New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-08
PEsTILENCE N THE wRECKAGE.
HARD WORK BY THE SANITARY CORPS At
oHSsTowN-DYNAMITE AND DIst
INFECTANTS.


Jobnstowu, Penn, June (speciaD.-The danger
| which will thrcaten the COnemaugh Valley during
the next few weeks is easily to be avoided. With
al sanitary arrangements in the worst possible con-
dltion the people might we'll have fears for their
safety even II the germs Of pestllence did not lufk
beneath the fallen hOuces In the town and the mass
OF wreckage at the stone bridge. 1t is said by
the committee who are taking measures against this
danger that there is not unusual number OF cases
OF sickness In the town. They should know, for
members Of this committee have been visiting the
houses Of the place and the hospital where lie the In
Iurcd but when walks through the great stretch
OF wrcC kage he finds In the air the unmiSakaole odor
Of decomposing flesh. This part of the town lies
directly below that portion which was not destroyed,
where the rescued are living. As for the bridge,
where hundreds OF people killed and where they
are pinned In and held fast beneath thousands OF
tons Of wreckagc, the stencil which comes up from
the blackened IS intOleIable. Within fifty or
a hundred feet OF the worst spot In this stretch OF
ruins arc the telegraph Offices and the headquarters
Of the hundred or more newspaper men at work here
Gangs OF men employed IN blasting away the Jam,
in hopes that the gorge may be cleared, and they
arc, OF course, the most exposed. strong breeze
has blown directly the fats from this place to
what remains Of the town all day, and the people
escape frOm the danger which menaces them thelr
good fortune must be attributed TO a mysterious
nature which Kills half the people at single
stroke and preserves the lives Of the rest nom an
almost certain fate.
The Sanitary Corps Is following several lines Of
work 1t is distributing dslnfectantS 10 the people,
building and digging temporary drains, and the llke
clcmating dead animals, Inspecting the burial OF tho
dead, inqurng At houses to the number OF people
In each and the OF sickness among them, and re-
porting them to the hospitals Besides this work, they
are examining the morguCS, and dlsintectnS the spots
wherever an odor may be detected Carloads OF
clothing shoes and other articles OF wear are being 10
moved from the town. and the garments Of the dead
carried away and burned. Thefc are about seventy
men in the sanitary Corps, and they are doing vast
amount OF work between them Among them there
arc three members Of the State Board of Heath-Ben'
jamln Lee, secretary: DR. Graft, and Dr. Lbbert' tho
medical INSPECTOR. The whole work Is under the
charge Of the State Beard. This forenoon Dr. Liobert
visited the morgIcS and the hospitals and expressed
his hearty approval of the systems In use at these
Ilaccs The danger Of having many confined bodies
exposed TO the heat Of the in the front yard OF the
school-house will be attended 10 at once, arrange
ments having been made 10 secure canvas with which
TO protect the cofnS from the suns rays.
Happily, bodies being recognized rapidly, now
that the people have out OF the stupor when
oppressed them ard realize how to find their dead
Mournful professions OF four men each, carrying an
uncovered cOiln wcEd thor way all day long through
tho streets and each day adds many now graves to
the large number already covering the hillside back
OF the town. The progress of work on the nat and
at the bridge however, is necessarily slow. squares
md SQUARES Of wreck formed Of the things that
make a civ many feet in depth. Packed down and
locked together It must be- removed OF destroyed b
i1rc all Ihe bodies buried beneath can DO removed.
The wrcCkage iammcd fast against the bridge al.
though formed OF trees, telegraph poles, houses.
stoves cars, engines and misshapen iron OF other
bridges Is 10 solid mountain Of stone The blast
ing with dynamite has gone on nov for three d2ys
hut the water shows clear onlyNln small plaotG at
the bridge. and the long black, irIegulsiy bTpken
sweep Is immovabe. The contractors say thst It
will take weeks for the dynamite 10 cut its.sway
through TIE wreckage or to shake II away fren It's
nrm foundation, and every day adds 70 the dangee
OF the dreaded pesulence.