The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-29

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The first persons drawn out were burning. but they
passed directly through the stream or water, and
the flames which were devouring them
tinguisned some OF the poor creatures tell
PAINTING on the long hight OF wooden steps leading
down 10 the street, and u few were able TO walk,
though with considerable enort. BY this time the
entire Fire Department had arrived, and they
worked with sucn energy and Will that when the
| lire was cxtnguisned the charred wooden walls OF
the structure were standing. They were pulled
down by the hook and Ladder men IN order that
search for the bodies might be made. only q very
few moments, comparatively elapsed after the
water struck the building before the fire was out,
but
THE DESTRUCTION TO LlFg
during that brief period OF time was terrible.
Some sprung from the gallery windows and were
seriously injured, and one person appeared at a
window completely wrapped in flames, and after
totterng there an instant, Tell to the ground dead
and unrecognizable. Hundreds or men went TO
work as soon as the oppol tunty offered to search
Tor the bodies, and force or police was organized
to keep back the large crowd which had gathered
The work OF
ExTRIcATNG THE BODIES
was SAD indeed, and the greater number or Them
were found in the fatal entryway, burned, some
! or them TO O crisp. The body or one woman was
found in the seat she had occupied her clothing
entirely burned OF. neshy woman. weighing
some 1870 pounds was dragged screaming nom
the mass. she was carried short distance from
the church and placed on the grass while the
flesh actually peeled or her back In moment
she fell over dead.
To-day has bsen chiefly occupied in preparing
the bodies for burial, and most OF them will prob
ably be committed to the earth tomorrow.
PUBLIC FUNERAL
will be held at ten O'Clock in the morning inside
the nalf finished brick church which was soon 10
replace the one destroyed, and Immediately there
| afrer the charred remains will be conveyed TO the
cemetery for interment. The central morgue or
charnel selected Tor the cofining OF the unfortu-
nate victims was the basement or Park street
schoolhouse, and the twenty-seven which were
first conveyed to q boarding house alter
ward removed thither, swelling the number In
the basement to nfty-one. Besides these there
were some twenty bodies recognized by niends
/ and conveyed home.
THE SCENES IN THE scHooLHoUsR
| basement all night and during this forenoon were
slckening and narrowing. Stumps OF limbs,
burned to a crisp. protruded from under the
sheets. and as the lace cloth was lifted from the
4 heads the SCARED and blackened remains were
| disclosed. In some instances the features were
1 distortet, as though extreme agony mad been suf
\ ierred before death ensucd but many looked
! calm, as though smothered yet they all were
plackened with smoke. Some were burned beyond
the possibility OF Identification, nothing remaining
except the trunk OF the body. The bodies were
| placed In rows. each covered with winding
! sheet, and many OF them nothing but CHASTITY,
blackened skeletons AS early as seven O'Clock
| in the morning between two and three thousand
| people had gathered outside the nigh picket fence
when surrounds the school building, anxiously
| awaiting the time when they might be admitted
| to search among the dead for their missing
/ friends.
HEARTRENDNG SCENES
were being constantly enacted at the gateway,
which was guarded By squad or police. Mothers
clasped their hands and begged the officers, with
tears streaming do wn cheeks. TO be permitted
to 60 in and look Tor their children;
fathers asked TREMENDOUSLY 20 be ad-
mitted, that they might Identify, II possible,
| their sons; wives desired TO search for their hus
bands; husbands Tor wives, and here and there
brother was inquIrlng II the officers knew whether
his sisters were there The sternest of1cials gave
/ way invou tarily 70 their emotions at times aud
| when the gates were opened so That few per-
4 sons coulo be admitted At time. they could not
resist the pathetic sSDerls made 70 them. and each
4 delegation OF people admitted was twice as large
4 rs they intended 1t should have been. Eagerly
the friends passed along from one body 10 another
! in the long blackened rows, hope struggling with
| fear for the mastery for . lew moments, ana then
/ a waillng CRY, O half smotnered groan
/ or q piercing shrek told too plainly
\ that some had found tneIr dead Occasionally one
OF the searchers would pause before black aud
shapeless mass almost sure, yet not certain, that
\ this was all that remained OF the relative whom
\ he sought-perhaps a wife or motner-attracted
by slight resemblance In form or features, yet 50
| trininQ as not to be depended upon for purposes
/ OF Identification. The agony OF the searehers In
\ these cases was most intense, and they would
finally depart, not knowing whether TO claim the
/ body as that OF their kindred or not. Many
! strong man cried aloud as ne saw all that was lett
i or a beloved form, black and crisped IN death.
! From many or the bodies the flesh OF the
/ head, neck and limbs had been entirely burned.
| aud the bones were charred to cinders. Occasion
! ally might DO seen q woman hurryng from corpse
10 corpse to ind ner husband, the look OF agony
1 increasing as each uncovered face proved not to
be the one sought TIL at last she recognized her
own by some scrap or clothing familiar article.
/ and the piercing wall OF anguish that followed
/ would melt every benolder. As fast the re-
| mans were identified q ticket bearing the name
and age was pinned upon them and the friends
passed out to allow others 10 come In. Perhaps
the
MOST souL~HARRowING SIGHT
i or this distressing occasion was the recognition
BY Paul letter OF the crsped body or his wife,
/ Louise Jetef HIS left arm hung useless stump,
/ and MS lace was swatned in cloths and fearluy
bllstered. He looked like a corpse In It's shroud
as, supported By men, he was held over the only
unidentified body, aud anew IL must be bis wife.
But bits OF clothing were shown him and other
4 things upon tue body, and suddenly CLEAN OF
/ recognition lighted up his blstered face, and he
was sure It was she. An ofncer remarked, as he
removed the sheet from Oh the scorcnsd and
plackened face Of q young gir;. which stiil bore
traces OF great beauty
i "rhat was the preLtlest girl In the city DON'T
/ know her name, but have often seen her going
4 to and from her work.
| shrek interrupted nis remarks, and the girls
mother, VINO had moved up unooserved ana had
I Just obtained glimpse OF the lace over tue on
| GERS shoulder. ned nalf frantic rom the room
and ran weeping 10 her home
Tnrougn the crowd around the schcolnouss