The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-10-25

with both them and the wreckage,
Heaven only knows. Scattered all
along the way, and for miles along the
beach. are mounds of earth, indicating
graves in each of which several bodies
were placed to await future burial. If
you care to get out and walk bit,
prudently holding your nose, you come
across relics of former homes at every
step. | counted the remains of nine
teen sewing-machines within the space
of half a block; several pianos, chill
dren's hobby-horses, desks and trunks,
now rifled of their contents, shreds of
lace curtains and splintered furniture.
People hereabout are not eating any
fish in these days. unless brought from
distant waters-for obvious reasons.
Old seamen say that never within the
memory of man have sharks been seen
SO close to shore. Having Toasted upon
thousands of human corpses, consigned
to the waves for burial, they have
grown bold and eager. On the journey
here we were compelled to wait "a hours
in Texas City, on the mainland, oppo-
site Galveston island, for transporta-
ton across the Bay. A training ship,
anchored in the harbor, fioated it's flag
at half mast. Inquiring the reason, we
were told told that cadet, taking his
customary morning bath, had been
snapped up by shark. Looking close
ly, one might see the shallow water
everywhere disturbed by great fins and
the long, lean bodies of those assassins
of the ocean, waiting for the next
barge-load of corpses.
That night in Texas was one to be re-
| membered. The once fiourishing town
of five or six hundred houses was en-
tirely swept away-nothing left to indi-
cate former habitation but heaps of
bricks and splintered wood and sodden
bales of cotton scattered over the plain.
A railroad man remarked. ''That pile
of kindling- wood over there was my
home" 81 hope you lost no relatives, -
said. Every one, madame; eleven in
all. I alone am left because l was off
on my train" was the reply.
\ regiment Of soldiers patrolled the
beach, to keep people from going to
Galveston and prevent stampede on
the boats plying to and fro. The relief
train of the Philadelphia North Amer
can, unable to get further with it's sup
plies, had set up field-hospital in tents
for refugees from Galveston; and a
salvation Army corps, encamped close
by, were also doing good work i'll the
same direction. To these good men
and women we owe debt of gratitude
Not a house within fifty miles, nor a
mouthful of food otherwise obtainable
= they brought us supper, breakfast
and dinner of coffee and canned-b beef
sandwiches. Thus comforted, we chunk
ed for the night in the shabby day
coach, without even pillow. But we
were far better off than thousands OF
others have been, who waited here fol-
days on the open prairie, consumed witt
anxiety concerning the fate of loveC
ones i'll GalveSton-and then perhaps
were turned back by the soldiers. The
train was held at Texas City until the
coming of the boat, as special cour
tesy to Miss Barton, that she might
have shelter during the night Soldiers
were set to guard it: and all night long
two stood, muskets on shoulders, at
each end of the car, while others tramp
| ed to and fro before the windows. A
! laWless element had been abroad, rob
bing even the dead, and there was
danger in the supposition that the REQ
Cross might be bringing money to Gal
veston's relief. OF course, sleep was
out of the question. The over-arching
sky seemed unusually full Of stars, OF
greater brilliancy than ever seen in the
North, and the great dipper hung low
on the horizon-for only just across the
Gulf it disappears altogether, you
know, to give place to the Southern
Cross. Myriads of big, bright fre-hies
like balls of yellow flame, fitted rest
lessly over the earth-perhaps the dis
embodied souls of those who had homes
and families here only one week before
searching for their scattered treasures
On all sides fires were burning; we
counted upward of twenty-and eacl
was cremation of human bodies anC
ruined homes. Over in Galveston
across the six-mile stretch of water
| flames mounted to the heavens, as il
whole streets were burning. Later il
the morning a strange odor drew atten
ton to fresh pile, few rods away
around the horseshoe bend of the
beach. In it were being burned thirty
bodies, found since day break. A young
physician of the Philadelphia Relief
told us that walking along shore on the
previous day, he came upon the bodies
of two little girls, apparently about
three and five years old, lying close to-
gether, and near them was satchel
packed with little clothes. What was
the story of this folsom Of the flood,