West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-01-19

An outline OF tho Plans Prepared
TO that End.
NAsHiSGroN. ID. c., Jan. l3. ten.
Luding ton, quartermaster general OF
the army, has cemploted arrangements
for bringing back to this country tho
bohes OF American officers and soldiers
inferred ut aad ia the vicinity Of san.
tiago, Cuba, Ponce and other points in
Porto Rico, Manila and Honolulu.
The graves have been carefully marked
by officials OF the quartcrmaater's de-
partment, who have gone over the
several fields, and have suvoseicd ia
Identifying nearly ali OF the American
dead. \ large number OF metallic
casIsets are now being nanufactured.
The sh'pments Of the caskets will be-
gin about January 18th, and force of
skilled men will go with them 10 at
tend 10 the work of disinterment, her
metically sealing the caSkets and ship.
ping them back TO this country. They
will be brought on tho government
transports, aud tho tirst casksts will
begin arriving about the end of Jan
uary. They will prob lbly be brought
TO New York and from that point sent
to relatives and friends. In order that
people throughout the ceuntry may
make suitable preparation for sasuring
the bodies of friends and relatives, the
quartermaster's department to-day
made the following statement:
Under recent act OF Congress, the
quarternaster general is aow making
prepsra tions for the removal OF tho
bodies OF our officers and soldiers in-
terred at and in the vicinity of San
| tiago, Cuba, Ponce and other points in
Porto Rico, Manila and Honolulu. Duly
authorized relatives or represent tiyes
Of families of the deceased soldiers
who wish the remains sent 20 their
homes are required to at once notify
the quartermaster general OF such de-
sire. stating In fu.l the name of the
soldier, the company and regiment to
which he belonged, aud tho address OF
the town, cousty an State To which
the remains are 10 be forwarded, and
tho name of parties in whose care the
remains arc TO be shipped, so that they
can be advised OF the date of shipment
when made"
The act of Congress- referred To ap.
propriates s21O 600 for the purpose. II
seemed at one time that the return of
the bodies 10 AIacrican soil wonid be
impossible, as IL was thought TO he an
undertaking surrounded with too uany
difficult es and dan 'ers A strong
popular sentiment ON the subject de-
vel"ped, however, ant IN response 10
this Congress- made the p Syislon of
law for he return OF the boli4s. At
the tins OF the Act ,lust July. the sum
lner heat made the removals inexp,-
dent. out now that the cold ~intsr
months are on, the danger of infection
Is entirely removed.
To prepare for the wor,y Of removal,
Mr. lth" les, of the qnnrtermaster gem
erals Office, was dispatched To- Cuba,
where hc spent SONS time in making
ground maps showing with the grent-
ost minuteness the location OF a tnerican u
graves. Ore large map or tho entire
Santiago fell shows the centers OF
Aaerican iuternOnt from Siboney 10
tho westerly limits OF the city. BE
sides this. there are detailed maps OF
all parts Of the field, showing groups
OF graves The nap including General
Lawton headquarters shows one OF
the most numerous centers OF death.
Mr.. Rhodes marked each grave so
that Identification ctn sasily DO made
Until this was done many Of the graves
were marked only by sticks, with
rough peacil markings II is believed
that the few unidentified dead will be
identified when the disinterment be
gins by means OF bottles, encIosinV
slips of papor, which il vas the habit
of the men TO pnt in the graves.
Similar care mas bssn shown in iden-
tifying the dead in Porto Rico and the
Philippines. The aggregate nutHber
IS consiier9ble. The death list ~ the
army throughout the ,vIr was $50.
which Is y remarkably low percentage,
considering the number Of men cn-
RAGed. or this number. ntnv ~ the
dead have been brought 20 this country
for interment, so that the number re-
naming is considerably below the
original NUN Der of dead gv fnr the
larger part b. about Santiago. nithOurb
the numD Der is considerable in pCft.
Rico and the PhiliDBiucs