The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-15
Dedication of Monument to
Heroes Who Perished in
British Prison Ships.
DEBT OF NATION THAT
HAS BEEN LONG NEGLECTED
Growth of Spirit of Humanity
Even in Warfare Is
Pointed Out.

NEW YORK, Nov. 14.--While cam
non doomed, awakening patriotic mem
cries OF those sailor and soldier heroes
who died in British prison ships in the
Revolutionary war, the prisonship
Martyrs monument, at Fort Greene
Park, Brooklyn, was dedicated with i'm
pressive ceremonies today in the pres-
ence Of President.elect Taft, Secretary
Of War Wright, Governor Hughes and
thousands of persons who thronged the
knoll on which the tall Doric colmun
stands.
It was the first time that Mr.. TAFT
since his election to the office of presi-
dent, and when he was espied alight
ing from his carriage near the entrance
of the park, there were cheers that
could be heard for blocks
Mr. Taft was the orator of the &c
casion,. and after the ceremonies, left
Immediately for Washington, where he
will meet President Roosevelt tomor.
row.
Monument to Thousands.
The monument, a plain shaft IL the
form Of Doric column, surmounted By
a funeral urn, stands on a steep knoll
beneath which lie, inferred, the bones
Of 5000 American prisoners, who peg
ished from fever and starvation in the
English ships which lay in Wallabout
bay during the war Of the Revolution.
Secretary of War Wright, on behalf
Of the nation, presented the monument
to the empire state, on whose behalf IL
was accepted by Governor Charles E.
Hughes. The granite shaft was unveiled
by Miss Esther King Norton. grand
- n
and at her signal an immense American
flag, whose starry folds enveloped tbe
cap of the shaft, and whose red and
white bars enwrapped the column, edged
slowly down the monument, revealing is
N all its magniflcance to the throng
which rose to its feet and, amid a sill:
fhrs Handei ef GIaFo = Sy the the Marine Band
stood with barred heads. Previous to the
unveiling there was parade of soldiers
and members of civic organizations. 4
gentle snow. which later turned TO rail-,
fell throughout the ceremony.
Taft Orator OF the Day.
On his arrival from Washington. Mr..
Taft was taken TO the Brooklyn club,
where he had luncheon with Governor
Hughes and few invited guests, AZ
ter luncheon the official party took car
riages and, under the escort OF eaval
cade of mounted troops, moved toward
Parks Cadman of the Central Congre
gational church, and the reading OF
poem by Thomas Walsh, Mr.. Taft was
introduced by Stephen v White, master
OF ceremonies. The next president was
to speak, and as the snow was falling
he provoked laugh by saying ne would
put his hat on.
Mr.. Taft said, in part:
HWe are met today TO pay nation s
debt. long since recognized. but most
tardily provided for Tho monument
which we dedicated commentaries the
sacrifice for their country of the lives
of upwards OF $1,000 Americans, who
were buried more than l25 years ago
into what seemed for years TO be an
inglorious oblivion. Their identity and
personality have not been preserved,
and we who assemble. in grateful reGol-
lection of their patriotic self-sacrifiee
are compelled to refer to them as the
unknown dead
Neglect and Cruelty.
''The chief prison ship was the Jer-
sey. There were other old hulks used
as prison ships before the Jersey, uota-
bly the Whitby and Hope. There were
ships called hospital ships. which are
supposed to offer a refuge for the sick
OF the regular prison ships. In all OF
tnem, however, LDeEe were CIb uSGleC6
and cruelty that led to large percen-
tage of deaths among the prisoners; but
the details in respect TO them can be
gathered only from fugitive letters of
the victims and not from official
sources. The British commanders gen
orally denied the allegations made in be-
half of the American prisoners from
time to time, and with the close of tho
war and the absence of any comprehen.
sive investigation and report in respect
to them, we are left to piece out tho
evidence MS best we may and to explain
the shocking percentage or The dead
that were gathered each day and gwen
a hasty and insufficient burial. We
have more information in respect to the
Jersey hulk than in regard to any other,
and enough TO confirm in the strongest
way the outrageous cruelty with which
the American prisoners were treated, re-
sulting in the death of large proper
so frightful and distressing
as to make the fate of the prisoners
far worse than if, after their capture,
they had boen shot down regularly III
fights or strung up TO the yarderms as
vicious malcfactors.
Wrong Not Intentional.
ffI don I wish TO be understood as
charging that these conditions were duo
to the premeditations of the English
commanuers'ln-chiei or 10 tue ScV pur-
poses of any one in authority having
TO do with the fate Of the unfortunate
men whose bravery and self-sacrificn
this monument records. Such Il charge
would make the British commanders
human monsters. The conditions were
Inc result oil neglect. not design
The conduct of both Russian and Jap
auese prisons during the recent war r
he far East was pointed TO by Mr.. Taft
rs an example of the remarkable pro-
!ress which has taken place since the