storm in our city, as follows: - - =Thomas Keats.= - =Harry A. Drewa.= - =H. Vanburen.= - =F. Wiedemann.= - =A. Shermer.= - =A. Dahlgreen.= - =Joe Jewel.= - =Asa P. Delano.= - =Robt. Harris.= - -The latter two were members of Temple No. 33, the others of Temple No. -31. - - “H. A. RUSSELL.” - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -Transcriber’s note: - - 1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. - - 2. Retained anachronistic, non-standard, uncertain spellings, and names - of people as printed. - - 3. Sort order of names in list is unchanged. - - 4. P. 98c, changed “GALVESTON GARDEN VEREIN” to “GALVESTON GARTEN - VEREIN”. - - 5. P. 457, changed “Now and again they had found him” to “Now and again - they thought they had found him”. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREAT GALVESTON DISASTER*** - - -******* This file should be named 60105-0.txt or 60105-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/0/1/0/60105 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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