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

TO HASTEN ONE BRIDGE.

The indications this morning are that there will be reasonably free intercourse with the outside world within ten days at the most, although those in charge of transportation lines are rapidly finding that the storm did more damage than they had at first calculated upon. At another conference the question of utilizing one of the railroad bridges across the bay and repairing that for the use of all lines prior to the repairing of the other bridges or the building of a steel bridge was practically settled. Colonel L. J. Polk, general manager of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe, said that it was reasonably certain that this would be done, all the roads concentrating all their efforts to the completion of one bridge. In regard to his own line he said:

“I do not know when the wrecking gangs will get to Virginia Point. The statement I made to you yesterday that I expected we would have a train to the point to-day was based on information from the other side, but it appears that they did not know the amount of work there was before them. Practically they have to build a new track from Lamarque to the Point.

“We shall probably not reach the bay on the island side before Saturday, as the same conditions prevail, and we did not realize the immense damage the storm had done.

“We have practically decided to unite in the repairing of one bridge for the use of all lines for the present. Our chief engineer, Mr. Felt, and Mr. Boschke, of the Southern Pacific, went to the mainland this morning to establish communication with the parties at interest who are on that side. J. M. Barr, third vice-president of the Santa Fe system, and James Dun, chief engineer of the system, both of Chicago, are on the mainland. They came down here to assist in any way they could in the re-establishment of the business.”