Chapter 46
The East 23rd Street Pier
THE POLICE AND coroner’s departments labored together to establish a temporary morgue at the East Twenty-Third Street Pier. Officers placed the bodies on beds of ice and lined them up in neat rows. The scene from the lawn on North Brother Island cycled in an endless loop as people walked the aisles hoping not to find what they were looking for. Most of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, but loved ones identified many from clothing or jewelry. The authorities did their best to maintain order, but Gerda Heinrich understood her role—as one of the lucky few survivors, she needed to help.
The crowd gathered outside as if they were waiting for a sold-out show, and the police did their best to allow waves of people to enter in order to avoid overcr
