Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-03-12
BODIES NOT DESTROYED
HAVE BEEN RECOVERED
thought That no More VIII Be
Found or Taken From the
Wreck,
GRAVES OF The DEAD DECORATED
Impressive But Simple Ceremonies
at Colon Cemetery Attended
by American Officers
aud Citizens.

Havana, March THE American
divers, having examined more or less
thoroughly the ward room OF the
Maine and the senior and junior Off
GERS mess rooms, spent the day trying
TO effect an entrance into the petty Off.
GERS compartment, in the hope OF find
Ing some bodice there. However. each
day the belief grows stronger that
few If any more bodies will be rccov-
cred. Not one was recovered yestcr-
DAY. Captain Sharp, who is in charge
of the Merritt d Chapman wrecking
outfit. appreciates the difficulties of
the situation better than others. He
will not specify any time when the
big guns will be released. 1t is neces-
sary to first remove the tops Of the tur-
rets. These are held i'm place by steel
bolts, which must be cut loose. The
best informed people here think ii
month will elapse before the turrcts
are opened. Ia the meantime, work on
the minor details of the wreck will
proceed with all possible speed.
The Associated Press correspondent
has been officially Informed that the
bIluh iDldlNS llBIllllD'lSf ltillltl NAM
grove, with the naval court of inquiry
On board, will return here this morn
ing.
The discipline on board the Niscaya
is very high, which naturally gratifics
the Spaniards.
Senator Proctor, General Lee, Cap
tain Sigsbec and many other promi-
nent Americans attended the ccre-
mony Of decorating the graves Of the
Names dead yesterday.
a hurricane, which swept over the
port Of Ratabano, on the south coast
Of Cuba, opposite Havana, has done
great damage. It destroyed a hut in
which were quartcrcd "A number Of
soldiers belonging TO the Castillian
battalion, killing two of the men and
wounding twenty-five others. Thou
sands of trees were swept away and
The ships in the harbor were obliged
10 put hurriedly to sea in order TO
hvoid being wrecked.
At Colon cemetery yesterday after
noon the graves of 100 who persisted in
the Maine were decorated with two
loral wreaths and a cross, in the pres
nee of a score or more OF Americans,
including Consul General Lee, Captain
Sigsbee and Chaplain Chadwick. Chap
tain Chadwick offered a brief prayer
and George {. Ages of Chicago, made
brief remarks, in the course of which
le said that flowers were the only
tributes possible at present to the poor
fellows who died in the line of duty,
out that some day a shrine would rise
here to which Americans visiting
.'uba would come to pay honor to the
lead. Neither General Lee nor Cap
Jain Sigsbee spoke.
The American flag was spread for n
time over the graves, but eventually
removed, and in its place was laid n
red. white and blue ribbon with the
following stamped in gold letters:
an memory of our dead American
aeroes, American citizens mourn their
boys"
The carriages then returned to the
.ity.
1t the Hotel lnglatcrra the follow
.ng brief memorial has been signed by
ali the Americans and will be left as II
nucleus for the register of future WIS.,
TORS:
"The undersigned Americans have
today decorated the as yet unfinished
graves of the American sailors and ma
zines who persisted February -, 1898,
i'm the destruction of the man Of war
Maine.
"May the modest first decoration day
become an annual demonstration in
Havana of Americas remembrance of
Americas dead"
Part of n body was recovered from
under the smokcstack. The other por-
ton is already buried. A body has
been found in the pantry, but is not
vet cxtricated. From the clothing
worn it is believed to be the body of
the pantry boy.
The Spanish divers were down in the
afternoon for some time.