The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-29
THOUSANDS ESCORT
PANIC VICTIMS TO
BURIAL GROUND
SO Bodies Laid in Graves in
Snow EnshrOuded
Cemetery
BEREAVED FORM
A PITIFUL SCENE
Little Mining Village Center of
Mourning Throughout the Day, as
the Bodies of Victims Are
Laid to Rest

Calumet, Mich. December 2s.-Thc
Western Federation of Miners buried
its dend today. Fifty-nine bodies, In
Guiding those of Al children. were car
ing country highway and laid In graves
In "A snow enshrouded cemetery with
In sight of Lake Superior. Thousands
of saddened miners formed the escort
of the funeral parties and passed be-
tween other thousands who as spec
tators testified to the grief that has
oppressed the community since ~ men,
women and children were killed In the
Christmas eve panic In Italian hall
For hours the Sabbath calm was
broken by the tolling of bells and
the sound of voices intoning burial
chants In half a dozen churches serv
ices We're held earlier in the day, and
the mourners went about the streets,
passing from their homes to the
churches, back to their homes, after
brief respites, and again to the
churches to prepare for the last sad
trip to the gravesides.
Delegations of strikers began COM
ing into Calumet early in the day. The
special train of nine coaches brought
hundreds of federationists from the
iron mines of Negaunee and Ishphem-
ing and every town and mining loca-
ton in the copper country sent mem
bers and friends OF the union to swell
the ranks of the marchers in the aft
ernoon.
Union Host Assemblies
BY noon the union host was as
sembled Months of experience in dem
nnstrating their numbers by parading.
had taught the men to form ranks
quickly and with little delay they
lined up four abreast.
The supply of hearses was inadequate
and there were only IA of these We
hicles in the van. Then came three un-
dertal1ers wagons and an automobile
truck, the latter carrying three .cof-
fins These vehicles contained the
adult victims and the older children.
Beside one marched eight women who
acted as pallbearers for a member of
the woman's auxiliary of the Western
Federation.
1t was this woman's organization
which was distributing gifts of candy,
shoes. caps and mittens to the children
of strikers when the panic broke out.
Behind the hearses was section of
the procession which brought tears ana
sobs from onloot1ers Thirty-nine white
coffins, their size testifying to the
short life of the little forms within,
were carried by relays of strikers, Four
men bore each coffin and as their arms
grew weary or their feet slipped on
the roadway, companions relieved them
of their burden.
Persons drawn to Calumet solely by
the curiousness of the spectator. be-
came mourners as this contingent
passed them Men turned away to brush
tears from their checks Women, es-
pecially the mothers in the crowd,
sobbed openly and dozens, unable to
endure the sight, rushed from the
streets, taking refuge in homes where
Yuletfde had not been directly sad
dened by death. Other mourners. too.
We're in evidence among the toil-hard-
ened men, who carried the coffins.
They bore the bodies of their conf
panions' children and many a rough
sleeve was brushed hurrledly across
downturned faces, the eyes of which
were concealed by peaked caps, drawn
far forward.
Singers Chant Hymns
Fifty singers chanted hymns in tho
wake of those carrying the childrens
coffins. Most of these men were Eng
lish miners. who had learned in Corn
wall to chant Christmas carols in the
streets and years ago brought this old
custom to the copper country. Today
however. they did not sing songs of
a new life born. Jesus Lover of My
Soul" "Rock of Ages" and Nearer My
God to Thee" came from throats thick
with emotion. but the harmonies were
full and rich
AS the singers turned into Hlne
street, which led to the cemetery road,
the open ranks of marchers wheeled
into line Ishpeming and Negaunee mon
came first, followed by brass band
and the members of the copper coun-
try locals.
The last marcher had scarcely started
from Calumet before the head Of the
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