The Great Galveston Disaster. Paul Lester
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.