The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-05
BURIAL Of
THE SAILORS
The Bennington Dead
Are Laid At
Rest.

SAN DIEGO, July 2s.-They buried
the Bennington's dead today-forty-
seven of then-in a common grave.
on the crest of the promontory of Lo-
ma, high above the shinmering waters
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 peacefuldittle military bury
| ing ground Without the crash of drum
! or the sound of brass, without pomp or
parade, yet with simple impressive
ness, all honor was paid the Nations
dead.
They have honored dead to keep
them company, these brave boys of the
Bennington. All about them lie those
who died in their Nations service in
more trying times. Gravestones, vel
low with age, bear the names of men
War: others who gave up their life in
the conquest of California and who
followed Commodore Stockton at old
San Pasquale. These are their neigh
bors in death. Surely they should rest
we'll
SURVIVORS AMONG MOURNERS.
Army and Navy paid their last
ct, IL
grief of the representatives of peace,
who made the long journey around or
across the great bay. From Fort Rose
Grams came the One Hundred and Fiji
teenth Company of Coast Heavy Ar
tillery; from the city of San Diego the
Naval Reserves; from the Universal
Brotherhood's Home on Point Iona
company of khaki-clad representatives,
and from the Government ship For
tune a dozen of her sailors. But the
most impressive body of mourners
were fifty-two men from the battered
Bennington. Besides these there were
hundreds of civilians who, unthought-
full of the fatiguing journey from the
city, brought their offerings of flowers
to lay upon the graves.
San Diego was a city of mourning
today. Although the people of this
city have taken in the Bennington
catastrophe an interest that was per-.
sonal to all from the moment it hap
pened, they set apart this beautiful
Sabbath day to pay last and loving
tribute to the dead. Thousands filet.
through the morgues this morning wit
arms filled with flowers, dropping tn
blossoms here and there upon some un ;.
fortunate's flag draped coffin. Othe.'
thousands gathered in the plaza
whence the procession of cofin-laden
wagons was to start.
FLAGS AND FLOWERS DRAPE
COFFINS.
Promptly at noon the long line of
vehicles began the journey around the
bay to the burial place. Owing to the
steep hills and the rough roads it was
found impractical BILE to use hearses or
even dead wagons, and the bodies We're
carried in heavy express wagons and
other vehicles of everyday commerce.
There We're no bands of music to stir
the people with doleful melody-every-
task was too big to be hampered by
any of the usages of ordinary funer-
ais. Forty-seven men were to be
buried and to bury them it was neces-
sary to carry them ten miles up steep
hills and along dusty roads, and so
there were only flowers and flags. But
there was a striking display of these.
Every casket bore a 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 dead had
died. Every one of the plain black
stained caskets was draped with the
national emblems and the plain COM
mercial utility of the dead wagons was
disguised under the folds of the ma
tional colors.
TOLL MILES OVER DUSTY ROADS.
From noon until o'clock the dead
burdened wagons toiled toward the
burial ground, and not until almost
4:30 o'clock 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 for the same
point. while every craft that could be
had brought hundreds across the five
mile stretch of bay who, unmindful of
the precipitouS heights to be scaled,
climbed 500 feet to the crest of the
ridge. In this way the soldiers from
Fort RoSecranS came. toiling up the
steep footpath. their striking full-dress
uniforms giving color to the dull gray
hills. After them came the naval re-
serves. and still later the survivors of
| the Bennington. Captain F. ]. Drake
| Commander Lucien Young of the Ben
nington and the members of his staff.
, Captain z. d. Scott. commanding Fort
| Rosecrans; Captain Rolfe of the same
post, Mayor Sehon of San Diego and
! members of the executive and Iegis
| lative branches of the city were hauled
around the steep hills in ambulance
| wagons from Fort Rosecrans.
I The deep trench in which the bodies
We're placed in two rows. feet to feet.