Rock Island Argus., 1900-09-20
.GALVESTON'S RUINS.
Richard Sherwood, of This City,
Tells What He Saw and
Heard While There.
A TALE OF UNTOLD HORRORS
Conditions Prevailing Now-Pa-
thetic CheerfuIness Of the
Inhabitants.

lSudTleSi dNu IAh1I' VIM pdssON
Through the recent storm, returned tt
Rock Island yesterday with yiviC
account of the things he saw there
All the ways of getting into Calves
ton are strictly guarded, he says, ever
persons having relatives in the city
being kept out. Mr.. Sherwood went
in as a hospital nurse on Hearst:
Chicago relief train, and escaped being
pressed into service in recovering
bodies on many occasions only by the
pass he carried.
His brother and wife were both in.
Ijured, the former having an arm and
the latter leg broken. fortunately,
they were among the first to be res
cued and were cared for at a hospital.
They were separated at the time their
| house was swept away and each
| thought the other dead till they met
in the hospital. On the fatal after
noon, as the storm increased in vio-
lence, they had taken refuge in a
neighbours house that they deemed
more safe, and when the water struck
the town Mr.. Sherwood had gone back
to the home for some valuables that
had been left. In attempting to re-
turn he was stopped by the water and
from the house where he took refuge
he saw his own home and the hou se
in which his wife and child were, car
ried away. When the building col
lapsed, Mrs. Sherwood dragged her
self to the roof. sustaining a broken
leg as she did so. About the same
time the baby was struck while in it's
mothers arms, by a falling tim ber
and killed. The mother held to the
body until she was rescued, eight
hours later. When the front of the
building in which Mr.. Sherwood was
was crushed, he jumped out into the
water, and after floating about for 10
hours, was rescued. The other occu-
pants of the building crowded back
when the crash came and IA were
killed.
The experience of the Sherwoods is
no more remarkable than that of
thou lands of others, and they are even
considered remarkably fortunate in
getting off so we'll. Lone of the most
remarkable and at the same time pa
thetic features of the situation that
strikes tie observer, says Mr.. Sher-
wood. ''is the resignation and even
cheerfulness of the people. now that
they have recovered from the first
stunning effects Of the calamity.
Those who have nothing left but
life itself are exceedingly thankful
for it, in view of what they have un-
dergone. and those who are spared
anything at all are more than thank
full. Every one seems bent on COM
pairing his losses with those of some
one less fortunate than himself "
Even the Unborn southern hospitality
of the inhabitants is not stified, and
Mr.. Sherwood, going in as a mere
stranger, was taken in at a private
dwelling and given the best to be
had. The entire community is borne
up by mutual sympathy and the
knowledge that thousands are suffer-
ing together.
Nature of the Storm.
Mr.. Sherwood saws the great dam
age wrought by the storm was mainly |
due to the shifting Of the wind, thus |
carrying the water in a higher wave |
than a straight wind could have done. |
The fret tendency of the wave was 10 |
carry the wreckage out to sea and |
then 1t was taken back. and. in some
cases, far inshore. The residence |
portion, completely demolished. COM
prises strip six miles long. or great
er than the length of Rock Island and
Moline together. and six an eight
blocks wide. Most of the houses were
frame and some were set on piles.
Frame houses stood better than brick
and were less dangerous to the in
mates.
or the people injured by falling
walls and timbers, few survived, al
most all being drowned on account of
there has been little use for the nurses
and hospital supplies that were sent
in at first.
Few outsiders are helping in the
search for bodies and the work of ex-
amining the wreckage is only we'll be-
gun. Paths have been made for
wagons 40 that the bodies may be
taken away in vehicles. All the
negroes and all the whites who can
not show a good excuse, are pressed
into service, and forced to work by the
militia that are scattered over the
town. Men are now being hired at
the rate of 81 a day for eight hours.
The stencil is so fearful that they are
forced to work in 30-minute shifts.
Mr.. Sherwood is inclined to think that
the total loss of life will exceed the
estimates and run close to 10000. {
There are almost as many negroes as
whites in the town and little account
q taken of the bodies of the blacks. 4
spottinE vandaIs
OF the tales of vandalism, one man s
who was 8 guard told of fnding the &
1odv of a woman with diamond rings s
IN her fingers, lying in plain sight. 8
He hid near and waited for thieves.
IN the course of time he killed eight
negroes in the act of taking the rings s
As he shot each one he dragged him e
.way that the next might not take Z