The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-07-25
THE DEATH LIST GROWS
Victims ofBenningtonDlsast
Der 90 and May Reach SO.
AZ BURIED IN COMMON GRAVE
Bodies Were Placed In Two Rows
Feet to Feet, In a Trench Sixty Feet
Long and Fourteen Feet Wide, With


Feet to Feet, In a Trench Sixty Feet
Long and Fourteen Feet Wide, With
Military Honors.
San Diego. Cal. July 24-The i'll
fated gunboat Bennington lies almost
on her beam end on Spreckels Point,
her hold half full of water, and the
mystery of Fridays disaster Is not yet
fully explained.
A careful compilation of casualties
was made and is as follows:
Buried in military cemetery at Fort
Rosecrans. AZ. dead now in morgue'
II; dead in fireroom of Bennington
still uncovered. ,. Total dead. 90.
Injured at various hospitals. AZ;
missing. 1C. Grand total, l25. or the
injured at hospitals seven or eight arc
expected to die.
Forty-seven of the dead were buried
in a common grave in the little mill
tary cemetery on the crest OF the pro-
montory OF Iona, high above the wa
ters Of San Diego Bay on the one side
and within sound of the booming Pa
cific on the other. Without the crash
of drum or the sound OF brass. without
pomp or parade yet with simple i'm
pressiveness. all honor was paid the
nations dead
The deep trench in which the bodies
were placed in two rows. feet to feet.
is 60 feet long and IA feet wide. II
was finished but a few minutes before
the arrival of the first load OF bodies.
Around il were drawn up in long
lines the artillery company from the
fort. 70 strong. on the west; the naVal
reserves. bearing arms full Of flowers.
on the north; the Bennington sur
yiyors on the east and the Universal
Brotherhood on the west. Just outside
the simple picket fence enclosing the
burying ground gathered the public IN
solid masses.
Without a moments delay the work
of lifting the collins from the wagons
and ranging them in the trench was
carried out. Shipmates from the Ben
nington performed this sad duty.
Squads of six came forward from their
ranks in rapid succession. lifting the
caskets gently. entered the trench at
the head and deposited the bodies as
directed BY Lieutenant Tobin. The
board placed al the head OF each body
was properly marked and numbered.
Ii only remained for the representa-
tiyes of The church to pronounce maj
blessings on the dead. Rev. J. A. NJ.
Richey. rector of ST. Paul's. read the
Episcopal burial service. I he DIST psalm.
and repeated the Lords prayer He
closed his impressive duty by casting
a handful of earth upon the collins.
Venerable Father A. ID. Ubach. of the
Catholic church, attended by two as
sistants. then stepped forward. In
rich and resonant voice he read the
service OF the dead and blessed them
with water and incense.
Commander Young. OF the Benning-
ton. stepped out from the group of
officers at the head Of the trench and
raising his hand commanded instant
attention. In a deep. gruff voice-the
voice Of a typical sailOr-he said:
Captain. commander of Rosecrans
and his successors commit to your
tender care the bodies OF our unfor-
tunate shipmates and patriotic dead.
Nav their graves never be forgotten
by the hand OF affection. May there
rise above this. their last resting place,
marble slabs 70 mark the place as sa-
cred 10 the nations care and may the
morning sun ever kiss the green sod
above their dust. emblematic of our
love and affection"
u accept the sacred trust OF the
honored dead" replied Captain Scott.
There was many tear brushed from
moistened eyes by this simple but i'm
pressive scene.
Attention" came the command in
sharp tones from the big sergeant in
command of the artillery company.
There was a rapid. concerted move
ment along the double file of soldiers
at the head of the grave. Another
command and every gun was pointed
over the long rows of caskets. In quick
succession three sharp volleys were
fred