The Mena weekly star., 1912-05-02
TITANIC FUNERAL
SHIP IS IN PORT
Cable Ship Mackay- Bennett Arrives
al Halifax With Decks Piled High
With Collins and Many Bodies
Under Tarpaulin.

Halifax, \. s, April 30.-While
the eitys church bells tolled and
British flags fluttered at half-masl,
the cable ship Mackay- Bennett
steamed slowly into Halifax harbor
this morning, bearing the dead
from the place where the White
Star liner Titanic sank
As soon as the ship was sited
down the harbor the canvas cur
lains shielding the collins and en-
bamers' tents on the pier were
lowered and twenty sailors from
the Canadian cruiser Niobe, in the
yards for repairs, lined up as a
guard
A woman was the first mourner
to arrive on the pier. She was Miss
Eliza Laurette, a maid for Mrs.
William Augustus Spencer of New
York. Mr.. and Mrs. Spencer were
passengers on the Titanic. Mr..
| Spencer went down; Mrs. Spencer
was saved. The maid hopes to find
it'i idAN tillDlOytlS DVuS.
Her own flag at half-mast the
death ship docked slowly. Her
crew manned the rails with barred
heads and on the aft deck were
stacked the collins with the dead.
Members of the crew, talking
over the side, said that everybody
picked up had been in a life belt
and there were no bullet holes in
any. Many uncoflined dead lay on
the forward deck covered with tar
paulins. As the undertakers came
aboard il was decided to take off
the bodies first. John Jacob As
tors body, it was said. was some
where in the pile of rough collins
at the stern.
When the tarpaulin was thrown
back more than fifty bodies were
disclosed. Men with stretchers
quickly came on board and the
work of removal was begun swift
ly. The total number of bodies on
board was 100. II was necessary to
bury li6 at sea. Among those
brought to port are the bodies of
two women.
After a second conference with
commander of the Mackay- Bennett
Captain Roberts announced that
there was no doubt of the identifi-
cation of Colonel Astor's body. In
the pockets $500 had been found
and he wore a belt with gold
buckle. The body identified as
that of Mr.. Widener was buried at
sea.
AT fl O'Clock the work OF remov-
ing the dead from the forward deck
had not been completed. None Of
the collins had been touched.
1t was predicted That the work
of unloading would perhaps take
all day. As fast as the bodies were
put on the pier they were placed in
wagons and taken up the hill to a
curling rink, whore they will be
prepared for inspection.
Captain Robrets, seeking Colonel
Astor's body, repoired after a con-
ference with Commander Lardner OF
the Mackay Bennett, that he was
sure the Identification was proper.
He added, however, that the body
identified as that Of George b.
Widener of Philadelphia was 50
mutilated that Captain Lardner
could not say positively whether ii
was that of Mr.. Widener or of his
valet.
Colonel Astor's body was brought
of the ship at noon and taken with
the othres TO the morgue.
Captain #. II. Lardner then re-
ceived interviewers and described
the work of the Mackay- Bennett at
sea.
The total number os bodies found
he said, was 306. OF these ii6,
most of them members Of the Ii
tanic crew and unidentified, were
consigned to the sea, and the re-
manning 1870 brought TO Halifax.
Only i8 bodies of women were
found afloat. The exact number of
identified among the 1870 brought
here, Captain Lardner preferred to
leave to an official statement TO be
issued tonight by the White Star
authorities.
The captain told of the finding of
the body thought to be that of Mr..
Widener which was buried at sea.
George Widener, Jr., talked with
the captain today and feels sure
that ii was the body of Edward
Heating. Mr.. Widener's valet.