“Sheriff Thomas reports that he and his posses buried and cremated thirty-eight bodies in Hurd’s lane, twenty-one bodies at Sydnor’s Bayou, and thirteen bodies in Eagle Grove. Sheriff Thomas says there are still one hundred bodies to be buried just outside the city limits, and he has no idea of how many more down the island.
“Fully $1,500,000 worth of vessel property is tied up on the lowlands. There was more than this until the British steamer Mora was floated on Wednesday. There are seven ocean going steamers grounded in different parts of the bay, and the prospect of some of them ever getting from their positions is quite remote.
“The steamer Roma is probably in the tightest place. She broke from her moorings at pier No. 15 during the storm and went westward to the county bridge, tearing her way through the other bridges until she went aground on or near Deer Island. It is feared her days of usefulness are over, for it would take as much as she is worth to dredge a channel from her position to water deep enough to float her.
“Another possible total loss is the steamer Kendal Castle, which is in shallow water near Texas City, having gone there during the storm from pier No. 31. She lies partly broadside on. Like the Roma, she is far from deep water, and until the Texas City channel is completed it does not seem probable that she can get out.
“The quarantine barge, belonging to the State, is probably gone beyond redemption. She dragged her anchor from the mooring place to Pelican Island, where she went aground and fell over on her side with the receding waters. Her machinery is probably badly wrecked, and she is in such a position that it would be difficult to right her, although the effort may be made.
“Small craft in the bay suffered as much in proportion to value as the big vessels, if not more, for practically every one was swamped. Some of them struck the piers and had holes stove in their bottoms. Owners have been repairing them, and for that reason few, if any, will be entirely lost.”
GALVESTON IN DANGER FROM FIRE.
“A danger which Galveston faces is fire. Not a drop of rain has fallen since the hurricane, and the hot winds and blistering suns have made the wrecked houses and buildings so much tinder, piled mountain high in every direction. In nearly all parts of the city the fire hydrants are buried fifty feet, in some places a hundred feet deep under the wreckage, and as yet the water supply at best is only of the most meagre kind.
“Galveston’s fire department is small and badly crippled and would be powerless to stay the flames should they ever start. There is no relief nearer than Houston, and that is hours away. In view of all the existing conditions it is no wonder that the cry is, ‘Get the women and children to the mainland, anywhere off the island,’ nor is it a wonder that with one small boat carrying only 300 passengers, and making only two trips a day, people fairly fight to be taken aboard.
“All yesterday fears were entertained by the authorities that even this service would be cut off and Galveston left without any means of getting to the mainland, owing to the trouble with the owner of the boat.