Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-09-12
THE DEATH LIST GROWS
Mayor of Galveston Says 1t
Exceeds Five Thousand.
GRAPHIC STORY OF CONDITIONS.
Over Twenty-Five Hundred Bodies
Buried or Carried Ont to Sea-Loot-
ing and AssauIt-PoIice, Soldiers
and Fircmen Hard ut Work.

the following from Galveston:
Galveston is almost wiped off the
earth. Fifteen thousand persons are
homeless. The loss of life will reach
into the thousands. Bodies are piled ev-
erywhere.
From Thirteenth street east to the
gulf there are few houses standing. The
end Of the island is obliterated. Every
house in town, big, little. public or pri-
vate, is more or less damaged.
"A thousand small craft lay wrecked
on the shore. A big vessel is ashore north
of Pelican island, two others near Texas
City, one against the railroad bridge and
one at Deer island A sloop is stranded
in u hallway in the center of the city at
its highest level. Another is berthed in
a stable near the fremont hotel.
The hurricane lasted from o'clock
in the evening Of Saturday until half
past l o'clock Sunday morning. Be
tween g and 8 o'clock nothing could be
seen from the island but an unbroken
circle of sea. 1t looked for all the world
as though Galveston would be swallowed
in the terrible embrace of a monster
eyclonic hurricane.
Angry currents of the deep were seen
in torment, lashing the wharfs and
pouring into the streets. The wind
howled and scrceched and shrieked maxi
ing an uncanny furore that sent fear into
the hearts of the brayest.
Driven to Refuge on Rats.
'There were no electric lights, and the
town was shrouded in darkness. Men
hid i'll their homes or groped their way
here and there in the streets and breath
lessly watched in the distance the tiger
leap of each mountain wave.
Streets were deserted an hour after
the storm struck the city. When the
more lightly built houses began to sway
later and it became dangerous to stay
within, some people came into the streets
again.
Men tied their wives and children to
them with ropes and stood out in the
open, lodging flying timbers and the ele-
ments rather than chance being crushed
to death within doors.
"The streets rapidly became flooded
Shutters and doors were cut down in
many instances with axes and used as
rafts. The medley of cries and shrieks
of the women and children and even of
stout hearted men was weird.
"Fiercer and louder howed the wind
and greater became the food Men were
drowned in sight of each other. The
heavens grew darker and darker. The
waters swirled, the breakers could be
heard roaring in the streets, and the rain
came down In torrents.
Fierce Waves Bent Down Houses.
"Men and women stood on RATS and
prayed. Some were seen to succumb
and fall lifeless into the waters.
THE combers lashed up by the gale
were fierce in their death dealing power
Houses bordering the ocean and bay
front could be heard crashing to destruc-
ton, the cries of the dying mingling with
the weird screech of the gale. Almost
through a ghastly night this scene lived
on, but at last a hiatus occurred and
parting clouds permitted a ray of moon
light to irradiate the tormented sea and
seething island.
when daylight broke over the ex-
panse of floating bodies, rubbish Heaps
and ruins, all that remained of the pros
porous city, a few leading citizens as
sembled in several feet of water at a
street corner and called a meeting at
fremont hall, to which they adjourned.
Triumviratc Declares Martial Law.
"A committee of public safety of u
leading citizens was formed, and Colonel
j. Ii. Hawley, one of the best known
men in Texas, was made chairman. lie,
Mayor Walter c. Jones and Chief of
Police Edward ketchum formed tri-
umvirate, with absolute power, and de-
clared the city under martial law.
"They issued a commission to Major
L. Il. ID. Fayling, which read:
BY the authority invested in me as
chairman of the committee of public
safety of the city of Galveston, |, j. II.
Hawley, chairman, do hereby commission
L. II. ID. Fayling as commander in chief
of all military forces and special depu-
ties of police with the rank of major
and only subject to the orders of the un-
dersigned, the mayor and the chief of po-
lice.
major Fayling is hereby authorized
to requisition any men or property he
may require for his force, and his re-
ccipt will be honored by the city of Gal
weston and any such property paid for
by the city
Horde Robs Dead and Dying.
"As soon as Major Fayling received
his authority he collected a handful OF
half naked, barefooted soldiers, clothed
them, supplied them with food and put
ward Rogers. Around this nucleus of a
force he has built up to meet the ncces-
sites of the situation his present force
of three full companies of volunteer sol
diers and a troop of cavalry
"a horde of negroes and whites-even
white women-were in the ruins Of the
city. They were robbng the dead and
dying, killing these who resisted, cut
ting off fingers to obtain rings and ears
to obtain earrings. Drunken men reeled
about the streets intimidating citizens.
"Chef of Police Ketchum ordered the
sale of liquor stopped and began to swear
in hundreds of special policemen to res
cue the wounded, feed the living and con-
vey the dead to a hundred different
morgues. He worked for 36 hours with
out going home to inquire about his fam
ily's fate, which was in doubt.
"When told he should do so, he replied
characteristically, God will be good to
me and mine, for / am going to be good
to others
"The dead, mangled and crushed be-
d.