The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-02
TO BRING HOME OUR DEAD.
WORR ABoUT no BE BEGUN IN
CURA AND PoRTo RICO.

An Expedition OF Undertakerg and Assist
ants Sails To-Day to Disinter the Bodies
OF Soldiers aud Sailors who Were Killed
or Died on the Islands During the War.
The United states transport Roumnnia.
which is scheduled to sail from Pier 81, Brook
| lvn, this morning FOR Porto Rico and Cuba, will
carry among her passengers twelve under
takers and twelve assistants and gravedigRers.
laborers and others 10 the number OF seventy
1ve. all IN charge OF David II. Rhodes. Inspector
ofNationnl Cemeteries. Of Washington, whose
mission is to aring home the bodies Of all our
soldiers and sailors who fell In battle or died Of
disease during the war and were buried on the
islands. The Roumsnia will carry 500 metal
lined collins, disinfectants and undertakers'
aud gravediggers' tools 10 he used in removing
the bodies.
1t was said yesterday Ivy army officers, whose
statements about martial history are usually
accurate, that this is the first instance in the
history Of tho world where a Government
waging war on foreign soil has undertaken. at
its " expense or at anybody else's expense,
20 bring back for burial in native soil all Of its
man who fell from disease or bullets in an
alien land.
The plan originated with the President. He
thought Of IL months AGO and talked II over
with membrrs OF his Cabinet. The scheme
was approved and S2OU,OOO was appropriated
TO disinter and bring home the remains OF
every officer and enlisted man Of the army or
navy who was buried IN Cuba, Porto Rico, the
Philippines or Honolulu. David II. Rhodes,
Inspector Of National Cemeteries. was selected
to nut through the mournful undertaking.
1t was decided 10 begin in Cuba, as 1t was
there that the greater number OF our men
were buried. Last August Nr. Rhodes went to
Cuba to search the battleflelds OF La Guasimas.
El Caney. I'll Paso. Guantanamo, and Santiago
for the graves, marked or unmarked. OF SOL
dlers. sailors. and marines, Ho took with him
the records Of deaths and burial there. as well
as the record of those whose bodies had already
been sent home. He had descriptions Of the
burial PLACES Of all whose names appeared on
the records.
When he got there he found that many
were merely marked by IA piece OF board, a bit
OF tree bark. or in some other unenduring
way. and the name of the man lying beneath
the mound rudely cut or roughly p~encilled on
the marker. Mr.. Rhodes not only put a prop
grave. but he made a, map OF each group OF
graves and numbered the graves in such a
he will still he able to locate the grave OF each
ioan by the map he made.
Mr. Rhodcs's work took nearly, two months.
Jlu found that about LOCO soldiers and ma
rinos had been buried n Cuba. Completing
his work, he returned to Washington and made
about $50 men had been buried in Porto Rico.
task, as compared with that OF Mr. Rhodes. was
easy. Having received these reports, the Sec
every volunteer ragiment which served in
Cuba and Porto Rico be requested TO appoint
a %a rfeiFTF res Mt At ATTY to go EeiI Tifh u the ox disinteTti5ng ex-
novgl Of the remains Of the members
Of qtotI bis T,eEi,RPe re pro Gen; AlEe5, by +S d.
t FSGis'O Teq %e IN" lie r aSco%S"a:ieG Gras Tith me me
statement that the remains of every. volun;
casket and sent at the Governments expense !
to any place designated by tho family Of the
piled also TO the regulars. In the case Of those
whose remains were not claimed 1t wa de;
SSi emdtS tnSt ut Ru GrIip G4 mag Va in TltR S MtfifsTv
h9nors ]hontting the rank Of tho dead,
zoos collins Ins't W tH9'' 9 SinysdPs and GSGn u rIsePGGa e r9,
assistants and grave 1igGers were employed.
R RySry o trqrg sTs toy w HE rI has SAILED sajiGd flor for Porto
some coGius along and they have been stored
there Ihe next transport sailing for these
required number.
Those to aocomp2ny the expedition, were no;
at the Army Building here on Feb. !. Massa-
ehusetts sent a delegation. OF fifteen citizens
cities. Other States which sent regiments
to ei6ae5T is,9nd had at least one representa-
ton was ,represcmtet except the Seventy
first New York. The rePresentatiye Of that
I, representative of the regiment TO look after
the disinterrinG and bringing homeo of its dead.
locked after by IIf. Rhodes. va
The houmnnian viii leave, a part Of tho e1-
while the rest viii DO carried 70 Santiago. Mr,,
hhodes thints that Il wiLi not take more than
i,W3 months TO complete his work and he hopes
The arrangements for bringing home the re-
been practically decided, Mr. Rhodes said yes
terday. that the transports. il more than one is
WY yIEt'i t@c ~ bn y" ,nI tfpsf ian SLa sba dIFlse IN New