The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-02

carried away In tanning cOnuiuOu ny nei non'
strange circumstance attended the
RE0o6NITIoN or BRIDGET h'0RATH.
e 8S rcs she IN the
ing scapular around her neck, and this she never
parted with night or day: BY Il she was recog :
ciinging to her neck. When the mothers eye
Voice. ''That's my daughter. Oh, Bridget Bridgetl'
The son OF the oil woman also recognized the
Sc By her SON an to
sible condition, and every eye was m0stened look
ing at her slferings The policemen, used as they
moved, and some Of them almost wept.
Three bodies had now been ident Margaret
and Mary Donoho and Bridget McGratb. Alexander
II. Bell, brother OF the two sisters Of that name
soon after came In, accompanied by his wife, He
soon picked out the body OF his eldest sister, Char
lotte. she was also Identified through fragments
OF clothing, and IN addition by her size, as
she was the tallest OF any OF the girls
q hoop skirt clInging to the burned bones, and
her sister-in-law by this means was enabled 10
TX her Identity. No one expected when the
be known by their friends, but the fortunate cir
cumstances OF the fragments OF clothing and the
they had all been Identified the station house was
cleared OF all but the relatives and reporters VINO
were "a asordea every facility Sy CAPTAIN Kennedy
duties.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE BODIES.
The bodies lay on the boards IN h the following vim,
Bridget McGrath, Charlotte Ben, Mary Donoho
and Margaret Bell The first body was fTightful TO
look upon, as were the others. The recent horror
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel Is exceeded by this
latest one in many details The bodies OF the VIC
figured that two Of them could not be recognized,
but they preserved some shape and had not
been crushed by falling floors and wallis Those who
persisted In the Centre street fire were sufIOcated
burned and bruised. For Six days they 10y buried
beneath tons OF stone and rubbish, snow and Ice.
It is not wonderful, then. that they should be SO
dsfgured From the manner in which they lay In
the runs 1t Is evident that they were attempting
rs easily f saSe a% nS
sea ama fa'n the SIDE fea the nsm ave%ns
remained to them. TO this they rushed, got partly
down 1t, cnging to each ether, when deaening
way. The walls give way. the staircase falls and
the unfortunate girls are precipitated into the
blazing ruins to meet with the most awful death
that the human mind can imagine. This theory
that the girs were in cluster when the disaster
occurred is borne out by the appearance OF the
remains ana the portion OF the ruins IN which they
TIE FIRST BODY.
Both legs had been burned OF below the knee.
and only portions OF the arms remained. The flesh
was in most cases burned to crisp, and when
touched by the hand portions Of it would crumple
the action OF the flames, and the breast and
shoulders had lost oil appearance OF hu-
ssu mad See away 'oe
one SIDE leaving cavity within. The face
was brought to level with the neck the nose ana
mouth could not be distinguished, but where the
eyes were two vacant ana CHASTITY holes exposed
themselves. The backbone and part OF the thigh
bones were visible, white and glisterinn In fearful
contrast to the backness Of the other portions OF
the remains. The. mesh was taken clean OF the
SSSSs fo Ass i @sH e q , SnS vi q xsIn
the body was identified were probably caused by the
unfortunate girl falling upon them, ana which
tons OF bones were attached to the runs, and
these were also white and bare.
THE SECOND BODY.
The second body that OF Bridget McGrath.
II there could have been any degrees OF suffering
in deaths SO tragic and dreadful Bridget was
soldier in the British army during the
Indian mutiny, and who witnessed the fearful
atrocities perpetrated ny the SepOys upon men,
women and children, tolu the HERALD reporter
yesterday that he had never in all his experience
figured as those of Bridget McGrath. both legs
we're, like those Of Margaret DOnohO, gone but, IN
the case Of the second girl they had been mutt
with the exception Of some bones had
disappeared; the shoulders were burned of,
tie head was Suffered into pieces, aud every
portion OF the breast aud sides was burned anu
shattered. The scapuar remained on the neck.
Were It not SO Bridget McCrath would have been
her poor mother nearly lost her reason when
brought into contact with the remains Of her
were satidened ana shock cd beyond measure by tie
contemplation OF the fearful sight.
The next body in the order in which they lay
was thai OF Ellen Bell. From the. appearance Of
the remains the girl must have been, while living,
female OF q powerful frame. Even in death--and
death awfui-there were some few tokens TO de-
note this. She must have, before dying, made des-
perate struggle. The right arm is raised above the
head, as II The unfortunate woman had, while in her
death ia attempted to clutch at something to bear
her mp The portion OF the lett arm which remained
was frightened into her waist, and 10 this position
she lay when found IN the ruins by the working
men. Like her companions, the lower limbs were
rtv fnftfn fhnGn
OF Margaret DOnOhO and Bridget Mccrath The
bones burned bare as those OF the others, and
back bortio% of The head had been reduced
to ashes by the fierce DANES, but some slight traces
of the face could be discerned. The nose, OF part
Of il, was not entirely taken of, and part oil the
chin still remained. The whole appearance OF the
body, however suggested he idea that before the
girl had been thrown into the seathing furnace Of
name she had made one last effort for lie, but IL,
alas proved futile. and she was hurried to her
dreadful end.
THE FOURTH BODY.
Perhaps the most affecting sight OF all was that
OF the remains OF the young girl, Mar. DOnoho.
Mary was only fourteen years old, and was just
emerging from childhood into wOmanhOOd when
death overlook her and she was taken from earth
to heaven She was OF slight frame and medium
sSds n enough mSa 81 ae SaVe TO ngs o
agony before death mercifnlly lnterposed AMI took
hcP. Her two knees were frightened and contracted
80 much that they were drawn up almost to her
chin. The feet we're burned of, and the hand OF
one arm. The right arm was tightly casped
around Der neck, anu the 0tner arm was thrown
out as " she had attempted to fold her sister. to
whom she was tcnderiy attached, in q last en-
brace. The skull was entire, but was charrcd and
blackeDed. The hair had disappeared, the nose
was gone, and the place where the mouth had been
could not be seen. The teeth had dropped out,
the chin was cut or and the bones we're
exposed III the back and shoulders Mary was her
mothers tavOrite child. The beloved daughter OF
q widowed mother summoned to her nnal account
while the notes Of Christmas preparations ana the
sounds Of JOY and gladncss could everywhere be
heard aud seen in the great city, is calamity
and the touching words Of the patriarch OF old
were verified by Mrs. DOn0h0 when she said her
gray hairs would 60 down In sorrow TO the grave.
THE FIFTH BODY
:, Thc NTH body, the last which had been
found lay in the quilt In which II had been
carried in TO the station house. 10 was
that of Margaret Bell. As with the other
hOdIes Ii w as with flia nd n ING