El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-14
WENT THROUGH THE STORM
Graphic Story BY Passenger From
Galveston


John A. Rookfellow, of Tombston e
Ariz., civit engineer, u. S. deputy
mineral surveyor and official surveyor
for Cochise county, passed through
this city with his family this morning
over the S. P. on their way home from
New York. His family went to New
| York in April and he followed 10 July.
They came from New York to Calves.
ton on the Mallory line steamer Com 81
aud arrived at Galveston Monday
mUrn!ng. He Gays they encour tered
q pretty severe storm of the Florida
Keys between Cape Hatteras and Key
Wesl but from there on they had fine
weather. They had heard nothing OF
the disaster at Galveston and when no
boat came out from there to meet
their ship they we're Indignant. bot It
did not take long to see that there wss
something wrong.
First they noticed that the light ship
we're submerged, and the general bare
ness of the coast was noticed. Then tie
dead bodies were seen floating by and
the debris of the wrecked structures
that we're such a common eight to the
passengers on incoming steamers to
Galveston could be seen.
"Imagine our surprise IL you csp,"
said Mr.. Rockfellow, when the fret
kno Wedge any of Us had of the awful
disaster was the sights that met our
eyes as We approached The island. L shall
never forget the sight that the hum
dreds OF floating, swollen bodies pre-
sentei. We estimated the amount that
we saw from the boat to be fully two
hundred.
There isn't q house intact and hund-
reds OF them are completely demolish.
ed. The trees are all down and the
city is one great mass of debris. The
estimate that five Thousand are drown
ed is not bit too large. Hundreds are
yet under she debris, many of whom
can be seen but eau not bs gotten out
yet.
~ saw cart load after cart load OF
bodies being hauled to The gulf for
burial. They we're just thrown In
and piled up like so much rubbish
aud it was . sight that had to be seen
to be realized 10 its Rhastliness. We
we're there forty. eight hours, the NAL
lory line people extending to US the
privilege OF remaining on board until
they could provide means for US to
get away, and before We left they had
quit trying to take the decom p osing
bodies to the sea but were piling
debris upon them and burning them
where they lay.
IA way was opened up to Texas City
Wednesday morning and email
steamer took Us to that place, from
where We we're taken over the hastily
patched up rail- lwsy to Houston. There
were nine cara In the traio we we're on
and they we're packed full of people
like eardines in q box and there we're
several such train loads taken out of
Galveston, for those who escaped
death are anxious to get away from
the sickening sights and stenches of
the place.
Don't tell it In your paper like I
have told It," said he. after further
"for 1t is too awful, too
awful. l am . conservative man, but
| want to tell you sha. there has been
no report published that is exaggerat-
ed in the e,st. There is no la agusge |
adequate to give true idea of the !
situation in the stricken city"
While Mr.. K ockfellow was talking |
his little girl came up and said, "The |
dead people jist' came up oil around |
:he boat - and MIR. Rockfellow said
The sight has even made An impress
sion upon my children thar they will |