The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-03-21
How Soldiers Die at Sea.

How Soldiers Die at Sea.
A British soldier writes to the CONNER
| eial Bulletin: Soldiers die ,bravely on the
battle field and resignedly III the military
hospital on shore, but there is something
very sad in soldiers death at sea. The
surroundings of the ship hospital are un-
familiar to his eye; the rollsot the vessel
is painful to him, and the thought is ever
present to his mind that if be was on
shore, if he could see the green fields or
even tina snow-clad earth, his recovery
might be possible. Although nothing
could be more comfortable than the couch
on which he lies, and scarcely any thing
more soothing than the gentle roll of the
vessel to one in his condition, he longs to
stretch his limbs on the barrack hospital
bed and to feel that he IS on the firm
ground. u
Then the thought of thesionely burial in
the wide waste Of waters atsa5 sDs sssrades- itself
upon his mind. To be launched over the
vessels side into the lonely ocean, CON-
mitted to the deep, and left without
stone or wooden cross to mark the spot
where his mortal remains were consigned
to their everlasting rest. All this mex
pressibly saddening to the dying soldier.
On shore his comrades would have fol-
lowed his remains to their resting-plac
In the churcn-yard and fired farewell
shot over his grave, and with reluctant
step have left him to sleep the sleep that
knows no waking till the trump of the
archangel summons the dead to judg-
ment.
How different at sea! Sewed up in
hammock, the corpse to which he belongs
summoned to the gangway-s -slip,a few short
but solemn prayers said over the dead, and
then the awful words, "We commit this
body to the deep" A plunge and the
corpse sinds into the sea; the flag is low
cred; and the vessel sails on, and the
dead is left alone to the tossings of the
angry waves, or to sink deep into the
coral caves of the ocean. No comrade
may come in after days and drop tear
over that grave: no loving hand may
come and plant flower there: it is lost;
swallowed up ia the immcnsity of the
great graveyard of the deep.
The writer has stood by the side of a
dying comrade in the hospital of troop
ship, and heard the dying give utterance
to such thoughts US the above.
"What does the surgeon say?" he asked.
"Iell me the truth, comrade. I am not
afraid of DEATH
1T is better that you should know the
truth. He has no hope"
II thought so. Well, Gods will be
done, but it is hard to die in the middle
of the ocean. II had been on shore,
even IN foreign country, it is hard to be
buried at sea-
The sea will give up its dead"
AYE, that is right, comrade. I ought
to think of that. Scamen,they say. like to
cherish the thought they will be buried at
sea; but am soldier. I would die
happier if l knew that I would be buried
on shore and be followed to the grave by
my comrades. There is something beau
titul in a soldiers funeral on shore. The
solemn music--that Dead March in Saul?
how used to love it! My poor mother!
1t will gricve her to think that I was
buried at sea. Read me that, comrade,
about the sea giving up its dead"
The chaplain at this moment approach
ed, having been sent by the surgeon. He
read the passage Of Scripture asked for
and many other beautiful passages.
The dying soldier closed his eyes du-
ring the reading. He lay silent for
long time after the chaplain had ceased
Then he opened his eyes and muttered,
feeoly:
''No funeral parade; no music; no fare
we'll shot over my grave--commited to the
deep. The-sea-- wiIl--give---up---its.-
dead. Comrade-my mother---Fare-
WE'LL"
And he ccased-to live.
Next day the vessel came tc stop for
few minutes. The ships be. was toll
ed, the flag tloatef1 at ha # mast, and the
soldiers Of the corps to which the de-
ceased belonged were paraded at the
gangway. The prayers were said, the
body launched over the side, and the
vessel resumed her course. Some of the
members of other corps on board were
surprised on learning, late that evening,
that soldier had been buried during the
day.
1t is better that such things should be
SO. Nothing can be gained by sadden
ing men unnecessarily. Cheerfulness is
one of the most potent of sanitary agents.
Every care should be taken to maintain
it among large bodies of men.