Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-18
WAS IN GALVESTON.
John M. Murray Visited Stricken
City.
SAW WORKMEN CREMATE BODIES.
Talked With Herbert Brown, Formerly
OF ottumwa, Who First Gave the
News of the Ruin and DesoIation to
the Outside World.

John M. Murray returned Saturday
evening from a business trip thru the
south, which included visit to Hous-
ton and Galveston, Texas, the places
that suffered most from the effects of
the recent cyclone.
The resulting loss of life and de-
struction of property in the latter place
appalled, the world and caused it to
quickly come to the rescue until now
the relief fund is over one million dol
lars.
Mr.. Murray was in Galveston Septem-
DER 70 and says that the scene was be-
yond the power of language to de-
scribe. He had been in Galveston
prior to the storm and could draw in
tell1gent comparisons, but the thing
that struck him most was the wide
area In which not a building of any
character was left. This portion was
on the Gulf side OF the island on which
Galveston is located and it is estimat-
ed that prior to the calamity 10000
people resided there. When it is con-
sidered lAat the last census gave the
city population of $4,000. it will be
understood what it means in Calves
ton. Wreckage filled the streets
clearing away the debris and were
nndlng decomposed corpses at the rate
OF from twenty to twenty-five each day.
Mr.. Murray saw the workmen take two
bodies from the wreckage as uncon-
cernedly as If they had never been
human beings. A search of the cloth.
ing would be made for papers and valu-
ables and an inventory taken A
m a M 1.1y RI Il l.
probable age, the heighth, color of the
halr, and such other matters as might
prove the identity of the dead person,
should inquiry subsequently be made.
MI. Murray saw the workmen place
one OF the bodies on door, carry it
out to the beach, and take the second
and treat it likewise. One corpse was
placed above the other, the whole
heaped up with debris and saturated
with kerosene, after which the match
was applied.
Mr.. Murray saw graves in the
streets. He saw gulf and ocean going
craft piled up on the beach. He saw
nothing of the million dollar wagon
bridge that connected the island with
the mainland. Upon the mainland he
saw box cars miles from the bay, and
brought back with him picture of a
government dredge boat calmly resting
in field long distance from navigable
water. He saw that the shore line of the
Gulf Of Mexico had encroached into
the city nearly two books and the spot
once occupied by a huge hotel is now
Tapped by waves of salt water.
Mr.. Murray said he was told of a
man that was dug out of the debris
alive, after having been imprisoned for
nineteen days without either food or
water. This man was taken to the
hospital and when Mr.. Murray left
Galveston it was thought the man had
fair chance to live.
Mr.. Murray told of other incidents
and of the large number of people who
had lost their reason. One woman
laughingly said she had lost her hus-
band but had saved the baby, but her
countenance told her hearers that she
did not realize what she had said
Mr.. Murray saw Herbert Brown, who
fifteen or twenty years ago conducted a
society paper in this city. Prior to
the storm Mr.. Brown was the publish
er of paper in Galveston and was do
ing a good business. Now everything
he possessed was gone but he was not
, without hope. Newspaper supply
houses have offered him material aud
machinery in almost any quantity and
on any kind of terms. He has also been
offered good positions but has refused
and says he has cast his lot with the
Galveston people and intends to stay
with them.
Mr.. Murray says Houston people
suffered loss of over million dol
lars, but they are saying nothing of it,
the calamity that has befallen their
sister city being SO appalling that their
loss sinks into insignificance and they
are bending every energy to the relief
of the stricken CITY.