Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-23

natural surface, sud this is true of geveral !
other walls with graves against them and OF |
/ insufficient depth.
Z A trip was next made to New Helvetis +
/ gsrnetery, located near East Park. In ths (
/ 5o1thsssterly portion Of this home Of the II
oneer dead were discovered two graTes re-
/ eeltiY Dug IN raupar row, which were bns 80
/ inches il depth. The shallowness Of thsse
/ graves recalled TO mind the Eaes:
Rattle bis bones over the stones,
He's only psupsr whom nobody owns
jack Brsunan died June 25.h; Is covered
I Go The depth CT II inches.
/ n Sheppard, who died May 4sh, les be-
neath Il inches
Joseph Jose died April 2Ssh; Is covered TO
che same depsh with ieose clay.
I l. Campaua, who WIS buried in May last
is covered WITH inches Of elayey soil.
! J. Il. S ni5e, who died April loeh, ara
I John Morrisssy January Sis, ers barred only
! 2 inches beneath the surface. Iae eotlas ere
| barely hidden IRON si be.
annie Lansing, who died in Eureka, Ne
vada, aud was brought here for interment, "a
/ covered With but II inches Of soil.
D u. CALLAHAN, VINO wss buried only lev
weeks sincs 10 bis elegant private lot, was
placed only 16 inches below the natural sur
face
Tie depth to the tops of the ooffas Of the
/ Chinese graves In New Helvetia Cemetery
varies from % 20 % inches.
| It may be said in reference TO tbs grave
/ digging at this cemetery, that the ground is
vs1v hard and often powder AID fuse have
/ 80 30 used a sexton who has opened graves
! 10 al the cemeteries around the city, says
/ be can Gig f3gr graves "a the City Cemetery
! in less slue than + sakes TO dig one IN New
/ Heiyslia.
/ After Leaving New Helvetia Cemetery
visit YVES made 10 the Jewish burial place,
/ inst aorozs ths road. Here was found much
/ tie same state of sffaiTs the same violation
/ Of tie law tLat was demonstrated ia the other
I two cemeteries. Many Graves are not half
deep enough. The steel trier would uos go
| into these graves more than from II to "A
! inches, until Il came in contact with the
coffin or box iii.
The final visit vas made TO the Catholic |
| burial place, Sc. Jossph's Cemetery, Most |
/ % the grayas IN this burial placs are q the |
| regulation depth. The pauPers rev averages |
! shout fourteen irehas ia oepSa 70 tae grave, |
| pui IN many ossss hey are nearly Of the re- |
guirsd dspth among the Portuguese graves |
/ there WIS s. unifc.m depth OF about fourteen |
inches bs,0w tbe surface. The sexton says /
! these people ara superstitious, ard refuse to |
( bury sheir friends a. q greater depth. de |
ssvs IN some instances he has h3d to partially
| fill up a grave before they would agree to /
allow the coflu TO hs lowered. In conss- /
quenes Of this shallow burial. in the dry EIm- /
/ rrer weather bodies go inferred hays become /
very offensive to those who visited tbst abode I
7 of sas dead, aud green flies ste abundant IN !
! that neighborhoo6.
| The sextons, both at Helyetis and st. Jo- |
| seph's cemeteries, claim that IN many cases
/ the graves would have been dug deeper bad !
! they been notified in time by the undertaken. !
! They ssy that sometimes they have less than |
/ three hours notice, aud undsr those eiroum- |
stances cannot dig the regulation depth.
| In conclusion it is to be said that 1t must |
! be presumed that the lsw requiring collins to |
/ be placed ct least four feet beneath the natu- |
raj surface was enacted 10 sccordsrcs with /
! approved sanitary opinion and experience as |
| to the necessary precautions 10 preserve the !
public health. To permit buriais at any less |
/ depth is TO sat aside the law, |
and allow the sections 80 place bodies /
/ at any depth less than the minimum |
( that they choose. OF course sueh loose way (
I Of doing business cannot be thought Of. The /
! sections are presumed 70 know and do know
the law, and should be held to strict account
| ability. Physicians who were committed YES
/ teEdsy relative to the shallow graves, ex-
pressed thair surprise at the disregard Of the l
ordinance and declared that no human body !
should be inferred at less depth than four |
/ feet, and in some soils six feet shoala be IN
sisted upon. They were unanimous in the
I opinion thRt graves ia which the coffin tops
I are but twenty inches below tbs suriacs, and |
| where the soil is loose and porous, are d7tri-
mental 20 the public health and liable to cause
disease.
1t Is to be noted that the cases OF shallow
graves examined are sH quite recent inter-
ments, and that if it shall be held that they
are detrimental 20 public health It would be
but light work TO cause the cotins 20 be sunk
TO a proper depth.
In the cases wbers She measurement is from
! Z { GlfeI y vi - s.
walled 10, is IS thought by some that the law
would be complied with Il the coffin was
plsesd four feet dec. although the natural
surface b two feet below the FIJI, but tina woId-
! Of the law axe natural surface" Besldee
| where bodies are buried close besids the wa1
and the coffin is thus near the natural scr,
! facs, there is in reality but a few inches Of
earth between tbs outer air aud the coffin,
ard 8 stous trier thrust 5isgOnaliy from the /
natural surface in tbs roadway and into the
/ lot will, in q few inches travel, strike toe (
side Of tie coffin beneath the footing OF I
/ the brick wall. Il remains Tor sanitaTiaDs to
say il such burial is sufficient, ana the Courts
to determine il it complies with the law.
In this connection It may be said that the /
"timid men turned up, Es usual, yesser
day and begged the newspaper men not to
publish the facts Tor fear it would hurt " the !
reputation of the town" All such were told /
that the best way 80 give a town good repu /
tation is to enforce tho laws, require sanitary /
regulations 50 be observed, ana to avoid all /
covering up eff evils, whsreupon tho ti1lid
men sighed and regretted the day newspapers |
Were discovered.
So entirely Convinced was the RECORD /
UNION representative Of the interments in |
Z g cemeteries being, in the cases cited, In. /
glfFcient in depth and that many others are /
equally as bad, that it was deemed duty TO /
immediately notify tbs Police Magistrate Of 4
the facts, who responded that he would use
his power as a magistrate &c have the fleets
brought promptly before his Court tor n
Yestgation. The intention OF notifying the /
Health Officer and Board OF Health was I
frustrated by reason Of limited Time.
It is worthy to be noted here that IN the /
Masonic plat no examinations we're made. be-
! cause 1t Is s part Of flexible Masonic law |
that al memhers Of the craft must be buried 4
] il grave full six feet ia DEPTH and not 81
( inch less. A little Masonic law for NUM- /
! cipai regulation IN this regard would not be I
! Inappropriate. The Masons arc level headed !
/ and plumb on the square on this subject
/ While the RECORD UNION representative, |
/ accompanied by assistant, was yesterday |
On third visit TO the City Cemetery to |
verify bis previous measurements, a mother |
| was found culsivating choice collection of !
| flowers on 5es baby's grave in the poor
row." She noticed the visitors and bowed
! politely. Sac was asked when her child was
| buried?
! about two months ago"
Did YOU see tie depth Of the grave at the
! fuceral?
yes
"Bsva you any objection to couvsrsins
about it p
! No, sir"
"How deep was the grave madam :"
mot nearly 60 deep as 10 ny native ccun-
/ try they are dug.
"W6uld you like to know the depth Of this
grave %
Why?-well, yes, certainly, if you Wish
70 try It."
The mother stood aside; Che slender steel
| rad was put upon the little mound amidst
TIE clustering flowers and slowly pushed
down through the loose soil. Presently it
struca the cofhe with dull thud. The rod
was withdrawn and the dspth of its entry
into the earth messures-it YVES just two
feet The mother sighed, and said:
IT shsll have my baby reburied just IS
soon SIS [ can get the money to buy lot.
A workman wss presently rne5 named