The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-09-21
THEY LOST ALL
IN THE STORM.
''ltSeems Like an Awful Dream, :,
Says a Galveston Survivor.
BEFORE THEIR VERY EYES
Adults and Children Psrished STORY Of
the Awful Horrors Of Gaiveston,s
storm, Told BY Traveller
Fresh From the Scene,

Storm, Told BY q Traveller
Fresh From the scene.
Chicago, Sept. 1S.-Destitute save for
few personal effects carried in a small
valise, and with nerves shattered bv a
week Of horror. Mr.. and Mrs. C. A.
Prutsman, with their two daughters.
12 and years old, reached Chicago yes-
terday morning from the floodswept dis
trict Of Texas. They came direct from
Galveston, via Houston and st. Louis.
and arrived over the Illinois Central at
1880 o'clock.
During all Of yesterday afternoon the
little family sat at the Rock Island sta
tion waiting for a train to take them to
Putnam, ILL.,, where Mrs. Prutsman has
relatives. When 1t was learned that
they were from Galveston, they were
besieged with questions concerning de-
tails Of the terrible storm. Crowds of
waiting passengers fiocked about them,
and they told the grewsome story over
and over.
Seems LIKE AN AWFUL DREAM"
"Yes, we were fortunate" said Mrs.
Prutsman, as she leaned wearily back
in rocking chair and tenderly contem-
plated the two children at her side. at
seems to me just like an awful dream.
and when I think of the hundreds and
hundreds of children who were killed
right before our very eyes, feel as
though I always ought to be satisfied
no matter what comes.'
Mr.. Prutsman said:
"The reports from Galveston are not
half as appalling as the situation really
is. We left the fated city Wednesday
afternoon, going by boat to Texas City,
and by rail to Houston. The condition
Of Galveston at that time, while show
ing an Improvement, was awful ami
never shall I forget the terrible scenes
that met our eyes as the boat on which
we left steamed out Of the harbor. There
were bodies on all sides Of u.s. In come
places they were piled six and seven
deep, and the stencil was horrible.
II reside with my family az 71S 10Th
street. This is fourteen blocks away
from the beach, yet my house was swept
away at 8 p. m. Saturday, and with it
teen minutes before I took my wife and
children to the court house and we were
saved, along with about 1000, others
who sought refuge there. When we
went through the streets the water was
up to our arms and we carried the
children on our heads.
WOMAN SHOT TO END HER SUF-
FERING.
81 assisted for several days in the
work Of rescue. In one pile of debris
we found a woman who seemed to have
escaped the flood, but who was injured
and pinned down so she could not es-
cape. A guard came along, and, after
failing to rescue her, deliberately shot
her to end her misery.
"The streets present a grewsome ap-
pearance. Every available wagon and
vehicle In the city is being used to
| transport the dead, and II is no un-
common thing to see load Of bodies ten
deep. The stencil in the city is nause-
ating. Since the flood the only water
that could be used for drinking purposes
was in cisterns, and 1t has become
tainted with the slime and filth that
covers the city until it is little better
| than no water at all.
"Since the city was placed under mar
| tial law conditions have been much bet
ter and there is little lawlessness. The
| soldiers have shown no quarter and
have orders to shoot on sight. This has
had a wonderful effect on the disrepu-
table characters who have ffocked into
| tie city.
SAW FOUR MEN SHOT.
Everybody who remains in Calves
ton is made to work, and the punish
ment for refusal is about the same as
that meted out to ghouls. I saw four
colored men shot in one day. There
were confined in hold Of a steamer in
the harbor six colored men who were
found by the soldiers with flour sack
almost filled with fingers and ears on
which were Jewels. These men prob
ably have been publicly executed be-
| fore this time.
| "In the work of rescue we found whole
families tied together with ropes. and
in several instances mothers had their
babes clasped in their arms.
"Scores of unfortunates struggled into
Houston every day and their condition
Is pitiable. Several have lost their
reason. The citizens of Houston are
doing all in their power to meet the de-
mands of the sufferers and every
available building in the city has been
converted into a hospital. When we
arrived in Houston we scarcely had
clothes enough to cover us and the
citizens fitted us out and started us
north. The fear of fever or some awful
plague drove us from Galveston.
Already spectators are fiocking in
to the city, and there is some activity
among them over taxtitle real estate.
In several instances whole families were
wiped out OF existence, and the oppOr-
tunitiee in this line seem to be great"