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 De
John Stuart Mill · en
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.