Skeleton Revealed in Historic Conn. Town After Hurricane Sandy
Connecticut police said that a skeleton unearthed when a tree fell over during Hurricane Sandy was from colonial times.
The tree in New Haven was uprooted as Sandy's wind gusts saw winds between 50 and 75 mph.
David Hartman, a police spokesperson, said a woman standing amongst onlookers of the fallen tree called authorities Tuesday after spotting bones in the upturned roots, reported the Associated Press.
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Hartman also said be believed the tree was planted in 1909 on the 100th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth. He said that the remains could belong to one of the thousands of people buried there in Colonial times.
Meanwhile, the evaluation results from the state medical examiner have yet to be announced.
The woman who called in the skeletal remains, Katie Carbo, made the discovery around 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday near the Corner College and Chapel streets, reported the New Haven Independent. The remains included the back of a skull, upside down, with its mouth open. It is still connected to a spine and rib cage.
"This is someone's family remains," said Carbo speaking to the publication. "It should have been given a proper burial."
Sergeant Anthony Zona told the publication that police did not believe any foul play had been involved in the individual's death, and that the section the skeleton was found in was once a burial ground.
"That body has probably been there a long, long time," Zona told The Independent. "Twenty-four years on the job and different things just happen all the time."
Meanwhile, the East Coast is recovering from the trail of devastation left behind by Hurricane Sandy. As of Wednesday morning the storm has left at least 55 people dead along the Atlantic Coast. Moreover, beachfront homes have been demolished, neighborhoods have been flooded, and over 8 million people are without electricity.
In New York City's lower Manhattan, nearly a quarter of a million are without power.
"We will get through the days ahead by doing what we always do in tough times- by standing together, shoulder to shoulder, ready to help a neighbor, comfort a stranger and get the city we love back on its feet," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement.
