Here we find an intact example, with all its letters present, of that very same iron crucifix we saw in St. Peter’s Cemetery. The thing has been spray-painted with silver paint, which may actually have helped preserve its parts. Someone has left a little rosary dangling in front of Christ.
We have met a very similar iron crucifix in St. Peter’s Cemetery (Arlington), and it had the same problem: the letters fall off as they rust. Here we have no adjacent monument to give us the name, so Father Pitt has no way to fill in B–D-NS. If anyone familiar with Polish names has a guess, please leave a comment.
It is very frustrating to Father Pitt to be almost but not quite able to read the inscription on this monument. The fact that it is in Polish does not make matters easier; the fact that, while it uses the Latin alphabet, there are letters that seem to be a backwards N (like a Cyrillic И) makes it even more puzzling; but beyond those difficulties, there seem to be too many letters that are not legible at all. Perhaps they would show up in a different light.
The monument itself is striking: a crucifix in the romantic style of a rustic stump.
Here is the inscription, so that anyone who has better eyes than old Pa Pitt’s may attempt to read it, and perhaps leave a comment with a suggested interpretation:
The soft stone is eroding, softening the features of this sculpture to a kind of abstract peace, but she still clings to the rugged rustic cross. The rustic style, incidentally, is very much favored in St. Adalbert’s.
Plumbers are often called upon in Pittsburgh to make simple utilitarian constructions like railings for outdoor steps. Cast-iron pipe is strong, easy to assemble, and durable. Until today, however, Father Pitt had never seen it used for a grave marker. There is something touching about the way some poor Lithuanian or Polish family has found a way to fulfill the desire for a permanent memorial, and to Father Pitt this will always be the Tomb of the Unknown Plumber.
Note how the Selevaneis grave in the background is also outlined in iron pipe; that kind of construction is very common in St. Adalbert’s.
