New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-16
MANY SMALL C0FFlNS.
SCENES At THE MORGUE.
Police Keep Back Big Cro7cd-
Still Clasped by Mother.

near the entrance to the Morgue when the
Fidelity tied up East Twenty sixth-st. short
" before p. An hour before wagon filled
with coarse pinewood collins with their dininu-
tive size pitifully significant, had unloaded at
the Morgue. The arrival OF the collins preceded
the coming of five thousand pounds of ice to
preserve the bodies.
In long rows along the deck OF the boat were
blankets covering the bodies. Deputy Coroner
Weston was in charge, and only the crew were
on the boat besides. The bodies OF twenty-five
women and eight children were the cargo. The
children mostly very young. In one case
q child still locked close in Its mothers
arms.
DR.. Weston said that all the bodies were
picked up in the water near the scene Of the
wreck Half he said, had met death by drown
ing and the remainder by burning asphyxia-
ton. Some charred terribly and had evil
IDENTIFY fallen from the boat after being partly
incinerated.
BELLEVUE INMATES WATCH.
Captain Shire. of the East Thirty-hfth-st.
station. with twenty-five men, maintained
der. keeping the crowd we'll behind the rope
stretched across the street to keep the entrance
clear. There was little demonstration when the
bodies were carried off the boat and landed at
the northern entrance TO the Morgue. Inmates
student two hurried back into the Morgue.
tennis racket in hand and save for the stretch
ers and what their blankets were known to hide,
the coarse pine collins and the blocks of ice
there was little indication Of the presence of
death
One by one the bodies were carried into the
autopsy in the Morgue and deposited in
the open wooden collins. Then the clothing OF
the bodies searched for effects. The bodies
we're carefully tagged. and whatever effects
were found were placed in envelopes with cor
responding numbers. for future reference.
SEEKS MOTHER. BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
Henry Cordes. who visited the Morgue seeking
his mother, brothers and sisters. Of
those who lived through the disaster. His story
was An example of many
We left the Third-st. pier" said he. Eat about
0 O'Clock. and all went well until we were within
short distance OF North Brother Island. With
the rest Of my family I was on the lower deck
when the smoke appeared on the starboard side
from somewhere below. Although the sight of
the smoke and its keen. pungent smell alarmed
every one. all went we'll until some one shouted
Fire" Then every one ran pellmer toward
the upper decks those who the main
deck also rushed up the steps to the hurricane
deck. until it was literally damned. The people
kept on crowdIng. however. until heard a sud
zen Tearing bpunu, ana ZIP the FdlllIlS gave way
and the people were pushed over the edge into
the water.
AS the fire increased and ate away the deck
supports the deck caved in with an awful crash
Carrying many into the flames The crew were
n little excited. but they did all they could
stretching hose and lowering boats. The boats
on the starboard side could not be used. how
ever. because OF the squirting flames and the
rest would not nearly hold the hundreds 10 be
saved
IN the scramble up the stairway I missed
the rest OF my family all except my brother
Charles. whom I escaped with on a tug that put
us ashore somewhere near One-hundred-and-
thirty ninth-st. I fear that the rest OF US per-
ished.
The when the deck fell In was awful
The flames roared and licked at people who. in
their desperation. leaped headong overheard.
while those who were too late went down into
the hell underneath"
Scarcely had the Fidelty's human cargo been
disposed in the morgue. when. about 445 p. M
the Massasoit. Captain Parkinson, with 1913
bodies and two girls who escaped alive tied up
at the Charities pier. abutting on the morgue
The two survivors were Minnie Weiss. Of No.
1885 Third-ave.. eleven years old. and Hanna
Ludeman. sixteen years old. of White Plains
Both owe their escape largely to Albert Kappa
port. deckhand.
Miss Ludeman was seriously burned about
the face. but Miss Weiss seemed outwardly lit
tie the worse for her terrible adventure
II started for the trip this morning." said She
with my mother. Mrs. Ida Weiss my brother
George. who is fifteen. and a cousin, Miss Louisa
Roth. I in the front OF The boat on the
second deck and my brother was on the top
deck when the fire broke out My brother ran
to get life preserver for my mother In the
confusion I missed my mother and followed a
big, strange woman and the sailor picked me
up. That is all know
Miss Ludeman. whose face was barely visible
under it's bandages said she left home with
her mother Mrs. Hannah Ludeman and her
brothers. Fred and John eighteen and sixteen
years Old I'VE the upper deck on the
rear of the boat" she said. when we saw the
smoke. I helped mother put on a life preserver
and put on one myself Then the upper deck
caved right in. and don't remember anything"
Never within the memory Of the most hardened
hospital attendant have such scenes' been wit
messed as those that occurred in the morgue
and the temporary morgue at the Charities dock
from sunset throughout the night.
Veteran patronen. and even middle aged
surgeons banched at the long series of hor-
rors. Bodies charred beyond recognition into
the semblance OF brown mumnies; wives whose
features disfgured with blood, whose
bodies were twisted with pain. pass UNI
identified by husbands at the first close inspec-
ton: men who covered their faces and blub-
bered like children; young men who seemed TO
go insane at the sight Of distorted clumps OF
flesh that only a few hours before had been
their dearest-the remembrance Of all these
things onlookers will carry with them TO their
dying day.