Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-23
OUR DEAD.
ARE TEEY PROPERLY IsrEaRED some
STARTLING DISCLOSURES.
Cofaus within 8 Few Inches Of the Sur
Iaes-Eow our Crave piggsrs have
been Violating the Law.

Tbe duty Ct tie conscientious neWs- gather
ers often imposes ap9a them disagrea-bls
tasks, aad none have been more thoroughly
naeongenial taoa tho task OF whica the fol-
lsSing. local account makes q record. Thsre
has besa 70 dssite to be zsasa.ional The
Isrc1RD-USIoa has always deal. IN legid-
faats neus. srd has been the constant oppo-
neu5 Of tae merely sspsa.ionaL Baa the
.rs.h oftea Eurpssaes 81 Efforts % ceeate q
s=aslon. Tire attention being given nov 70
the epforcsmant Of ire Law In this city the
Strict application Of sanitary regulations
tts cleansing Of the city from end 30 51d ;
tho vigorous enforcement of the orders OF tha
Baslth odicerz-all apeak Of city nos afraid
10 recognizes the exislsrcs Of eyils, and hav-
fcc the courage TO face and abolish tn5m.
Y men the news reached this Office
that bUrials are not conducted 81 re-
quired by law, an investigation was
made, and the result Is giyen bsio7. IL is be-
lieyed to represent about the same st2ta of 81
fals IS exist Ia other celne series a. Caiifcrria
bu. shat they exist here is sufficient 81 know,
1ad theirs must follow correction. 4 wss q
painful 0usy TO u6ta the names OF the 3ead
that bge in5pficisntly inferred, but Justice 90
the living densnda i, az veil IS o descent re-
gard for the remains of loved friends Testiu 3
IN their graves, the law provides how they
snail ba inferred; upon It's wisdom the
proper authorities have passed Judgment,
and the statnte should Be observed &c the
letter. IN its enforcement alone IS there any
safety. To omit the names Of he graves cited
in testimony Of the charsss would render the
allegations made Ineffective, and they AKA
therefore giseH, vita teudere5s regard, and Ia
order lnE. tie facts may be established by
lhs tsst!nony Of thsse silent witnesses,
Same thtea days a.ncs tia iufsuG 6agg Ger
a. 8IacuI S.bor wB5 5utie1 il the City
Cemetery Tas Haallowness Of the grave.
snd the mode OF filing it in, caused the ps-
reufs TO BE- very much diss -tisiisd. A RECORD
USIoN representative, hsariug Of the cccaI-
renee, examined the ordinance governing ia.
ternecJs ia the city cemeteries.
Section Qf Chapter reads Is follows ;
" All funerals shall take place between sua-
rise and sunsst, unless otherwiss directed BY
the Beard Of Health. The TOP qf sus7g eogia
dlDuStl t the ground sa1@ he a least four
feet 5sHeGtk the natural s0iJHee meYsgt, and 10
undertaken or o her person shall bury, OF
cause to be buried, the body Of any deceased
person Ia the city,
Section u Of the Same chapter reads :;
&" Amy persoasgiolating any of the provisions
Of this chapter, upon conviction shall be pun
ished by fine not exceeding $50, or by i'm
ptisonmens not exceeding ten days, or by
bo5h such fine UNEMPLOYMENT"
After reading the law in relation TO the
matter, The representative Of this psper pro-
cursd steel trier, visited the City Cemetery
and proceeded 10 ascertain The depth Of several
newly.nade graves. with the following re-
SUIT
George Scheibsl died June 24.h; depth to
top OF coffin. 20 inches Is inches less than
the law requires.
G. c. Rsdman died August 1st; q inches
- feet to3 shallow.
Charlie Flint died February 20sh; 20
inches Is inches less than the Law requires.
Charles n Charlie vile died August 1lth; 20
iuchss-2S inches short Of the legal depth.
Maud Sherman died August Go; 2csinches.
A. 4. Lowe died } uly tn q inches.
Hattie /. 3. Bailey died Juae 18th; p
inches.
Infant Of I. and NJ. stafford IS buried 50
shallow that there sre only Is inches Of soil
on top Of the cofiu. This ingsruuant wag
made on the 10Th Of January.
Guadalupe Silyor. buried last Sunday, only
ten inches Of dry clods on top Of the coffin
Tne reporter could run his lead pencil
through The .ooss clods sad touch the coffin.
3. Feeney, who was murdered IN Washing
=
ton On Friday last, and buried lsst SstuT-
day. is put under the sod but Is inches,
Mrs. NJ WEIGH, buried on the l2sh OF the
present mcpth, has but IS inohel Of dry loose
clois on top Of her cofhn.
Alexander Jeffrey, inferred on the ish Of
July, iisi but 20 inches beneath , light loose
soil.
John barney, who wss killed By railroad
accident and buried on the 4th Of July lies
beneath but II inches Of sod.
Z. ". Eedding, father of 3. B. Rsddlpg,
j. buried 22& inches beneath the surface OF
the filliuc tue lot, and but il inches below
he ua,Usal surface
Z. Is. Rs53ire, Who died August 81 1882.
is baritd 81 inches below the surface Of the
artificial flhng, and bet IS inches below the
nzturA surface Of the groana Father and
sou sYe buried 10 opposite corners Of the plot,
directly against the wall, Consequently the
toJJ Of their collins sre only about foot
from the natural surface.
Rosie Halter, who died June 3, 1885, lies
two feet beneath the surface.
William NJ. Lee, woo died July 81, Is
buried to q depth Of three feet.
Royal Preston, who was buried rev weeks
since ia She rsw O6d Fellows plot, is 81
inches below tue artificial soil, and but 9
inches beneath the natural surface His
crave is close 60 the wall, and consequently
ihs body ia within q few inches Of the surface
10 loose soil.
J, II udersoa, who died on the 10Th Of
june, is buried IN the middle of the Odd
HalIoWs' new plet, to the depth Of "a inches.
Nash L. Marisnti, who died March 2 lies
feet inches below the article! SOL, bus
cniy Two feet below the natural surface.
ohn s Stobsr, who dis5 August lat, IS
buried Ia very lonss soil 81 inches below the
NJ no al y
below See snFGats Of the natural soil
Joseph HsgzOg who died August 10th, lies
Bot inches below tha surface OF hlled-in lot,
IA snsil brick irclosuse, bet oHly 20 inches
below The ustural sysfaee.
J Q. Rsdemachei, who was killed in the
K-street accident soma months ago, has
very shallow gravs-lsss than two feet.
Clara Dassouville, vho died June 5 b., is
buried TO the depth o IS inches below the
natural surface. This was TIE deepest grave
OF the large humber that we're inspected.
Charles It. Dtis.0l who died Dscsnber
"A. 1882. is buried 81 depth % 81 i1chss.
Aanie j, Smith died May -, 1882 lee 81
inches bensatn tbe hrti lcisl surfsce, bat only
- inches from ths natural surfsee
Augusta Schsdt, who died J0ee % ID, l. in
tered il The Turn-V osein plat. Phi5 plat
hiss bsen b1icked Ia and f!lsd up with a loose
sandy sediment, 9hich neither bakes with the
ana nor packs with She rslp, and is so loose
thst any kind Of a walidDg-s. lick can be thfuot
easily through it to the coffin, which is only
% iuebss bslow the natural surface.
Gustsye Lohss, bu.isd ia the same plat. Is
bus % inches bsnoash the surface.
Alice Ehmsn, buried IL an adjoining lot
not yet sled in, Is only 80 inches below the
surface.
Fred. Ionser, who did March 20sh, is coy-
Grad 10 the depth Of S6 aches.
The reporter tried q Z5ns OF other graves,
and the average deptt Of the fill on Top Of
each Of the c0fiias woull ranRe from 10 TO n
inches, p lie tie law quires thSt it should
rot ns les than 43 White the reporter was
making his investigation lie ssw funeral
procession eDtsr the cen cry and wsDd its
way 10 the southeriy adj IGN. q followed,
aud stood ~ the gray hen tbe coffin was
lowered. Tne RraYs Appeared to be about
four feet deep, when in reality it was not
more than three.
La conversation With former sexton s few
minutes Afterwards the GLOWING information
eas obtained He sAid ne graYs.digg1ri as
8 general thing, wants 81 10 81 Little work as
,.5s.ih'e. and resorts to de lspti39 to make bis
grave look as though it hid dsp.h, when IN
reality It is sc Isass Two feet on an average
lisa man rsquirsd By Law Tho dirt shat Is
thrown out q toe grave piled up on 81
sidss % Che dspah Of twelve or fourteen
inches, Boards aro then placed around On
"a surface Of the excsvstei soil, which "a
tbo uninitisaed is taken for the natural sur
facs When thu grave i being filed those
- ~. Sol rr