The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-26

the cases Of the unknown dead the boxes
were marked Unknown" and they were
buried In the National Cemetery at Airing
ton. The bodies OF those soldiers who were
known were shipped by express to such adj
dresses as their friends furnished. The
work was done under the general direction
OF David H. Rhodes. superintendent of the
National Cemetery. who is also superin-
tendent OF the burial corps.
Natives were re-employed 10 disinter the
bodies In Cuba, and natives have since been
employed in doing the work in Porto Rico
ana the Philippines. There are six members
OF the corps, and in Cuba n Porto Rico
the corps took up and either sent or
brought back to the United States the
bodies of LIS soldiers and sailors. In the
latter part of 1898 and in 1899 they took I'D
and shipped home to rest in the soil of their
native land all the soldiers and sailors who
died during the Spanish war, with the ex-
ception of those who were victims of yellow
fever. The bodies of those who died of that
disease could not be taken up under two
years. but 1t is expected they will be re-
covered this fal!.
A year ago the War Department set aside
another 100000 for the work of the burial
corps, which sailed from San Francisco in
a transport bound to the Philippines, the
Mold OF which was filled with caskets. The
corps secured 100 bodies there and re-
turned with them in July.
There are still many bodies of soldiers
and sailors buried in the Philippines, but
the rainy season was coming on. and while
IL prevails no work can be done.
WILL GO TO CHINA.
The corps was given a furlough on its re-
Turf 10 the United States until Sept. Is, at
which time. the orders read. its members
were TO return 20 the Philippines to con-
tinue the Disbursements. Since that time the
trouble In China has broken out, and the
members Of the corps rave been notified
that they will probably be sent to China
for the bodies there before they go on to
the Philippines. and that if the hostilities
In China should come to an end shortly
they will be sent away in order 10 get the
bodies before the American troops are
Withdrawn from that country.
The government has a contract with a
firm of ca~sketmakers, 10y which it gets
Theoretically scaled caskets for SIC apiece.
TIL caskets are Of metal, and lave tops
which fasten with clasps, much after the
fashion of bank vault doors. and they are
absolutely alright. The first caskets used
had tops that required soldering, and a
tinsmith was a part of the corps, but the
improved system has been found bett g..
and the tinsmith has been done away with.
The percentage of unknown dead buried
at Santiago and San Juan, in Cuba, was
high, but the men of the burial corps say
that the percentage of those who are I'M
identified in the Philippines is much lower.
This is largely due to the fact that since
the Cuban campaign the War Department
furnishes each soldier with a metal tag
bearing his number and that of his COM
pary and regiment as well, so that when a
soldier is killed away from his command
and his body is found it usually bears on it
something which will serve to identify him.
Another reason why there are fewer I'M
known dead in the Philippines than there
were In Cuba is that the men serving there
have been longer together than the most
of the men who served in Cuba, and thert.
again, there have been no battles in the
Philippines in which the American losses
have been as heavy as some of those in
Cuba.
No other government undertakes to bring
home from foreign lands the bodies of SOL
diers, although they all make an effort to
get the remains of their officers who die
abroad. The United States finds the work
expensive, but public sentiment demands
that it be done. and the burial corps is
now as much a part of the Wal Depart
ment as is the ordnance bureau.
The corps engages in a gruesome work,
and the soldiers at the front whose ideas
of humor are also somewhat grim refer to
its members as "the body snatchers."
However, they all approve of their work.
for every soldier likes to know that in case
he falls abroad his body will be brought
home to rest among his kindred, and not
be allowed to remain in the soil of a for
eign land.