The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-05-11
FUNERAL SHIP
REACHES PORT
Montana Ran up From Vera
Cruz in Week With Sew
enteen Leaden
Oaskets.
THE GUARD. or HONOR
Men Coming Home for Honors3
Discharge Begged to be ~
Allowed to be ~
Escorts.
THE GUARD. or HONOR
[By Bernard Rucker, United Press
Staff Correspondent

TA11A, NEW YORK, May 11.-With
seventeen flag-draped caskets in her
superstructure, this veteran armored
cruiser, bringing home for triumphant
burial, the lads who fell at Vera Cruz
early today lay glistening and gleam
Ing off the battery.
Back home! Joyous homecoming
for the men Of the Montana after five
months in the tropics and for the boys
returning from Vera Cruz where their
enlistments expired.
But the great ceremony being pre-
pared on shore is not for them. They
will participate in the solemn vel
come home welcome not to the Nv
ing. but to the silent boys, sleeping
serenely under the flag for which they
died. Everywhere about the big,
sparkling ship, cleaned and polished
and dressed in her best In honor OF
the occasion. was evidence Of the sol.
emnity Of the duty to be performed
by sailor and land lubber alike from
the stoker in the hold to the presi-
dent OF the United States.
The Montana had done 2.O50 miles
At An average Of IA knots and q cost
OF ]. 900 tons of coal and about $4,000
from the tropical waters of MexfoC.
Armed bluejackets. pacing the super
structure whereon lay the nation 8
dead and the officers and crew at at
tention on the quarter deck, showed
the sorrowful mission Of the ship. The
eventful trip began Sunday. May 3; in
the harbor Of Vera Cruz with one OF
the most impressive impromptu cere-
monies in the United States nayy's
history. With flag at half mast and
her crew 1t attention on the quarter
deck Of the Montana, after taking on
her cargo OF dead from the hospital
ship Solace, steamed majestically
through the Atlantic fleet, drawn up
in two long and imposing lines.
AS the Montana passed, each dread
nought silently saluted by dipping
her flag which was left at han mast.
Mustered on deck was the entire
crew OF each warship, and as the
Montana passed by, the ships bands
struck up mournful dirges. the dead
March from Saul, Nearer My God to
Thee and kindred airs. More than
1000 miles from home, after five
months in the south, the departure Of
the Montana was highly dramatic to
her officers and crew and to everyone
else in the hRrbor.
On the trip up, covering seven days.
the Montana was about every sort Of
a ship that the log OF the navy
records. With seventeen bodies on
the superstructure, she was funeral
ship. With six courtmatfaled blue
Jackets from the fleet In the brig
coming home for dishonorable dis
charge, she was prison ship. With
two insane men in her hospital ward,
crazed by i've months Of heat in the
tropics Of Santo Domingo and Mexico.
she was an asylum ship. And With
sixty men whose terms Of enlist
ment had expired, the Montana was a
passenger ship.
The first care Of Commander L. M.
captain OF the Montana. was
the preservation Of the bodies en-
trusted to his care. AS soon as the
Montana passed before the last OF the
and Vera Cruz was hull
down" on the horizon, the caskets
we're floisted to the port side OF the
and ranged In three
rows of four each and one OF five.
They were elevated on blocks to al /
ow free circulation OF air and cover
I'd with tarpaulins to protect them
rom the weather. ,
On last Thursday night there came |
ID a storm off Cape Hatteras-and |
Hatterzs can stir up more varieties
II storms than any other point on the
Atlantic. The rain came down in |
orrents, and as the old Montana roll |
ID and pitched and reared upon the |
waves, the flashing lightning, with its
thunderous detona-
ions revealed the Tapping tarpaulins /
,ver the seventeen boxes In picture |
hat will never fade from the eyes Of
hose who saw 1t.
Throughout the voyage the bodies
Il the dead were guarded night and
Law by two blue jackets with rifles