The wharf company did not suffer badly so far as the actual wharves are concerned, and it comes from General Manager Bailey that they will be ready to handle the business within seven or eight days. Of course a good deal of wharf flooring is torn up. The most serious damage was to the sheds, some of which are complete wrecks. Business can be done without sheds, and as long as the wharves themselves are in shape business can be done. With the rail lines established and running again, freight can move over the wharves. As a matter of fact coal was being discharged at the coal elevator at pier 34 yesterday. The West End wharves are all right, and some of these sheds are standing. Of course there is an immense amount of repair work to be done, but this need not interfere with the movement of freight.
Secretary S. O. Young, of the Galveston Cotton Exchange and Board of Trade, said this morning that it would be three or four weeks before quotations could be actually received here, owing to the condition of the exchange building and the lack of wires over which to do business. The exchange building is pretty badly wrecked, the slate shingles having been carried away on one side early in the afternoon, which let in great floods of water and ruined the ceilings and walls.
Dr. Young suffered several severe bruises as a result of the storm and some of his employes are gone. His janitors are employed in the public work of relieving the general situation. A good many cotton men who had interests in the market left a day or so ago for Houston and New Orleans, where they could look out for their interests.
The Masons started early Monday to furnish relief to their brethren. They established headquarters in the Masonic Temple, which was partly wrecked, and have furnished food and the necessaries of life. All Masons in distress are asked to go to them. They bought provisions to the amount of $500 and have been distributing what they had. A meeting this morning was held at the temple to organize a central relief committee for more systematic work, now that the first distress has been relieved.
LOSSES REPORTED EVERYWHERE.
The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Company notified Chairman Sealy of the relief committee that there was $5000 there for its use. The Santa Fe has suffered great loss itself and is a flood sufferer of great proportions in dollars and cents. Thomas Taylor, a cotton man, on Monday bought $500 worth of men’s clothing, which he immediately distributed to the needy. The other men of means are coming forward with donations for permanent relief.
The Galveston Brewing Company suffered comparatively slight property loss, although it will amount into the thousands. Their utility was not impaired in the least, however, and they are making ice as fast as they can, and selling it at the regular Galveston rate 30c. per 100 pounds. During the storm the brewery building was the haven of between 300 and 500 people. The men employed at the establishment were instrumental in saving between seventy-five and 100 people during the storm by going out in it and swimming and wading as best they could, dragging the people into safety in the brewery.
Captain Owens stated this morning that in the jumble of confusion mention of the practical destruction of the towns of Arcadia and Alta Loma had been omitted. At Arcadia there are about 150 people living. Arthur Boddeker lost his life during the storm and two or three were hurt. At Alta Loma two children of Mr. Steele were killed. There are six houses standing. All the groceries at both places were damaged by water and these people are in great need of provisions, medicines and food for stock.
One old man was found this morning who stated that he had one hundred kinfolks in Galveston and he is the only survivor.
Galveston was a place where there were large families by intermarriage, many of which had been established when the city was but a village, fifty or more years ago. These had lived here and increased until a family of 100 was not improbable in the least. The case of this old man is probably an extreme one in the line of annihilation, but others have lost almost as heavily.