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 Death; Terrible Sufferings of the Survivors; Vandals Plundering Bodies of the Dead; Wonderful Exhibitions of Popular Sympathy; Millions of Dollars Sent for the Relief of the Stricken Sufferers

by Paul Lester

REVIEWING THE SITUATION.

Reviewing the situation in Galveston, a correspondent communicates the following: “On Sunday following the storm all saloons were closed by order of the Mayor. On the following Sunday several saloonists began selling liquor on the quiet. They were arrested and taken before Adjutant General Scurry, who warned them they must not repeat the offense. A prominent saloon man was arrested for disobeying the order and was put to work in a street cleaning gang. Dr. Donaldson, chief surgeon of one of the relief corps, says it will not be necessary for the outside surgeons to remain here longer than two or three days more. He has written an article for a medical journal commenting upon the comparatively small number of seriously wounded and sick persons. He explains the absence of a large number of seriously wounded persons by saying that most of those so wounded were drowned, but says it is surprising that more people, especially women and children, did not get sick from such trying experiences.

“Efforts are being made to open the public schools on October 1, the date set before the storm for their opening. Three of the school buildings can be made usable at slight cost and it is planned to hold two sessions a day.

“The estimated losses to the life insurance companies at Galveston are about $500,000. Most of those who carried old line life policies escaped. The fraternal orders will lose quite heavily.”

The Gulf Port Trading Company addressed a letter to General Manager Polk of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railway, advising him that strenuous efforts were being made to divert business from Galveston to other ports on representation that Galveston would be unable to take care of the shipments. He was asked to say whether his line would issue domestic and foreign bills of lading for export shipments through Galveston. Colonel Polk replied that the representations were entirely false; that it is expected to have rail communication open to Galveston very soon and to begin the delivery of local and export freight here Friday morning the 21st; that orders have already been issued to superintendents to let Galveston freight come forward and that agents have been authorized to accept freight for Galveston and sign domestic and foreign bills of lading as usual.