The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-12
FOUND DROWNED"
The eeasonT Harvest from the Rivers-0nly
Twelve Recognised Out Of Fifty Carried
to the Dead House-List and Do
scription Of the Bodies from
the Official Record.

busting city. Our streets are 30 thronged by
active millions that small notice Ia taken OF the
hospital ambulance, much like gr0cer's wagon OF
the better sort, with dark curtains screening its
freight, as 1t Is driven rapidly toward First avenue
and Twenty sixth street At the rear sits young
disciple OF Esculapius, dressed in a half military
uniform or blue, the professional guardian OF the
vehicle In front OF him lies the PROSTATE form OF
what was lately an energetic man, q winning
woman or hopeful child. 1t has been lifted care
fully from enc OF the docks, where It was the
centre OF little group OF curious boys anu men,
who for one brief moment glanced at the features
and dress, and, not recognizing the llfeess form,
passed on about their pleasures or their cares
The noble rivers which are our boast as making
for New York the most valuable water front OF any
city on the Atlantic coast, whose wharveS are the
entrepot oil a nations commerce. witness yearly the
death struggles OF hundred OF our brothers and
sisters. who beneath the waves sink as utterly out
OF our knowledge as though they had never walked
the streets with sat by our side at the theatre
or church, bargained with u.s. and with US won
dered at the dark DEGREES Of fate. or fifty bodies
rescued from the water during the last five months
barely twelve have been recognized by friends or
acquaintances. Thirty-eight had none who were
able to mark the place OF their interment or
moisten their graves with tear.
"FoUND DROWNED"
Who were these fifty "COrOners' cases" whose
bodies became the subject OF judicial inquiry at the
Bellevue dead house and a source OF revenue to
the ofncers charged with this sad duty9 They were
mainly men of mature age. Only One-flth part OF
those whose age is ascertained were under twenty
five or over iorty-dve years. Ono was o boy OF
seven; one man Of sixty. The women were
aged from thirty-nve to forty-nve years. One was
q mother; with her was her boy OF seven, the two
tied together and weighted with stones to insure
the full success OF the rash leap by which mater
nifty sought to evade its duties and end its per-
plexities. What histories OF struggle OF disap-
pointment Of thwarted ambitions and crushed
hopes lie buried with the corpses which n0at to
the rivers surface after days or weeks OF sub
mersonl January and February are not harvest
months for the river crop. Perhaps as many
perish IN the water when 1t Is crusted in places
with ice as at other periods At that season the
chill tends to hinder the processes OF decomposition
and the formation Of gases, which at last make
the body lighter than the water and noat It, At
all events the opening Of Spring brings to light
bodies which had lain at the bottom for weeks,
perhaps months. Possibly some who perish in the
river by intent so heavily weight themselves that
their corpses rise, but lie at the bottom of
the river till decomposition is completed.
CASE OF COLLECTOR KING.
In the case of MI. Pres ton King, formerly United
States Senator from this State and later United
States Collector for this port, who tied a bag of
shot around his person, then tightly buttoned his
overcoat over it and threw himself from North
River ferry steamer few years ago, the body re-
manned undiscovered for months and at length
came to the surface the following Summer in a
mutilated condition at south Brooklyn, miles from
the Locality Of the fatal leap
Probably some bodies after once being SUBJ
to sea- and thus never recovered. Thus 1t Is
likely the aggregate OF those who perish in the
river yearly even ven lar eeyona the ghtiu num-
AAong those recovered during this year are no
THE ROUTINE OF BUSINESS
A boy playing about the docks or boatman ply
ing his vocation sees on the surface some dark
nOating object, which may be q log worth saving
for fuel, or some article from which something
saiable may be saved. He watches II from the
pier or rows out to it. Nearing it, he discovers
other token BY which he knows 1t as human
nearest policeman, who at once assists to lit 1t
upon the wharf, covering 1t with some bit OF can
vass, and at once reports at his station house.
The telegraph carries q summons for the amuu.
lance, and IN less time than would be thought
necessary to drive the distance the surgeon, with
hospital dead house, where Is examined, with the
clothing, and an accurate description recorded
crossing seven years, and now reaches above
eleven hundred, few other cases besides drown
ing being included In it, II the body is in its
natural condition 1t Is photographed and laid upon
q white marble slab in the public room behind q
railing. Here may be seen at some times three
four corpses thus exposed TO the scrutiny OF those
who visit the Morgue seek for missing friends or
those whom curiosity alone induces to enter the
the person is carefully scrutnized, to disclose, If
possible, the identity OF the body, and is saved iOr
the examination OF friends In spite Of all efforts
scription, only few out OF the many are ever recOg
nized, and q great majority are buried by the
authorities.
MR.. COuLsoN OF THE HERALD.
Among the few whose remains have lately been
Mr.. Uouson late one Of the REPORTERS Of the
HERALD. In his pockets were number OF cards, a
letter and part OF an envelope, bearing portion Of
who accidentally knew Mr.. Coulson to be missing,
and were the cause OF his recognition and honor
able burial by his many friends, who knew and
loved him as genial gentleman and o promising
ACCIDENT OR SUICIDE
or the numbers who meet death in the river It
can hardly be supposed that most are victims OF
accident: No doubt very considerable proportion
tackled, stunned or killed, and robbed Most Ofthose
described on the books OF Bellevue seem to have
ton Of money recovered. one only had watch.
No other valuables are noticed, except in the case
and woman whose hand bore two rings II Q
man woman accidentally falls from q steamer or
es or s MN Ssf
to Identification. One who seeks the river as q
refuge from wretchedness and woe would 60 with
empty pockets. Most likely the majority OF these
are uniriended ones, whose departure is not spe-
cially missed by any who are at hand to make In
Quiry or to take an interest In their fate.
THE CASES.
Below will be found list OF the "found
drowned" cases recorded OF Bellevue for the first
seven months Of this year. They are designated
on the books by numbers In most cases the age,
as estimated, Is given, with description Of person
and dress. and the spot Is named Al which the
No 1860, February 2s.-Unknown woman, pier 40
North River, aged forty years, brown hair i've feet
three inches brown striped dress with velvet trim
min g, Balmoral skirt, quilted petticoat, check
shawl, white chemise, blue WOODEN stockings laced
shoes.
No. LOST, March l.-Unknown man, pier "a North
River, aged forty years, no hair five feet eight
inches, sandy mustache blue cloth overcOat, velvet
collar, black frock coat and vest striped pants,
white shirt, gray undershirt and drawers, blue
socks, elastic CATERS.
No, 1862, March 1o.-Unknown man, pier 40 East
River, aged iortyfve years, brown hair, I'VE feet