WEIRD FUNERAL SERVICE
BURIAL OF THE LABORER KILLED AT BITTINGER HAD QUITE A DRAMATIC SETTING.
Grave Too Small for Coffin – Remains Placed in Chapel Till Next Day – Service
Read at Empty Grave by Light of Gigging Lantern.
Communicated.
One of the most weird funerals probably ever held in Southern Pennsylvania took
place about 8 o’clock Monday night, July 29, at Valley Chapel, Berwick township,
Adams county, near Bittinger Station. The obsequies were that of
Cornelius
Hugh, the laborer who was struck and instantly killed by a stone truck at the
Bittinger quarries on Monday afternoon.
The undertaker was called and the body prepared for burial at 7 o’clock that
evening.
The grave-diggers appointed for the occasion were several of his former
companions in the quarry – a mixture of foreign and American “knights of the
road.” After digging the grave large enough, as they thought, they awaited the
funeral cortege.
The “officiating minister” was a portly citizen of the community, dressed in
clerical garb, with an umbrella under his arm, a testament in one hand and a
cane in the other. He stood near the hole in the ground, ready to read the
commitment.
At last the remains arrived in a plain pine coffin, but when the pallbearers
were ready to lower the box, it was found the grave was too small. The coffin
was placed on one side, while the men enlarged the grave. The place of burial
was in the corner of a large clover field, adjoining the chapel, there being no
graveyard at this place.
After the men had enlarged the grave, the coffin was again tried, only to stick
fast about half way down, and the united efforts of all the men present were
required to dislodge it. Again every one got busy and when the box was tried
for the third time it was found that the grave was too shallow, and as there was
a layer of solid rock at the bottom, the men, refused to attempt digging deeper.
Try as they could, no one would work, and one after the other threw down their
pick and declared that powder of dynamite was all that could be used if the
grave was dug deeper at that spot. To add to the difficulty, a swarm of bumble-
bees, not over ten feet away, made work a rather trying thing.
At last, the undertaker, who was the only man present who did not lose his
nerve, suggested that the remains be placed somewhere and the funeral held the
next morning. The question naturally arose, where shall the corpse be placed.
One suggested that it remain at the grave, but others thought it should be
placed in the chapel. The sexton threw up his hands and declared: “Not unless
the trustees of the building should give permission.”
One of the crowd then started to hunt up the trustees and everyone awaited his
return. He reported that permission had been granted and the coffin was placed
in the chapel.
The “minister,” who is engaged at manual labor, then announced that he was
afraid he could not attend the funeral the next morning, as he would be too
busy. One present spoke up and suggested that they hold the service now, while
all were present. So the crowd surrounded the open grave, it was about 9
o’clock. The “minister” found that he had to have a light, whereupon a boy ran
to a neighbor’s house and brought a gigging lantern with the three burners
lighted. The boy held the lantern while the solemn lines were read.
The writer will never forget that scene about 20 of the dead man’s former
“pards,” with their working clothes on, sweat rolling down their faces, beads
uncovered, some with picks in hand, leaning against the fence – was surely
grotesque. One of the number, who probably was overcome by emotion for <xxxx>
water, lay at the foot of the grave asleep. After the services all returned to
their homes.
The next morning the men again began their work and only through the tact of the
undertaker was the grave dug deeper, as the men were in rather a quarrelsome
mood and refused to take orders from anybody but him.
A pile of stones was placed at the head of the grave as a marker – where the
body will lie – until –
“Years pass
And weeds and tangled briers
Grow above that sunken grave
And men forget who sleeps there.”
A Witness
~ The Hanover Herald, 03-Aug-1912
