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
