The age-herald., 1900-09-16
Late Estimate Places Loss of
 Life in the City at 1000.
IN THE ENTITE STATE AT 4,000
Other Estimates Place the Total Figures at OOO-Bodies Are Being Burned and the Streets
 Cleared of Debris

Galveston, Texas, September 15.-Every hour brings Galveston nearer to normal conditions, and the improvement of each day shows decided gain over that of the preceding. It will be weeks and possibly months before the city will be In good run ming shape, but matters are fast rounding into a condition which, compared to the existing chaos in the early part of the week, Is comfort and happiness.
 The great need of the city at present Is money, not subscriptions but cold, hard cash It Is needed in every direction and for a multitude of purposes The most impor- tant of these is to pay the men who are cleaning up the streets. Adjutant-G General Scurry said today:
 T have not dollar to pay the men who are working in the streets all day long. I am not able to say to a single one of these men, You shall be paid for your work" I have not the money to make good the promise. hope and believe the country will understand the situation. We must have this city clean and up at any cost, and with the greatest speed possible. If 1t is not done with all haste, and at the same time done well, there may be a pestience, and If it once breaks out here 1t will not be Galveston alone that will suffer. Such things spread, and 1t Is not only for the sake of this city, but for others outside of this place, that urge that above all things we want money.
 The nation has been most kind in its re- sponse to the appeal of Galveston, but from what I hear food and disinfectants sufficient for temporary purposes at least are here or on the way.
 '"The country does not understand-it can not understand unless 1t could visit Gal weston - the awful Restitution prevailing there. Of all the poor people here not one has anything. majority of them could not furnish single room in which to commence housekeeping, even though they had the money to rebuild the room. These people have absolutely nothing ex- cept what is given them by the relief com mittee. They are in a condition of abso- lute want; they lack everything, and save for the splendid generosity of the nation they would be utterly without hope"
 Water TurnedO On
 The city water, which was turned on yesterday for a short time, was on again this morning in full force, and will remain so from on. The water works, never badly damaged, have been put into con dition that affords abundant supply of good water on every hand. The mains were thoroughly flushed this morning, and for several hours the hydrants were allowed to play into the gutters, the effect being one of great improvement. Ever since the storm there has been mass of dark, foul- smelling slime over parts of all the streets, and its presence menace to public health as long as it allowed to exist This has now been almost entirely cleared away, and the intense odor that filled the city during the early part of the week has in consequence been greatly reduced.
 The work of burning bodies is still going on they being hurried to the fires as soon as possible after being taken from the water. All of last night and all of today there have been numerous great fires along the shores, and in every one of them there were from three to twenty bodies. There is no longer the slightest attempt al identi- fcation. No effort is made to ascertain whether the body is that of white or colored person. All of them have been so long in the water under blazing sun that it would be exceedingly difficult to de- termine the identity of any body unless by the clothing, and in most cases the bodies are entirely destitute of garments Pull them out of the water as soon as seen and throw them in the flames as soon as taken from the water, is the order, and it is most effectually carried out.
 The residents of Galveston are of the opinion that there are more dead than the outsiders coming in are generally willing to admit. It is beyond all possibility that any actual count will ever be had, but the best evidence obtainable, and allowing for those bodies which have been cast up by the waters after being once thrown into the Gulf and twice counted, and great numbers that were carried out to sea and will never be heard of, total list of the dead cannot be far from 5000 and is under that figure rather than over it. The people of Galveston say that they know that 1t will amount to anywhere between 5,000 and 10000, and the estimates are for the most part in the neghborhood of the larger figure.
 General McKibben's Estimate
 General McKibbon gives the estimate of 1000 in the city of Galveston alone. All up and down the coast there has been loss of life that will not be learned of for weeks and months, If ever. The total num- ber of dead from the storm in this State cannot be far from four thousand
 Adjutant General Schurry is most ca- pable and efficient officer, has succeeded in placing the gangs of laboring men into something like order and the work of cleaning up the city Is progressing upon a much more systematic manner than at any time heretofore. The results are conse- quently greater. For three days he has struggled in addition to the other manifold duties that have been thrust upon him with the task of getting the laborers to work according to some previously determ- ined plan and he has at last succeeded.
 Forage for the horses is badly needed. There have been tons and car loads of sup plies received from all parts of the country for the suffering residents of Galveston.