The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-06-13
IMPOSSIBLE
Much Longer to Identify the
Corruptlng Bodies of the
Flood Victims.
Newspaper correspondents Com
PLAIN of the Hard Work and
Poor Accommodations.


day for CLEARING away the effects of the
flood by the civil authorities. Tomorrow
the state takes hold of the work of restor-
ing the valley to its condition before the
food and all work done after to-day will
be under the supervision of Adjutant-
general Hastings. The weary, dreary sue
oession of rainy days since the flood con-
tinues and to-day broke amidst drizzling
rain. But while the almost continuous
rain has made the work most disagreea
BILE, it has had some good results. But
for the aim ost continuous rains the river
at this point would have become too low
to float away the debris that
is fast being loosened and
thrown into the river. The horror of the
situation has not diminished, but rather
grows as the search for the dead continues,
and in all sections and direotions the dad
are being found. Numbers of bodies are
now coming to the surface of the waters,
and those whose work has made them
competent judges think as many more
bodies as have been found are lying some
where. In many unexpected places bod
les are hourly being found, and where this
will end no human mind can
guess. The fires klndled last night
among the timbers of the near
stone bridge were quenched by rain and
the valley was fl led with steam and i'll
smelling vapors. An exodus set In to- day
and hundreds of volunteer laborers left
for their homes. Hundreds of others will
go to omorrow, because they will not work
for the wages proposed to be paid by the
state. One of the first things to be done
by General Hastings, will be to discharge
the 800 policemen now doing duty here.
A number of the proprietors of stores are
hurryipg to get their places of business in
order and open up. Already number
have done so and this has done much to
encourage others. A more cheerful and
hopeful feeling prevails and is daily in
creasipg.
CORRESPONDENTS KICKING
JoHNsTowN, June Notwithstanding
this is the twelfth day since the Hood,
most of the newspaper correspondents
are still without sleeping accommodations
and as on the first day are sleeping Ia
barns and briok-kilas wouthout cots or
blankets. Cots have been sent them, but
as they are too busy to watch the trains
some one else gets them. The MALTA
have cots and blankets as have also Ia
borers, but the correspondents who are
doing the hardest kind of work for the
outside world are forced to endure greater
hardships. The supply of provisions is
improving some and they manage now to
get one and sometimes two square meals
day. The police sent to the valley do
not seem yet to have reached their
places.
IDENTIFICATION IMPOSSIBLE.
JoHNsTowN, June 11.-But two bodies
had been recovered up to noon to-day,
and it is quite likely that after to-day no
bodies will be taken to any OF the
morpues on account of the bad state the
bodies are in. There is but little attempt
atidentifcation. The bodies are so badly
decom posed that even after being covered
with disenfectants the wOrkmen cannot
stand the stencil longer than to allow them
to cut off their pockets and IN
this manner try to find some
means of Identification. Yesterday Rev.
David Beaie and nine other citizens OF
Johnstown identified, as they supposed,
the body of young Mr.. Austin, proml-
nent business man. They had just nailed
the box containing the remains and were
starting it TO the cemetery when they were
confronted by Mr.. Austin, who had been
carried dCwl the river. This only serves
to show how difficult Identification has be-
come and why is probable that within
day or two morgues will be done away
with.