Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-02
Cemeter es Overlook i ng
Ocean to be Resting
Places OF Victims.
HOLD SERVICES FRIDAY
Electrician of Mackay-Bennett
Describes Work of Gather.
ing Scattered Corpses.

Halifax, May 2.-The last of the
identified dead recovered from the lost
Titanic probably will leave Halifax to-
day, and tomorrow those bodies that |
remain will be buried in cemeteries |
overlooking the sea. Some seventy or
ighty burials will be made tomorrow. |
Electrician Ross of the Mackay- |
Bennett corroborates the claim of
John Snow, Jr., who was the only
undertaken on the cable ship, that
many of the bodies buried at sea were
as recognizable and well-preserved as
any of those now lying identified at
the morgue.
He declares that it became neces-
sary to dispose Of some bodies when
the Mackay-Bennett became over
crowded and that while the mutilated
were the first to be dropped over
board, many others had to go who
could not be identified on board, but
whose friends might easily recognize
them on shore.
TITANIC ICEBERG SIGHTED.
The crew of the Mackay-Bennett
saw the giant iceberg that wrecked
the liner Titanic while cruising for
the bodies which 1t landed here yes
terday. They say the berg was very
long, with perpendicular edges, not
more, than so feet out of the water
at any point, and that there was a
hole in its side wide enough almost
for the cable ship to fit inside.
| 4
eler," said Electrician Ross. "He
was travelling in the steerage. He
was among the 115 consigned to
ocean graves.
Il felt a peculiar hard lump in the
back of his coat. told my work
mate and we ripped the lining and
found half dozen fine diamonds
sewn up there. This man was not
identified. The diamonds were turn
ed over to the purser with the other
valuables taken from the unidentified
bodies and all placed in the custody
of the White Star line.
= WOMEN IN EVENING GOWNS.
5 "The property taken from uniden-
l titled persons was placed in little
i
. to the body label. The steamship Of
f ficials will undoubtedly have consid-
4 cradle miscellaneous property for
t which no heirs can ever apply.
Many of the women were in even
ing gowns. We picked up one young
married couple, Mr.. and Mrs. A.
Roins, the only husband and wife
) found. She wore a beautiful low
g necked dress and around her neck
e was costly string of pearls.
e Since I've come ashore I've heard
: not few hints that our crew had a
v chance to pilfer. Such a suspicion is
cruel and unfair. A nobler lot OF
men from skipper down could not be
found.
''They were out on a mission OF
mercy. I venture to say that If any
one OF them was alone with all
those bodies and their hidden wealth
not a penny or a trinket would be
disturbed. There was not a CHOU
among the Mackay's crew and if there
/ was it would have Jared hard witt
him. Absolute decency and discipline
prevailed. The only unfortunat,
feature of our whole trip is that We
couldn't bring back all the bodies VIZ
recovered.
THE hold was stacked with ice anC
the bodies were packed upon it. Tn,
decks and every nook and corne
/ were stocked with them. The frs
/ few nights all hands felt creepy.
| know / did, but after while we 90
| used to it.
WATCHES STOPPED AT 2,1O.
| when we hauled the bodie
| aboard a few of US were selected t,
| search the clothing for valuables ant
| marks of Identification. Some wer
1 so distorted and swollen that We hat
| to cut off the garments. If ",
| couldn't get our hands into pocket
/ We were ordered to slit them with ou
belt knives.
when We found Colonel Astor'
body his watch was found to hav
d.. stopped at $3.50. Nearly all of tn
G other watches had stopped at 2:1O
Il I think it was because his was bette
{ made and stood the water better. Hi
: money belt held $4,000 in gold. H
&c had other effects, all of which
x think were appraised at from $50, 90
to $4,000.
l. THE bodies buried were sewn int
: canvas shrouds and heavily weighted
n after a service had been held owe
8 them. We ran out of canvas and bul
= zap and got some from an Allan linel
!, We were all glad to end the jour
% rey, and l, for one, never care fc
another cruise Like IL"