The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-22
D,ath Of an American Student in Germany.
iCunesp0Bdeacc of the Evening Post.l

iCuresp0Bteacc of the N ! Evening Post.
Boss on TIE RHINE, June p, le ca.
This quiet University town was n few days ago,
thrown into state OF considerable excitement By
a melancholy accidenI, which removed from the
small circle of Ar encars resident here one OF Its
most respectable IN tmbels, and afforded, In ZONE
of its cons. quencea, curious Illustration of Ger
man charae ter and habits The occHsTa nee was
Ihe death, by drGwning, of James F.iZ ByrBe OF
ct Louis, Missouri, Nho had been living In Bonn
for nearly year as a student in the University
On lhe AFTERNOON of "Wednesday. 3pne,s. he went
with fFiend, tor The purpose OF bathing, TO one
of The floating bath, which are anchored Ia the
Rhine, opposite the town and near the further
bank. These establishments IL should be said,
contain ONLY dressing ROOMS: hut a. safeguard
against the rspidity at the c"Ifeht, which here
flows at the rate OF i've or six miles an hour,
small enclosure is formed about taeh OF them by
a floating barrier of logs.
Ia One Of these enclosures than he was stzed, as
IL Is Supposed, by crainp, which wholly deprived
him OF the COntiol of his limbs for he immedi-
ateiy went below The surface and was in an In
| stant swept by the current under the barrier and
down the siTeam lie reappearcd several times.
al the surface apparently quite helpless, but the
force of the current was so great thai though the
bathing master at once plunged ih alter him was
impossible TO reach him, and he was cafIied In Il
few moments out Of sight No uace OF the body
was discovered for several days, and 1t was not
until the following Monday morning that a tell,
gam was received announcing iIs recovery II
lad been found on the previous evening, four
davs a ter the accident, several mites below Dus-
seidorf aud nearly sixty miles from Bonn
| As soon the body Was received here 1t W as
treated with unusual marss of attention byst e
personal friends OF Mr. Byne, by the students OF
| the iIuiversity, and by the Roman Catholic
Church. 10 which communion he belonged. On
| Monday, June 18th, In the parish church of 81
Martini go solemn soul service,'' as II was called
in the printed notice, was held '.tor the lost stu
dsnt OF philosophy In the Bsnn nm aaang OF
| ment OF another req uiem on The next day and an
'.address to James FitZ Bylne, stud phil"
In the same paper notice was given tiiat the
l burial would take place at nine O'CLOCK In Tie
evening, with torch light procession of the stu
dents. A. the. procession left the University II
| was headed by band playing a funeral march
| behind them was borne giited cross. which was
fnllowed by the priests ia their athciai lObes.-
| Next came the he arse; drawn by four horses, aud
shaking with black planes. behind II walked
| the American hiends OF the deceased, then TIT
| faculty Of the University, whose respect aud es
! teem for him were thus slrikingiy displayed, anl
| then several of the "corps'' of students, disiin
| puishei by the color of their caps-each corp
| carrying a hag, and each student torch. tn
| whole c0rlege may, perhaps, have numbered tw'
| huudied. -.
| distant about half nile from the university
| now and then hal was lifted among The spectator
as the cross was carried By but The babble Of tht
| irreosessible German tongues was scarcely dimn
ished and the roliicking crowd poured On alte
the procession. AT The grave lhe customary Il
| man Catholic services were performed, and, q
their close, The students, under the direction OF
leader, whose form was dimiy visible to those ou'
: side OF the graveyard, through the smoke OF tn
I'll torches, sang parting hymn
When these ceremonies were over the process
sion moved at rapid step, the baod playing qaie
| marches, to The bank Of the khiae, where IN
| torches were thrown inIo the water, and the mu
r titude turned back into the city. As wake
1 along through The narrow streets, ringiag vi,
deafening reverbeTations Of the songs and cris
and whisliing Of the crowd, could not but col
trast with this brilliant and boistereus periornane
| of the most solemn OF all rites the quiet ahd III
| pressive manner in which, with simple ssFvict
and sorroWfui heats, company of Amenea
| students commit one Of iheig number 10 Test.