The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-19
Say Burial of Many Victims Yet
UnrepOrted.
MARTIAL LAW IS PROCLAIMED
Dead Officially Reported, 2s4-
Waldo Passengers MarOOned.
Property Damage 20 Millions
Kansas Soldier Injured.


storm district today declared their be-
lief the total dead will reach one thou
sand. Many bodies are known to have
been buried by volunteer workers.
without any record, they said.
Pictures of the storm area, brought
by newspaper photographers, show
terrible destruction in Corpus Christi
Proclaim Martial Law.
Austin, Sept. 19.-The city of Cor
pus Christi and Neuces, San Patricio,
and Aransas counties, which were
swept by this weeks tropical hurri-
cane were placed under martial law
today by proclamation of Gov. w. P
Hobby. The proclamation was issued
upon the advice of acting Adj. Gen.
w. D. Cope, who is in the stricken
territory with about 400 state troops
and who is directed to assume su-
preme control of the situation.
Corpus Christi, Sept. 19.-Censor-
ship of news and private telegraphic
/ dispatches from Corpus Christi went
into effect at noon today when the city
thru proclamation by Gov. w. p.
Hobby. The censors are a civilian
and an army officer.
With q large territory still to
be explored. searchers today re-
doubled their efforts to recover bodies
of persons who lost thier lives in the
gulf hurricane which struck this vi
cinity last Sunday.
Long stretches of the Nueces bay
shore line have not ben visited and
there still is much wreckage in the
city proper to be moved. That and
the fact that so many missing per-
sons still are unheard from, led today
to a still further revision upward of
casualty list estimates.
Bodies Buried Now 2S4.
That dozens of persons who lost
their lives probably never will be
identified was the belief expressed as
reports came in that burial parties
were interring bodies as rapidly as
found, for sanitary reasons. Early to-
day 2S4 bodies had been reported
buried. and of that number only 81
identified. Fifty-seven bodies had
been buried here.
Property damage was conservative
ly estimated today at $50. 900. 900. This
includes crop damage in the stricken
area
Measures for relieving the distress
of the 5000 or 1000 persons made
homeless by the storm were reported
to be progressing satisfactorily today.
Waldo Rescue n Thriller.
What many persons declared would
prove one of the most thrilling Incl
dents of the storm was brought to
light early today when officials an
nounced they had sent a rescue party
to the remnants Of Mustang Island
where eleven persons who were on
board the wrecked launch, Waldo, are
marooned.
The Waldo left here Saturday after
noon for a trip out into the bay and
no word was received from her until
last night when L. NJ. Woodward. of
Houston. a member of the party, ar
rived here with news of his compan-
ions plight. Later aviators brought
in word that they had sighted the
refugees and dropped some food to
them. The aviators also were able to
draw a map giving their exact loca-
| ton.
According to Woodward they
stopped Saturday evening at Corpus
Pass to spend the night at the New
port club. At midnight they were
awakened by the coming of the hur-
ricane.
With the waves rapidly climbing
higher upon the shore, they were
forced to quit the building and seek
higher ground. Finally at the top of
Padre Island they found themselves
surrounded by water.
To Safety on Tent Floor.
Members of the party said their
| farewells and prepared for the COM
| ing of what they thought was certain
death. Just then, a tent floor carried
on the crest of the waves was swept
toward them. Two of the men leaped
into the water and dragged it in.
| Tying the women securely to the
floor the men launched out just as a
deluge of water swept away their late
refuge place.
! For some time the unwieldy craft
was battered about, entirely at the
mercy of the churning waters. Final
| ly 1t was thrown ashore upon what
remained of Mustang Islyand, a plot
hardly more than twenty feet square.
/ Hastily the men scooped out a
refuge in the wet sand into which the
party crawled, laying the raft over
them for roof There they remained
until the coming of dawn Monday.
The waters had subsided somewhat
and from an old fisherman who had
survived the storm they obtained their
first food in thirty hours. Woodward.
by means of a raft fought his way to
the mainland and brought in word
that the party was safe.
Appeals Are Answered.
Responses to appeals for aid were
pouring in from all over the nation
today.
Relief boats which returned from
Aransas Pass, Rockport, Port Aransas
and vicinity early today explained con-
tinuous reportes that emanated from
those towns declaring the storm dead
to be $50. This figure included the
total dead in the Corpus Christi and
Portland vicinities, Il was explained.
Former Mayor Roy Brown again
appealed for outside financial assist
ance today.
Dozens of once prosperous citi-
zens have been rendered absolutely
penniless, many of them literally los
ing even the clothes from their backs, -
he said. Financial assistance is what
these people are going to need worst
particularly the men with families. "
The people have not lost their
courage" Mr.. Brown said. IAN they
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