New-York tribune., 1880-04-04
AN OLD BURIAL TAULT OPENED.
WHAT WAS DISCLOSED IN ATTORNEY-ST.

WIlAl WAo DloCLOoCO In AIlOhNEI-cls
FIVE THOUSAND CoFFINs NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
SIGHTS THE RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT.
Considerable excitement was occasioned yes
terday in the neighborhood Of Wesley Chapel IN Attor
neyst by the report that an old burial vault back Of
the church had fallen In. The accident happened
carly TIiday ng, but so little was said
about It that 1t cid net become gem
orally known until yesterday. The chapel Is o
neat brick edi:c, standing few feet back from the
sidewalk in AttOIney-st near Broomest just back OF
the church was small square yard-forming the top Of
the burial yanshut In side by the rear wall OF
tho church. and on the others by the brick walls of
The people living in tho housestis sad
had no suspicion that there was vault underneath
The arches of the vault gave about o'clock Fri
day morning and almost tho entire top and one OF tile
side walls of tho structure fell In, making great gap
about twenty feet in the ground which s about half the
area Of II yard Yesterday ladder was placed against
the edge and many graed their curiosity by
going down into the vaut At one side where the arch
still remained standing could be seen heaps OF mouldy
fragments of boards. There also several comm
shaped boxes, some OF which retained Their IldS
partially fallen to pieces The skeletons OF the dead
were exposed to vIew-disjointed and decayinR-with
10 vestige OF q shrOud except yellow mould that
would dissolve at touch. Some VI the broken
collins contained only fragment OF bone.
Among the many fragments Of loose boards M traces
OF the bodies contained In the c01ns tney COM
posed could be discovered TWO small boxes were re-
moved from the pile by the sexton In Roo1 state OF
preservation.
The church built in 1884, by tho society OF the
First Methodist Protestant Church. 1t was then Gus
tom.Tv to have burial vaults Ia connection Win
churches ana two spacious vaults were built In this yard
at lhat time The entrance closed by heavy stone
covering Ou,sile Of which was another door, Through
this door the collins carried by the
sexton and placed on tho bottoms Of the
vault or ON shelves projecting from the walls.
In 1t il sad there large number Of deaths In
the neigbOrhOOd OF the church from the cholera, ana
many OF victims200 or mOre-were buried in the
vault The former sexton said yestefday LIZ sne Ea
number OF interments was not far from 5,OoO When
the sanitary reform beganaoout twenty-five years ago
the city authorities prohibited any intermens Within
the city limits, and theentrance to the vault was closeu
seven years ago the property sold, coming into
the hands Of tile Church Extension Society, OF whicn
John D. COrncll Is president. IL was not known 70 the
ing place connected with the building. AT that time
some the props near the entrance when nad
and fallen down. caused portion OF the ground 70
II s not thought that the wall Of the church, or that OF
any OF the adjoining houses endangered by the crump
along that portion OF the arch still standing, and the
whole structure will probably fall down ~ enors
time A large coal and wood mousse Wnicn stoou
M one side of the yard aud contained nuDer OF ou
Of coal was one OF the of the accident as 1t bore
heavily upon the arches. which had been unoermneo
nv the water and weakened by decay III was tntomn
from its foundation and leans across portion OF tne
The health authorities say that they may not b!
called npon 10 in terfere. There danger OF bat
effects on account OF tile years that had elapsed since
the ,interments were made H. howfYer, colnpiaiu,u
were made they would be obliged to act Mr.
Cornell said last evening that seps would be taken
cnre In the matter tut what the Church Extension SO
ciety would do would depend Vn the Jndginent 3i "a
Board OF Hca til and the Police B0ard WOiK wouu "
gin Immediately g. HI the vaults up OF =" remove tn