Evening star., 1898-10-17
DEAD OF THE MAINE.
Resting Place at Key West to Be In
closed.
4 TRIBUTE TO sElnENs VALoR
Fence Purchased Under Auspices
Of Union Veteran Legion.
POP ULAR SUBSCRIPTION

Ihe fence which is to inclose the last
resting place of the Inflated sailors of the
Maine buried at Key West, and which will
stand for all time a handsome tribute of
the people to the valor of American sea-
men, is nearing completion at the Jorss
iron works in this city. 1t is expected that
the work will be finished by November 1,
and by the latter part Of that month the
fence will have been erected about the
tWenty-four graves of the Maine dead, in
closing as well the four sailors of the tor
pedo boat Winslow, who were killed with
Ensign Bagley at Cardenas, Cuba. during
the first days of the war
The history of the substitution with
which the work of marking the graves and
protecting them with an ornamental fence
is to be accomplished has heretofore been
fully set forth in The Star. The fund has
been raised almost entirely in Washington
among the employees of departments of the
government and the District. The work
was undertaken by Encampment No. 80 of
the Union Veteran Legion. 1t was at first
expected that about $500 would be secured.
Major Frank Butts was made secretary and
treasurer of the fund and Captain Gideon
A. Lyon chairman of the committee hay-
ing the work in charge.
The movement was popular one in
every sense the word implies. Subscrip-
tons poured in from all directions. They
CtAiiiS III Siiit'li out II was from
the contributions of the masses it was
wished to erect the fence The subscrip-
hon has now closed and Major Butts has
on hand over 5000. The readiness with
winch the people responded to the en-
campments appeal enabled the committee
to enlarge on its plans, ample money hav-
ing been secured to carry out all that is
necessary to be done.
Transportation Free.
one heaVy item of expense-that of trans
portation from Washington to Key West
has been eliminated from the account
Through the generosity of the Southern
railway and the hearty cooperation of con-
Meeting lines, the heavy fence and mate
rial Will be shipped to the Key West wharf
tree OF any freight charges whatever The
fence itself will be handsome in every de-
tai, the tall gates beng elaborate in de-
sign and richly decorated in gold leaf If
Is being worked out according to the dia-
gram printed IN The Star some time ago
The contract for the work of clearing the
plot IN the cemetery at Key West, mound
lbg the graves, and the work of placing
the fence in position on the Florida Key
has been let to J. H. Harper of that city,
VINO VIII nave eveEyth in readiness by
the time the work here is complete The
committee mas been somewhat DELAYED On
account OF the outbreak of yellow fever a
Key West, when the city was auarantiaed
from the outside world for some weeks
There is nothing new to interfere with ,he
work IN any particular, however, and ere
thanksgiving day arrives the fence will
surround the graves, commemorating the
sailors buried within, and protecting their
resting place from any desecration.
Commodore Forsyth, .commandant of the
Key West naval station, who has taken
Such lively Interest in the work of mark
Ing the Maine graves, and has been of so
great assistance to the committee in its
labors, is quite ill, and has been ordered
to the I avail hospital at Philadelphia. He
h1 haL an n
Gilmore, who. it is understood will offer
the same facilities for Carrying on the work
as given by his predecessor.
1t was at first thought best to erect a
second fence about the graves of the four
Winsiow sailors, who are buried some dis
tance from the Maine plot, but, with the
consent of Lieut.. BernadOu commander of
the little vessel, ii has been decided to re-
move the bodies within the square to be
inctosed by the large fence, where they will
be marked by a monument, the fund for
which is being raised by the crews of the
torpedo boats on duty during the Cuban
blockade. The L. V. l.. committee will
bear the expense of removing the bodies
The citizens of Key West are raising a fund
to erect monument within the inclosure
as a tribute to the Maine dead. With the
official headstOneS to be furnished by the
government, the handsome monuments to
be erected, and all circled by the handsome
iron fence, the long-neglected plot will e
completely transformed and no prettier
Jul idl pace Will nc lDuIu any W mere.
National Naval Cemetery.
1t is understood that Surgeon General
Van Reypen and his assistant Dr. Boyd
will petition Congress this winter to pur-
chase the plat of cemetery land at Key
West, that it may become national naval
cemetery. In this event some veteran of
the war will be given a place as superin-
tendent to care for the graves, and to raise
and lower the flag each day.
Post No. 2, G. A. R., of Philadelphia has
contributed fine SO flag. 1t has been
learned, however, that the cost of putting
up flag pole will be between $l60 and $3.50
and, there would be to house it
at night, and as one of the West Indian
hurricanes might at any time blow ii into
shreds take the whole thing out into the
straits of Florida, the committee deemed it
ineXpedient to carry out this part of the
program until some one has been appointed
to superintend the cemetery, as above sug-
gested.
ANY surplus that may be on hand at the
completion of the work at Key West will
be turned over by the committee to the
commandant of the naval station there
through the Secretary of the Navy, to be
used as long as 1t viii last for the purpose
of keeping the plat in proper condition
BY the time the money has been expended
it is believed Congress will have taken some
action.
Roll of the Dead.
AS far as can be ascertained. the list of
dead of the U. S. S. Maine at Key West is
as follows:
Grave, No. 1, William Rushworth, chief
machinist; No 2. unknown; No. 3, un-
known; No. 4, James Pinkney, mess at
tendant; No 3. unknown; No. 6, unknown;
No. T. unknown; No. 8, Herman no such
name in list of killed, but there appears
name of Benjamin Hammond Herriman,;
No. o. Somer no such name in list of
killed; nearest approach is Edward Benja-
min Suman. private, us. M. c.; No. 10,
unknown; No IL. sukiH (no such name in
list of killed. nearest approach is Kashi-
taro Suzuki, mess attendanD; No. -, John
Henry Ziegler, coal passer; No. Is. un-
known; No. IA, unknown; No. Is, unknown:
No. 1S, unknown: No. II, unknown: No. Is,
unknown: No. 10. unknown; No. 20 un-
known; No. p, unknown; No. %, unknown.
No. D. Frank Andrews, o. s.; No. "a un-
known. 81. 10
On the headstonas Oh thu unknown will
be the following: i' HI
ONE
UNKNOWN
u, s. BATTLE SHIP