National Republican., 1883-07-25
THE oUARANTfNE CEMETERY.
The Lonesome Place in which People
who Die OF Contagious Diseases Are
NeD York Teieorap,.

NcU lOfN 1CeOTuN.
" Have you no fear" asked Telegram re-
porter, "when you handle the cofiius con-
tanning the bodies of men who have died
from contagious diseasesW
The question was put to David Simonson,
the gravedigger of the Quarantine cemetery
on Seguine's point Staten island.
"Well," said he, "of course thcro is some
danger, but we use every precaution. My
father and have buried all the bodies in
this ground since 1860, when it was first used
for this purpose by the United States govern
ment. Several years ago we both caught the
smallpox but since then VIC have not been so
unfortunate"
The cemetery is located on Princes bay,
about eight miles from NanderbIlt's landing
and is picturesque spot, surrounded by fine
old cedar trees.
In reaching this spot the reporter passed
through the noighborng village of AMMAN
dale, for many years the notorious nest of
New York counterfeiters. And here he found
Mr.. William Steele, who pilotcd him to the
burying ground, i'll company with the grave
digger.
After being assured that the infectious dis
eases could not be communicated by the ghosts
of the dead the reporter entered the ceme-
terry, which was found to be about ten acres
in extent. The graves presented much the
same appearance as those i'll churchyards
save that in place of costly monuments and
handsome slabs were upright pieces of white
washed pine board, rarely containing any
other inscription than stenciled number to
mark the spot and identity of the person
buried there Two only of the graves were
marked by stone slabs, that of Norwegian,
bearing the name of Dnastan JvOrienner,
who died in 1S73-probably from the effect of
his nane-and that of Hypolite Reybaud
al.
16, 1880. After escaping the perils of the sea
he rushed into the torture of disease. Re-
quiescat in pace Evidently loving friends
had found the last resting place of these two
and they were not forgotten.
"Do you ever have friends come and re-
claim these bodies" was asked of the grave
digger.
MANY time" was his answer. az guess
out OF every five who die one is heard of by
his friends and then we have great time.
Only "A few weeks ago a French woman came
to this country, and tho first thing she did
was to rush to the quarantine hospital to find
her husband; but he had been buried ten
days before. So she came down here TO look
for hm-No. roland dug him up 1t almost
broke me up to see her grief and could
scracely keep her away from the box. But
she carted it away with her to some church.
yard"
Now let me have the history of this bury
ing ground from the first" said the re porter
to Mr.. Steele.
"WelI, back in 1860 the place belonged to
Charles Wolf, of New York. He had an
orchard here. The government had been
used to throwing the dead bodies overheard
from the hospital, for most of the deaths oc-
Cured from contagious diseases smallpox,
cholera, and yellow fever But twenty-three
years ago the government bought this ground,
and Simonsons family were hired to bury
the bodies at 81 per head"
Tell us how you do it, Mr. Simonson."
"Oh," said he, when a person dies in the
hospital or on quarantined ship we are sent
for, and bring down our old slOop the Four
Brothers. The body is boxed up at the hos
pital and we take it and sail it over here
dig six foot hole for it, put up numbered
bo ard and our work is done"
How many have you buried there?"
" | guess nigh on to seven hundred and
fifty are in tho,ground there One summer
-lS.3, l think-we put in as many as fifteen
day; but it mostly averages only about
twenty or thirty season."
"Are most of these bodies those of immi-
grantsW asked the reporter
"Yes; most of them are Germans and
Swedes, some Irish, but they seem to stand
the diseases better than the people from the
north Of Europe. The immigrants are hud-
died together so on the steamships that the
diseases spread rapidly, and if the hospital
mas oue Cdsc ~ 10 llhelS W HdNe llNe from Une
same vessel. Sometimes the sailor take the
fever; there is the body of one now"
The reporter stopped down and saw roughly
painted on the headboard:
JACK BRONSON,
Died July 49, 1869
He was jolly tar when he was with us here,
But at last the cholera caught him and laid him
on his bier.
HIS COMRADES.
There is evidently little care taken of this
seaside cemetery, its natural beauties being
its only claim to attractiveness. With the ex-
ception of the few farmers who enter the in
closure to NOV hay for their own use it is