Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-25
A REALITY RECALLED
By Preparation to Repeat a Funeral
Service "a Years Past
SCORES WHO PERISHED INSTANTLY
And We're Buried in One Great Pit After
the Arsenal Explosion.
NOTICEABLE MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE


remains of 3S girls and two men, the vic
Tins of the terrible Arsenal explosion on
September, II, 1862.
The services will be under the direction
of Garfield Council No. 10, Ladies of the G..
A. R. The exercises will consist in read
ing the burial services Of the society, strew-
ing flowers about the monument, an address
by Rev. r. Lea, the benediction, etc. The
flowers will be furnished by the Soho
school children. The exercises, in an many
respects as possible, will be the same as
those at the funeral % years ago.
Many mothers, sisters, friends and few
surviving companions of the victims belong
10 the society, and will there meet in COM
mon sympathy. Garfield Council was the
originator of this beautiful custom three
years ago, and this year it is expected that
the exercises will be larger and more inter
esting than ever. At the former meetings
some Of those that escaped from the wreck
found among the mourners and recognized,
for the first time since that dreadful day, q
companion in the work at the arsenal then
of preparing cartridges for the soldiers.
A THRILLING COINCIDENCE.
Rev. Richard Lea, who will deliver the
address on the occasion, also delivered the
funeral address when the bodies were con-
signed to the grave, and the following ex-
tracts from what he said in this connection
on September 2S, 1862, but few DAYS after
the explosion, give the story of the S8
martyred girls in more graphic language
than q writer of the present might COM
mand:
The uncertainty of human life was never
more strikingly shown in this community than
upon the memorable 18th day of September,
1862 The morning was calm and beautiful,
and, until noon, nothing unusual occurred at
the Allegheny Arsenal It was pay day, and
the noble Union girls, who had toiled all the
month, were rejoicing over the reception Of
had been swept and, among the leavings
some loose powder was scattered over the
stony road winding around the beautiful
the iron Of the wheel or of horses shoe
struck fire. In an instant terrific explosion
was heard, shaking the earth and intiicting in
jury ON the surrounding buildings. Amid a
dense column Of smoke and a bright sheet of
hame were seen fragments Of the building,
mixed with portions of the human frame. ris- |
ing higA ig hB atmosphere, and then falling in |
horrid osower all around.
THE DREADFUL MAGAZINE.
Some panic-stricken persons shouted: THE |
magazine is on fire." Repeated explosions, and |
the wild confusion seemed to confirm the awful |
report. But amid all this was dis /
may and fearful CONSERVATION and apprehen- |
sion Of still worse to come, when the magazine |
should explode. There were many who entered |
the gates and climbed the walls, determined |
to aid or die in the attempt [Rev. Richard |
Lea himself was the first man to scale the /
walls from Covington (now Fortieth) street, |
and assist in the rescue.
The doors of the large building near the en-
trance to the park were closed, and the frantic |
girls. supposing themselves confined for GER
tain burning, without hope of escape pushed |
and trod upon each other, screaming and leap !
ing from the windows, seeking avenues of es-
cape. or sitting down in dumb despair
But the central terror was the burning labor
atory. Here l56 girls were ready to resume
their labors, and were almost without mo-
ments warning, wrapped in flames, or yio-
!ently thrown from the building; few ran or
some were rescued by the daring of friends |
but the majority met death instantaneously-
perhaps hardly knowing the cause of their
death. The fire was so fierce the sulphur SO
suffocating that an instant was sufficient to ex.
tngulsh all sensibility. Some were dragged
from mass of ruins who had died in each
otner armsi some were rescued who would
recover; few escaped without assistance, who
Will die Of their injuries. Some could merely
mention their Names or call for priest, or for
water, or for prayer: but all upon the ground
|
somewhat bloody, and with many, the resem-
blance to the human form was completely lost;
nothing but masses of
FLESH AND CHARRED BONES
remaining OF what, such short time before.
was life and beauty. In most instances the
skulls of those taken out were fearfully
cracked. The victims lay about upon boards
and shutters. amid a horror-stricken crowd.
the trees above holding fragments of female
attire, mournfully waving to and fro over their
former owners.
When the fire was utterly subdued. the
noise, the turmoil of the scene was over then
came the terrible, orderly process of identiica-
the grounds by ring upon the finger. leg by
a shoe upon the foot; but in neither
case was the former owner of the fragment
found parent would bend over
some blackened corpse, examining minutely
the form, hair, or any relic of dress and then
drop down silently, if nothing was discovered
or shrek wildly if something certainly proved
that these changed bodies were the remains of
his or her loved one. Parts of two days the
anectlng scenes were constantly witnessed;
but, after all the efforts of deeply-interested
friends, about 10 were unrecogniZed. They lay |
subjected to the minutest scrutiny; vet neither |
sister nor mother could tell which of these they
had watched over from infancy. and had so
lately parted from, with the farewell kiss for
the day as they supposed; but alas ! it was a
final adieui
The Government provided plain black collins
AOA buC uuulSlluRulsueQ remains. line Allie |
gheny Cemetery managers donated suitable
lot for interment; the bodies were gradually re- |
moved to their place of repose, and, about
O'Clock on the 18th, the mighty mass of human
beings moved, accompanying the last BODY |
from the Arsenal to the grave. The Mayors of
both cities were there, the Council and clergy
OF Lawrenceville, number 81 carriages and
countless multitude of all ages and classes
walked in meurnful order to the place,
AN AWFUL GRAVE.
1t was large, deep pit, unlike, in its vast
ness, any other grave Planks were laid across
it and, from these, coffin after coffin was low
cred to men below, who placed thirty-nine cof-
fins side by side. After the last coffin had been
lowered, the friends of the deceased were in
vIted to the front rank, upon the margin of the
grave, opposite the clergy, l"Brother Miller,
said Mr.. Lea, 'of the Methodist Church, ]
offered prayer, DR.. Gracey read a portion of
the book of Job, Rev. Mr.. Andrews pastor of
the U. T. Church, prayed, Rev. Richard Lea
pastor of the Lawreneeville PRESBYTERIAN
monds, Of the Episcopal Church, pronounced
the benediction'l I
The names on the monument (erected
some years after the explosion by contribu-
tion) are: s
Margaret Kelly Lima Nekerman, Grace Me.
MILAN, Hester Heslip, Agnes M. Dawson. 9
Mary Algeo, Virginia Hammell Anna ii |
Brown, Eliza Lindsay, Martha Robinson, Mar
garet A Furney. Ann Jones, Bridget Clair, ;
Mary Emerein, Lucinda Truxal, Ellen McKen.
na, Magdaline A. Douglass Malinda CoIston
Mary A. Dawson, Mary A BoIlman, Sarah
toSle AdaIsds Ms Catherine KaeT
Dupps, Harriet Lidsay, Sarah A. Maxwell | Z
Mary Johnston, Maria /. Mccarthy, Elizabeth :
Ager Elizabeth J. Maxwell, Emma I Cloves :
Cloves, Mary s. Robinson, Ella Rushton, Mary {
Collins, Sidney Hanlon. The two mems names
are Robert Schmidt and David A. Gilland.