Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-27
Forty.seven seamen from the
Inflated Bennington Placed
in One Grave.
IN MILITARY CEMETERY
Army and Navy ray Their Lust Tribute
-BOdics Packed In Express
Wagons and Other Ordinary
Vchicles-A Large COllcc.
tion of Flowers.

San Diego. July 23.- ~orty-soven of tho
gunboat lsenninstons dead were buried
to. day in IL common grave in the little
military cemetery On the crest cf the pro-
montory of Iona, high above the waters
Of San Diego bay on the one side, and
Pacific on the other. Without the crash
of drum or tile sound of brass, without
romp or parade, yet with simple impress
siv.ness, all honor was paid the naton''
dead.
They have honored dead to keep them
company All about them lie those who
died in the nation in more trying times.
Cravcstones yellow with age bear the
names Of men who died at Monterey in
the Mexican war; others who give up
their life in the conquest of California
and who followed Commodore Stockton
at Old San Pasqual. These arc their
neighbors in death.
Army and navy paid their last tribute
no less sincere than the simple grief of
the representatives. of peace. who made
the long journey around or across the
hay. From Fort Rosccrars carnc the 11oth
company. coast heavy artillery from San
Diego, tic naval reserves from the Uni
versal Brotkcrhood's Home on Point Lo-
ma. company of khaki clads. and from
the government ship Fortune dozen
sailors But the most impressive body of
mo,rncrs were the 80 men from the bat
tered Pennington. BESIDES there We're
hundreds of civilians. who. unthougltful
Of the fat-ning journey from the city,
bronght their offerings of flowers to lay
upon the graves.
San Diego was city Of mourning
to- day. Thousands filed through the
morgues this morning with arms FILL
cd with flowers. dropping the bios
SONS here and there upon some un-
fOrtunates draped coffin. Other
thousands gathered in the plaza.
whence the procession Of coffin laden
wagons was to start.
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. it was
found impracticable to use hearses or
even dead wagons, and 1he bodies were
stacked in heavy express wagons and
other ordinary vehicles. Every casket
bore a beautifully executed wreath of
asparagus ferns. white carnations and
immortelles. sent by the San Diego
commercial bodies. The flags came
from the nation in whose services the
mon died. Every one of the plain.
black stained baskets was draped with
the national emblem, and the plain
commercial utility of the dead wagons
was disguised under the folds of the
national colors. From noon until three
o'clock these dead burdened wagons
toilcd toward tho burial grounds. and
not until almost half past our was the
last caskct placed in the long trench.
The deep trench in which the bodies
were placed, in TWO rows, feet to feet,
is sixty feet long ana fourteen feet
| wide. 1t was finished but a few min
| utes before the arrival of the first load
Of bodies.
| Around it We're drawn up in long
lines the artillery company from the
Ifort--sevcuty- strong-on the west
the naval reserves. bearing arms full
of flowers on the north, the Benning-
tons survivors 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 moments delay tho work
of lifting the collins from the wagons
and ranging them in the trench was
carried on. Shipmates from the Ben
nington performed this sad duty.
Squads Of six came forward from their
rank in rapid succession, lifting the
Baskets gently entered the trench at
the head and deposited the bodies as
directed by Lieutenant Tobin. The
board placed at the head of each body
was properly marked and numbered,
In just one hour and fifteen minutes