Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-02-27
FIND MUMMY like
Cases IN Cemetery
Bodies Inferred Long Ago
in Iron CaSkets Are
Unearthed
CLEARING SITE
FOR NEW LIBRARY

Tucked away in one corner OF the
little. oldfashioned building that for
years housed the Historical Society
of Delaware. and hidden carefully un.
der the folds of a large sheet OF
heavy canvass, are two cast iron re-
ceptacles IN each OF which lies the
body Of what was once human be-
ing. What remains of the bodies
which years ago were sealea-in these
iron caskets and lowered INTO WHAT
was intended TO be their last resting
place. probably viii remain unknown
forever.
Tho smaller case resembles very
much the mummy cases which have
been discovered in Egypt and ls
very ornate piece of casting, or,
rather was such at the timo It was
made. Now it As corroded and shows
only indications Of its original Sc
Verclv neat lines IL was taken from
The Brown family vault II Is cast
IN two parts. somewhat similar TO
the construction of a peanut shell,
and these parts are held together by
many heavy bolts and rivets and also
is sealed Along the sides are
handles and tho whole case weighs
several hundred pounds. There is
small oval plate al one end, which
evidently was intended to give view
of the face OF the dead. should such
Investigation ever become necessary,
hut IL would be impossible TO open IL
now. unless il were broken open
The casket and its contents will be
rc-intorred in the Wilmington and
4 rrrsf as1 4 flar "a %
vault can be built for its reception. Il
is tho understanding that those bodies
. which were removed from vaults, I'm
preparing the old cemetery as site
for the new public library, shall be
re-interrcd I'm similar ones.
The other case. which is much
larger than the first one. is constructed
along the same principle. but is i'm the
shape of an ordinary coffin. IT, too,
Is OF heavy cast iron. and shows the
marks of having been puried for a
long period u came from the kcan
vault Like the smaller one. it has
the small opening. closed forever
now by It's plate OF metal, over the
point where the face OF the dead
should be. H. too. is held together
by many large bolts and rivots and
the effect OF corrosion,
Practically all of the disinterments
necessary to clear the ground have
been made and the site of the pro
posed now library is practically clear.
Toward the King street side OF the
lot. however, are three graves which
will not be molested, although they
are located within the limits OF the
library property. This is because the
point where they are located will fall
within a fifteen-foOt air and light way
which win be left on tho lot I'm order
that no future building may be so
closely built 10 the library as to shut
OF either air or light
Several peculiar things have result
ed from the opening of tho many
graves In the old cemetery In one
case, when the workmen reached the
coffin IN the grave, il was found 10
be OF red cedar which was in as
good condition, with the exception
that the outside finish was some
what married, as it was when it was
deposited there. sixty or seventy
years ago. The body inside, however,
had wasted away almost entirely.
with the exception OF the head and
shoulders. which were in excellent
rendition.
This undoubtedly was due TO the
fact that when The body was placed
In It's cedar cosket, the upper por-
ton OF the body rested on a large
mass OF red cedar shavings, which
presented as good an appearance as
though they had been cut from the
planks but few hours previously. In
the main, however. the baskets con-
Jain but a few handsful OF small
pieces Of bone and an equal quantity
pr dust, with little, il any, semblancC
pf human remains.