The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-10-12
Preservation Of Body Buried Thirty.
six Years Ago.

The fact that human bodies cXhumed
from the graves wherein they have re-
posed for period equal to or even sur
passing the life of a generation have occa-
siOnally been found in a marvellous state
of preservation has long been satisfactory
ly established. At the same time, hOwcv-
er, the causes and character of this exemp-
ton of bodies from the common and nat
ural lot of corruption and dissolution are
extremely various. The natural pctrifac-
ton of a bodv-due always to the charac-
ter of the grave oil-has in these days al
most ceased to excite wonder, so many are
the we'll authenticated instances thereof
adduced. Bodies embalmed generally
mummify more or less, the flesh shrivel.
ing upon the bones, until the remains fire.
qucntly assume the appearance Of "a ST ell
cton covered with leather. In some cases
it has been found that the hair Of dead
woman survived the crumblng away of
the remainder of the body, and still chung
to the 1eshless skull in long, heavy mass
1t has been frequently asserted that the
hair of.dcad people continues to grow long
after burial, and the fact that hair pre-
served in the strange manner above re-
scentless dust on being exposed to light
ward frightening that belief.
Complete preservation of human re-
mains without the agency of frost a pc
culiarly dry atmosphere, chemical en-
balming or petrifaction, natural o. arti-
| fetal, is very rare indeed. Instances are
indeed recorded where bodies buried for
upwards of hundred years have been
found seemingly intact on opening the
| tomb, buteven under the eyes of the lockers
on the flesh and features@visibly crunlhed
to ashy dust upon the skeleton. 1t is now
stated that body buried in the Methodist
Protestant Cemetery at Avontlale some
where about 1910 has been found almost
perfectly intact after an Illumination of
of thirty-siX years. If this be 50 the fact
will possess considerable interest for per.
sons Of scientific tendencies.
The facts are simply these Mrs. Aman-
da Everett died here thirty-s years ago
and was buried in the old burial ground
above mentioned. The remains were de-
posted in a black walnut coffin, covered
with black cloth, and this coffin
deposited in large stone coffin or sar-
cophagus. According to the desire of
relative of the deceased, John F. Wiltsee,
the undertaken, exhumed the coffin last
week for the purpose of reinterring the
pouy Ill OpIlnS Grove. II was 1Ounu that
the stone coffin was too heavy to permitof
removal, and it was accordingly left be-
hind, But tie. CLOTH covering. ef The val !
nut shelf appeared SO perfectly weiir pre-
served that it, wasa determined;to open the
coffin. TO the" astonishlneht Of all pres
ent, the remains were to all appearance
\ almost perfectly preserved-so perfectly,
in fact, that any one who had known the
deceased must have recognized the fea-
lures. The flesh appeared to have dried
without shriveling to any marked ;dcgre.
The white Kid gloves in which tile hands
of the dead woman had been encased
! were but slightly stained and the white
| cambria sllibud slightly discolored, but the
! body appearedfsound. The screws of the
coffin were only slightly rusted. Such. is
! the testimony Of various witnesses. The
body had never been .cmbalmee,. In
ciailutt Commercial. ~ ~ - y u -