The story of Johnstown : its early settlement, rise ... - JohnstownCafe

lUSPOS.SL or THE DEAD. 191
the ('lie policeman who peri-hed. A cloth-covereil casket was at the iloor to
leceive his remains. A procession of visitors lilei.1 past constantl\ . trdy, and the result inventoried. \'aluables
were handed to tlie proper authorities. I'sually it was absolute]\- necessary to
turn a stream of water throuuli a hose on the bodies, which were thickh' coated
with mire. Often knives had to be used to scrape off the detiliii!; filth and
congealed blood. There was no attempt at embalming the first day. for no
appliances could be had- The same reason compelled putting man\- of the
corpses in rough bo.xes, without shrouds or any change from the wet clothing
the lifeless clav had worn the dav before. It was hartl to consign lieautiful
girls and innocent children to such receptacles, but no alternative remained.
The cemeteries couK! not be reached from Johnstown. Sandxvale was coxered
with water and the spoils of the flood, and the bridges leading to Grand
\'iew had been washed away. E.\cept to the people of I\ern\ille no road was
open to any burial-place. In this dire strait a piece of ground back of Prospect
was ti.xed upon as a tempiirary graveyard. On Sunda\- nujrnmg the interments
began. .\ rope ferry and a lot of boats that leaked like sie\es conveyed
the botlies across Conem.uigh Creek. Men bore them up the steep
hill— a most toilsome ascent. At the appointed spot laborers plied spades
and picks, digging shallow graves. The soil was gra\elh- and full of stones.
Into one of these holes each coffin was let down and the dirt shoN'eled in. A