The Washington herald., 1912-05-12
MORGUE is A GREWSOME
BUT NECESSARY INSTITUTION
Some Facts and Statistics Aboutthe Conduct of 4The
House of Death"

The District Morgue Is naturally ons
Of the weirdest and most grewsome in.
stitutions in the city. It Is on the wesi
side Of Seventh Street Southwest, on
the banks Of the Potomac, nestled among
the group OF wharves which are ever
astir, either with the throngs OF merry
excursionists or the noisy seamen and
deck hands. as they wheel the heavy
trucks over the rough planks. The
Morgue is a solemn looking structure.
1t reminds one at once Of a chapel. II
is a pebble-dashed building OF simple
design and of rather recent construc-
ton. The windows are of stained glass.
Over the door on the facade Of the little
yestibule, with its steep-pitched roof, is
a cement cross. giving an atmosphere Of
solemnity and deathliness to the struc-
ture
All is still on the inside. The stranger
who enters the perpetual house Of death
turns to his left after passing through
the vestibule and finds himself in a room
about ten feet square. This Is the
Morguemaster's ofice. In one corner is
a desk. Arranged In a line around the
room against the walls are chairs. in
which daily sit scores OF heart-brolxen
persons, waiting 10 glance at the dead
70 see II a loved one, supposed to be
dead, Is among them.
At the west side Of this room is a
door which leads into a large room, ex-
tending the entire width OF the building.
This is the inquest room. The light from
the south, passing through the stained
glass windows, falls upon long desk on
a high platform at one end Of the room
The coroner and his assistant sit at this
desk during inquests. Below is another
table, which is used by attorneys and
members Of the press. The remainder
OF the floor space is occupied by chairs
for the jury. the witnesses, and the great
throng Of morbidly curious.
In the west wall OF the room are great
double doors which lead into the chamber
OF death. A shudder passes over the
stranger as he enters the room II Is not
very wide, and it extends the entire width
OF the building. A strange odor pene-
trates the nostrils Of the newcomer as
nc passes through the doors It Is not
very distinct odor, and the Morgue-
master says that he does not detect IL
But still It can be detected. It is the
odor Of gases from the decomposition Of
human beings.
The "RefrIgerators.-
The light from the southern windows
reveal along the eastern and western
walls long, dismal looking, funeral COL
ored boxes. They look like the refrfg-
orators which are to be found at the
butchers market, but the wood is much
darker, and they maks~one shrink back.
When the stranger summons up enough
courage to venture between the two rows
Of boxes he viii see that there are five
DOORS in the front of each row of re-
Lrlgerators. These boxes are really re-
trlgerators. In them the bodies of the
dead are kept on ice. It is noticed that
Tour of the doors in each of the two re-
frigerators are about two feet square.
but that the fifth one. although of the
same height, is just twice as wide. The
TWO double ice chests are for the dead
Welded up by the river, which are usually
vice the normal size, because Of being |
illed with water.
At the top Of the refrigerators are
iooTs leading to the ice chests. Over
ZACH door at the front Of the re-
rigerators is a small brass frame, de-
signed to hold a card. When a body
S placed in one OF the compartments,
ne name OF the person. IL known, or,
unknown, the mystery enshrouded
word, unknown is placed in the
rame. The Assistant Morguemaster had
occasion yesterday afternoon to open
me OF the compartments. On a white
ard in the brass frame was the name
george Johnson Mr.. Rundel, the
assistant, grasped the handle Of the
loor, and, turning IT. swung the door
loWly open The interior was lined with
galvanized iron. There, lying in the
narrow cell, was a CHASTITY form, face
downward The body was shrouded in
white sheet, for Johnson was a hos
'ital case, and the hospitals always wrap
heir dead in this manner.
The body was greatly swollen-almost
vice the normal size.
He's pretty far gone" said Mr. Run
lei Decomposition is setting in rap
dly.''
The swelling Of the body was due to
he fact that it had not been embalmed.
Sone Of the bodies kept at the Morgue is
ver embalmed. Mr.. Rundel explained
hat the doors Of the refrigerators were
pened no oftener than absolutely nee
ssary, as the warm air entering the
Compartments hastened decomposition
The bodies slide into the COMPARTMENTS
n wooden trays equipped with rollers
order to preserve the bodies as long
S possible and to prevent obnoxious
dors from filling the Morgue, one of J
he refrigerators is supplied with a ven
lating system. II
It is seldom that bodies are kept longer
han week. At the end of this time, ,
isintegration is so far advanced that
larked odors become noticeable. II not ,
laimed, the bodies are sent to the Dis ,
rict crematorium on the banks Of the ,
,astern Branch behind the District jail.
here they are reduced to ashes, The
shes are buried in the adjoining pot ,
ar's field.
Law About Dead Bodies.
Many of the bodies are brought to
he morgue from the local hospitals.
here is a regulation in force to the
fleet that dead bodies cannot be kept .
t hospitals for more than forty-efght !
ours. Many persons annually die upon I
he streets Of the city, and are carried l
} the morgue for Identification. Now
nd then a body is found in the river. r