River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-09-20
THE STRICKEN CITY.
Estimates of Dead at Galveston
Vary from 5000 to 5000.

Vary from 5000 to 5000.
by the storm VIII Reach s4O,-
OOO,00O-LiberaI Responses
to Call for Aid.
Galveston, Tex. Sept. II. State
Health Officer Blunt left here Sunday
| for Austin, where he will make a re-
port to the governor concerning com
ditions in. Galveston. 1t is said that
/ this statement will estimate the NOR
tally at 5000 souls. DR.. Blunt was in
Galveston several days and made a
thorough investigation of the results
of the storm.
Says Dead Number 5000.
/ Galveston, Tex. Sept. 12.-Mayor
/ Walter c. Jones estimates the number
of dead at 5000, and he is conservative.
| Over 1900 bodies have already been
taken out to sea or buried in trenches.
other hundreds are yet TO be taken
/ from the ruins. These bodies are now
all badly decomposed, and they are be-
/ ing buried in trenches where they are
| found Others are being buried in the
/ debris where this can be done safely.
LooterS Shot.
The remnant of the force of regular
soldiers who were stationed here-ano
| it is a very small remnant-have joined
the police in patrolling the city. Sew
eral persons have already been shot,
/ - = "a A eAidiar ~ Cant Raf.
/ ferty's battery, while patrolling the
beach Tuesday morning ordered man
to desist from footing. The fellow
drew a weapon and the soldier shot
him dead The soldier was attacked
by four other men and he killed all OF
them. He had five cartridges in his
rifle, and each of them found victim.
Other men have also been shot, but
the details are not known nor can the
exact number be ascertained, but 1T is
probable that 25 were killed. Some
Of these were shot for failing to halt
when ordered to do so.
Assistance Badly Needed.
The local relief committee sends out
the following:
Nearby cities are supplying and will
supply sufficient food, clothing etc. for
Immediate needs. Cities further away can
serve us best by sending money. Checks
should be made payable to John Sealy,
chairman of the finance committee. All
supplies should come to W. A. McNlue,
| chairman relief committee. We have $1,000
people to cIothe and feed for many weeks
and TO furnish with household goods. Most
| of these are homeless and the others Will
require money to make their wrecked resi-
dences habitable. From this, the world
need. This committee will from time TO
time report our needs with more particu-
| larity."
Much Vandalism.
Dallas, Tex, Sept. PA horrible
story is told by Dallas citizens who re-
turned Tuesday night from Galveston.
They declare that negroes and many
white persons are hourly committing
the most atrocious acts of vandalism.
j. n. Griswold, division freight agent of
the Gulf. Colorado & Santa Fe. who was
in that city during the storm. and had
a narrow escape from death. said:
Ears and fingers bearing diamonds we're
hacked off with pocket knives and the MEM
bers placed in the pockets of vandals The
bodies of women who wore fine clothes
have been stripped of the last thread and
left to tester in the sun. The residences
jewelry and silver plate stolen. saw ne
gro woman carrying a large basket of sill
verware that was not hers. AT Texas City
| ] saw an OLD man, considerably unoef the
influence of liquor His pocket protruded
Il roll of bills as big as my arm, which ne
claimed to have found on the bay shore.
Upon all hands this horrible work is going
on. The offenders are generally negroes,
although there are some white men who
have demonstrated that they are sufficiently
Of hon ~ ngld ma NH n
pate in these ghoulish deeds. AS soon as
the storm subsidized the negroes stole all the
liquor they could get and beastly drunk.
proceeded with their campaign of vandal-
ism. Troops are needed at once.
Hard to Compute.
Chicago, Sept. 13.-R. G. Love, man
ager of the Galveston News. sent the
following statement at midnight:
"a summary of the conditions prevailing
at Galveston is more than human intellect
can master. Briefly stated, the damage
to property is anywhere between sl5,00,0OO
and 500, 900, 900. The loss of life cannot be
computed. No lists could be kept and all
is simple guess work. Those thrown out
to sea and buried on the ground wherever
found will reach the horrible total of at
least 1900 souls. Ny estimate of the loss on
the island of the city of Galveston and the
immediate surrounding district is between
1000 and 5000 deaths. 1 do not make this
statement in fright or excitement, The
whole story will never be told, because 1t
cannot be told. The necessities of those liv-
ing are total. Not a single individual es-
capped property loss. The property on the
island is wrecked; fully One-half totally
swept out of existence altogether What
our needs are can be computed by the
world at large by the statement herewith
submitted much better than l can possibly
summarize them. The help must be inn
mediate"
Loss IrreparabIe.
Austin, Tex, Sept. 13.-Col. w. B.
Workman, who has been at Galveston
as the personal represeB tative of Gov.
Sayers to investigate and report on
the true conditions, declares the city
Is wrecked for all time to come and
that rs per cent. of the residence and
business portions is demolished. The
vile odors arising from decomposing
bodies and decayed vegetation render
imminent the danger of a pestilence.
Vandalism is rife, despite the efforts
of the military and citizens commit
tees.
Beyond Recovery.
Galveston. Tex, Sept. 13.-"I fear
Galveston is destroyed beyond it's abil-
ity to recover" is the manner in which
Quartermaster Baxter has concluded
his report to his headquarters at
Washington. He recommends the
continuance of his Office only long
enough to recover the office safes and
close up accounts, and declares all gov
eminent works are wrecked so restora-
ton is impossible.
Damage VIII Reach $4O,OOO,OOO.
Houston, Tex, Sept. t4.-Estimates
of the property damage due to the
storm and flood iii Texas, based ON in
formation supplied by Gov. Sayers, the
managers of railway, telegraph and tel
ephone companies, cattle men. cotton
men. merchants and others. fix the
total at $4,000 900. The final total
is likely to go above these figures.
Stuper shaken on.
Galveston, Tex, Sept. 15.-The city
has finally lifted its head from be-
meath the weight of woe which has
been pressing down, and from now on
its rehabilitation will be sure, and if
! mouey Is received IL will he rand