Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-13
BRING NAVY DEAD
HERE FOR BURIAL
Sixty Officers and Men Said to
Lie in Graves That Are
Neglected.
MOST OF THEM KILLED
IN HEROIC SEA BATTLE
Congress May Have to Be Asked to
Make Appropriation for
Purpose.

Dr. Charles +. Stokes, chief of the bu-
reau of medicine and surgery of the Navy
Department. announced today that he ex-
poets shortly to have q conference with
Secretary Daniels as to the possibility OF
bringing home from Valparaiso, Chile, the
remains OF about sixty American naval
officers and men which now lie in ne
elected graves at that port.
Il think there is no doubt that the
Navy Department will bring home these
remains and inter them at Arlington"
DR.. Stokes said today. 1T seems to be
o proper thing to do, and ii is not likely
to be difficult to accomplish
when l talk with Secretary Daniels |
will see IL we cannot dig something out
of one of our appropriations to cover the
necessary expense. I do not know the
condition of the graves at this time. but
| will request the Secretary to ask that
the American consul at Valparaiso be d.
rected to make a report on this subject.
Seek Log of Essex.
.Inasmuc as most of the bodies re-
ported to be lying at Valparaiso IN
neglect are said to be those of officers
and men who We're in the command of
Capt. Porter when his ship, the Essex.
was captured by the British ships
Phoebe and Cherub, in the action in Val
paradise harbor in 1914, 1t may be neces-
sary to hunt up the log or the Essex Tai
paraiso with those killed in the battle.
That log is probably in possession
of the Navy Department., as It was most
likely returned by the British after the
Essex was captured IT 1t Is not. now
ever, Capt Porter's journal and his re-
ports to the Secretary of the Navy.
tc114 In tNFNnl RIM
and are part OF the records of the
Navy Library, will probably serve as
means of identifications
IF necessary We will ask for a speclai
appropriation from Congress to carry out
the work, to which there is not likely to
be any opposition: but / think We can
have an American warship stop at Val
paraiso and get the bodies, and that we
can probably take up any necessary ex-
pense for leaden caskets, etc., out OF
some current appropriation.
Proper and Patriotic Duty.
TT seems a proper and patriotic duty
to care for the remains OF these American
sailors. We have an annual appropria-
ton now for bringing home the bodies
Of officers and sailors Of the American
Navy who have died abroad. and there
is no reason why similar respect should
not be shown toward American seamen
who died before the law was passed"
Theodore Dorm, in a letter to The Star
in regard to one of the bodies which was
buried at Valparaiso. says that Dr.
Aughinbaugh, who suggested the transfer
of the bodies erred in his list Of those
buried at Valparaiso by including Boat
swain's Mate c. W. Riggin.
"Some twenty years ago Higgins body
was brought to Philadelphia, laid In state
at Independence Hall, in that city, and
was buried there with military honors,
but I really forget which burying ground
received the remains says Mr.. Dorm.
Families Always Consulted.
At the Office of the bureau Of medicine
and surgery of the Navy Department the
circumstances of bringing home the
body of Riggin We're recalled today, and
it was said there that bodies of Ameri-
can sailors who die abroad are always
brought home if the relatives of the
dead desire it. Riggin was one of the
two sailors of the cruiser Baltimore kill
cd in the streets OF Valparaiso, October
16. 1891.
In addition to the officers and men OF
the Essex buried there. the graveyard
at Valparaiso, according to DIR. W. r.
Aubhinbaugh, former Washingtonian.
who wrote q letter to The Star about
the neglected graves. contains the bodies
If a number of sailors and officers or
other ships, Inferred there in later
years