Susan, I wonder if it was a deliberate move to ship some of your plants dry. Plants that prefer drier conditions might rot if shipped in an enclosed box with moist roots. This time of year, on a normal year, the plants would be traveling in warmer conditions, and that's the perfect environment for plants to die quickly from rot.
Dry plants can be revived quickly, but it is difficult to save a plant that is overwatered and shut up in the dark for 3 days.
