Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-04-22
THE DEAD AT ST. CLOUD.
Impressive ana Solemn Ceremonies
Attending the burial.

st. Cloud dispatch of April 18th; An I'M
known woman and infant were found In the
river making total OF sixty nine dead accord.
Ing 10 the lowest estimate. Ats o'clock yes
terday the great bell In the tower OF the cathe.
dral began tolling, sixteen cotllncd bodies
| eight adults and eight chidreu--whlch hud
been lying all night in the basement, wera
carried in church and placed ON biers In 'front.'
Of the altar The church was deeply driped
In mourning Its seating capacity was taxed
10 the utmost aud great throng, unable to
obtain entrance, crowded around the dooss
| Rev Father Stemper, as celebrant, said thc
| solemn high mass for the dead, When the
mass was over the priest stepped to the rail-
| and said,
What can | say to you, my dear fricndS|
, The silent language Of these dead lying before
us speak louder than any words of mine, II is
an awful calamity, and no man can say why
or whence II came, Do not say God sent II
| upon us because OF our sins, God does not
| will such things rs this; he simply permits
them, But there Ia lesson In the cyclones
work, Let us take II to ourselves. These
dead speak to us saying, "mau thou art dust,
aud unto dust thou shalt return" Let us
take itns u blessing, and show our faith by
our works, We must take the lecucst inter,
est In the wounded and destitute, giving Them
substantial aid ms well Ms the liyeliest human
sympathy
Only one hoarse could be obtained for
the funeral, aud open farmers wagons had to
bo pressed into service, The coffin bear
ers followed each other down the central aisle
Of the cathedral after the services as close a.
they could walk, Each wagon rs II received
Its fearful freight was driven down the road.
Each corpse was followed by tho relatives of
the deceased, An immense line uf people fol-
lowed--more than one thousand IN all Tho
cortege wound slowly toward the Catholic
cemetery, u mile distant, every man aud boy
walking with hat dotted aud bowed hcnd Ar
bid German began, In loud voice, u doleful
chant, In his native tongue, and those about
him gradually took up the responses until the
whole vast concoursc was walking mcasurcdly
to the time of It's own chanting, Two hugs
pits had been dug at the cemetery, each large
enough for eight or ten corpsea, aud into these
after brief services, the bodies were lowered.
Bhck-yeed women and little children knGlt
around the edges OF the tombs, and let their
broken hearts flow out In tears. The widow
Of Abner st. Cyr strovc 10 throw herself upon
his coffin, but strong hands sustained her,
"Oh, lot me see him just once againp' she
walled. "Lct me at least mark his grave so
that his bones may not be lost"
Rude crosses were sunk in tho earth at the
bead OF each colin, A small card on each
bore the name OF tho deceased. A few bunch
cs Of flowers were thrown upon tho collins, but
few who behcld the fearful sight had the heart
to make such an offering, The whlte,robed
priest took charge Of the dsposals OF tho
collins aud said few brief words over each.
Then the sand aud gravel was shovelcd upon
the coffin lids and the corpses manglcd by the
cyclones fury were hid from sight forever,
The mourncrs and great throng who had come
20 show their sympathy went slowly back 10
town TO finish out In solemn thoughts the sad.
lest day OF nil their liVes..