The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-04
LAST
.ED| T|ON.
IN UNKNOWN GRAVES.
The Victims Of the Great
Flood Must Be Buried
UnreCognized.
THEY MAY BREED A PESTILENCE.
Physicians Say the Mass Of Wreck
age Should Be Burned to Con-
sumo the Dead Within 1t.

JoHNsTowN, Pa, June 4. 1SS9.-Delav is
no longer possible. The decomposed
corpses will inevitably breed pestilence if
longer exposed to the air.
AT the first break of dawn this morning
orders were issued to push preparations
for the gigantic burial with all possible
speed. Where there is no reasonable hope
for Identification the bodies will be buried
at once
1t is probable that by evening there will
be at least 5000 new graves in the valley,
many of which will be unmarked for all
time. 8f M tfRsf#
A large force of workmen is now en-
gagged for the first time in systematically
rescuing the bodies from among the ruins
at the railroad bridge.
The fires are nearly extinguished, and
unless they break out again the work will
progress rapidly. The bodies taken from
the ruins this morning are horrible OBJ
jects. Recognition is impossible on ac-
count of the horrible manner in which the
flames have mutilated them. The smell
of putrefying and burned flesh is terrible,
ahd several of the wOrkmen have already
been compelled to leave their work on ac-
count of sickness.
With this condition of affairs taken
into consideration, together with the fact
that work on this immense quantity OF
debris has just begun, the weather grow
ing warmer, and week or more must
elapSe before the stupenuous task is COM
pleted, the awful dangers of an epidemic
and horrors of the situation are not pleas
ant to contemplate.
A party of gentlemen has just arrived
here from the East, coming across the
mountains in wagons: They report ter
point and Harrisburg. Not train of
any kind is running on the
middle division of the Penn
sylvania Railroad; the tracks have
been washed out for long distances in
many places; great many bridges are
gone entirely, and those remaining will
need extensive repairs before they can be
again used with safety.
PHYSICIANS NEEDED.
Telegrams were sent to various quar-
ters this morning asking that physicians
be sent on at once
Those who have been on duty at the
Bedford Street Hospital are actually
worked out. They have not only at
tended to the wants of the injured in the
different towns, but have had frequent
calls from persons injured in the outlying
districts.
The narrowing scenes which have been
identified with the Morgue still continue
there and grow, if anything, more intense
as the days go on.
In the fiickering rays of light which
emanated from dim and smoky lanterns
last night the figures of the men who are
doing all they can to get the remains OF
the dead in condition for Identification
fitted rapidly to and fro attending their
weird and sad duties.
The scene does not change materially,
although many of the actors who have
played in it have played the last act, but
instead of the curtain being dropped the
awful tragedy coetinues, the same scenes
being continuously re-enacted by the diff
ferent people. Eighteen bodies were
taken away last night by the friends.
ON THE GREAT PYRE.
Last night, in company with several
physicians from the city, a reporter made
a trip across the burning drift above the
bridge and up the banks of Stony Creek.
Amidst the debris of the drift in different
places could be seen the bodies of men,
women and children, some of them partly
buried beneath the fallen timber and
masses of rubbish. Other bodies were
seen. SO badly charred by the flames that
it will be impossible for them to be recog-
nized.
The doctors all expressed the opinion
that mistake was being made in putting
remove the mass of wreckage, and before
that time the bodies will have bred dis
ease and pestilence, and impregnated the
water all the way to Pittsburg with the
germs of an epidemic. The general opinion
among the doctors is that large guam
tity of petroleum should be poured on the
drift and set on fire, and III this way get
rid of it In a short time.
There is no possibility of recognizing
any of the bodies now in the drift, and it
would be better to have them all burned.
After crossing the drift the reporter CON
tinued up Strong Creek. 1t seems as
Though but little search had been made
in that direction.
All along the banks is a mass of drifted
clay that has settled down with the fall
bodies That this is the case was shown
by an incident that occurred to the party.
One of the party saw what looked like a
niece of fur sticking above the surface
It was thought to be dog, but when it
was kicked a hand and arm were knocked
out.
The party then threw back the clay and
uncovered the body of a handsome woman
aboHS thirty years old. She was well
dressed. The body was washed off as we'll
as possible and left on board. A little
farther along the body of an old, gray
haired man was found on the bank of the
creek, half in the water Three similar
finds were made in distance of less than
a hundred yards.
As soon as possible force of men will
be put to work removing this clay, when
it is expected that hundreds of bodies will
be unearthed.
In one place in the burning drift, in
plaiu sight from the bank above, can be
seen the bodies of two men and a woman,
half covered by the side of a building that
had fallen ON them and crushed them. 1t
has been impossible as yet to remove
them and it may be days before they can
be taken out.
Rumors were current this morning that
the authorities, despairing Of being able
10 remove the drift, have about decided
to commence breaking it up by means of
dynamite.
THE CITY'S SYMPATHY.