Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-25
REMAINS Of SAILORS
TO Be LEFT AT ANCON

The bodies of five members of the
United States Navy recently exhumed on
the Island of Flamenco, or Dead Mans
Island" in the Bay Of Panama, and re-
inferred In the government cemetery at
Ancon. Panama. will not be brought to
this country and inferred in the Airing
ton national cemetery as had been sug-
gested. These bodies were removed re-
Gently in order to make room for the con-
struction of batteries on Flamenco Island
for the defense of the Pacific entrance to
the Panama canal. Their identity was
established by headstones and other
marks as follows:
Commander Leonard Paulding, COM
handing the Z. S. s. Wateree who died
at Panama April 3. 1855; Lieut.. Joseph
w. Harris Of the United States flagship
Lancaster, who died at Panama August
4. 1861; George Hale. apothecary of the
U. s. S. Tuscarora, who died at Panama
March IS. 1873; Private Thomas Collins,
U. S. M. c.. of U. S. S. St. Marys, who
died at Panama March II, 1888, and An
drew BlaszkoWski. coal passer, U. s. N.
who died on board the U. s. S. PhiladeI-
phia, at Panama, May 2, 1902.
At the suggestion OF Col. Goethals, chief
engineer of the Panama canal the Navy
Department was advised of the removal
Of these bodies to the Ancon cemetery
with a view to their transfer to one of
the national cemeteries In the United
States, IT SO desired.
No Kin of Deceased Found.
The matter was referred to Surgeon Cen
eral Stokes, chief Of the naval bureau of
medicine and surgery, for investigation.
He has reported to the Navy Department
that diligent search and inquiry failed
to reveal any living kin Of any of the per-
sons named. In view Of that fact and
also because the Ancon cemetery is under
government control and the proper care
OF the bodies is now well assured, the
surgeon general recommended that the
bodies be allowed to remain in that ceme-
terry instead of being brought to the
United States. That recommendation was
approved by the Navy Department and
Col. Goethals will be advised accordingly.
:, Dead Mans Island" got its name from
died in that vicinity were buried there
1t Is estimated that at least thirty Ameri-
cans. mostly members Of the United
states Navy, were buried on the island
during the past half century How many
more bodies were buried in the two ceme-
teries on the island may never be known.
Most OF the graves are leveled and over
grown with vegetation. and the few tomb
stones and markers still standing are un-
decipherable. The only exceptions SO far
discovered were the cases Of the bodies
recently removed to the Ancon cemetery.
Died Years Ago on shipboard.
Most OF the unmarked and dismantled
graves contained the bodies OF persons
who died many years ago on board YES
sells at Panama or on the voyage to that
port. Officers and sailors Of the United
States Navy who fell victims to yellow
fever many years ago are numbered
among the unknown dead. Many of these
were attached to the frigates Lancaster
and Jamestown. famous ships of the past.
1t Is reported that Paymaster John A.
Bates. United States Navy. who died of
yellow fever on the U. S. S. jamestown
among the fever victims buried on Fla
menco Island. No mention is made in the
oficial records. however. of the recovery
Of his body or its transfer to any other
cemetery.