Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-06-19
The Supposed Petrifaction

erence to the supposed case of petrefao
ton, recently reported to have occurred
in Rutland. After giving the account
contained in the Herald-which was
copied by most of the journals Of the
country, our own among the number
ne goes on to say:
1t is quite common to see statements
like this in newspapers. True rs regards
preservation, but carrying false i'm
preston as to the cause. We think, in
justice to the reading community, the
above should be corrected and such cor
rection will stand good in all other
cases.
For more than fifty years the COM
bined efforts of scientists have failed to
find the least portion of the soft parts
of any warm-blooded animal that has
been petrified. Our reasoning powers
teach us to believe that man would be
the last in that class to petriiy, as his
flesh most readily passes into decompo-
sition. Mr.. Dyer was not petrifed.
His weight was not greater than il
was when buried The boards of the
box would be watersoaked, and the clay
might find its way inside of it, and also
increase its weight, yet the above state,
ment is doubtless double the actual weight
of all. As regards the appearance OF
the body it was doubtless correct, only il
was not of stone, and it is in no state of
petrefaction. From this exposure it will
soon decompose.
To substantiate the above statement /
will speak of few cases which / have
investigated. When the bodies were re-
moved from the old burying ground at
st. Johnsbury to make room for the
courthouse, Mr.. Trescott noted as the
first mail carrier in this section, was
found preserved and pronounced petri-
fed. Hon. A. G. Chadwick, then editor
of the Caledonian, made sufficient ex-
animation to satisfy himself, and pub.
lished statement about it in his paper.
| wrote him the improbable nature of
the case, and he replied that it was true,
substantiating his statement by the sworn
statements of two respected citizens of
st. Johnsbury. They testified that their
examination was very thorough, and
that they were unable to dent or break
the body with their shovels or hammer,
stating that it gave ringing sound when
struck like cast iron. This testimony
would have convicted in any of our
courts, yet upon the second disinterment
it was found to be incorrect. Many of
the citizens of St. Johnsbury were pres
ent at the second examination and all
there know that the body was simply in
good state of preservation.
| will now pass five other examina-
tions made under the same undoubted
testimony Gin one case at least twenty
men examined the body, and were all
ready to swear it was stone, and yet it
was only preservation), to one that |
have recently investigated, where the
testimony was of such nature that it
was indisputable, until the second ex-
animation made Cat Brandon) last week,
by Prof. j. III. Huntington of Hanover,
DR.. Dyer and Hon. A. w. Goss of
Brandon, and myself, settled the ques.
ton thatall the witnesses were mistaken,
and that no petrifaction existed.
But you ask what was the testimony
1t was first from Mr.. j. Thomas, sexton
at Pittsford, who disinterred the body,
but found it in perfect form, though the
coffin and grave clothes we're all gone,
1t having been buried about twelve years.
He procured help, and then, as be states.
drilled two holes each side of the neck.
putting in iron dogs, to which rope
was attached. In this way the body was
raised on end, box slipped under it,
and it was removed to the new cemetery.
The men assisting certify to the same,
and Rev. Mr.. Carpenter, Baptist cler-
gyman, was also present and pronounced
the same true. The drilling was thought
to be into stone, and all were ready to
thus substantiate yet it was only state
of preservation as before spoken of, and
the drilling done could only have been
into this preserved flesh, which was no
harder than tallow, unless it progressed
into bone. Thus it is with all cases. the
preservation is simply from change of
flesh to adipocere.
That this may be more fully under
stood, | will state that adipocere is
waxy substance of light cream color
into which the fat and muscular fiber of
dead animals are sometimes converted,
by long immersion in water, or by burial
in mois. places, in early spring or in wet
seasons.
This substance was first discovered
and described in 1887, and decays in a
few hours upon exposure fo the atmoa-