Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-06
Millions in Docks and Warehouses.


The Southern Pacific Railway Company
has spent more than 50 ,00o, 600 since the
flood in building docks and warehouses al
Galveston, which are claimed to be the
most complete and convenient in the world
better than any in New York Chicago, New
Orleans or those of any of the other ports
of the United States or Europe. The COM
pany has 3,Gt0 feet of frontage on the bay
with thirtytwo feet of water and has
utilized about one-half of it. The docks
and warehouses are arranged so that q
5,G09-ton steamer can discharge its cargo
in twelve hours directly into freight cars,
and there are accommodations for 800 cars
on the docks. All the lifting and moving is
done by electricity. The Southern Pacific
Company is concentrating its shipping in
terests here and is now handling about
40 Geo tons of freight per month to and
from the Pacific coast and the mountain
regions. Cargoes are brought by steamer
from New York and shipped by rail to des-
tination, and vice versa. The rail haul from
San Francisco to Galveston is 300 miles
shorter than to New Orleans, and the sea
voyage, including the Mississippi river. is
about the same.
local company with a capitalization of
So.GW,0C0 owns two and one-haf miles of
water front and double the wharfage accom-
modatons of the Southern Pacific. with
twenty-five miles of track upon the docks
But it is not so modern and the machinery
is old fashioned.
Losses of the Flood.
The loss of life and property by the food
at Galveston will never be accurately
known. The city was submerged so sud
denly and the darkness and the shock
was so terrible that people did not realize
what had happened to them Hundreds of
families were entirely wiped out-fathers,
mothers and oh.ldren-leaving no one to re-
port their loss. The contents of 1000 houses
were swept away by the waters and much
was carried out to sea when the food re-
coded. The population of entire blocks was
drowned. Hence you will realize that 1t
was impossible to make list of the dead
or an accurate estimate of the property de-
stroyed.
1t is quite remarkable that there has been
so little complaint, confusion or complica-
lions concerning the estates of the dead A
committee of citizens which took this mat
ter in charge a few days after the disaster
has Strengthened out and administered a
large number of estates. The only possible
method of settling a personal estate was to
hear the evidence submitted by people
claiming to be heirs of the dead. and upon
that make a search for any property that
might have been saved. Hundreds of set
Elements have been made in this way, but
considerable sums of money deposited in the
Galveston banks have never been claimed
since the food, and as nothing is known
concerning the depositor except his name, it
10 dssuih tHdt ne IS uedu HHu leIl no nelrS
to claim his property. All valuables that
were gathered up from the ruins and debris
were taken charge of by a committee and
delivered to persons who were able to sub
stantiate their claims. considerable
amount of that sort of property was never
called for and still remains in the possession
OF the committee, subject to future DISPOSE
ton.
The real estate which was left without
owners is being gradually sold for delinquent
taxes. and the proceeds go into the city
treasury. list of delinquents is always
published after term of years, and if the
person in whose name the property stands
upon the recorders books does not appear
within reasonable time the lot is sold at
auction.