The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-12
GATHERING UP TIE DEAD.


| tUlS evening III TeSpOISS 10 lut Gail loi aau
for the sufferers. A large part of the com
tributioDs are from New York and Eastern
cities. Many cars of food supplies and
clothing have been contributed and are ar
irving at the end of the railroad on the
mainland where they are conveyed in wag-
ons to the coast, and thence by boat to
Galveston.
Thousands of dollars are being raised in
Texas towns for the sufferers. This money
is being expended for food supplies. Adju
tant General Thomas Scurry, who has
reached Galveston, says in telegram to
the Governor that there are over Is, 600 des-
titute and homeless people in that city
and the immediate need of aid is urgent.
1 The extent and character of the calamity
! which has befallen the people of Galveston
| is SO great and overwhelming that losses
of life and property and distress that exist
at other smaller towns that were in the
track of the hurricane have been lost sight
of, momentarily at least.
There are probably seventy-fve villages
and towns that were swept by the storm,
and from most of these places loss of life
| is reported. 1t is estimated that the loss
of life, exclusive of the death list of the
island of Galveston and the city of CAL
weston, is at least 800. Towns have been
wiped out of existence and many deaths
are reported. The storm was over 200
miles wide and extended as far inland as
| Temple, distance of over 200 miles from
the gulf.
The velocity of the wind throughout this
| ta,-,f ff,..r
experienced. 1t was not a steady blow,
but it came in gusts and seemed to have
| cyclonic movement which wrenched roofs
off brick buildings and twisted trees from
their trunks. There would be a severe
! gust OF wind lasting few seconds and
, then a lull for few seconds. This kept
~ for about twenty-four hours. and few
| buildings, no matter how substantially
| constructed, were able to withstand it.
The cotton crop in the lower counties in
Texas is completely ruined. The same is
true of the rice crop.
The distress is felt by the planters and
small farmers throughout the storm swept
region. In Brazoria and other counties of
that section there is hardly a plantation
| building left standing. All fences are also
| gone and the devastation is complete
Aany large and expensive sugar refineries
are wrecked. The negro cabins were blown
down and many negroes were killed On a.
plantation short distance from the town
of Angleton three families of negroes
were killed. The death list Of that town
| alone numbered fifteen persons.
| Thomas Forton, of Fort Bend County.
arrived here this evening" He says that
| the villages OF NeeGville and Beasley in
that county have been completely destroy
| ed an6 over twenty people killed. most Of
| the bodies having already been recovered
when he left. Every house in that part of
the country was destroyed and there is
! great suffering among the homeless people,
There also is much destruction in Rich
mono, in that county. which was one of the
most prosperous towns in south Texas Ii
was almost totally destroyed
! The State authorities have received news
| from various plantations. Every building on
several plantations has been blown down.
Over score OF people have been killed
| and injured. The cane crop is also de-
| stroyed in that section. Several people
were killed in the town OF Angleton in
the neighborhood of Angeton FIVE per-
sons were killed.
1t is expected that the loss of life in
| that immediate section will exceed the
estimates given in the earlier reports The
search continues at Seabrook. and a num-
ber of bodies were recovered today. II is
known that the total number of drowned
and killed there will reach fifty and prob
ably more, Se2brook was a favorite sum
mer resort and many guests were out on
pleasure jaunts when the storm came upon
them. There were many guests in the
houses which were swept away.
II will be some time before a complete
list Of the missing can be made up. many
OF them being killed outright Efforts to
verify rumors of reports of death, prove
that the list of killed is even larger than
at first given cut
A communication received here today
from Velasco, near the mouth of the
Brazos River, says that help is needed
there. Over one-half Of the town was de-
stroyed and several people lost their lives
Reports from the adjacent country say
that many negroes were killed So far as
known no lives were lost at Quintaina and
Suriside, although both places were badly
wrecked, over one-half Of the buildings in
the town of Quintaina being blown down
and destroyed
The town of Matagorda has not been
heard from. Ii is situated on the coast
and must have been in the brunt of the
storm. 1t is reported that several people
were killed in the towns of Caney AID Ell
liott in the same county. Over fifty ne
groes were killed in Wharton County ten
being killed on one plantation near the
town of Wharton. Every house in the
county was destroyed and there is great
destitutiOn, but it is thought the people of
that section are able to cope with the
situation. The town OF Wharton suffered
great less of property. among the build
ings destroyed being the large oil mill.
Bay City suffered a loss of nearly all
of its buildings, and three were killed
there. There are many homeless people
in Missouri City. Every house in the town
except two was destroyed People are iiv-
ing out of doors and are camping on the
wet ground
The above is only a partial list of the
casualties and losses and damage to prop
crty that occurred throughout the belt of
the storm. 1t will be several days before
reports can be had from remote parts Of
the county. Help is needed in many local-
tiles. although no appeals have been made
for assistance. Unless tents and food are
provided there will be a great amount
of sickness from exposure and hunger.
Adiutant General Scurry wired the Gov
ernor that the reports of the loss of life
had not been exaggerated. and that 1000
is too conservative an estimate The Gov
ernor was informed that a telephone had
been established at Virginia Point. oppo-
site Galveston, and messages for the ISL
and and city would be carried across in
boats.
CRoWDING INTO HOUSTON.
Galveston.