The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-08-14
BURIED IN THE O
..,a r,..a =. Ballast WA. Last Rest
ing Place of q Sea Cap
tain's Wife.

A strange story Of the sea comes from
Sydney. 1t is about the American ship
Senator. On March 18th the ship left
Algoa bay, South Africa, bound in bal
last for Sydney. Capt. Sutherland was
her master. With him in the ship was
his wife, who has been his companion
during the last 20 years Of his sea ca
reer, says a San Francisco report.
Seven days out n of those sudden
and terrific gales from the African coast
fell upon the ship. Whether the sud
denness of the storm had any effect in
producing the sickness is not known.
but shortly after the gale fell upon the
ship Capt. Sutherland was called into
the cabin to see his wife lying moon
scious from paralysis. She never re-
gained consciousness. Capt. Sutherland
was confronted with the double agony
Of knowing that his wife was dying in
the cabin below while above and about
him were the elements striving to de-
stroy his vessel. The woman died within
a short time. The thought to Capt. Suth-
erland that he would have to consign the
body Of his wife to the sea, was one Of
the most agonizing that he had ever ex-
perienced. 1t would have been impossi-
BILE to have mustered the ships crew
about the body as it was consigned to the
deep. The men were about the vessel
fighting to save the ship and save their
own lives. Capt. Sutherland decided not
to bury his wife at sea but to bury her
aboard his vessel. He was able to. &C
complish this in a strange way.
While the storm was raging the ships
carpenter, a man who had been nursed
from a serious sickness by Mrs. Suther-
land, constructed a rough coffin. Out Of
two-inch boards he loon had modelled q
casket for his dead ~benefactress. This
box was calked and then covered with
several coats of pitch to make it as air
tight as possible. Once the coffin was
finished the strange funeral was begun.
Capt. Sutherland, helped by one OF his
crew. dressed and prepared the body fol
its casket. Far down in the hold Of the
ship, where the ballast was located. two
men were put to dig a grave. The yes.
sci had taken on a quantity Of sand a.
ballast. and it was found that this soil
artificial as it was. would serve per
fectly as a temporary place of burial un.
til the vessel could reach land.
When the grave was ready the cofnr
was lowered. It had few mourners Il
attend in person. There were man,
mourners near by. but they were on tn,
decks above trying to save the ship from
destruction. Only Capt. Sutherland ant
a few of the crew descended into the yes
sells hold to attend the remarkabl,
funeral. The burial service was read. /,
short prayer was spoken. 1t was Capt
Sutherland who said them and then tn,
body was lowered into the grave an,
the grave closed.
sydney was safely reached. AS 500,
as possible after that port was mad,
Capt. Sutherland. accompanied by mos
OF the crew and friends ashore, attende,
the remains Of his wife to a final restin,
. place in n of the cemeteries at Svd
ney. where a funeral service more Il
! keeping with the Christian Character q
!, the woman was conducted by an Aus
tralian minister.
Railway Drinks IN Germ.nx
Several of the German government
have recently manifested great interes