Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-24
WORK OF RED CROSS
Portrayal of Some Scenes in Water
Swept Galveston.
EXPERIENCES OF MR.. HERBERT LEWIS
Pathetic Incidents Which Came
Under His Observation.
THE DEVASTATION WROUGHT

The Red Cross Society will, it is under
stood, have a mass meeting in the near fu-
ture which the public will be invited to at
tend, and when report will be made OF
the work done by the organization under
the supervision of Miss Clara Barton, sub
sequent to the terrible disaster at Calves
ton, Tex, in September last, and which
work has just been closed up
There is a feeling in the minds of many
persons that the great public has not been
made fully aware of the vast amount of
good which accomplished in the de-
vastated district by the Red Cross, and, as
has been frequently stated by the people
benefited it was beyond all praise.
To Mr.. Herbert w. Lewis. formerly SUI
perntendent of charities of the District OF
Columbia, however, belongs the credit of
having instituted a plan of relief which, 1t
is believed, will soon put large part of
the people of Texas whose property was
devastated by the great September flood in
self-supporting position.
Mr.. Lewis returned to his home near this
city few days ago after having spent
more than three months in Galveston and
at the request of Miss Clara Barton, presi-
dent of the Red Cross Society, made
tour of the devastated section. He found
the country entirely without anything upon
which domestic animals could live and
work. The prairie grass in the coast cOun-
try was of a poor quality, and in his judg
ment will barely serve to carry through
the winter native horses and cattle. Mr..
Lewis further learned that there are no
stores of corn or wheat or vegetables or
fruits in the hands of farmers upon which
the people can subsist until new crop can
be grown. Nearly all of the smaller do
nestle animals, such as poultry, sheep and
pigs, were killed in the hurricane, and men
ne ( rjc OF in
of work, leaving their families in a very
destitute condition and dependent upon sup
plies still sent out from Houston as relief.
Strawberry Culture Encouraged.
In conversation with residents of the sec
ton Mr. Lewis reached the conclusion that
the soil and climate are peculiarly adapted
to the successful cultivation of strawber-
ries. and wherever this industry has been
started with fair degree of skill it has
yielded large returns. The strawberry
plants We're all dead
Mr.. Lewis suggested to Miss BARTON that
II these farmers were furnished with plants
the expense to be borne out of funds in
possession of the Red Cross Society they
could much sooner be placed beyond actual
want. as the plants would begin bearing In
March next. Until some such course was
adopted, he informed Miss Barton, 1t would
De necessary TO continue to extend charita-
bic relief to large number of persons for
an indefinite period. The suggestion was
approved and 1.I7O,O0O plants were distrib-
uted many of which were in. bloom when
Mr.. Lewis started on his return home.
Never while life lasts will i forget
said Mr. Lewis to a Star reporter, 1.-The hor-
rible sights which We daily encountered for
weeks succeeding the storm which swept
over Galveston. September 8 last As the
Red Cross party approached the stricken
city few days later the first objects which
met our gaze were immense columns of
smoke which came from the cremation of
bodies of persons who had been killed by the
storm and which aggregated, it is now con-
ceded by the residents of Galveston. more
than 10000 in number