Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-01-04
The Brooklyn Calamity.

On Oat urday, december ., tne re-
maines OF 103 victims of the fire at
the Brooklyn Theatre were buried
in one grave in Greenwood Gene
terry. These were unclaimed and
unidentified bodies, and they were
buried at the expense of the city. A.
the Brooklyn Morgue and the old
market, where the charred and
shapeIess remains were deposited
when they We're taken from the ruin
the scene of placing them in the
cofins was CHASTITY and almostinsup-
portable. The men who undertook
the task were accustomed to hand
ling dead bodies, but several of them
displayed trepidation and shrinking
when they lifted the distorted form
from the floor and attempted t.
force them into the collins. La hardl
a single instance did body Ii
straight. Here an arm, stiffened by
fire and death as it had been lifted t.
ward off some danger, projected GU
of the coffin, and was forced dow
by main strength. There body,
more esembling in shape a guarIed
and burned root than human frame.
rested on top Of tLv ooAa "nd
would rot go in until it had been
forcibly Strengthened. Sickening as
was the spectacle, a molly crowd
pressed close to the doors, and tried
to get past the police limos to witness
it.
The bodies were laid in the coffi ns
Just as they were, with shreds OF
their burned garments clinging to
them. In some instances, where
only fragments of bodies had been
recovered, the remains of several
were placed 10 one coffin, so that
seventy, mine collins only were en-
ployed.
When all the bodies had been
placed in the collins and driven away
in hearses and undertakers' wagons,
a large and impressive funeral pro.
cession formed and proceeded 70
Greenwood, where the grave had
been prepared at spot known as
Battle Hill. 1t is the highest point
ia the cemetery. There circular
trench had been cut, seven feet deep
and thirteen feet wide, nearly sur
rounding round sodded space ten
feet in diameter, upon which the pro-
iected monument is to stand. One
By one the hearses and undertakers'
wagons passed up tho main avenue,
each in turn stopping here long
enough to discharge its CHASTITY
freight, and then moving away by
Battle Avenue. From each, one to
four cotiins were lifted out. Twelve
cemetery employees received the cof-
fns, six carrying each up the steep
incline to the trench and lowering il
to eight other employes-four on
each side-who placed them in
double row, the heads all pointing
in wardly, on the bottom Of the
trench.
The work was necessarily slow.
The day was bitterly cold, but no
less than 1000 persons maintained
their position about the grave. AT
length all the collins wer in place.
To the seventy nine, containing l01
bodies, were added two which were
on the ground when the procession
arrived Sixty German singers,
gathered on the central grass-plot,
sang Abt's "Repose" with solemn eff
feet. The funeral services was brief,
and concluded with the singing Of
the beautiful choir, "Above all sum-
mils there is repose."
Then a force Of grave.diggers,
forty two in lumber, took their sta
tons about the trench, and began
shoveling earth upon the collins.
Most of the spectators took their de-
parture Immediately, many taking
mp handfuls of earth and dropping
them reverently into the trench be-
fore turning away. Some, however,
fingered until the last coffin had
been shut out from view, and ofthese
the majority were weeping women.
In a very short space OF time the
trench was filled and the great
mound rounded over the unclaimed
de ]. A floral crown and cross,
placed above their last restiDg-plsce
by the Germania Theatre company,
caught the fading rays of the de-
sceDding sun as the last of the spec
:ators turned away aud left them
10 their long repose. - Harpers
Weekly.