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“Governor Sayres received upward of 1000 telegrams during the day from parties in the East and West offering assistance to the flood sufferers at Galveston, and from various portions of the State reporting the collection of money and supplies. During the day Governor Sayres estimated that the receipts in money from collections in Texas would amount to $15,000, though from reports a great deal of money has been sent direct to Galveston instead of coming through the Governor, and the amount may be much larger than that stated.

“Quite a number of Eastern newspapers are wiring the Governor offering to establish themselves as bureaus for relief funds if desired and asking what they can do to relieve the situation. A telegram from New York informed the Governor that two relief trains of supplies had left New York for Galveston. The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce wires that it will send any relief desired that it can give. Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis and several other points did likewise.”

Acting Secretary Meiklejohn of the War Department at Washington authorized the chartering of a special train from St. Louis to carry quartermaster’s and commissary supplies to the relief of the destitute at Galveston.

The following telegram was received:

“Galveston, Texas, Sept. 9, 1900.—Quartermaster General, Washington. I report terrific cyclone with an eleven foot tide. All improvements, temporary buildings, property and stores at both Jacinto and Crockett destroyed and swept clean.

“BAXTER, Quartermaster.”

A second telegram followed:

“Galveston, Texas, Sept. 11, 1900.—Referring to my telegram of yesterday, via Houston, I urgently recommend that fair compensation be made to contractors for their losses, and that they be relieved of their contracts. If fortifications are rebuilt at or near their present sites I urgently recommend that quarters for troops be purchased and built on higher ground in the city, centrally located. Wharves destroyed; all railroad bridges swept away and building operations of any nature cannot be resumed under six weeks or two months.”