New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-27
THE CIEE OF THE UNENOUN DEiD

SYSTEM PURSUED At THE NEWYORK MORGCE-
STATISTICS OF sUtCIDE-wHAT BECOMES OF
UNIDENTIFIED ROBES.
AT the foot of East Twenty-siXth-st there is n
sma.buing apparently constructed as All addition to
the Bellevue Medical College. The lower are Tilted
10 display the bodies OF the unknown dead, so that every
facility Iay be Afforded those who visit this place 10
Identify missing relative friend. This is the New
York Morgue. which constructed in 1866 Paris has
two ol the institutions, of which has existed since
the seventeenth century the other built 1866
and is placed behind TIE Cathedral OF Norc Dame near
The river Seine. Those who have visited the Morgue
in t, city and those in Paris mhesatBsly pronounce
the former the more perfectly adapted To the purposes
for which II constructed
As Il body Is taken to the Morgue full account
OF how discovered at what time and place and all
the particulars regarding the appearance Of the body and
It's surroundings, every portion of the clothing and all
tue peculrites noticed, is carefully placed upon the
record book In all where the death evidently has
been caused by violence the IL not known notice
is sent to the cOroneIs Office, and in case crime has
committed the facts laid before the police The
main room arranged to enable those cndeavOrng TO
identity corpse with little discomfort and
annoyance possible. After the body has been land
upon marble Slab the heal proppcd up ana the
features made to appear a. natural possible. In the
colder months body can he preserved for long time.
il necessary, without material changes from decOmroSi
a SERIES of jets been arranged that water from
tank can constantly showcrcd those portions Of
the body susceptible to changes. Although
visitors touch the bodies, the portion of the
room where they lie is surroun led by plate glass
screen, they closely ScruAle every part OF the
rclna rs and casilT distinguish any peculiar mark. The
clothing is haus in another apartment the articles being
carefully i.cEetcd WITH number spondnS that
attacked to the body. This clothing preserved year
unless .denti,d and then II it is not fit for any
use II + destroyed. The ornaments and valuable artl-
c-s found upon the dead also carefully preserved
and II no claimant appears, they Turned
over to the city when Il il longer proper
10 keep the b.lics exposed they sent 10 Htrs
Island ana Inferred careful record kept Of the exact
place and the number NJ The head OF each erase tba; II
the cloiins other property should be identified at
fuiur dime. The body he removed II desired 10
another burial ground photographs also are taken of
yil tue bodies tlt axe received aud thus The history II
the dead person bc obtained. II many years
Should ca'e between the TniinS of the body and the
tins Of Identification.
At the end OF each month a report OF all the bodies
taken to tic Morsuc is made To the commissioners OF
Charities and Correction. The statistics FOR tc past ten
years SHOW that ;he number OF males issevea times
large that OF thr females. About 70 per cent Of the
bodirs Of unknown persons ar, taken from the rivers
There also four MANI bodies taken from the
ter. rnts also has found "a bc true in the
Cay ui Paris. tbs h. believed Ia De due to two
causes; that the number OF suicides aud cases
81 accidental drowning are mach lCss ~ the Winter
than daring t!ic sumner. Evcn though the suicide
has dct mined to destroy himself hd apparently seems
EhIInS frGn the idea of the suftrin that ho nalncs
must orsuc from lcap INTO water filed with floating
lee. Another reason is stated To be that, though
person Wncl IN cold weather, the body Will
not t. the surface Uu the water reaches cmpcga-
c asl eHoG "a to promote decomposition This causes
the body to remain "a the bottom ~ te river until the
months, and then IL comes o TIE surface aud Is
discovered II che recor of tue nunher Of bodies foand
in the North aud Last Rivers during The Winter Is
pared with that Of the months VI April, May, and June,
II will he sen that the number OF bodies sent 10 the
nouc Ia the latter three months fully hears out tho
prev JatCmeEs. Bcs'is tic bodies Of thu rnknOwn
d,4t, :nauJ aDut 10 tie IOisue W the COronoIs