The Jersey City news., 1891-08-26
SIXTY-ONE DEAD.
Contractor Crimmins Thinks There
Are No More Bodies in the
Park Place Ruins.

Ten OF these were recovered since mid
night, aud one of them was positively
identified. This was the body OF
Morris A. Herring of No. a Erie street,
Jersey City, which was identifi ed
almost Immediately after its discovery by
his two brothers, Charles G. and William
j. Herring, who had been watching day
and night at the ruins since the day OF
the disaster
The only means Of Identification was
the card OF Osborn & Burke, harness
makers, of 40 Barclay street. where Mr..
Herring was employed as head salesman,
and a water soaked pocketbook contain
| ing memoranda 10 the handwriting OF the
dead man, which were found In his
| pocket.
A case of doubtful Identification was
that of a woman. whose body was dug
out Of the rubbish at 1:30 o'clock this
morning. Young Walter Flower was
there with bis grandfather and they ex-
amined the clothing carefully and said
they thought 1t was the body Of Jennie
Flower, the young woman employed by
Rosenfsld e. Co., who was to be married
last Sunday.
DIR. Page, the Coroner's assistant.
thought that 1t was the body of much
older woman, and it was finally sent to
the morgue. Where, later, 1t was posi-
lively identified as Jennie
A BURIAL PLOT PROVIDED.
Mayor Grant today directed the Com
missioners of Charities TO purchase plot
| in one of the cemeteries for the burial OF
| the unidentified dead
None OF the dead, the Mayor said,
should be buried In nameless graves in
| Pofter's Field.
| The city viii pay for a cemetery plot,
| their graves.
| Six OF the ten bodies recovered since
| midnight were taken ont OF the rubbish
| in the cellar OF No. "a Park place,
which. is still only partially
restaurant was located, and the fact that
q large number of other bodies have been
l dug out Of the same spot show that the
| fears that the slaughter here was fright
| full were we'll founded.
HERE'S A SURPRISE
| Contractor Thomas 4. Crinmins, who
has 125 men at work delving In the ruins,
withdrew his whole force at eleven
O'Clock this morning, saying he was con-
\ vinced there was not a single body re-
naming in the debris.
"There is nothing further for me 20 DO
| here.n said he Every shovel full Of
! dirt has been turred over by my men,
| and am fully convinced that there are
/ no more bodies to be found.
81 had one hundred and twenty-five
| men at work all night, and Or. Page. OF
the Coroners' office. and an official OF the
| Fire Department, whose name l do not
| know, went over the ground with them
I'VE agreed after thorough examina-
tion that when the bodies In sight. which
placed the number OF victims at sixty
one, were removed, my labors would De
4 ended, and so they are"
There was stlll much IN the basement,
| under which dozen bodies might be
| hidden. This was suggested to Mr.. Grim
| minis, and he repeated emphatically:-
Every shovel of dirt has been turned
| over and everv inch Of ground under the
| old iron examined, and when say there
| are no more bodies there l know what
| am talking about"
sUFFoCATED.
| MANY Of the bodies found this morning
| showed that death must have been caused
| by suffocation, as the tongues were pro-
truding from the months OF the victims:
Some of those found in the lower part
/ of the ruins had hardly been touched by
| the frs, but were in an advanced state Of
| decomposition and frighttully crushed
| and mutilated by the weight OF the heavy
| machinery which crashed down four stor-
| les on top OF them.
The stencil from all the bodies which
| were unearthed was most offensive, and
| several of the wreckers were taken SICK
/ and had to quit for time.
The disinfecting corps of the Health
1 Department were on hand, and every
4
| bromide as soon as it was uncovered
| This prevented the odor from spreading
i around in the vicinity
The huge death pile has been reduced
| so that all that remains of it now lies be-
4 low the street level.
The Easements of Nos. az aud "a have
| been nearly cleaned out, and only the
subcellars remain to be searched for
| bodies.
The flooring In many places has been
| crushed in, and tits not known how many
| more bodies may have been forced down
| with the falling weight.
Commissioner Gilror's men did good
| work last night in removing the refuse
| which is piled up in the street IN front OF
1 the ruins.
| They have been carting it away from
both ends all night long. and this morn
| ing a perceptible hole had been made In
| the gigantic mass of debris.
| The stuff is carted of to the dump at
| the foot of the old West Washington
| Market, and the fire lines have been ex-
| tended up and down Park place to the
| east side of College place and the west
| side of Greenwich street, in order 10 give
| the workmen all the room they need
THE LEGEL AFTERMATH.
Cunning :. Bedford, who has charge OF
| the District Attorneys Office during Mr..
| Nlcolps absence, is deyoting all
his energies to fixing the blame
4 lOr the ulodslCt. &O4OACA AONLoNHNs
| who has been delegated to assist Corouer
| Hanly in his investigation, spent great
| part Of yesterday at the ruins, and made a
| report this morning TO Mr.. Bedford.
he finds that the joists of the building.
| which was very long Que, lay length
| wise, SO thatthe strain fell on the front
aud rear walls.
''If the joists had extended crosswise in
| the usual way" said Colonel Towns
| end, "the walls would have been
| supported by those of the adjacent
| building It is my theory that either
| the motion of the presses or an explosion
| OF some sort displaced the upright sup
| ports in the centre of the building, and
the crash came as necessary conse-
Mr. Bedford will investigate the state
menr made by Henry Grsmiich OF No. 625
| Bushwick avenue, Brooklyn, who was
| employed by Liebler s. Maas3. but
left bee use he thought the build
ING unsafe. He says that there were
several large seams in the walls which
| were covered with pieces Of pssteboard
on which was painted the notice:-"This
notice is not to be torn down."
JERSEY CITY VICTIMS.
The funeral services over the remains
| OF John Steinke. who was killed in the
PARK Place catastrophe, We're held at his
home. at Griffith street and Nelson ave
nue., at halt past three yesterday after
! nj oon. Rev. DR.. Meury oiiiciated. The
/ interment was in Flower Hill Cemetery.
The body Of Morris Herring, OF No. g