Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-17
DIGGING GRAVES BY THE SCORE
Coroner Now Believes That the Mum.
Der of Dead viii Reach Two Hun
dred-sody OF Woman Found, the
Frame of Which Was Enveloped in
Mans Attire.
(By. Associated Press.l

BOYERTOWN, PA, Jan. 16-This
little borough. which lost one fr-
tenth OF its population In the opera
house horror Monday night, today
TUNED to the task OF burying its
dead.
Because of the condition of most
Of the bodies the borough authorities
have asked the burned victims rel
auves TO bury the dead within three
days.
All night long scores of men work
ed In the morgues preparing the iden-
tilted bodies for removal to their late
homes or The cemetery. AS early as
o'clock long line OF death wagons
moved here and there about the town
distributing the corpses, and before
Mghtfall most OF the dead will be
ready for interment.
The relief committee working N
conjunction with relatives removed
more than 80 bodies from the
morgues. 1t is common sight to see
men carrying through the streets
charred bodies q, boards covered by
a blanket or quilt.
IT rained slightly this morning and
there was light fall of snow, but
This did not deter the work of dig
cling graves A force of men started
TO dig graves in Fairvicw and Union
cemeteries this morning.
The borough has decided to buy
lots for the burial OF the unidentified
dead. In the center of the plot suf-
Gnfnnf vii i-rg -.
tion OF monument.
The scenes about the morgues today
are much the same as Yesterday
Daylight found numbers around the
entrances clamoring for. admttance.
AL O'Clock the doors were opened
aud the gruesome work Of identify
Ing the dead was again taken UP. 1t
is believed that more than so bodies
will never be identified
The list continues 10 grow and IT is
feared the number of victims will
reach 1SO
Today Mrs James Fryer. who was
injured by leaping from The burning
building, died, making the total num-
Der of known dead 172.
Coroner St'ailsser's official list this
afternoon showed that of the dead
III were females and 10 males. There
are 10 bodies so badly burned that it
Is impossible 10 distinguish their sex.
There are % bodies OF children in.
cluded in the list of males ana fe-
males.
The coroner stated that this list is
by no means complete. The borough
OF Royertown m0urns the loss of 40
of It's people. The remainder of the
victims hailed from about ten diff
ieren- hamlets within a radius of five
miles.
Thinks 200 May Have Persisted.
nave every reason to believe"
said tho corouer after making another
examination of the ruins today. that
the number OF the dead may reach
fully 200. A number of bodies. how
many We will never be able to tell
wore burned to crisp. Nothing re-
mains of them but scattered ashes
In order 10 get to tho cellar of the
building as quickly as possible. n
gang OF men was set TO work this
afternoon to clear away the tons OF
brick and mortar.
Little Roadway was made In iden-
tifying the remainder Of thu nm
known dead So far 115 bodies have
been claimed
A mystery developed as result OF
The examination Of the bodies still
remaining in The school house. In
looking over the corpscs Corone.
Sb'ausser came across one he at first
had reason to believe was that of a
man. but on opening Tho coat which
enveloped tho frame. he was surprised
to see that The body was that OF n
woman. The, whole body was attired
In melc garments. even TO the an
derclothes. An invest.sa ion showed
that there was no girl In the play
Monday night dressed in mans at
tire. The body is one of those still
unidentified. and 1t is hardly likely
that VI will be claimed. The features
were burned beyond recognition