Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-07
VorkAnong theDead
Gunpowder and Dynamite Do
Good Execution.
A BREAK IN THE BRIDGE DRIFT.
Lower Estimate of the Number of Victims
Now Put at Less Than 9,000--A
New Canvass Begun.

Property Losses in the Conemaugh Valley
ing Persons Rescued In the Wreck After
Nearly week-A Long Roll of the
Dead-Passengers Lost on the Wrecked
Train Its Remains Discovered with
Some Suggestive Relics-Havoc Among
the Innocents-An Appeal for More
Money-Rciief Notes.
YOUNGSTOWN, Pa, June TAT 7:45 o'clock
yesterday morning the first blast of gun
powder was fired at the bridge. 1t proved
more effective than the charges of dynamite
heretofore used and hurled fragments of de-
bris 200 feet in the air Mingled with it was
rough fragment, which looked like the
trunk of a human body.
Went Down the River.
1t fell back into the water with loud
splash and glded with the swift current I'M
der the bridge before it could be pulled in
with pike poles. Explosion after explosion
of dynamite followed the blast of gun-pow-
der, the detonations coming so close together
that they might almost be taken for the con-
tinuous discharge of heavy guns An OPEN
ing 400 feet long, which runs back in some
places fifty feet, was made during the after
noon.
Making a House-to-H House Canvass.
house-to-house canvass was commenced
yesterday morning to secure the names of
the living, and find out who the missing are,
it being apparent that large number of
survivors will not take the trouble to regis
ter at one of the stations
The registration begun few days ago not
only compreheuds the people of Johnstown
and adjoining towns, which was about IS,
900, but embraces places further away in the
flooded region The total population was at
least $4,000, including villages, struggling
hamlets and farms.
The Unidentified Dead Buried.
Wednesday night and yesterday morning all
bodies that remained unidentified were
placed in collins and removed to places of
burial. Each coffin bore a card on which
was description of the body and clothing
and any article of use or value found on the
remains As the bodies were carried and de-
posted in the yard an undertaken made a
copy Of the description, together with the
morgue number, as well as the place of
burial The list will be posted at different
places throughout the town for the informa-
ton of inquiring friends. Very few of these,
however, will ever be identified from these
descriptive cards.
There viii Be No Inquest.
There will be no inquest held on the bodies
of thousands of residents of the Conemaugh
valley who lost their lives in the country's
unprecedented catastrophe. The law of the
state does not require such an investigation,
and the responsibility of the disaster, which
can be directly charged to the insecure wall
which held the waters of Conemaugh lake,
will never be legally determined unless the
survivors should take independent action.
Cheerful Intelligence.
John b. Scott, who Is charge of the gen.
erA headquarters, reports that kilograms are
pouring in from all parts of the country
bearing the cheerful information that whole
trsin-loads of supplies are en- route for the
sufferers. While there was shortage of
food and all kind of supplies yesterday
morning there were plenty for all last even
ing, as the railroad facilities are being bet
tered every hour.
Sanitary Matters.
Large quantities of sulphate of iron were
placed in various parts of the ruined city
yesterday as disinfectant, and the work of
sanitation will be pushed vigorously The
authorities at Washington City and the state
authorities are working hand-in- hand in the
prosecution of this important matter.
Fire the Most Effective.
DIR. j. Guy McCandless was here yesterday
in consultation with the state board of health
and others with reference to clearing the
river from Mineral Point to Pittsburg.
Wherever possible he thinks the bodies
ought to be crenIated on the banks or in such
places as they have fallen, thus relieving the
river of its element of pollution.