Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-09-19

"The situation continues to improve"
is what one is told now when one ap-
plies at any of the various headquart-
ers for information In fact this state
ment is made with gratifying monot-
ony all over the city. The work has
been brought down to business basis
as far as possible and the amount of
system and order displayed in the va
rious departments would furnish cause
for considerable surprise to any one
who might return to Galveston after
an absence of three or four days.
One feature that has caused better
feeling and a more pronounced will
ingness to work is afforded by the fact
that the time" of all the laborers en-
ployed is being kept at headquarters.
The men have been assured Of compen-
sation for their labor and quite natur-
ally, they now go about their unpdeas-
ant tasks with a much better grace than
heretofore.
Then, too, there are not so many 1r-
ritatlng little conflicts of authority as
there have been in the past, when the
progress of the work was in some cases
materially hindered by petty demon
STATIONS of personal feeling. A thor
ough investigation reveals the fact that
every department is as well organized
as is possible under the circumstances
and that every one is harmonious.
This is eminently as it should be.
Supplies and Money
are now pouring in from all over the
country. 1t is stated that at least
seven figures are needed to express the
amount of cash so far received. This
is being used judiciously, and the good
effects of the presence of such a RELIEF
fund in the city are already becoming
apparent.
The State militia companies which
have been stationed here have been do
ing splendid work, and many Of the
men are now of the belief that they
should now be allowed to return TO
their homes and troops sent from other
parts of the State to fill their places.
They have seen hard and almost con-
tinuous duty, and it would really be
the proper thing to do if the matter OF
transportation does not stand IN the
way, to to let them return and send
others to replace them.
Reluctantly one is forced to the opln-
ion that the number of dead, which had
been placed at 5000, is too low, and
that the number will go as high as 5000
and possibly above that. Every one
has tried to be as conservative as
possible in making estimates, both as
to the losses of life and property, but
in view of all the features of this part
of the situation to be seen now 1t is
not possible to reiterate the former
estimate of 5000. Judge Morgan Mann
stated to-day that in his opinion the
list would go as high as 1000. The ex-
act number, of course, will never be
definitely known. One can only hope
that these larger estimates will prove
too high and that at least part OF the
horror of the work of the storm Will
not be so strongly in evidence.
There Are No Developments
which would lead to the belief that
the estimate of property oss of S22,-
100000 is too high While one occa-
sionally finds a bushes man whose
property has not suffered greatly, it
must be stated that the class is hope
lessly in the minority and that large
losses are the rule.
ne peOpiS dI6 DtCOluIuS IlOlC NAcCi-
full every day, and it is more than re-
markable to observe the composure ex-
hibited by some of them under the ter
rible circumstances. The individual
has been lost in the community's grief
and On every hand may be seen cases
of people who have lost their all doing
everything in their power. to comfort a
neighbor, who, perhaps, has not been
so unfortunate. Everybody seems to be
doing all there is to do toward ulti-
mate rehabilitation and the determine
ton to build a city which will be big
ger and broader in every way than the
one which has been destroyed, appears
to be general
The people are still leaving the city
in considerable numbers, but the relief
work locally has now been gotten down
to such a fine point that it is likely that
there will be a marked dimunition of
the exodus during the next two or
three days.
The Fears of an Epidemic
have been allayed by the presence and
the distribution of medicines and dis
infectants, and therefore a feature
which would undoubtedly have had the
effect of causing many to seek suceor
elsewhere, has been eliminated from
the situation.