“Tales of rescues and narrow escapes continue to come to light, but to record them all would require the work of hours in writing up and fill the paper full to the brim with this class of matter alone.
“The stores and groceries are again getting down to business, but they are badly handicapped by damaged stock, more especially the dry goods and clothing stores. A complete overhauling of these establishments has been necessary and the separation and sorting out and drying of damaged goods is not yet complete. Those which have fully opened for business are crowded with customers, and in some instances it is still necessary to keep the crowds out, letting in only a few customers at a time.
HARD WORKED CLERKS.
“The clerks are a hard worked set of people just at the present time. With the changes in overhauling the stock they have not yet become acquainted with the exact location of articles called for, and it requires a search to find them. This naturally retards the quick execution of business, and throws additional labor on those waiting on the customers. But order is rapidly being evoked out of the chaos existing after the storm, and in the course of time things will be moving along with their old-time uniformity.
“The street forces have got fairly to work on the business streets, and they are rapidly assuming a more passable condition. Drays are hauling away the trash, and in the course of a week or so the worst evidence of the storm will be removed. The damaged buildings will take longer to repair, but the streets will present more of the old-time aspect than for the past week.
“Work on the pile of wreckage back from the beach is progressing, and now and then one hears of bodies taken from the ruins, clearly showing that the full extent of the loss of life has not yet been realized.
“In this storm the usual conditions have been reversed. Whereas, in wrecks by wind, water or rail, first reports greatly magnify the loss of life, while in the present case it seems that the estimate of lives lost is increasing rather than diminishing as each day passes. While the total will never be known, it will be far above the early estimates.
“The relief system is fairly in operation, and it is now claimed that no one need go hungry except able-bodied men who refuse to labor. But it should be understood that those desiring relief should go to the different ward headquarters, or send some one. The committees and heads of departments have no facilities for forwarding goods to the destitute in the various portions of the city. Their time is taken up with procuring and distributing supplies from the various headquarters.
REASONS FOR BURNING RUINS.
“Suggestions have been made to burn the pile of lumber of all kinds in the rafts, but this seems both impracticable and unadvisable, If it can be preserved, every stick and board will be of use hereafter. The only reasons for burning the rafts given are that it will cremate the bodies of the dead known to be in some and supposed to be in almost all of them. Sickness resulting from the decaying bodies is predicted if this is not done. But if it is attempted more loss of life is likely to occur from it than will result from sickness arising from putrid bodies.