The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-10-28
BURIALS AT SEA.
Opinions of Shfpmasters as to tho
Expectancy of Preserving
Bodies on Shipboard.

Opinions Of shfpmasters as to tho
Expectancy Of Preserving
Bodies on shipboard.
The recent burial at sea of home
ward bound passenger on one of the
large ocean steamers has given rise to
some discussion whether it would not
be practicable for the big steamers, am
ply supplied with ice as they always
are, to carry to land persons who die
on the voyage instead of committing
them to the bosom of the deep. Among
the "old salts' who frequent the mari
time exchange, however, there does not
seem to be any difference of opinion.
They are very clearly of opinion that
burial at sea of those who de there.
except under certain rare condition, is
the proper and, indeed, the only practi-
cable thing to do.
Capt. Taylor, an old retired master,
now a ship-broker, said: II only re-
member, in all my experience, of one
instance in which dead body was car
red at sea for any length of time.
That was on board the United States
steamer Penobscot during the war.
Our doctor was killed off Wilmington.
They put his body in cask and filed
the cask up with whisky. That pre-
served the body in good condition for
three weeks, and until we could deliver
it to his friends at home. A dead body
requires a great deal of ice to keep it in
good condition for any length of time.
Sailing vessels never have enough ice
for such use, and. indeed, they gener-
ally have none at all. Even the big
steamers rarely have any more than is
necessary for the preservation OF the
food necessary for their passengers.
They must keep large quantities of
fresh provisions, and ice melts away
very fast. 1t would not be fair to ex-
pect them to always have on hand such
an excess as would enable them to pre-
serve the bodies of persons who might
die aboard. They might have to carry
and waste hundreds of tons of ice be-
fore one ton would be called for to be
used in that way. 1 don't know that
there is any question of superstition
among the common sailors compelling
the speedy putting overheard of dead
bodies. If there is anything of the
sort have never encountered it."
Capt Garrick, who has been first off,
Ger and master for thirty years, said:
II have never seen body buried at sea
in less than eight-and generally it ia
twelve-hours after death. That is
deemed long enough to show proper
feeling of respect for the dead, and then
it is advisable to get rid of the body as
soon as possible. l do not know that
there is any superstition aboutit, even
in the minds of the most ignorant COM
mon sailors. An intelligent recognition
of necessity compels burial at sea. The
thing has got to be done, and that's all
there is about it. Preservation of the
health of the living is of more impor-
lance than the keeping of the dead.
And, as l know from experience. the
presence of dead body aboard casts
damp over the passengers; affects them
much more than it does the crew.
Passengers prefer that the burial shall
take place as soon as propriety will
permit, and surely there is no form
more solemn or impressive upon land
than that of committing the dead to the
keeping of the fathomless deep, when
it is properly done. as it almost ALWAYS
is, in presence of the passengers. I
recall that once, while / was in COM
mand of one of the steamships Of the
Anchor line, On our westward way, a
gentleman died suddenly of heart d.
sease. He had no friends or relatives
abroad to be consulted. so, after the
lapse of the customary time, in the ex-
ercise of my own judgment I caused
him to be buried in the ocean, Next
very old lady died. Her son. daughter
in-law, and family of grandchildren
we're abroad, Age and sea-sickness
combined killed her. We were then
but three days from New York. and I
was lCQ " oO udlSNSE tuS ldlllly
desired. to either bury her at sea or
bring her ashore, as they might decide,
as think most captains would if cir
cumstances happened to be such as to
leave them at liberty to consult the
wishes of the survivors. l consulted
the son, and he said to bury her at sea,
which we did. l do not see why there
should be any prejudice against burial
at sea. Surely. God. who we are told
takes note of the sparrow's fall, will
no more lose sight of those who sleep
their last long slumber in the oceans
bed than If they were housed beneath
granite and marble monuments on land.
Eyes. it would be practicable for
steamers and all passenger-carrying
vessels, indeed, to carry a supply Of
spirits sufficient to preserve dead body
until port was reached, but I don't see
that there would be any particular good
in it. Certainly there would not be in
majority of instances anyway
NsW York San.
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