Tuesday Mrs. Qualtrough was busy at the market house helping to distribute the clothing and food to the sufferers, when her son came to her and told her there was a man from Galveston in the room, and he wished she would go to him. The man, who was bruised and beaten in his fight with waves, was in great distress. He wanted to get to New Orleans, but had no money, his wife and child were there, and he had to tell her that her mother and sisters were drowned.
WOMAN DRIFTED NEARLY THREE DAYS.
An instinct told Mrs. Qualtrough the truth. She asked what was the size and complexion of his wife, and how old was the baby. Looking at her strangely, the man described exactly the woman and child found at the International and Great Northern station. “I believe your wife is here,” was the extraordinary comment on his story. Calling to Mrs. Ward, the fish merchant, Mrs. Qualtrough asked her to take the man to Mrs. Glass’ home, and the husband and wife met. It was a pitiful scene, for while she had got her husband back, the poor woman learned of the loss of mother and sisters.
A woman was brought into Houston who was two days and a night drifting about in Galveston bay, bringing with her a parrot which she had held above the waters all that time. The parrot and a bag of money was all she had left.
Mr. A. C. Fonda, a patient at the Houston infirmary, was a clerk in the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe freight office at Galveston, and lived on Broadway. He tells a tale of his experience which is miraculous. He remained in his house until it was blown down, and then, in some miraculous manner, he was blown into a large cypress cistern which was about half full of water. After being in the cistern for about an hour a kind of twister struck it and blew all the water out, but left him. When the cistern was relieved of the water it rose and was finally washed out on the Gulf, where it remained until Monday morning, when the wind and tide brought it back to Galveston and its occupant was rescued in a thoroughly exhausted condition.
Beaumont, Texas, September 14.—Mr. A. Zwirn, one of the Beaumonters who left for Galveston on a freight train Monday afternoon, returned yesterday after having spent fourteen hours in the stricken city. Mr. Zwirn reached Galveston Tuesday evening, having succeeded in getting across the bay on a small sailboat. He went to the Island City to search for friends and found a greater portion of them alive.
FIRST CITY TO GIVE ASSISTANCE.
Mr. Zwirn says Beaumont was the first city to get assistance into Galveston. He was present at a meeting of Galveston citizens when it was announced that a boat with ice and water from Beaumont had arrived, and he says the fervent thanks which went up from the gathering and the tribute one of the men paid to the Queen of the Neches made him feel proud of his residence here.
“It was, however, not the fault of Houston,” said Mr. Zwirn, “that the Bayou City did not get supplies to the Island City quicker. The train on which I came to the end of the railroad track had several cars of provisions, ice, etc., and many more were standing on the tracks when we arrived. The trouble was the absence of transportation across the bay to Galveston. There were many boats, but the owners found it more profitable to carry passengers from $1 per head up than to transport supplies. I can not describe the joy with which the boat from Beaumont was received. It not only contained that which the sufferers needed badly, but it was evidence that there was communication with the outside world, and revived the spirits of many who bad become despondent.”
Under the rules and regulations prescribed by the military laws governing the city, the work of clearing the streets, disposing of the dead and cleaning the city in general have progressed very favorably. The plans mapped out by the military department brought the operations down to a system. Where there is order and system much can be accomplished, and this was most clearly demonstrated by the reports of one day’s labors in this field. Nearly three thousand men were organized in gangs and squads of from ten to twenty-five, working under the direction of foremen, supervised by ward superintendents, started out early in the morning and worked faithfully until dark. The detailed results of their labors were not to be had, but enough was shown by the reports to demonstrate the value of organization.