Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-15
Remains Of Paul Jones
Are Recovered in Paris.
AIter Five Years Admiral Porter
Meets With Success.
mas Carried On the Search At His Own
Personal Expense.

/ 'AAANAA <AulDdSSduOT Porter has
eohoucted for the body Of Paul Jones
l ,. oeen crowned with success by the
| discovery of the body and it's identi-
lcaticn today by the highest French
| medical experts as unquestionably that
Oh the famous French admiral who
| rounded the American navy
Ambassador Porter cabled to Wash.
ington, tonight, announcing the sue
cessful result of his long and wifficult
search. The body is in Il good state of
preservation, considering that the in
terment took place over 100 years ago.
The circumstances leading to the final
| discovery of the body are particularly
interesting. General Porter has con-
Quoted the search for the last five
years and when Congress recently took
no action upon the Presidents recon-
mendation for the expenses incident to
the search, the ambassador continued
the extensive labors at his own expense
| A large force Of wOrkmen has been en-
gagged night and day tunneling and
| cross-tunneling the old st. Louis ceme-
| terry. This constituted huge operation
embracing nearly a block covered with
| buildings and requiring a system of
subterreanean mining
| Hundreds of wooden caskets were
found but not until Wednesday were
unearthed four leaden caskets, which
gave promise of containing the body of
the admiral. Three of them bore plates
designating the names of the deceased
The fourth showed superior solidity of
workmanship. No plate was found on
this casket and it is supposed it was
I removed when another coffin was sup
| q ir,,ra
opened in the presence of General Por-
ter. Colonel Bailly Blanchard, the sec
Ond secretary of the American ambas-
sadly and Engineer Weiss, who has been
directing the excavation. The body was
| found to he well preserved owing to it's
being immersed in alcohol. 1t was
| wrapped in a sheet with packing Of
straw and hay. Those were Immediate
ly struck by the resemblance of the
head to that on the medalliOns and
busts of the admiral.
AS was anticipated no uniform, dec
| Grafton or sword were found all SUCH
| articles had been accounted for after
the burial.
| The coffin is shaped like a mummy
coffin which collins were common at
that period, widening from the feet to
the shoulders with a round top fitting
1 over the head
school where doctors Captain and
| Papilaut, distinguished professors Of
| the school of anthropology and recog-
nized authorities on such investigations
! were charged with making thorough
examination for the purpose of identi-
| fcation. To facilite this the ambassa-
!, <nrfs- fcs al
madalliOns, two busts by Houdin and
authentic descriptions of the color or
| the admirals hair and the height ami
measurement of his body. After the
most minute examination. the following
facts were fully substantiated:
Length of body. five feet. seven ILL
ches; the admiral's exact height
| Size ard shape of the head agree
with several peculiariities Identical
with the head of the admiral.
Hair. dark brown, the same as the
admiraTs. in places slightly grey. indi-
eating Il person of his age. A. years. The
| hair is long. reaching below the Shout
ders and is combed back and gathered
| in 4 clasp at the back of the neck.
The face Is clean shaved, all corre-
sponding exactly with the description,
| PORTRAITS and buSts or tne adfilirdi. 1HS
linen is in good condition. One article
hears an initial, either 'J' or an invert-
| cd p"
Tit. body was carefully packed The
limbs were wrapped in tin foil presum-
ably for sea transportation as indicat-
cd in a letter of the adn:rars nearest
friend and pail bearer of his funeral,
| colorel Blackden, who said:
His body was put IN leaden cofhn
On that in case the United States, which
| be had so essentially served, should
claim his remains, they might be more
easily removed.
Finding that all the internal organs
were siugularIy well, preserved, the
doctors made an autopsy which showed
distinct proofs of the disease from
which the admiral is known to have
died The Identification was pronounced
ccmnlete in every particular.
Dare has been taken TO keep the body
IN itr present state of preservation. 1t
vim no placed in a handsome casket |
and deposited in the receiving vault Of
tho American church on the avenue |
l~2..ocf;r,r Rad Habits