The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-11
But Orphans Are Few, for the Little
Ones Were Weak and Helpless, and
Many Perished in the Flood.
NARROW ESCAPE OF LITTLE ONES
WHOSE PARENTS WE'RE LOST.
Demand for Children for Adoption
Exceeds Supp1y-Chrfstmas Cheer
for Children of Sufferers.
,orresnondenoe Of the -Indianapolis journal.

Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal.
GALVESTON, Tex, Nov. 5.-Unthinking
people entertain the idea that after any
great calamity in which a large number of
lives were lost many orphans must be left
without homes. A moments reflection viii
convince you that this cannot be-for would
not the smallest and weakest naturally be
first to go? When wild pillows from five
to twenty-five feet high surged over this
island, sweeping fathers and mothers to
their death, what chance had the children?
A few did escape, almost miraculously,
while one or both their parents were lost;
and all of these are being well cared for
by the Red Cross. 1t is a new department,
not provided for in the treaty of Geneva,
and in this instance is not intended to be
permanent-only until suitable homes can
be provided for the children, or Galveston's
wrecked orphanages repaired. One entire
floor of the big, beautiful white stone build
ing which the city devoted to Red Cross
uses was Immediately given up to the chill
dren, and in it every storm wait was COM
fortably. housed.
Before the food Galveston's various asy-
lums were full, and Of these all the children
saved were Immediately conveyed to Dali
las. The largest o~rphanage was st. Mary's
(Jesuit), down on the beach, a mile or two
from town. OF it's ninety-two children only
three escaped. OF the beautiful buildings,
which had sheltered generations of little
ones, nothing remained after that awful
night of Sept. S but an empty waste of wet
sand, with here and there strips of black
rchac ond hl,ta urorEinO anrnDe fnftprinP
from the trees. Eighty-two small babies
were found scattered along the beach, and
three living boys were perched in a tree,
the weakest having been tied to a branch
by his companions. OF the ten good sisters
and several servants seven were found.
scattered miles apart, and buried where
they lay. One sister had nine of the baby
orphans tied to her body with her cincture,
and others had one or two clasped in their
arms. Sister Elizabeth was at market
when the storm began, and might easily
nave saved herself, but she insisted on re-
turning TO her post of ~duty-and, as Ii
proved, TO her Death. The water was then
rising so rapidly thatsshe had to go home
ON horseback, and for the last mile or
more the horse was forced to swim. The
heroism displayed by these pious women
is a fair sample of hundreds of similar
cases. The friends of st. Mary's find con-
ISOLATION in the fact that the day of the
storm was the feast of Our Lady's Nativi-
ty, and all the sisters had that morning
| received holy communion. The Ursuline
Convent Jared almost as badly. Two hun
| dred and twenty-six bodies have since been
discovered on its grounds, and doubtless
| there are many more in the debris piled
around it-in some places higher than the
second-story windows. Weeks after the
| catastrophe the corpses of two well-dressed
ladies were drawn from the convent ~cistern,
and were burned, being d~ecomposed beyond
recognition.
WAITS FROM THE STORM.
Veritable storm orphans have been few
for reasons above mentioned, and most OF
them had one parent left-usually the
father, the strongest member of the fam
ily. All came to us frightened and shy as
wild birds ousted from the nest-hungry,
dirty and in generally ~dilapidated condi-
ton; and it is good to see how wonder
fully they improve under love and care
Soon as arrived the first thing admins
tered is a square meal" then a warm
bath and a suit of clothes
Happily the sorrows of children are easily
assuaged. and when self-respect is restored
confidence and good manners are of rapic
| growth. Depend upon it, there is no mis-,
J sionary work in the world quite so efficient
as a full stomach and clean clothes.
This odd orphanage-of course under Miss
Barton's control-was first administered BY
Mr.. Herbert w. Lewis, of Washington
formerly superintendent Of charities in the
District of Columbia, who is one of the
most distinguished workers i'm his line In
the country. Beds and furniture were
loaned by the wrecked Protestant Orphan
Asylum of Galveston, General Scurry pro,
vided teams and workmen for the moving
and in a days time the great. gloomy room.
Of the old bank building began TO take
on an air of home, sweet home. AS ths
family increased Miss Spratlin, of Kansas
was put in charge as matron. This young
woman is the agent of the ladies of To.
peka, who sent her here with a considerable
sum of money and instructions to fall into
line in any work Miss Barton might direct
At the beginning of the Spanish war sh.
was a Red Cross nurse in India and lef1
that field to help our boys In the Philip
pines. She came home with Funston t
assist in establishing a refuge for sailors
and soldiers at Manila TO be called ths
Clara Barton Home.
DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY.
Later the force was joined by Mr.. Rober
L. Neil, Of the Children's Aid Society. o.
New York, his mission being to seek on
orphan children and provide them will
suitable homes. His greatest trouble is fl
finding orphans enough to fill the hundreds
of homes that are offered-a magnifcen'
encomium on the generosity of the Amer
lean people. Indeed. so great is the numbel
Of letters asking for children to adopt tina
Mr.. Neil has been compelled to get out q
printed circular explaining the scarcity o.
orphans. Miss Barton also receives a grea
many letters In the same line-mostly o.
the impractical sort-demanding childrer
of unexceptionable pedigree. whose parents
are both dead. and even specifying thu
color Of eyes and hair required. as if or
phans were manufactured to order.
The first child to come under Red Gross
protection in Galveston was Louis Tan
busch. a sturdy little man about two and
half years old. ~out-Dutching the Dutch II
appearance. but jabbering a queer mixtur
of French. Italian. German and English