Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-25
sEYENTY-THREE DEAD
Death List Totals Nearly Four Score,
and OF the Forty.eisht Men Now In
the Hospitals Several Will Probably
Die-Navy Department Issues State
sment.

San Diego, CAL, July 24.-The Ben
nington's dead--forty-seven of them
were buried in common grave Sunday.
On the crest of the promontory of
ALonna, nigh above the shimmering wa
ter Of San Diego bay on the one side
and within sound of the booming surf
Of the Pacific on the other, they were
laid to rest in the peaceful little mill
tary burying ground. Without the
crash Of drum or the sound of brass,
\ without pomp or parade, yet with
simple impressiveness, all honor was
paid the nations dead
They have honored dead to keep
them company, these brave boys of the
Remington All about them lie those
who died in the nations service in
more trying times. Gravestones yell
low with age bear the names of men
who died at Monterey, in the Mexican
war; others who gave up their lives in
the conquest Of California or followed
Commodore Stockton at old San Pas
DUAL These are their neighbors in
death. Surely they should rest well.
Army and navy paid their last trib-
utes, no less sincere than the simple
grief Of the representatives Of peace,
who made the long journey around or
across the great bay. From Fort Rose
Grams came the One Hundredth- and
Fifteenth coast heavy artillery; from
the city of San Diego, the naval re-
serves; from the Universal Brother
hoods home on Point Iona, a COM
pany Of Khaki clad representatives,
and from the government ship Fortune
hsdozen sailors.
Bennington Men at Grave.
But the most impressive body Of
mourners was the hfty-two men from
he battered Bennington. Besides
.--sse there were hundreds of civil
Ians, who, unthoughlful Of the Ietigu-
Ing Journey from the city, brought
their offerings of flowers to lay upon
the graves.
rs San Diego wa a city of mourning
Sunday. Although the people of this
little city have taken in the Benning-
ton catastrophe an interest that was
personal to all from the moment it
happene5, they set apart this beau
\ tiful Sabbath day to pay last and low
Ing tribute to the dead.
Thousands filed through the
rnorgues in the morning VIA arms
4 filled with flowers, dropping the bios.
SONS here and there upon some un-
fortunates flag draped coffin. Other
thousands gathered, in the plaza
whence the procession of coffin laden
wagons was to start.
Long Procession Is Begun.
Promptly at noon the long line OF
vehicles began the journey around the
bay to the burial place. Owing to
the steep hills and rough roads ii
was found impracticable to use
hearses or even dead wagons, and the
bodies were laid in heavy express
wagons and other ordinary vehicles.
There were no bands of music to
stir the people WI doleful melody
everything was quiet and business.
like. The task was too big to be
hampered by any of the usages OF
ordinary funerals. Forty-seven men
were to be buried, and to bury them
1t was necessary to haul them ten
miles up steep hills and along dusty
roads
Every casket bore beautifully exc
cuted wreath of asparagus ferns, white
carnations and immortelles, thought
fully sent by the San Diego CONNER.
cial bodies. The flags came from the
nation in whose service the men had
died. Every one Of the plain black
stained caskets was draped with the
national emblem and the plain, com.
mercial utility of the dead wagons
was disguised under the folds of the
national colors. From noon until 8
o'clock these dead burdened wagons
toiled toward the burial grounds, and
not until almost half past 4 was the
last casket placed in the rock ribbed
trench.
Hundreds Of other vehicles stirred
the choking dust of the ten mile road
Throughout the forenoon, all making fol
the same point, while every craft that
could be had brought hundreds across
the five mile stretch Of water to the
cliff, where, unmindful Of the precipi
tous heights. the vovagers climbed SOC
feet to the crest of the ridge.
In this way the soldiers from Fort
Rosecrans toiled up the steep foot
path, their striking full dress uniforms
giving color to the dull. gray hills
!, After ihem came the naval reserves
and still later the survivors of the Ben.
nington
Captain F. ]. Drake. Commander
Lucien Young of the BENIN gton and
the members of bis staff. Captain E.
d. Scott. commanding Fort Rosecrans
: Captain Rofe Of the same post, Mayor
fCortinued IN Pa pc ~