Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-05-03
A FUNERAL.
Four Boys Killed by Lightning
Buried at Once.
Louisville Post, April SOL

Louisville Post, April SO.l
A sadder scene has seldom been wit
messed in Louisville than that at st
Antonius' church this morning, at tn,
obsequies Of the four school boys WHIT
were killed by the same lightning
stroke on Thursday. The time fol
the funeral was set at 10 o'clock. bur
long before that hour the church be-
gan to fill with people, who came from
every direction. Half an hour before
the procession arrived all the seats in
the little church, except those in the
lcenter reserved for the mourners, were
taken, the aisles were packed, a crowd
was gathered in the yard before the
church door, aud scores stood upon the
sidewalk in front. Hundreds were
unable to gain entrance to the church,
and either went away or remained out
side during the services. The people
were mostly Germans, and nearly all
appeared to be friends and acquain-
tances of the families of the dead
boys.
At ten o'clock the novel and pecu-
liar sorrowtul sight was witnessed OF
four funeral professions coming from
different directions, uniting at the
church and slowly falling in line to-
gether up to the door. -Four hearses
we're backed to the sidewalk, and four
little collins were taken cut and car
ried one by one into the building.
Each coffin was carried by six little
boys belonging to the school Of the
church which the dead lads attended.
The scene was solemnly impressive
when the gloomy procession of four
collins, each followed by the weeping
parents and friends of the youths,
moved slowly up the aisle to the vail
ing notes of a chant sung by the school
children. The congregation was much
affected, and there was a general sound
Of sobbing and signing when the four
collins were deposited in front of the
altar and along the central aisle.
Solemn requiem mass was celebrat.
ed, Father Miller officiating, assisted
by two other Catholic clergymen. The
imposing funeral ceremonies of the
Roman Catholic church were per-
formed. The school children of the
st. Antonius school were present in a
body, and looked on with awe-struck,
curious feelings at the solemn ser
vices. A brief funeral discourse was
preached in German by Father Miller.
The sermon was full of feeling aud
pathos, and at times, while the preacher
was enlarging on his painful theme,
the emotions of the audience were
unrestrained, and the church pre-
sented a scene of unusual sadness.
Che four collins in a row, covered
with a profusion of white flowers, and
lit by a yellow fame of wax candles,
the tervid eloquence of the priest,
and the reverential stiffness of the
close-packed audience, save when a
sob or sigh broke the calm. made a
picture never to be forgotten by those
who saw it.
The service occupied nearly two
hours, and it was noon when the four
collins were carried back out of the
church. The four professions merged
into one, started slowly down the
street to the Twenty. sixth street
graveyard, where young Fleck was
buried. The other three bodies
those of Pfalzer, Schuette and Schnei-
der, were then taken to st. Michael's
cemetery and there inferred, and the
last scene of one of the most appall-
ing occurrences Louisville has had for
years was over.
In the neighborhood of the church
to-day nothing was thought of but the
funeral, and the unusual circum
stances of the fatality made a deep
impression. During the services in
the church throngs of people visited
the spot, a half square away, where
the four young lives suddenly went
out in a fash.
There was a profusion of flowers at
the funeral, and each coffin was deco
rated with wreaths, crosses and other
floral ornaments. The children of
the school all wore white Grape as
a badge of mourning, and the church
itself was draped in mingled black and
white. Father Miller's address to the
schoolmates of the dead boys was
particularly fervid, and had a deop
effect on his audience. There we're
ten or a dozen hacks in each pro-
cession, making forty in all when the
four we're united, making a long line,
Four funerals and four collins in one
procession is somewhat rarely seen.
and this mornings obsequies will be
memorable in the funeral annals of the
city.