The New York herald., 1870-07-31
THE C1TVS DEAD.
In the Morgue, at Twenty-sixth
Street, North River.
How Suicides Those Who Die by Violence Sun
stroke or Epidemic are Exposed to view-The
Iutermsnt Of the Unknown Men," Their
Photographs and the Means of Identi-
fcation - Inside of the Public
Coffin - Every Man Entitled
to Decent Burial and
Marked Grave.

Coffin - Every Man Entitled
to Decent Burial and
a Marked Grave.
New York is q great cosmopolitan city, growing
constantly In population both by birth and emiSra-
tiOn; but there m0rtuary roll, well dccimating
It's Inhabitants and bringing thousands to their
graves In the natural order OF affairs men die by
disease and violence; but death that suDervenes
from self-lmposed innctions-rrom polsons, drink,
drowning and stranguation by the cord, make up
long annual list for this city.
Society can never stay the hand Of the suicide and
It has never tried But it is the duty Of the authori
ties to care for those laid low by their rash act as
well as for those who, without friends or relations
murdered, sunstruck, or by accident or epidemic
translated to their long Sleep In view OF such
public necessity
THE MoRGUE,
or dead house. at Bellevue Hospital, foot OF
Twenty-sixth street, East river, was organized
by the Commissioners Of Charities and Correction
and duly opened on June 20, 1885, 1t was humane
provision, necessary for the sanitary welfare OF this
vast population and imitation OF the institutions
existing In the large capitals Of Europe The MOrgue
is therefore, the dead house OF this island where all
who die OF any form OF maady or violence can be
mains may be recovered by anxious friends or rcla.
tlves. No bodies Of persons who are surrounded by
families or acquantances at the time Of their decease
are admitted, nor would any person desire to have
tho remains Of friend exposed at the Morgue.
Thus. 1t will be perceived there Is wise and valu
able provision made to care for those who are un-
known In their lifeess clay.
1t Is. perhaps, one Of the saddest phases
OF metropolitan life that unknown men arc
expiring hour by hour in this metropolis
when all that they have on earth In the nesh Is
many hundreds OF miles away.
New York. like Chicago San Francisco, Melbourne
and Sidney has MOB to be the resort of adven
turers. In England, Germany Denmark, Franco and
ireland. and, In fine. all the European States exag-
gerated stories circulated about the rapid means
OF acquiring fortune In New York; the wealth and
enterprise In the CITY, short race Of the poor
man before he 0vertakes the rich In luxury and
ai1uence.
like these. sown broadcast among the peasant peo-
pies Of The Old World, produce their effect. They
swell immigration, they make America the goal of
every man. the nope Of every boy. No matter how ex
travsgant the details may be- these tales are eagerly
devoured, and the dark, unwholesome side is never
told. Emigrants thus become straggers. In their
own lands accustomed to work by an easy going and
pioddng Industry, they find In the New World per-
picking toll, disappointments and daily chagrin.
They become tradesmen-a crisis brings them
to bankruptcy; they are mechanics-polltical in.
nuence makes their skill worthless; they are gen.
tlemen born-a hard and grinding fate reduces them
TO scanty and ignoble poverty. This is the story
oNen OF the seeker OF o manly competency In this
city. Distracted and despairing they hope, till they
dare hope no longer; blue and reckless they live q
a Qvvh Ila in forh III
cipation, they invite gloomy end-thelr finale Is
death by their own hands.
HOW many OF these cases, the ultimate form OF
AN INCURABLE HYPOCHoNDRIA,
or the 1ercest type Of q rash, bold and determined
are imported to these shores
1t Is thus that self-slaughter swells the public
mortality, and 1t is thus that not q few romantic
lives are terminated at the Morgue In Twenty-sixth
street. 1t might be SAID that within this structure Is
the end OF almost every unknown man.. 1t is the cor
nm OF European and American provincial dead, who,
in the struggle for existence slain and forgotten
and passed by the crowd. Thus mere the curtain
falls on dramatic and eventful life; 1t is here that
the once rich and always poor are exposed on the
same marble slab to the vulgar gaze, and buried
together III the same
PoTTERs FIELD
1t is impossible visit the Morgue and not be i'm.
is that cold pale and rigid form lying PROSTATE and
for recognitionthe eyes closed the face
SET firmly as by pain, damp and dewy ready for the
grave, about to be sealed up In the ground,
with none to know the last Perhaps he
who was once It's life started out young,
full Of youth. hope and buoyancy, seeking
IN his maturer years for o happiness he
could not find, and usefulness that
spurned his aid. Perhaps be wearied from place to
place, living In cities among thrOngs and noises un-
successful, irresolute and an intellectual wreck
Gaining nothing by time, lbut losing all BY an III
starred destiny. he went on sinking into pitfalls
. marble slab OF the Morgue. The brief story Of
many men who have been distilled through this
dead house to their dnal soul might be told dis
tain OF cruel reverses These men fall into their
graves nothing marked save perishab.e card in
there is little doubt tSa Sa e ao1
and mothers having lost husbands or children could
nnd traces OF them through this benefcent nstitu-
tion. All over this broad Union live thousands
upon thousands OF families who now mourn |
the loss Of disappeared" relative. He
", went TO New York to buy goods; he took room at
tle AstOr House; he went out In the evening ana
spent night in folly perhaps was robbed at the gam
ing table OF forced INTO an unpleasant notoriety by
descent on house of il-fame and to cover up his
shame or financial ruin he
PLUNGES INTO THE RIVER.
:, ,a, Inis Is not overdrawn. Lifelong residents Of
~ New ork do not commit suicide and people bred |
IN this community know too well its utter rutillty
roregners however. are prone to expedite their |
own aeath, Germans especially. BY nature deeply
,Inag,amve ra ana wildly speculative people, cases
nIe M knoWn wnere Teutonic suicides have declared |
to be heroic and the cheapcning Of
human lie as subject at the disposal of every man
!or himself This freedom In and arbitrary dispOsi-
tlon OF such grave matter undoubtedly accoi,nts |
Tor the large mortality among .'unknown men.1 |
Aside from cases OF Jel0 de So the Mornnc ia |
for the reception OF sunstruck naficnts
men Killed by disaster or any mysterious aeency
Let us look at
THE EDIPICE
and Its interior regulations about all OF which everv
resident OF America cannot but have an intense m
terest. Foot OF Twentysxth street and North river
are the Old granite buildings OF the Bellevue Hos
pi,al ~, They are gray, worn with age ana somewhat
nnapldated. fronting on Twenty-sixth street. on |
Inc river, with doorway opening to the waIk. over
which, In white letters. Is painted w.
THE MORGUE.