Trapped in an Arena of Suffering
By Scott Gold, Times Staff Writer

NEW ORLEANS — A 2-year-old girl slept in a pool of urine. Crack vials littered a restroom. Blood stained the walls next to vending machines smashed by teenagers.

The Louisiana Superdome, once a mighty testament to architecture and ingenuity, became the biggest storm shelter in New Orleans the day before Katrina's arrival Monday. About 16,000 people eventually settled in.

By Wednesday, it had degenerated into horror. A few hundred people were evacuated from the arena Wednesday, and buses will take away the vast majority of refugees today.

"We pee on the floor. We are like animals," said Taffany Smith, 25, as she cradled her 3-week-old son, Terry. In her right hand she carried a half-full bottle of formula provided by rescuers. Baby supplies are running low; one mother said she was given two diapers and told to scrape them off when they got dirty and use them again.

At least two people, including a child, have been raped. At least three people have died, including one man who jumped 50 feet to his death, saying he had nothing left to live for.

"They've been through hell and back in that Dome," Mrs McNeil said.

"It's a horrific situation because rapes, murders and stabbings were happening right in front of them."

She said the group had some fresh drinking water left but had not slept and remained scared as violence on the streets escalated to an unprecedented level.

HISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra has announced Houston schools will accept Louisiana students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. For more information, call HISD at 713-892-6699.

Texas Southern University is opening its doors to help bring comfort and relief to college students from Louisiana who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. TSU will admit any student currently enrolled at the institutions affected by the hurricane for the fall 2005 semester. Application fees will be waived and a meeting for interested students will be held on Thursday, September 1, 2005, 10 a.m. to noon in room 243 of Bell Hall. The University will also hire displaced faculty as required. For more information call 713-313-1059 or 713-313-7071.