The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-25
THE REMAINS OF MRS. FAIRS
FATHER. THOMAS ROONEY,
PETRIFIED.
NOW AT CALVARY CEMETERY.
ACTION OF SILICA OR LIME THE
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE
TRANSFORMATION.

all America will have the distinction with
which it is destined to be marked.
AT present there are the remains of four
persons to be LAID in the vaults of the gran
lite mausoleum. One of them is petrifed,
and so preserved by the secret processes of
nature that its form is true to life, and no
doubt will remain SO long as the stone re-
sists disintegration. This is the extra
ordinary distinction that will cling to the
magnificent family tomb that has just been
finished in Holy Cross Cemetery-one full
of interest for the scientific mind and as
constituent for the public.
The petritied remains are those of
Thomas Rooney, the father of the late
Mrs. Fair. Rooney lived for many years
in the mountain mining districts. He
died on August IA, 1876, and was buried in
the cemetery at Angels Camp, Calaveras
County. The earth where his body was laid
is largely composed of silica, one of the COM
ponents of quartz, though in a different
state, and possessed of qualities having
the power of petrifaction, or more cor
rectly of silicifying organic substances and
changing organic tissues into a glass-like
body known as silica.
Although no opportunity for scientific
investigation was possible in the present
case, scientific men familiar with the
geological conditions and action of silicates
on organic substances, have no doubt that
the remains of Thomas Rooney were sub
iected to the influence of quartz in some
form while lying in the mountain burial
ground, and that his tissues were rapidly
silicifed.
The petrifled body is now in temporary
vault in Calvary Cemetery in this city,
whence it will be taken to the mausoleum
erected by his daughter, Mrs. Fair.
a very strange feature of the phenome-
non, for such it really is, cannot be easily
explained. Rooney's body underwent the
change, while the remains of his wife and
son, resting on either side, returned to
ashes.
John T. Rooney, the son, died July 2,
1854, and was inferred at Angels Camp.
On June 16, 1876, Mrs. Alice Rooney, Mrs.
Fairs mother, departed. She was laid
few feet from her boy. And when old Mr.
Rooney passed away in the August follow
ing he was buried between them in the
family plat. Together their remains rested
there until May q, 1885, when two under
takers from San francisco, acting for Mrs.
Theresa Fair, went to Angels Camp to re-
move them to this city.
The wealthy lady had not forgotten her
own in the most exciting years of her life
for as soon as she had a vault built out by
Lone Mountain she prepared for their re-
interment in the spot where they would
lie beside herself in the long sleep to come.
No pains were spared to have the ashes
borne hither with all due reverence. Three
handsome iron oclyo 81 l..
mining town, and Henry J. Gallagher, the
undertaken, was entrusted with the mis-
sion. He selected tried assistant and
both set about their duty with the greatest
care. They opened the three graves ana
found the collins rotted away. Only bones
and ashes remained of the bodies of Mrs.
Rooney and her son, but the undertakers
were astonished beyond belief to find the
old mans body hard as stone and so heavy
they could not move it in any direction.
-Four strong men were taken out from
Angels Camp to the cemetery, and, with
ropes and blocks of timber, the petrifed
body was lifted to the surface 1t was no
easy matter, either, for the six men were
hard pressed, though exerting all their
strength in the work
The body weighed 400 pounds, which
added to the metallic casket made total
weight of 800 pounds
When the three caskets were brought to
this city they were laid away in Mrs. Fairs
vault very privately and without ceremony.
The late Mrs. Fair was informed by the
undertaken of what had taken place with
her fathers body and she saw the face
under the glass lid. 1t is not known if she
told her children about it, but she used
every means in her power to keep the story
secret. Through her influence and the
undertakers determination not to betrav
what he regarded as professional secret
the strange facts were kept from the public
for nearly decade. Now, however, it is
known to few men here and in Angels
Camp, as the story is told among under
takers as one of the phenomena of the
grave.
1.-The coffin in which Mr. Rooney was
buried" said the undertaken to friend.
''was rotted away, but the BODY was pre-
served in kind of stone. Even the hair
and his chin beard were petrifed. though
his nose was fiattened as if pressed down
by some weight, and the ewes were
sunken. The mark of the coat was quite
distinct where the collar lay upon his
the body, as little more than its outline was
marked. In moving the body one hand
struck something and broke off at the
wrist like piece of glass. Evidently it
was exceedingly brittle.
at took six strong men to carry the
casket to the vault at Calvary Cemetery,
because the total weight was something
over 600 pounds. OF course two men could
have carried the other caskets, but then for
the sake of appearances we had them take
hold of each. l understand the bodies are
to be taken to Mrs. Fairs new mausoleum
at Holy Cross, and when that takes place
people will be astonished at seeing for
themselves the truth of what l have told
you"
The only explanation that can be offered
by State Mineralogist Crawford in reply to