The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-04-15
Searched For Years.


The circumstances leading to the
final discovery Of the body are particu-
laTly interesting. General Porter has
conducted 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 eX-
penSe- large force Of wOrkmen has
Deen engaged night and day tunneling
and cross-tunneling the old st. Louis
cemetery. This constituted a huge
operation. embracing nearly a block
covered with buildings and requiring
a system of subterranean mining.
Leaden Coffin Opened.
Hundreds of wooden caskets were
found. but not until Wednesday were
unearthed four leaden baskets 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
/ removed when another coffin was su-
( perimDosed ON it. The Ieaden coffin
was opened in the present of General
/ Porter, Colonel Bailey Blanchard. sec
ond secretary of the American embas-
sy. and Engineer Weis. who has been
directing the excavation. The body
was found to be well preserved. owing
1 to its being immersed in alcohol. 1t
| was wrapped i'm a sheet with a pack
ing of straw and hay. Those present
! were Immediately struck by the re-
semhianCe of the head 10 that on the
medallions and bust of the admiral.
No Uniform or Sword.
As was anticipated. no uniform. dec
grafton or. sword were found. as 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 round top fitting
over the head.
The coffin was taken to the medical
school where Drs. Captain and Papi-
Tau. the distinguished professors of the
school of 2nthTOpOlOgV, recognized au-
thOrities on such Investigations were
! charged with making "A thorough ex-
animation for the purpose of identifi-
/ cation To facilitate this the ambas-
( sador furnished them with portraits
and medallions, two busts by Houdin,
/ and authentic descriptions of the color
of the admirals hair and the height
/ and measurement of his body.
! Description of the Body.
! After the most minute examination
1 the following facts were fully substan-
! tiated: Length of the body. feet :
J inches, the admirals height. Size and
shape of the head agree with several
/ pecuiiarities Identical with the head Of
/ the admiral. Hair, dark brown. the
/ same as the admiTaIs, in places light
/ ~ gray, indicating a person of his age
/ - years The hair is long. reaching
! below the shoulders and is cOmbed
I back and gathered in a clasp at the
! back of the neck. The face is clean
| Shaven. all corresponding exactly with
/ the descriptions. portraits and busts Of
! the admiral. The linen is in good con-
| ditiOn. one article bears an initial
/ either j" or an inverted p" The
! body was carefully packed. The limbs
I were wrapped i'm tinfoil, presume bly,
! for sea transportation, as indicated in
/ a letter Of the admiraTS nearest friend
/ and a pallbearer at his funeral. Colonel
/ Blackenden. who said.
His body was put in leaden COT
I fin, so that in case the United States.
/ which he had so essentially served
I should claim his remains, they might
| be more easily removed"
/ Autopsy Made.
/ Finding that all the internal organs
/ We're singularly well preserved, the doc
! tors made an autopsy. which showed
/ distinct proofs of the disease from
I which the admiral is known to have
/ died. The identification was pronounced
/ complete in every particular.
care has been taken to keep the
/ body i'm its present state of preserva-
/ ton. 1t will be placed in a handsome
/ casket and deposited in the receiving
| vault of the American church on the
/ Avenue de lAlma until the ambaSsa-
/ dor can learn the opinion of the gov
/ eminent concerning the most appro-
! pirate means of transporting it TO the
/ United states and giving a fitting
sepulchre to the body of the illustrious
| sailor whose place of burial had 50
Ions inc