The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-03-27

Continued from Page One.
upon thousands blocked the streets in
the neighborhood of the pier. These per-
sons seemed to be there out of idle curl
osity alone and a large number of them
were women.
Several examples of what morbid Gu
riosity will do were presented. At times
an automobile with fashionably dressed
women in it would wend its way to the
crowds until stopped by the Gordon or
police at the pier entrance. Then the
occupants would lean out and request
in a matter of fact way that they be
allowed to go inside and view the
bodies. When told that they would
have to take their place at the foot or
the line. they told their chauffeur TO
drive on.
Satisfy Morbid Desire.
When the police and officials in
charge of the temporary morgue knew
that many OF those who came in to
look at the long lines of dead had no
other purpose in so doing except to
satisfy their morbid desire to see what
was going on inside. they had no way
of distinguishing these from others
who were there to search for their
dead.
Only about twenty-five were allowed
inside at one time. Then each per
son was watched closely as they passed
slowly around the collins. A nurse how
cred at the side of each woman: for
hundreds tainted. some through hor-
ror alone.
One young woman. who was looking
for her sister. tainted three times be-
fore able to go the entire length OF the
pier. Then when she finally recog-
nized the blackened features on the
body OF young woman in one of the
collins, she gazed at il in stony silence
for a few moments, finally nodding her
head when asked If she had found
what she had come to look for.
Other women, though. would create
scenes that would bring tears TO the
eyes OF the nurses and doctors. as used
as they are to tragedies and sights
of grief.
Silently View Dead.
Sometimes as long as half an hour
nothing would be heard than the shut
fling OF feet as the little groups of
twenty-five moved through the place. sup
pIemented occasionally by a moan, sig
hllyinS 'hat announcer iueuIlnCduon nau
occurred.
Al other times woman would push
her way IN. crying forth name nSs-
tericaIly' TO be followed by shnek arter
shrlek as she came upon the CONN con-
tanning the remains OF the missing one
NO TWO persons seemed 10 De anecleo
entirely alike. One woman. with set
features and pale face. walked steadily
past the collins until almost at the end
OF the line. when she dropped to the
ground in a faint as II she had suddenly
been stricken dead.
In many of the cases the women would
fling themselves upon some blackened
corpse and refuse to let go for some
time. In cases OF extreme hysteria like
these the nurses would speak comforting
words in the ears of the stricken ones
and finally lead them away to a chair.
while the details of their identification
would be obtained
Tries to End Her Life.
In one case a woman. whose frantic
search brought her face to face with
the charred remains of her daughter, ran
shrieking to the edge of the pier and
was about to leap into the water. when
Capt OConnor caught her. She fought
wildly until dragged back. and then
tainted. When she was revived she
tainted again, and finally had to be re-
moved TO the hospital This woman was
Mrs. Clara Nausbaum. and her daughter
vas Sadie, eighteen years old. an only
child. The lower part of her body had
almost been destroyed by the flames, but
enough of the features were left to make
Identification positive.
Many men tainted. The grief Of the
men had a more tragic aspect than that
of the women. Some of them would
stand silently in front OF a coffin wiring
ing their hands. Tears would stream
down their faces. and at first when
asked a question they would be unable
to reply except by a nodding of the
head.
Others would give vent to their grief
by hoarse. broken scbs, while at times
both men and women would fall on their
knees and begin to pray Historically.
Identified by Tripket..
III many cases loeNtirlcation could only