“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: