A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY.
A conflict of authority due to a misunderstanding precipitated a temporary disorganization of the policing of the city yesterday. It seemed that when General Scurry, Adjutant-General of the Texas Volunteer Guard, arrived in the city with about 200 militia from Houston, he conferred with the Chief of Police as to the plans for preserving law and order. An order was issued by the Chief of Police to the effect that the soldiers should arrest all persons carrying arms unless they showed a written order, signed by the Chief of Police or Mayor, giving them permission to go armed.
The result was that about fifty citizens wearing Deputy Sheriff badges were arrested by the soldiers and taken to police headquarters. The soldiers had no way of knowing by what authority the men were acting with these badges, and would listen to no excuses. After a hurried conference between General Scurry and Sheriff Thomas, it was decided that all Deputy Sheriffs and special officers shall be permitted to carry arms and pass in and out of the guard lines. The Deputy Sheriffs and special and regular police now police the city during the day time and the militia take charge of the city at night.
At a meeting of the General Committee last night, a committee of representative citizens of Galveston was appointed to go to Austin at once to confer with Governor Sayres in regard to the situation here.
The need of sprinkling the streets with a strong bichloride solution and taking other sanitary precautions was discussed, and after adjournment of the General Committee the Committee on Correspondence sent the following telegram:
“Galveston, Texas, Sept. 13.—To the Associated Press: Our most urgent present needs now are disinfectants—lime, cement, gasoline stoves, gasoline, charcoal furnaces and charcoal. Nearby towns also may send bread. For the remainder of our wants money will be most available, because we can make purchases from time to time with more discretion than miscellaneous contributors would exercise. We are bringing order out of chaos, and again offer our profound gratitude for the assistance so far received.”
A CAMP AT HOUSTON.
At a conference held at the office of City Health Officer Wilkinson, it was decided to accept the offer of the United States Marine Hospital Service, and establish a camp at Houston, where the destitute and sick can be sent and be properly cared for. The physicians agreed that there were many indigent sick in the city who could be removed from Galveston, and Houston was selected, because that city had very thoughtfully suggested the idea and tendered a site for the camp.
Acting upon the suggestion to establish a camp and care for the sick and needy, a message was sent to the Surgeon-General, at the head of the Marine Hospital Corps, asking for 1000 tents of four berth capacity each, also several hundred barrels of disinfecting fluid.
Congressman R. B. Hawley, who was in Washington at the time of the storm, has arrived in the city. “Work of a vast importance is to be undertaken here,” said he. “Work on different lines from that which has been our habit heretofore. There are storms elsewhere. If the people in other parts of the country built as we build, their cities would be down and out nearly every year. But they build structures to stay, and we must rebuild our city on different lines and in a different manner that will resist the gales as they do. The port is all right. The fullest depth of water remains. The jetties with slight repair, are intact, and because of these conditions the restoration will be more rapid than may be thought.”