The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
~CAMPANTNS SEA BURIALS.
CoFFINS MADE ON THE LINER FoR
TWO AsID.OOEAW FUNERALS.

The Service Read First Orer the Body OF Mrs.
MAUD BurrsuEhs-At the Cotnmittni n BuEte
Played ''The last Post n-Raiph 4. Dixen
OF Lakewood the other Passenger Hsuried.
II the chronlcler had boon telling about tho
burial at sea from the low.lying deck Of an old
sailing packet. he would have boon justified in
saying that 1t was eight bells when the passen-
gers gathered Mt the rail TO see the body, which
had been sewed in canvas, slid over the side,
Tho voyagers on tho big liners do not tell tho
time in tho nautical way. It was noon on
Tuesday last when the Cunardcr Campania,
which'arrived here yesterday from Liverpool and
Queenstown, slowed do wn her mighty engines
to half speed. The sky was overcast, and q
choppy sea, the spray from whose frosty crcsts
occasionally spattcrcd in the faces OF the com.
pany gathered ON the saloon deck near the port
rail. made the great craft a little unsteady. Pres.
~entlysix under stewards, bearing on their should
ers a stained and vanished coffin, not unlike that
used at funerals ashore, camo up from the acc.
ond cabin. The English flag was draped over
the head Of the coffin. Tho pail bearers set the
coffin on two wooden horses close to the port
rail. where the passengers were grouped.
In the coffin was the body of Mrs. Maud
Burroughs. the widow of a retired officer of tho
English Army who had died in Liverpool two
weeks ago. Mrs. Burroughs had taken q
stateronm in the second cabin. She was COM
ing 70 new Il OrR. on the ADVICE OF n woman
cousin who lives in tho United States. and who
accompanied her. Mrs. Burroughs had been
suffering from heart disease, and was i'll when
the ship sailed. She was found unconscious
on the floor of her berth al 3 o'clock on Tuesday
morning. When DIR. Finucanc, tho ships sur.
gcon, got to hor room she was Goad. Tho car
pcntcr was ordered to make q coffin, the ma
terial for which Is carried aboard all the
Cunard ships. lie had II ready by IL o'clock.
Heavy clinkers from the furnace were put in
tho coffin with the body to make IT sink.
After the under stewards had set the coffin
down on, the splank Purser Graham began
reading. the burial service of the Church of
England. Splashes from the shredded comb
crs sometimes wet the book, and sprinkled tho
glossy surface OF the coffin. Two of the stew.
ards tilted the plank as tho purser neared the
end of The service. As he uttered the words,
And we now consign the body of our sister to
tho deep" the outer end of the plank rested on
tho port rail, Tho cofin began:moving down
the Incline. A steward removed the flag
from the head. and tho coffin slid over tho lofty
steel wall into space. A few passengers pcercd
over the rail. and saw the coffin strike tho water
and vanish In a fountain of spray. Then the
company OF mourners were startled by the
notes of 1.-THE Last Post" played by the ships
Two days later there was another burial over
tho port side, The body of Ralph l.. Dixon
was In the second coffin. He died on Thursday
morning Of heart disease. He was Of English
birth, and had been visiting his folks at.his.. odd
home. He was AZ years old, and leaves a
widow at Lakewood, N. j.