The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-06-12
MAKING RAPID PROGRESS.
Clearing Away the Debris-WOrking on the
Wreck at the Bridge.


JoHNsTowN, Pa, June 1O.-The progress of
the work at the stone bridge to-day has been
more satisfactory than any day so far. More
work has been done in removing the debris at
this point to-day than any three other days.
The stationary engine of the bridge has done
more work than fifty men. Huge masses Of
broken and bent IRON, and immense timbers
that the men have been trying to move for
days, were lifted from their places and moved
with ease. Fourteen more of these great help
erS will be here tomorrow. This will make
twenty-four doing excellent work. The large
force of men here before employed at this
point has been taken 10 other points and
small force OF men with the aid Of the engine
is doing more effective work. A heavy charge
of dynamite was put off to-day and did great
deal of good, more than any three charges
heretofore fired. 1t demonstrated that heavy
charges must be used in order to do any good.
Three bodies were found lying close together
to-day near the stone bridge and ten or twelve
bodies were found IN that vicinity.
All the commissarv stations are kept busy.
At the Cambria station vast amount Of pro-
visions and clothes have been distributed.
Long lines of sufferers stood IN the heat and
rain, waiting their turn. No one is furnished
without an order and every departments under
the strictest discipline. Most excellent work is
being done here. The same good work Is being
done at the Americas club commissary and
others, and the same discipline and regularity
is observed by all.
A vast amount of work has been done by the
Pennsylvania railroad company, and they
now able to reach Mineral Point with their
construction train. The magnitude of the
work this company has on hand is daily be-
coming more apparent. In this immediate
vicinity the company has already accomplished
wonders; the washout between the stone
bridge and the Pennsylvania railroad station
has been almost filled and trains are running
over both tracks.
The hurried burial of the dead in Prospect
Hill cemetery is causing the residents of that
beautiful suburb OF JohnstOwn great deal of
annoyance, and it may cause much sickness.
The bodies were placed in cheap collins and
as none were secure, the odOr from the decom-
posing bodies arises TO the surface and attracts
a number of dogs which make night hideous
by bowling and paving over the graves. The
collins we're put only three feet under ground
as there was not time to dig the graves deeper.
1t was found necessary to place guards in the
little cemetery containing 200 graves to drive
the dogs away.
To-day Dr. Miller. of the volunteer staff of
the Cambria hospital, instructed the members
of the Americas club, who are in camp near
the cemetery caring for some OF the refugees,
TO secure dsinfectants at once and place IL on
the graves, thus killing the Odor.
Private Dalzell has written TO the Associated
Press, in which he says the widows and or
phans whose husbands and fathers were draw
ing pensions on the date of the great calamity
are entitled to the accrued pensions due the
soldier at the time of his death, and no longer.
This also applies TO those whose pension
claims were pending. He further suggests that
all the insurance companies should publish
list of the persons having policies IN their COM
panies in the flooded district, because, IN many
cases, the policies are lost.
The first funeral of flood victim that might
be truly called such, and in which the corpse
II. 90 sr, Cos moo
was held to-day. The body was taken to the
cemetery in a wagon, accompanied by the
mourners in carriages, and burial services we're
held over the remains.
There were thirty-iiVe bodies recovered to-
day. eleven of them at the stone bridge. Those
taken out of the water were IN much better
condition than those found among the debris.
The latter were not only horribly bloated and
distorted in features, but decomposition had
set in and the stencil arising therefrom was
so unbearable that the men al the various
morgues found it disagreeable duty TO wash
them. The bodies now are almost beyond
recognition. Many are black as negroes,
and where they were bruised the face IS sunken
into jellied mass.
The undertakers> will all leave tomorrow.
Petty iealousies have made 1t unpleasant tor
some to work with others, and besides, now
that the state is to take charge, and volunteer
service is retired, they say the state can and
must hire undertakes to bury the dead.
The list of the unknown is growing rs tne
means of identification becomes more obscure.
Those identified to-day were:
JOHN G. ALEXANDER.
A young man, supposed to be the son Of c.
Elsesser, furniture dealer.
KATE NEARY.
MARY JANE NUGENT.
JAMES WGINLEY.
MRS. j. l.. SMITH.
w. f. DOW, a hardware merchant Of Chi
cago.
MRS. EMILE ROTH.
The report of DR.. Sibbet addressed TO DIR.
Croft, may be given in brief, as follows;
FOURTH wARD SCHOOL House. MOSQUE, June S.
Bodies received. 2l9; Pennsylvania railroad station
moTgue 12; Norrellville moTgues i2si st. Coiom aa