Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-13
HAVE TO USE DYNAMITE
The Only Way i'm Which the Debris
Can be Removed.
The Board of Health are Not Afraid of
an Epidemic.
AT the MOrgues 1889 Bodies Have
Been Received so Far.

YOUNGSTOWN, June 1e.-The progress
of the work at the stony bridge today has
been more satisfactory than any day so
Jar. The stationary engine on the bridge
has done more work than fifty men.
Hug masses of broken and bent iron
and immense timbers that the men have
been trying to move for days, were lifted
from their places and moved with ease.
Fourteen more of these great helpers
have been sent for. heavy charge of
dynamite was put off today and did
great deal of good. It demonstrated
heavy charges must be used in order to do
any good. Three bodies were found near
she stone bridge, and ten or twelve found
N that vicinity. All commissary stations
are kept busy. At Cambria one vast
amount of provisions and clothes have
been distributed. Long lines of the
sufferers stood in the heat and rain wait
ing their turn. No one is furnished with
ont an ordor, and every department
Is under the strictest discipline.
Most excellent work is being done here.
The same good work is being done at the
American club commssary and others.
The hurried burial of the dead In Pros
poet hill cemetery is causing the resi-
dents of that beautiful suburb TO Johns
town great deal of annoyance and many
eases of sickness. The bodies were
placed in cheap collins, none being Sc
BHre, the odor from the decom posed
bodies arising to the surface attracting
large number of dogs, who make the
night hideous by bowling and paving
over graves. Collins were put only three
feet under ground as there was no time GO
dig the graves deeper. It was found ne
eessary to place guards IN the little GENE
iary containing two hundred graves, to
drive the dogs away. To-day Mr.. Miller
instructed American club members who
are In camp near the cemetery, TO secure
aislnfectants and place them on the
graves, thus killing the odor.
The first funeral of flood victim, that
might be truly called such, and in which
Sac corpse was taken to the cemetery
IN conveyance, was held to day. The
body was taken to the cemetery in a
wagon accompanied by the mourners in
carriages and burial services were held
over the remains. There were thirty five
bodies recovered to-day, eleven of them
st the stone bridge. Those taken
out of the water were in better condition
fhan those found among the debris. The
natter were not only horribly bloated and
distorted in features, but decom position
had set in, and the stencil arising was
so Unbearable that men at the various
morgnes found it a disagreeabe duty to
wash them. The list of the unknown"
IS growing as the means of Identification
hecome more obscure.
The report of DR.. SibbeI, addressed to
DIR. Croft may DE given in brief as fol-
lows:
Fourth ward school house, (June 86h),
Bodies received, PIG; Pennsylvania rail-
road station morgue, ISL, Moorville NOR
que, 128; st. Columbia church morgue in
Cambria city, S35; HAYES morgUe, ID;
MiIlville, 90; Grand View chapel, us; old
Nlneveh Indian co-morgue, Sc; Nineveh
proper, 233; total 1889
The official bulletin of the state board
of health issued to-day says: "Reports
received last evening from inspectors of
this board show that the favorable condi-
hon stated in first report continues, No
contagious disease of auy kind prevails.
There are few cases of mild type of
measles, but no signs of any epidemic.
The bodies still in the wreck are so COW
sred as not TO be dangerous to health. |
There is every precaution being taken to
prevent contamination of the water sup
ply for towns below Johnstown. There |
Is no ground whatever for alarm |
N regard TO this matter at present. |
The weather IS cool aud comfortable. |
Though the destruction of life has been |
appalling, there Is not at present occa- |
sion to be discouraged. Mr.. Scott said |
this afternoon: "Work will continue as it |
has until Wednesday, when everything |
will be handed over to the state. We are
obtaining some sort of system, and ha.e |
finally brought some kind of order out |
ST chaos. The work of relief will have |
to continue until people can take |
hold for themselves. When the Cambria !
IRON works and other mills resume work, |
she people will be able to earn money. |
The great aim just at present, is to give |
survivors work. The line of charity will |
gradually shade into that of the ability of |
baking care of themselves. Until that |
slime has come the people will have
10 be taken care Of" Mr.. Munden, who |
IS in charge of the removal of the bodies |
from the ruins says that up to date he |
had found $4,000 in money in the pocke cts |
sfssvictims. The largest sum found was
s6,11423.
William B. Young, aged %, of Oak
dale, amember of Company c., Four |
teepth regiment, committed suicide in |
his tent by placing the muzzle of his
rifle against his left tenn pie and pulling
she trigger. Dependence caused by |
slight illness, and doubtless Intensified |
by nights guard duty among the |
gloomy ruins, is the only known cause of |
the soldiers act. He was a farmer and |
leaves widow and two children.
JoHNsTowN, June 10-Private Dalzell |
has written to the Associated Press, in |
which he says: Widows and orphans |
whose husbands and fathers were draw
ing pensions on the day of the great !
calamity are entitled to accrued pen |
sions due a soldier at the time of his |
death and no longer, this should also |
apply to those whose pension claims /
we're pending. He further suggests that |
all insurance companies should publish |
list of the persons having policies in |
their companies in the flooded districts, |
because in many cases the policies are
lost.
ix-adr ha IN, tI,a