Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-05-01
CABLE ship BRINGS BODIES
Corpses Of 1870 Titanic Victims
Isa(h Halifax. t
EIGHT OF THEM ARE WOMEN
Three Hundred and Ninety Picked
Up, All of which Had ON Life
Brits--IIundred and six
teen Hurled at Sea.

HALIFAX, n. s.. April 9o,--One hun
dred and ninety bodies, among them
those Of Colonel John Jacob Astor and
Isador straus, were brought to Halifax
today on the cableshlp Maekay Bennttt,
which had been searching an area OF
more than thirty square miles In the VI
cinity where the great White star liner
Titanic sank after striking an Iceberg,
Geo. II. widener's body. although pre-
viousiy reported as recovered was not
among those on the ship. and her com.
mander explained that a body. at first
thought TO have been that Of Mr., Wide
ner was buried as that Of his valet.
All told N5 dead were found and lie
were consigned again TO the sea.
Woman q. First Mourner.
. As soon as the ship was sighted down
the harbor the canvass curtains shield
ing the collins and embalmers tents on
the pier were lowered and twenty sailors
from the Canadian cruiser Niobc. In the
yard for repairs. lined up as guard.
A patrol boat was stationed In the front
OF the pier to prevent any craft docking
In the vicinity.
A woman was the first mourner to ar
rive on the pier. she was Miss ELIZA Lur-
stte. maid for Mrs, William Augustus
Spencer OF New York M aud Mrs.
Spencer swyre passengers on tho Titanic,
Mr.. spencer went down. Mrs. Spencer
was saved. The maid hopes TO find her
late employers body. although II had not
been reported among those on thu
Maokay- Bennett.
J. A. Kenyon. Of southington. Conn,
arrived shortly afterwards, hoping TO
lndentify the body OF his brother. y. II.
Kenyon Of Pittsburg.
It's own flag at half mast, the death
ship docked slowly. Its crew manned
the rails with bare heads and on the aft
deck were stacked the eoffins Of the
dead.
All Bodies Have Life BELTS.
Members Of the crew talking over ths
side said that every body picked up had
been In life belt and there were no
bullet holes in any. Many uncofflned
dead lay In on the forward deck. covered
with tarpullnes. As the undertakers came
aboard II was decided to take these
bodies first. Colonel John Jacob Astors :
body. II was said, was somewhere In the
pile Of rough cofflns at the stern.
The first body removed was that OF a
seaman. when the tarpaullne was
thrown back more than fifty bodies were
disclosed. Men with siretehers quickly
came on board and the work Of removal
was begun.
Captain Richard Roberts, seeking Col
onel Astor's body. after a conference with
Commander Lardner OF the Mackay- Ben.
nett. said there was no doubt that this
Identification Of Colonel Astor's body
was correct. In the pockets $500 cash
was found.
The body Identified as that Of George
B. Wldener OF Philadelphia. was so mu.
tilated that Captain LArdner could no:
positively say whether II was that Of Mr..
Widener or OF his valet. The body was
buried at sea.
II was predicted that the mere work
OF unloading would take perhaps 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,
where they will be prepared for inspec-
tion.
Colonel Astor's body was brought off
the ship and taken with others to tho
morgue. Captain Lardner said the total
number Of bodies found was 9O6 OF
these lls. most Of them members Of the
Titanic's crew and unidentified. were con.
signed to the sea. and the remaining 1856
brought to Halifax. Only eighteen
bodies Of women were found afioat. The
axsct number of Identified among the
1876 brought here. Captain Lardner pre-
ferred to leave TO a statement TO be Is
sued by the White Star authorities.