Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1889-06-08
flames would light up this misty remnant of

flames would light up this misty remnant of
mortality
The effect upon the living-ignorant and
intelligent-was the same. That volume of
smoke, with its dual form, produced a feel
ing of awe in many that was superior in
most cases to that in the awful moment Of
the storms wrath on Friday afternoon.
Hundreds stood for hours regarding the
smoke and wondering if it forbode another
visitation direr than its predecessor. 1t was
with feeling of absolute loathing that all
people hereabout yesterday morning awoke
TO find that nothing remained but mass of
ashes, calcined human bones, stoves, old
iron and other indestructablc matter, from
which only light blue vapor was arising.
The probabilities are that a large ma
iority Of the victims will never be identi-
fed and will fill nameless graves. During
tbs day several persons succeeded in making
a tour of what is left of JOhnstown. Onthe
upper floor of the club house, the best pre-
served building standing, five bodies are
lying, unidentified, one of them woman of
fine appearance. Here and there bodies can
be seen sticking in the ruins. There is no
doubt but what, wild as the estimates of the
loss of life and damage TO property have
been, it is even larger than there is yet any
idea of. More than 1000 residences lie in
the confused mass of burning debris lodged
above the stone bridge at the lower
end of the town. The ruins are reeking
with the smell of dccaying and burning
bodies Near the edge of the ruins the de-
caving body of stout colored woman is
living like the unCared for remains OF an
animal.
The work of burying the dead began Sun
dav morning and was kept up till late last
evening The bruising of the bodies by logs,
trees and other debris, and exposure in the
watertcnded to hasten decomposition, which
had set in in scores of cases rendering IN
terment instantly necessary. Bodies are
being buried as rapidly as they are identi-
fed, The work ofundertakers inembalmng
the dead has rendered it possible to keep all
those embalmcd two or three days longer,
but this is only desirable in cases where
Identification is dubious and no claimants
appear at all.
Reports of looting and wholesale robbery
have been exaggerated There is DISPOSE
ton on the part of the Hungarians, laboring
Irish and negroes to raid houses, but not the
dead. The measures adopted by the police
have tendency to frighten them on in
nearly every case. One Hun was caught IN
the act of robbing the body of an old lady,
but by protesting that he got nothing was
released. 1t was afterwards discovered that
he had taken 500 from the pocket of the
corpse. Threats to lynch these thieves on
sight also had good effect in keeping them
at u distance.
marty of searchers saw two men rob
bing the body of a woman yesterday Inc
thieves were caught. In one of their pock-
cts was found lady's ear, entire, sliced
from the head with sharp knife. In the
ear lobe was sparkling diamond. The
captors placed ropes around the necks oil
the villains and strung them up to the near
est tree until they were dead, They then
cut them down and buried them.
Yesterday afternoon c. l., Dick, ex-mayor
Of ,Johnstown, and several other gentlemen
while patrolng that part of the city known
as "the Point discovered party OF huns
looting the houses and robbing the bodies
of the dead. The parties had no guns with
them. but Mr. Dick leveled his revolver at
one of the plunderers and shot him dead
He fell into the river and no further atten-
tion was paid 70 his remains. The city was
Guarded last night by over 300 special ofi-
GERS A special train of twelve cars loaded
with provisions for the sufferers has Just
arrived
At five o'clock last night posse of farm
ers surrounded gang of fourteen Hungar-
ians who were fobbing the dead and sue.
oeeded, after lively battle with clubs ana
rocks, in driving three of them into the
middle of the stream, where they sank be-
meath the waves to rise no more,
The most awful destruction in single
house occurred at the Hurlburt Ho'el'
There were fifty seven people in the house
when the mountain Of water came down.