Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-12
DIsPOsING OF THE DEAD.
Seven Hundred Bodies Dumped Into
the Sea.

GALVESTON, Tex, September II, via
yacht Stella, to Houston, September IL
The citizens of Galveston are straining every
nerve to clear the ground and secure
from beneath the debris the bodies of hu-
man beings and animals and to get rid of
them. 1t Is task of great magnitude and
is attended with untold difficulties. There
is a shortage of horses to haul the dead,
and there Is shortage of willing hands to
perform the gruesome work. Yesterday
morning ii became apparent that 1t would
be impossible to bury the dead even in
trenches, and arrangements were made to
take them u sea. BargeS and tugs were
quickly maJa ready for the purpose, but 1t
was difficult to get men to do the work.
The city's hremen worked hard In bringing
bodies to the wharf, but outside of them
there were few who helped. Soldiers and
policemen were accordingly sent out, and
every able-bodied man they found was
marched to the wharf front. The men were
worked in relays. and were supplied with
Stimulants to nerve them for the task. AT
nightfall three barge loads. containing
about 100 human bodies, had been sent to
sea. where they We're sunk with weights.
Darkness compelled suspension of the work
until morning. Toward night great diff
Guilty was experienced in handling the
bodies of negroes. which are badly decom-
posed. No effort was made after 8 o'clock
yesterday morning TO place the bodies in
ative that the dead should be gotten to sea
as soon as possible. Many of the bodies
taken out are unidentified. They are placed
on the barges quickly as possible, and
lists are made while the bargeS are being
towed to sea.
Dead Animals Sent Out, Too.
A large number of dead animals were
hauled to the bay and dumped in to be car
ried to sea by the tides.
hlrp nd five Un rlp1
all day yesterday and last night in uncov-
ering the machinery of the water works
from the debris 1t is hoped that it will be
possible to turn the water for a while
today, and it is planned to set fire to the
debris and cremate the bodies buried under
1t.
Mayor Jones has given very full scope to
Chief OF Police Ketchum and j. II. Hawley
chairman of the committee on public safety,
to swear in citizens as officers. Picket lines
have been established around tthe large
stores and guards placed on duty. Soldiers
and police are instructed to shoou any one
caught looting or attempting to loot.
As the work Of collecting the bodies pro-
ceeds. it becomes apparent that the death
list Will run much higher than was at first
supposed. Conservative estimates place the
number of dead in the city at 5000. Re-
ports are that the mainland, Galveston Is
land and Bolivar peninsula are bestreWn
with dead.
A relief train from Houston, with 25O men
on board and two car loads of provisions
came down over the Galveston. Houston
and Northern railroad yesterday to point
about five miles from Virginia Point. 1t
was impossible for them to get the pro-
visions or any considerable number Of the
men TO Galveston, so they turned their at
tentlon to burying the dead lying around
the mainland country. There is no fresh
water famine here, the pipes from the
supply wells are running at the receiving
tanks 1t is difficult however, to get 1t to
parts of the city where 1t is needed.
Col L. j. Polk, general manager Of the
Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe railroad stat
ed that all of the bridges across Galveston
bay are gone, nothing remaining but the
piles. He said it would take ten days or
two weeks to restore rail communication to
Galveston. provided work can be instituted
at once from the mainland.