New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-13
4 PLAN TO CREMATE PAUPERS
DR. A.E. MAoDoNALDs SUGGESTION.

DR. A. E. MACDONALD'S SUGGESTION.
TOO MANY BODIES BURIED ON THE ISLANDS IN THE
VAST RIVER.
Within the next few days the Corporation Counsel Will
svs the Commissioners Of Charities and Correction an
opinion their right TO cremste their oeao
instead OF burying them On Harris Island IN the fo1
ters Ffelo"
so,Ss time ago DR.. A. E. Macdonald, General snpenn-
tenent of tho Insane sent letter to that department.
stronylv Recommending that this change should be
made The letter turned over to the Corporation
Counsc with request that he should ors settle the
question of legal night before any further steps were
tasen. DIT Msodonslds letter ran as follows:
would rsspeetuly ask Board TO consider the pro
yr,e,y and 1pedency snbsusg cremation for burial In
s case Of dead Of this department. The unheah
f results the island whore the institutions Of
your placed long been recognized and
Aurins bsen especially Ut wards
Island whore tho digging for the sewerage
pssud frequently In the Of human RENAME and
% Harts Isiand whore the reservoir from which
taken and also ice fer In the
ssylum hospital found affected OWN TO lie
proximity 10 and lever level than the cemetery All the
asguDents OF cremation especially veiFhty In
the Of this department and thsrs added
whs the ether hand the principal only
ssainst it-sentpent the part of the family and
frisndsdoes not apply II deemed sXpea,ent the present
Dehs OF barAl might he continued IN ths Of patients
whore friends objection 10 cremation or who
themselves object before death. .
IL Is quite possible shat there may be some
objections from the former but on the other hand may
persons woud 10 able TO claim and bury the remains OF
relatives after who unable through poverty TO
claim and bury them under prevailing methsds wond
ctfuy sagrest Board OF Physicians Of tho
severai hospitals department be requested to con-
ser their opinions II the decision
n such anticipate the necessary arrangements might
BE- chsaUy made while the ssshouse or electric
Hight plant being constructed at Hsrts island; but
your Board deem give the matter longer consd
Grafton will aint Of and enable your
Beard 10 include the cost IN nett year. estimstea
QUESTION OF SENTIMENT.
Outside OF the question Of legal right the question Of
sentiment, TO which DR.. Macdonald referred In his
letter. the most generally brought forward as
the only impairment in the by number of persons
competent TO give opinion the subject who
asked to do hy TRIBUNE reporter II may safely be
said that every medical and sanitary expert favors
cremation. principe. They as t. its
eXpedercy for health reasons but their ardor In urging
its Immediate adoption any instance lie qualified by
regard for the feelings Of not inconsiderabe
section OF the community.
DR.. Charles Iases Pardee, Dean of the Medical De-
partment Of the University of the Cityof New York. said
70 the reporter that he thought cremation would he
good plan Of disposing Of unclaimed dead, provided
always that II could be ado tel without wounng any
body's feelings. Dr. Simmons, Of the Department OF
Charities and Correction also believed that the adoption
of cremation instead of burial in the Poter's Field
would he benrfcal but lie thought some people Eight
be averse to IT on sentimental grounds.
Corporation Counsel Beeknan said he was having a
thorough investigation made, ia Order TO ascertain
whether the Department Of Charities and Correction
ould legally cremate its unclaimed dead. The plan"
said ne. is a good onc but many people object to
cremation religious grounds. Trey think that in
adopting IL We would revert 10 a heather custom. and
they have deep-rooted repuenance to it In conse-
Quence."
DR. Macdonald to give the reporter the
for his recommendation greater length than that
sl.tr1, ,, In .lotfn mad
that of the city would lead the present
Pot Field being encroaced for building purposes
by the institutions Harris Island, with results which
might easily be Inferred from what had already hap
peued from similar CAUSES. Wards Island" said he,
used for burial of the unclaimed dead at tie
time when all the city institutions conceE trated Ia
City Hall Park To get out OF town thoy moved ~ to
East Twenty sixtl-st, where bellevue Is now The
Poters Held. with the like object OF being well out OF
town. has been moved successfully from different points
IN t5e city 1t when they took tue charitable insti
tutioDs twenty sixhst they began to bury on tie
Islands: and Wards, Rsndars AMI finally Harts Island
been Potter's Fields When theS put the asylum
bulldog Wards Island they had to move nuni3er OF
bodies make way for It, Ever since that. Whenever
We have wanted 10 add new wing or dig for any
purpose we have come upon bodies.
HASTILY BURIED IN THEIR CLOTHES
we had some trOube with tina sewerage and plumb.
ing and IN putting connecting sewers In, wherever
we dug struck on bodies 50 we had TO STOP ana 90
around tben In one case we strack on section or
bodies eight collins deep. They all reduced to skel
eons tue clothes remained the bones. and that
sufficient TO show that the people had been buried
during an epidemic probably they were immigrants
who had been landed here and had died from cholera or
shipfever and bern buried hastily IN the clothing they
Only think Of their being dug up now in
institution with 1000 innatcs Among these collins
found one containing skeleton that measured eight
feet in length. The superstition is That the deal man
who had been Just brought over TO this country
for exhibition and had died OF contagious disease
"Your letter indicates that there has been already
some trouble Harris Island because OF the grave
yard"
"Yes, Harris Island there s reservoir. from which
Thinking water used to he taken and where Ice vas cut
II the winter atterly the Ice has been found TO ne
by the proximity OF The Potters Field and
they have had stop cutting 1t and now get their water
supply from driven wells. But We have had more
se rous trouble Wards Island from similar cause
ri, ht front OF my there Is graveyard.
OF when the Department Of Charities and Cor
occupy arts Island Tor but dings they
Totter's Field OF Harris Island But half of the island
Is owned by tue Commissioners OF Emigration Who used
70 have their dead hurled up ut iarts Island hut who
now use the place Immediately opPso the front door
OF the Wards shpd ASYLUM The Board OF Health sent
the law but in spite OF this 1t Is still in active
recently the last detention cf steamer at
diei two or three before the 10 port,
brought Wards island and buried IN that grave
The summer following the opening OF this graveyard
there nunDer of deaths from fever OF typhoid
character the asylcm. IL puzzled us to make Out lust
what the was 1t was singular thing that moro
officers aud employees dynR from II than patients;
and that tie patients who did die were ali workers In the
saops gated the matter aud the fact hat tho
officers aud employees had liberty than the patonts
and that the patients struck down were allowed
liberty than the others, suegeste1 what uight esve
happened. | found OUT that III the aOt summer days
tbey were in the habit OF going to little rsyine
valley beside Little Helgate, between Wards and |
Randas Isans To sit under the trees and drink water
FROM what they called sprirg that caine up In
little grove OF In reality the water prrcoated
dow the bury aud ca!ue up there. We
ug the place and diverted the wstrr as TO cone
out in the river epidemic OF typhoid stopped
HART's ISLAND BECOMING CROWDED..
The number Of Inhabitants on Harris Island Is In
ereasing fast, is IL not I"