The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-05-08
DEAD,LADEN SHIP
REACHES HALIFAX
CABLE VESSEL ARRIVED IN PORT
WITH THE BODIES OF IT,
TANIC VICTIMS.
SOME BODIES BURIED AT SEA
Mackay-Bennett Brought One Hun
dred and Ninety Bodies
Into Halifax.

Halifax, Nova Scotia.-The cable
ship Mackay-Bennett, which came
with 100 of the White Star liner I'll
tani's dead into Halifax, first cast
gloom over the city by her mere pres
ence as a funeral ship, then sem q
shock through those waiting here TO:
bodies with the announcement of her
commander-in-chief that ~fifty-seVen OF
those reported by wireless as identl-
fed had of necessity been cast again
into the e III ." ~. 81
Yet none, not even the few here
whose friends or relatives had thus
been recommitted to the Atlantic, ex-
pressed any criticism of Captain Larn-
der's action, believing him sincere in
his explanation that lack of space on
board, shortage of embalming mate
rial and the mutilation of bodies was
solely responsible for his course.
That there was no favoritism In
the reburial; that the bodies Of prom
inent persons were not kept aboard to
the exclusion of the more humble, Is
indicated by the White Star lines an
nouncement that among the bodies
sunk again was that of George w.
Widener, the Philadelphia capitalist.
A majority Of those cast again into
the sea were members of the Titan
les crew and second and third class
passengers.
perhaps never was an occasion SO
fraught with gruesome aspects, mark
ing a closing chapter in the greatest
sea disaster in history, attended with
more respectful silence and lack OF
morbid curiosity than was the dock
ing of the Mackay-Bennett. Not half
a dozen of those actually concerned
visited the pier proper, and the gen
erar public contributed not more than
200. They stood in silence overlook
ing the %terrace'in the navy dock yard
300 yards away. They could see
nothing but the upper structure OF
the Mackay-Bennett, tents housing
the collins and a canvas lane under
which the dead were being carried
Nicholas Biddle Of Philadelphia,
who accompanied Vincent Aston here
in a private car, went alone to identi-
fly the body Of Colonel Astor, and it
was the first prepared for removal to
New York.
The body Of Isidor Straus a few mo-
ments later was turned yer TO Maui
rice Rothschild of New York and In
quick succession, with little or no
ceremony, the bodies Of Frank D..
Millett, the artist; H. j. Allison Of
Montreal and many others were CIV
en- in charge of friends.
There are only five women's bodies
among the unidentified, and as one
of these appears to be that Of a Swe-
dish woman and the other four those
of Italians, there is little hope appar-
ent Of recovering the body Of Mrs.
Isidor Straus, who stayed by the ship
with her husband.
One little child, a baby girl Of
about two years, lies among the un-
claimed, nameless, and without a sug-
gestion of who her parents were or
are. OF all the bodies picked up, here
was the only n that the waves bore
without the aid of a life belt. She
was found floating serenely, looking
very much like a big doll.
Despite predictions to the contrary,
nearly all of the bodies bore indica-
tons that the victims had died swiftly
if not almost painlessly. In many
cases their features were calm and,
with the exception of those who had
been severely injured, they were re-
markably free from the stamp of hor-
ror or suffering. All were in a re-
makable state of preservation.
Samuel Wallach, who inspected part
of the unidentified, said that he had
but faint hope of finding the body Of
his brotherin-law, Henry B. Harris,
the theatrical nan
Cash found in the clothing Of the
victims amounted approximately to
s13, 900. Jewelry worth perhaps a
great deal more, but which it is i'm
possible to appraise now, also was
recovered.