Year: 1871

None save those whom duty or anxiety Tor q miss.
ing friend called into the neighborhOOd OF Bellevue
Hospital yesterday fully realize the terrible
excitement without and the awful ghasrliness with.
In ITS walls. Men who have been used to scenes OF
blood In every variety say they never anything
so horrible as the sickening heaps OF charred
cOrpses In the dead houses and in many cases the
more horrible mass or human cnder from which
the spark OF life had not yet fed which
was to be seen on every side through the wards.


At about two O'Clock the of1clals Of the hospital
were just about to seat themselves at the dinner ta
bic when the telegraph announced the dreadful ira.
gedy. Not moment was lost, and in less time than
it takes TO write OF it the ambulances were under
way and hurried TO the Centre street Hospital full OF
surgeons and surgical instruments; but yet express
wagons and every kind of private conveyance
was pressed into service, and by half-past three
O'Clock the am6ulances began to return heavily
laden with their horrible freight.


reporter from the HERALD reached the hospital
about the time that the first ambulance arrived and
remained there until midnight last night. BY the
kindness Of Mr.. John TOe the courteous clerk OF
the Coroners' Office, and Warden Brennan, who
were interchangeable in their exertiOns TO afford the
reporter an opportunity OF seeing every case which
was brought in, he was enabled to be spectator at
the most horrible scenes, the least Of which was
horrible beyond his conception. The scene at the





came tearing down Twenty-sixth street


BAFFLEs ALL DESCRIPTION.


The news Of the disaster had just reached the
upper portions OF the town, and all who had friends
or supposed they had friends who by the least pos
sble chance could be on or near the ill-iated boat
rushed In shoals 10 the hospital. Many who had
friends taken into the Centre street Hospital
and had been told that they were to be transferred
to Bellevue rushed up IN frantic haste and sweled
the mighty throng IN front. Another class In the
crowd to be pitied than all the were those
who had seen dead bodies removed from the Park
Hospital and came mp 'twixt hope and fear to have
q look at the ghasty exhibition that was about
10 he prepared for them When


THE FIRST CARLOAD OF DEAD


arrived from the scene OF the disaster there were
fully fifteen thousand people assembled before the
gates, and a half suppressed wall arose from the
multitude as it pulled up aud Its ghastly freight was
transferred TO the dead house. Captain Byrne, OF
the Twenty-third precinct, and Captain Cameron,
Of the Eighteenth, were early on the ground with
their men, and the eager crowd who In their ter
rible anxiety would almost have broken open the
gates were with difculty kept back. Then
ambulance after ambulance began TO arrive.
AS each halted before the front gate the groans
OF the injured and the dying were to he heard dis
tinctly, anu general hush prevailed at each
fresh arrival Of sufferers. As the hours went
on the crowds outside sweled, until at Twenty-sxth
street and avenue A on both sides for o couple OF
blocks was one


SETTLING MASS OF IMPATIENT HUMANITY;
impatient to put an cid to their horrible doubts
impatient to see the sufferers about whose fate some
little hopeful information had been CLEANED. No
impatient curiosity was felt there. 1t was not at
other even serious times when the thoughtess had
turned out in holiday attire to the ghasty show. IL
was too terrible this time, and fear and anxiety
were 10 be seen In almost every face. Towards
evening, when the DOOR, cindered bodies were made
ready for exhibition, the police marshalled the worn
out crowds into rows, and one by one they passed
into the Morgue and came out In the same order
until they joined the crowd at q distance from the
Morgue door. Passing through that crowd the
most heartrending exclamations met the ear at
every turn. The mother, with ner heart almost on
fire. the sister, the brother the father and the lover
all found their representatives.


1t was hearrending enough outside, but within
II was stout heart which could stand unm0ved
the sights which were to be seen on every side. Az
each AMBULANCE drew w bel0re lle front door 2