The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-21
YESTERDAYS DEVELOPMENTS.
The Search at Gayhead for the Dead-Bodies
Identiied-statements of Survivors.

OF Columbus. There has been deplorabe lack
of system III regard to the disposal of the bodies
picked up at various points along the coast.
Stray bodies of victims have been recovered by
various craft plying through Vineyard Sound
and taken to widely separated points. 1t is re-
ported that several bodies were picked up by
schooners and landed at Edgartown, Woodshall
and Vineyard Haven 1t is positively known
that there are now eleven bodies at Vineyard
Haven, but the number at other points can not
be ascertained at present, owing to the fact that
there is no regular communication between these
various ports.
AT daylight this morning several newspaper
correspondents chartered the tug Nellie for a
cruise off Gayhead, with the object of boarding the
wreck and making landingat Gayhead, which lat
ter point has not been visited. Several gentlemen,
who lost relatives by the disaster, accepted an
invitation to accompany the Nellie. AT dawn a
heavy snow storm was prevailing, but at O'Clock
the weather moderated sufficiently to warrant the
tugs ventuIing in the sound. Within two hours
the Nellie steamed within sighting distance of
the wrecked steamer. Upon approaching closer
it was ascertained that about fifty feet of the
bow and deck were out of the water, the bow
resting upon the rocks of Devils Bridge, while
the stern slowed around point or two into
d
THREE BODIES WERE HANGING
to the ratlines of the mizzen rigging. By the
time the Nellie had run within cannon-shot dis
tance, the snow changed to sleet, the-wind began
blowing fercely from the north northeast and
it was found impossible to approach within a
quarter of mile of the City of Columbus, owing
to the fact that the ledge forming Devils Bridge
extended that distance to the eastward of the
wreck. The Nellie slirted the buoy the east,
and ran within the eight-mile wharf, landing at
Gayhead light The sea was running so high
that the tug could not approach the wharf ard
the yawl was launched in which some of the
correspondents and visitors set out for
Gayhead. 1t was only with great diff
Guilty that the party landed as the waves
were twenty feet high and dashed over
the wharf The party proceeded to the light
house, where it was ascertained that ten per-
sons had landed safely from the wreck, all of
whom were alive and, under the circumstances,
doing well. They are
VIM. Spaulding, Boston purser; Henry Col
Inns Taunton, second assistant engineer; John
Hines, Boston, fireman; Thomas Butler, Prince
Edwards island, fireman; VIM n. Macdonald,
Boston, quartermaster Thomas OLeary, sea
man; NJ. N. Kennedy and Edward OBrien, St
Johns, y. F., walters; James Brown and 4. lib
belts, passengers.
EurSer SpdulQ1ng was found the residence
of the keeper of the lighthouse. his head ban
daged, and wearing the clothes ia which he
swan from the wreck to the life-boat While
the officers and seamen We're relating their eX
periences to the correspondents, the visitors
guided by native half breeds started off TO Vari-
GUS points in the vicinity where the bodies were
placed after being picked up by the natives along
the beach.
IDENTIFYING THE DEAD.
The first place visited was the meeting house.
a dilapdated and storm beaten church, in one of
the widest places on the coast. Here were
found five bodies-four men and one woman AS
the party entered the building and beheld the
outstretched forms upon the floor, A. s. Belyea
of Lynn, cried out, ''That's my dear niece
Alice and he knelt before the PROSTATE and
disfgured remains weeping convulsively. The
grief of the man was contagious and there were
few dry eyes among the party. The name of
Mr. Belyea's niece was Alice Atkinson. Her re
mains were horribly mangled, and covered with
blood from head to foot She had on only her
and was identified by them.
the party who had been walking
among the other bodies, uplifted a heavy
tarpaulin covering the last bodies examined
which proved to be that of George Kellogg, of
Fitchburg, in search Of whose, body Currier had
come The remaining three bodiesawere
identified One of them was that of passenger
who died in the life boat while on his way from
the wreck to the land Another passenger was
washed ashore yesterday. 1t was Kellogg. who
left the vessel in the boat with Quartermaster
MACEDONIA and worked at the oars until he
dropped dead from exhaustion and exposure.
The party then proceeded to the beach, where
it was reported number of bodies were lying.
AS one of the natives lifted the tarpaulin from
the form of the first victim reached, Rev. Mr..
Dunning of Lawrence, dropped upon his knees
and grasped the frozen and extended hands of
the corpse, crying, "Oh, mereiful God its Henry
Batchelder, my poor sisters husband! Poor
Henry, dear boy, farewell" The reverend gem
tleman was overcome with emotion, and wept
Historically as friends lowered the frozen tar
paulin over the corpse.
CONTINUING THE SEARCH.
Then the gentlemen started on a long tramp
over the barren waste, through foot of snow,
to hut where it was reported there were more
bodies. On reaching the cabin, which was
watched over by half breed woman, the party
entered. Mr.. Belyea Immediately discovered
the dead body of his sister, Mrs. A. B. Belyea,
of Lynn, who with her niece, Miss Atkinson,
was on the Columbus. Belyea was much affect
ed and cried bitterly when he saw the shocking
condition of the remains The body was horri-
bly, mutilated from contact with wreckage and
probably by being dashed on the jagged rocks
at Gayhead bluff. Unlike the face of her
niece, that of Mrs Belyea wore
a calm exression Miss Atkinson
had her hands full of hair which
had evidently been torn from her head in the
agony of death. There were five other bodies
in the hut, four being men and one mulatto
woman. No one was able to identify any of
these, and the party proceeded to the beach,
and along the rocky Shore back to Gayhead
light. Along this stretch of shore were found
nine corpses, all more or less disfgured the face
of each wearing an expression of horror, calcu-
lated TO haunt the behoder None of these
corpses were identified, and all were left where
placed by the natives who recovered them from
the waters Later in the day they were removed
to places of shelter along the coast. The natives
would not allow the bodies to be removed
unless the expenses of recovering them were
paid. BY this time the storm began to increase,
and heavy gale blew from tho northeast, ac-
eompanied by snow and sleet. 1t was piercingly
cold and everything was coated with ice The
bodies of Mrs. Belyea, Miss Atkinson, Kellogg,