About 17,000 people are now receiving relief each day, and the supplies are sufficient for their immediate wants. This morning the first supplies brought by the Chicago relief train arrived here by way of Clinton. The train reached Houston at midnight Saturday, having made a run of 270 miles from Fort Worth at an average speed of thirty-seven miles an hour. Owing to a change in its schedule the people who had been watching for its arrival failed to see it, and it was rushed over the Southern Pacific Road to Clinton, where barges were waiting for the supplies.
The Chicago train was the largest that has yet been sent to Galveston, and many expressions of gratitude to Chicago are heard here. Mayor Jones, for instance, said to-day: “Chicago people are the best kind of friends to have when one is in trouble. We cannot express our thanks to them. We will show by our future what their help has meant to us. Like Chicago we will rise above all disaster and rebuild our city better than it has ever been before.”
Eleven hundred tents were received to-day by the Board of Health. All except 300, which were retained for the marine hospital on the beach, have been distributed to the homeless in the different wards.
Miss Clara Barton is giving her time and attention to assisting in the work of relief and ascertaining what supplies are necessary to meet the exigencies of the situation.
NUMEROUS CASES OF INSANITY.
The city takes on more of the appearance of a business place each day. To-day horse cars are running downtown, while there is both water and electric service in limited portions of the city. Telephone communication has been opened with Houston, and both of the telegraph companies have greatly improved their service. All the railroad companies announce they will have trains into the city inside of three days, although at first only trains with construction material may risk the trip across the repaired bridge. The Santa Fe Road expects its first train on Thursday.
A systematic effort was begun this morning to obtain the names of the dead, so that the information can be used for legal purposes and for life insurance settlements. Sworn statements from witnesses of death are being recorded, and communication with people with information who have left the city is being opened.
There are numerous cases of insanity in Galveston as a result of the terrible bereavements sustained by the survivors. Judge John J. Reagan, a prominent lawyer, is at the Masonic relief station in a pitiable condition. Judge Reagan lost every relative he had in Galveston. He sits hour by hour in pathetic silence. Then he bursts out laughing, and his laughter is followed by tears.
There are now about 200 soldiers in Galveston doing police duty, and more have been called for. The Dallas Rough Riders, the Houston Light Guards, the Galveston Sharpshooters, Battery D, of Houston and Cavalry Troop A, Houston, are the commands.
The affiliated labor organization of this city, over 500 of its members having lost everything, has issued an address appealing to every labor organization throughout the country for assistance. It has appointed T. W. Dee and James F. Grimes as agents to visit all large cities in behalf of aid for their stricken members. Dee and Grimes have also received credentials from Mayor Jones, and they left to-night on their mission.