The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-06-22
REMAINS OF MEN
KILLED IN MAINE
EXPOSED TO VIEW
Scattered Bones Give
No Chance For
Identification
FIRE is INDICATED
IS INDICATED
Work Of Flames Is Shown
on Various Parts of the
+. Structure

cry this morning of some human
fragments, the work of exploring and
giving honorable burial to the bodies
of her crew, was at last begun to-
day after many months of prelimi-
nary work. While workmen were
clearing the engine room, in the i'm;
mediates vicinity of the after port
side turret, they found bones of a
right foot, enclosed in the ragged!
remnants of shoe, and near by the
bones of a forearm, the hand being
missing Soon after this they came
upon the bones of another forearm.
All We're blackened, possibly from.
fire and deeply encrusted with a cor
al growth. No hope of Identification
was offered, except that the shoe
that the wearer was either
an officer, a mess attendant or a
member of the marine corps, the
blue jackets in tropical service al
ways being barcfooted.
Further exploration in that portion
of the ship did not reveal anything
which might assist i'll tic 'Gentifica-
ton. The remains We're reverently
placed in a receptacle on board the
United States collier Leonida.
A search of the spar deck and the
superstructure of the officers quar-
tiers resulted, in the discovery OF a
paper covered novel, on which the
owners name on the title page was
illegible. A pair of binoculars,
much %corroded, two rain coats, a bar
rel OF mineral water, and a quantity
of porcelain utensils were found.
Side Grey Ghost. "
As the remains of the %battleship
gradually rise like Il grim grey ghast
above the slowly lowering level OF
the turbid waters Within the Golfer
dam, the firsts discoveries are most
interesting. A curious relic of the
great disaster has been found. The
explorers last night and this morning
recovered the plates and other Chi
navarro in the officers quarters.
Some pieces we're identified later as
parts of the dinner service of the cap
tain and wardroom mess. All we're
in a good state Of preservation, and
We're found piled up as they had been
left by the stewards after the last
dinner.
This afternoon the scrchers found
on the upper deck, adjacent to the
port turret, Il small ammunition box
such as is customarily distributed
about the decks. This contained an
agglomerated mass of six millimeter
cartridge clips for the naval service
rifle and a plumber of short knife
bayonets in metallic leather cover
s%cabbards. The clips of cartridges
were we'll preserved, but the steel
bayonets were reduced to almost un-
identified masses of rust around
which were clinging shreds of leather
sacking.
Effect Of Galvanic Action.
The Gisintegration of the bayonets
is believed to have been the result
of g%alvanic action, between the steel
and the brass cartridge cases in the
medium OF sea water. This gives
rise to speculation regarding the eff
feet of galvanic action on portions OF
the hull still under water. on which
depends greatly the possibility that
the hull may not retain sufficient
strength to warrant, the expectation
of floating out any portion.
Pathetically interesting was the
discovery of an officers dress sword
found behind the forward port side
door leading from the officers quar-
tiers to the spar deck. This door was
found closed, but on being forced OPP
en- the sword was seen upright in the
corner. The inference is that some
officer fastened to the deck on the
first alarm, and buckling on his
sword as he ran was. compelled to
abandon it and escape in the rush
of water over the spar deck. The
bronze sword hilt was well preserved,
but only attached by shreds of the
sword knot to the blade which was
merely a ribbon of rust, enclosed in
black leather scabbard. The only
possibility Of identifying the sword
is the chance that some, officer may
recollect having abandoned the wea-
pom: SIS
Indication of Fire.
A curious indication of. the slight
force of the explosion felt. insthe. at