The Portland daily press., 1891-07-14

lacked diligence and interest two. since
photographs taken in the first hours of the
catastrophe show men who were engaged
enough, and standing in suitable positioS
to have their pictures taken. -
But they finally got the carriages from the
city all out there, and the surgeons and doc
tors knew no rest foG many days. The
dying covered the ground.
., a;sople IN the city gathered in groups,
tnelr races, the exact counterpart Of those
~! .i tne picture in the old Cathedral at the
oiine OF Lhe earthquake, which destroyed the
o nith Ia december. 1921. They were filed
pair, tor who in all the city had nrt lost an
acquaintance or friend. The whole popu-
iace soon turned out to witness the scene of
the tragedy, for so accustomed are they to
thelr homely round of joys and sorrows, that
a ire or severe accident of any kind does not
enter more than once or twice into life
time. AT home, our officials by the next
morning would. by the use of steam cranes
and derricks, &C.. have had the debris re-
moved, the bodies all found and temporary
bridge over the stream. But so much as
this will hardly be accomplished In month.
Ihey have been fishing round in the water
for the wrecks Of two additional cars, which
In reality never left the station, and for the
ones who have never breathed the breath Of
life. They even began to fear a pestilence
from the deadly 0dors arising from corpses
which had never been alive.
1t seems ludcrous.. even in the midst of
so much sorrow, to think of collins being
prepared and carried out, and sheds being
built to receive the bodies of men and
women who never existed When they got
the cranes and derricks at work. and sent
down diver, they found only one dead
D00V and M more but IL all eh0wa hun
little information they possessed from the
first.
We visited the wreck the next forenoon, at
q time. when at home all would have been
nnlshed and everything cared for, and this is
what we saw. AT least ten thousand peo-
pie, two companies of soldiers, o squad of
firemen, the entire corps of railroad officials
and the whole Bundesrath, among whom
was gallant Emil Frey, at present Secretary
Of War of the Swiss Confederation, and un-
TIL two years since the deservedly popular
Swiss Minister to Washington. A half a
dozen people were poking away at the wreck
with their umbrellas. at the same place
where the men had stood the night before to
have their pictures taken. and others were
peering into the water looking after dead
bodies.
Much censure, perhaps justly. has been
heaped upon the railroad company for the
ing the wreck and in ferreting out the exact
circumstances of the case. But this has al
ready developed plenty of sad romance.
enough heart reading Incidents to prove how
mucn stronger truth is than fiction. how
much greater Providence is than accident.
Many OF them are too horrible to relate,
while others show wildly the benefcent
kindness of God.
Two men go to take the cars, but conclude,
since the day is SO fine, they will walk. One
young girl almost breaks her heart, that she
must give up the festivities on account of
cares at home. One gentleman sits down
to smoke but thinking lady near by Is not
pleased at the proximity, he removes to
now beside him, perish.
On the other hand two young girls en-
ployed In factory In the city, take this oc-
caslon to 90 out to carry gifts to an invalid
mother and they go down hand In hand, as
they are found clasped together.
One day:word comes that a man, of noble
mien and fine physique has been found lying
wedged down in the water, to whose identi-
fication there Is no clue. He wears ring
on which is inscribed Fannie" Is he an
they take him out of the water they find
letters and papers in tongue which nobody
can read, it must have been modern Greek
since they finally discovered his name, and
That his home was in Macedonia, that he had
friends whom when telegraphed desired his
body sent to Constantinople, after being en-
balmed. Who can tell what ties In that
strange mans life were severed? Who was
FANNIE? Was she wife or sweet heart? Was
ne Fastening home to his wedding or perhaps
He seemed a sad, though noble man, he may
have been Prince or he may be an adven-
turer. Ihls catastrophe, no doubt shuts up
many Dox and puppet of unwritten history,
because the play Is played out.
The two young girls, though united so
closely in death. must according to the Swiss
law be separated in the grave All funerals
are taken In charge by the state, the poor
nave no burden OF burial expense and SO the
r.cn must share an unostentatious inter-
ment OF one mans tomb is like that of an
other, all Is regulated by law. There are
Durying grounds for adults and burying
places for the children and l had thought,
the women just as men must occupy sepa-
rate seats in church. They are not allowed
70 sit even beside their wives and daughters,
Men follow their dead to the grave while the
women weep at home; no wife or mother
stands by the closing ground or even hus-
band or SOD, while on the other hand GUS
tom excludes men from wedding festivities,
women alone celebrating public nuptials.
In the case OF these young girls just spoken
OF the one being thirteen must be buried
with the adults, the other eleven, must oc
cupy. place with the children. Everybody's
heart rose in rebellion, that the two, SO
lovingly united even in death, should rest
apart In the grave, so for once the law was set
who had shared the same fate, the bodies of
the girls were disinterred and now sleep side
by side.
Many families persisted together, but
sometimes fate was so cynical as to leave
one poor child to mourn alone its kin.
These were the black days for Bale.
Wednesday they began to bury the dead,
nI Snsay the city was one grand
sion lined the streets, so that they were
Obliged to march in f0urs, In order not too
long to obstruct the passage. Carriages are
rarely used here In funerals The ministers,
exhausted the suitable texts. On the second
Sunday they had great memorial service at
the old cathedral of the 18th century. The
city turned out en- masse, and filled all the
choirs and transepts Of the grand old church,
as well as the whole Munster platz. There
were in all of these services, Of course re-
hections OIL the shortness of time, the uncer-
certainty Of life, the perfect confidence in an
unerring Providence, but not word con-
corning the Fourth commandment The
church. worshipping at theIcathedral, to which
the best people belong, Is strictly orthodox
and has creed, they say, almost exactly the
same as that of the Congregationalists and
Presbyterians at home. and l dare say the
observance of the Sabbath has its proper
attention. But in closing this last great SER
vice the speaker said. Each of these, our
beloved friends, had noble purpose (eenin
edten zessck) In going forth on that beauti-
full Sabbath" The Italians were going to
seek work, the gay young people went forth
to delight themselves In the charms of nature
and to enjoy the freedom of the country.
Some had the purpose of self Improvement
from listening to the fine music. Whatever
were the several motives of the participants,
they were all agreed in the loftiness of their
sentiments.
The city is still in the garb of mourning
and will continue so for many days. Their
former care will be redoubled to max Swift
zerland safe place for travel, not only for
their own people, but for the millions of
strangers who pass through here every year.
All the bridges, many of which seem to have
an eternal foundation, are being tested, and
be another man killed by any, however
slight. railroad accident A. H,G.