New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-12
FROM MoRGuE TO PoTTERs FIELD.
how TIE CITY BURIES IFS NAMELEss DEAD in TIERS
AND HIDES THEM IN PIT

now rHE CITY BURIRs ITS NAMELEss DEAD IN TIERS
AND HIDES THEM IN PIT
When an unknown body is found In this
city OF In the euCirclng waters II is taken speedily 10
she Morgue and accurate description OF IL ana the
clothing preserved. This system Of record was Dor
,owed from the French. but proved to be incomplete
Spasmuch az many who persisted wore the same kind
Of clothing were nearly Of the age and had eyes
and hair OF the same color. Warden Brennan adopted
few years ago plan Of photographng the bodies with
The clothing worn when found This photograph, with
description written at the back has often furnished
clue 70 identity of the dead. After the pictures
taken the bodies placed on slabs and left TOR IN
,reetion as long as is considered safe TO allow them
io remain unbured There nearly one hundred pho
tographs now Ia the eXhbitiOncase at the MOrgue
After post mortem examination before coroner, the
bodies are the deadhOuse and placed IN shell
a. piue coffin and II they are not recognized before
permit received from the Board OF Health they are
buried as unknown dead.
The deadhouse at Bellevue Is "A frame structure re
sembng inclOed she'd az the Eastern end OF which.
stretching into the East River is wooden pier, at
siboI eide Of which the deadboat" can steam along,
90 a. to take on board MS ghasty freight When the
reporter visited the deadhouse, there found piled
w on either side number Of collins made Of pinewOod
and ooIorcd Orics-red Some Of these collins
empty while others had Tracked on the upper end card
tearing The name nativity and the place whence
they been brought, for instance the Charity
Hospital the Lunac Asylum In one OF these collins
lsy l. mother who had died in the Charity Hospital
Wine giving birth a stillborn child The infant lay
IL its mothers arms and although the colin rude
and The ehoud coarse the faces pleasant TO
zee One Of the pine collins ornamented with sill
vered mails; knsman who had been so unfortunate as
a. in the hospital had been recognized by friends.
md they wished to bury TIE remains in of the
tones Ten other coins waiting for the deadboat
which was to carry them TO the Potter's Field In
corner Of the building upon another, 20 little
cofns each containing the ashes OF child. Some of
these little had been brought from the Founding
Hospital where they had starved TO death for want OF
natural nourishment while others were the victims OF
street perils accidents at home. All were waiting
Sor the Hsrts Island boat.
About 10 a. m. the small propeller, Fidelity, steamed
vi ~ the pier, and the brckcOored eOtns for which
permits had been obtained placed on the forward
Deck The card head OF each coffin gave no infOr
NATION as 10 the cause Of death. but the burial permits
DID None OF the dead apparently had friends in the
world, and the city had TO dig their graves. Urah A.
Maoney the Charon OF the deadb boat and when he
had gwen the signal the voyage begun. After STOP
TaDs a moment at Of the landing places at Black
weirs Island, the Fidelity steamed onward TO Wards
leland, where more ghastly freight awaited IT. Three
reoooored pine collins covered with black cloth 10
DC removed 20 Harris Island. Three emgrants, one
from Ireland another from Sweden and the third from
Germany, had sought home in America, only to
Iyuted Oh the lids OF their cofins and white Latin
eross indicated that one OF them Roman Catholic
gang Of convicts at work the landing, but
none them seemed to be touched by the removal Of
tBeomans OF these strangers aud those who handled the
sonus shipped the cargo 'loDgshOremen at the
wbaryes would snip grain. They used to the
Work. A. the little craft cut her way through fields OF
grating ice, the captain dryy remarked he had mt
much OF load; he used think that his trade was
soInBer one, but he did mind II, although he
often had many 70 o. bodies board, especially
~ summer time.
The per on Harris Island the bodies were landed
uudcr the direction Of the Warden, Lawrence Dunphy
aud we're piled upon another, so as 10 take up
.fle room as possible until black covered wagon was
sent Down IoI theu and they were taken " the office
where the number OF the turldl permit was cut into
each ,Ofa lld by means OF lumDer-scrlbe" AS the
card and painted name Will soon decay, this mark
suppos,d 10 be as durable the comm but this Is
"a; ing much, for dampness OF the ground and the
deCOiG position II the BODY VIII soon cause the CONN "
sWCl Durst asuuder, as II s only heId togetheF by
few nails
Tue collins are now ready for the trench Those
marked With the taken 10 the ground which
has beeu cunseorated by the ROI1an Catholic priests
situated the northern side Ot the buTlalgrOuDc;
Uhc the Others carried 20 that part conSecrated by
tc Protestant clergy Ia these nnds pits or trenches
aedug o. feet long Il feet wide and feet deep Here
The collins laid side by side in three rows the
.aLces tween being hied by the comns OF chdfeu
mia he "hvle bottom l.cOyered. Then layer or eaTh
thrown ~ aud smOOthed over after which another
ileT oi collins s lad ia the same manner aud also
cred linrd l0utth, hith OF sixth tier may thus be
laid, proyldug there l. depth enough the pit,
the Tart TIER i within distance OF
TIE pit IL COsc ANA IT'S limits staked. 30 rapidly
follow jDterinehts ia succession that 1t becomes
necessary second trench before the first is half
1,I hut distance is observed Of feet between the
walls OF each french, 10 prevent the possibility Of
bodies after burial through tue walls Of An
0IsD trench accidentally eayDe ID No religious service
orally that sueh services are carried
le Losuais b. The ehaplDs Immediately after death.