The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-06-06
SEARCHING THE RUINS.
weary Vigil OF tho Anxious Watchers Who
Still Hope to identity Their Dead.

JoHNsrowN, PA. June 3.-Thousand
OF persons visited the Fourth ward school
house during the day, in which building the
bodies are placed for Identification, The
scenes about the building have already been
described. but to-day they were sadder than
ever. Long lines of women, men and chill
dren pass in and through tine large room,
constantly. The thlrty-fve undertakers and
assistants who arrived from Pittsburgh and
Allegheny are nearly all at work. Some OF
tne so-called assistants have scrupulously
absented themselves from that locality and
have spent the day in viewing the ruins and
the dead-the latter from distance. To
every corpse that is identified and taken
away six new oLes arrive
The work of taking the. dead from th.
ruins has commenced in earnest, and men
with stretchers on which rest the remains of
the poor victims are seen approaching the
morgue from almost every part of the .ur.
rounding ruins. In this connection a
singularly sad and striking feature il the
weary and heart-rending vigil of those who
stand about watching for the fresh orr;voI
OF victims. These comprise the MANY hun.
dreds OF sorrying friends who have NOT ret
received the bodies of the lost ones As
each corpse is carried through the oote
leadingto the yard of the school-house the
anxious watchers flock there in crowds.
eacn hoping yet .tdreading that the
form OF the dear one is there. The. foIIows
the march, the solemn march. of the iono
silent line, which passes by the newIy-occn,
pieo. slab, while each gazes with nent-un
countenancc on the cruelty bruised yisoge nf
MIN or her who lies there. If some near and
gear relative Is recognized and Is identified
1y one OF the marchers the wall of anguish
hA Ir 10
stricken lamentations. These scenes we're
enacted during the entire day. and will con-
tinue oil tonight and tomorrow and for
weeks. 'ot
No tongue can tell nor pen even family de.
scribe the APPALLING extent of this dire dis
aster. One man well-known to every resi-.
dent of Johnstown, William Huffman. was
drowned and so were twenty-nine OF his rel.
atives. These were himself, wife and ten
children; his brother Gottlieb Huffman.
wife and eight children; his sister-in-law.
Mrs. G. Huffman, and Eve children, and
Peter Huffman, another brother. Mrs C.
Huttman's little daughter, aged years, was
spared, owing to her being absent from home
at the time of the food. This poor child
was at the morgue to-day accompanied bv
two ladies. Seeing the badge on your cor
respondents coat-lapel the child thought he
was an off cial of the morgue and said:
'Oh, Mister, do please tell me if nv
mother is here. want to see her. am
Lizzie Huffman, and all my brothers and
sisters are gone down the river"
The remains of poor little L:zzie's mother
have not yet been found, and could mot
grant her request.
The work at the other morgues in Wood
vale, on the North side and at the stone
bridge is equally IS brisk. The flames in
portions of tho debris have been extin-
gu1shed and twenty-five charred bodies have
been taken out. Thore are hundreds more
at this point. but mono taken out can be
identified SO far owing to their frighttulIy |
dishgnred condition. Bodies are being
taken from the ruins of Woodvale at the rate !
OF one every ten minutes, while the number |
disInterred frem the main streets of Johns
town is simply appalling.