“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.