New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-15
FOUND DROWNED.
DEATHS IN THE RIVERS AROUND NETWORK

FOUND DROWNED.
DEATHS IN THE RIVERS AROUND NETWORK.
THE VERY LARGE AND INCREASING PROPORTION OF
UNIDENTIFIED BoDIEs-REAsoNs FOR THIs-A
FAvoRTTE METHOD or COMMITTING SUICIDE.
Very few residents of this city even among
those who habituay read the newspapers have any idea
Of the numbers OF persons who to untimey end
IN the waters that surround this city Occasionally there
Is recorded the drowning OF some unknown man or
woman who punges from ferry boat into the water
the is made that the body OF person who
found drowned at the foot Of OF the piers
haze been identified. but the Of unknown persons
who are found drowned, have mrtGiped during the
past two years that they only occasionally noticed
The records OF the Health Board show during 1878
173 bodies of unknown found at the foot
Of the cftys piers In addition persons are recorded
ss having committed suicide by drowning Add to this
the 81 bodies OF unknown drowned persons upon which
nduests were held in Kings Queens and Richmond
ties during the time, the Is known be
suicides and recorded such the offices Of
these counties, and there ID total OF 267 persons
drowned during 1875 in the rivers, OF whom $40
unidentified and we're buried in the Potters Field
known drowned" During the nine months beginning
with Jan. l. and ending with Oct. l, 1875. there mas
been an increase over the previous record, showing in
this city the recovery of 1853 bodies of unknown drowned
persons and cases OF suicide by drowning. In
the other three counties bordering the rivers and bay
there were recorded during the time the finding of
63 bodies OF unknown drowned persons and Is
cascs OF suicide by drowning. Thus during nine months
Of 1915 the OF $50 persons have been discov
cred in the rivers and OF these unidentified
But even this record 10 ia thought fails to give true
idea Of the number of persons drowned apparent
that drowning is favorte method OF suicide and many
who throw themselves into the river with that intent
determined that their efforts shall not mscary Dredg
flxh
bodies with weights attached the feet the
with the late United States Preston King Many
such bodies no doubt have remained at the bottom OF The
rivers until they have become decompOsed their
fragments have become unacceptable portions OF
human frame The bodies Of many Others have been
swept out TO and forever lost to sight. Captains Of
vessels frequently corpses floating the It is
estimated by officers of the Health Department that
fourth OF those who find watery graves are
cred suposng this proportion To be correct and taking
as basis the statistics already furnished
statement Of the number OF persons who accidentally
desguedly have come TO their death by drowning
this city during 1876 would show the number to be
nearly 400
The list Of unknown persons found drowned, az II Is
recorded at the MOrgue-where all such bodies are taken
includes bodies in every stage OF decomposition and OF
persons from all classes OF society The clothing Of the
majority indicates the abOrer the mechanic. the
clerk. rather than the merchant banker Some bodies
which indicate culture and wealth The large number OF
bodies which remain unknown and are unclaimed is due
the authorities believe TO several IL is WE'LL
known tact that several days usually elapse before
drowned body rises the surface Tire police officials az
the Central once all testify tat when persons are piss
ing ninctehs of those nquirng FOR them WEI seek Tor
information within "a hours after the disappearance
continue their inquiries dlB lot anout anu
In most give up hope Of hearing from the lost per
and cease further investigation, or continue 10 only
at in Thus 1t frequently happens THAI their visits
to the Morgue maden the case OF drowned person,
and not made al az when their dead relative is lying
there. Photographs always taken ut the M0rgle OF
bodies usually swollen. disfgurcd aud mdtlat-d
by action Of the water and contact with pega and
Most OF the ncatiOns are made from clothing worn
by the deceased peson' or goik , d % droned
persons who have near relatives or friends Ia the
city make inquiry cInins them, whe the fIeius
OF Others never think to make search at the proper
places Thus 10 happens, AS the city increases III s] ana
becomes more cosmopolitan In it, character that the
roll Of the unknown drowned" il heightened
As to the IN which these unknown persons met
their death it j., Of course involved greatly mystery
II \. srniised however least one-balf OF the
cases suicides. Drowning has always Degn iiNhlio
method Of scdrstrr1ction Persons who have nearly
died rescued from the water while UNCONSCIOUS
and afterwar restored 10 life, describe the sensation OF
drowning as pleasant rather tlan painni; Ils n's
come the knowledge Ot mosi peOpie ana a. persons
vino commit suicide generally 40 atcr deilDeratloh,
is To be presumed that tney maze chocg .. Tue mus
pleasant Of ending Their ives Ihal tnlH II CoI
rect is shown bv the record Of suicides IN thls Guy urns
1873. taken from the books of the Heath bOdu by
drowning, 80 poison 81; shooting 4Gi hanging -
stabbing 10 elpng from houses, NC, D. III mas D'Jh
that persons inclined to commit 5ncue
either from hereditary other causes, ta -iGht anu
rush of water has had strange fascination, wlcn ms
led them to precitate themselves INTO IL orreri ,pI
-ODs who have rrscuedand such cases are 81 day
occurreuce-haye declared they had an lie
sire 10 plunge into water whenever thCy sa" II me
feeling disappeared when they left tne Vicinity VI ne
water High places overlooking large bodies Oh "alei
are sought for with avidy by persons WISHING ~ COM
uit suicide. The number Of men ana women VINO hll,
uuly plunge from London Bridge into the frames ana
from fine Paris bridges into the SEINE increases
every year and extra pOiIceuen have Deen pacc lhe
tn urtyep such crimes. II II thought that When the
Eag RIVER Bridge snail have been cOnpeieu IL WI" pe-
come the resort those seeking ~elfdesructOn MANY
of those found drowned undoubtedly fell into the water
mon tIe rails of ierry-bOas Late at night nave peh
knowu 20 fall overheard Other persons baVe become
confused and bewdcrUd In the cross streets au
fallen into the rivers. TIE late Pnllp Otinldu, toc
wealthy Fulton Market butcher who was ast seen a'e
in a second-lye. car, aud whose body aiterWaru was
fnuud I'm the wafer supposed to have aGeu unh the
car having suddenly been awakened. and IN MS perpey
walked off the dock surprising lie was 2Oing III lhe oeI
direction His g,d watch and money We're loulh upon
his body when bore marks Of Violence "natcncl.
TIr record, show a larger increase during the SUMMER
months Homeless persons sleeping on tle eh.S VI . 1
reouently fall into and bathers ger peyOnu
their denim or are taken with cramps ana drOWheu.
Then tner is the darker record OF those WHOSE Doues
Ia, ar marks uf violence and who were undouDteuy iI
dpred These e.lses. however, are oonparatSeS low
The system OF having private watchneh on i nc p .'
of flr civ in add zion to the regular pollct ns pIe
vented thieves and murderers from perpeud'!hs 'ni'
farm nj crime except rare OccaslOhs'