The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-11
NordiCa s Body To Be Brought Home To United States
Famous Singer Will Be Buried In Village Of Farming
 ton, Maine
Death Game Yesterday In Java After Long Illness
 With Pneumonia

Batavia, Java. May 1.-The body of Madame Lillian Nordica. the Anneri- ca singer who died here from pneu- mcala last night. is to be sent to the United States. It will leave here on May 16.
 Lillian rylordica. was an American singer of worldwide tame. Her ad- mirers ranged from the men of the Bowery section of New York, where the most critical box holders of grand opera. houses in all of the world g great musical centers. The purity or her voice, employed in many tongues had delighted hundreds of thousands since the day, 40 years ago, she first appeared In public as soprano sololst at Grace church in Boston
 Nordioa and Flames lthough the latter was born of American parents in far off Chfna-were of old New England stock, both claimed by the state of Madnes and they made up notable American contribution to the. operatic world. 4 farm house built by the prima donna's great-grantfa- ther on a hill just outside the. village of Farnington, Maine, WAS Nordica's g. birthplace, in 1859 Her true name was Lillian Morton. She changed 1t to Lne lta1 11au,- IN OEqlcds ~ Tedtp @s1eo1 when she began to study in Italy for an operatic singer.
 N MADE DEBUT IN ITALY.
 After her graduation from the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston, and successful singing of the leading roles in several of the orato- rios given by the Handel and Haydn society, she went to Europe. in 1878. as soloist with Gilmore's band She clung tenaciously to classical music, and was weln received by great audi ences in the Crystal Palace, London, and the Trocadero, Paris She decfd- ed to remain in Europe and attempt an operatic career. She went to Mi- Ian and became a. pupil Of Sang1o- vanni, and within six months she had mastered ten operas
 in 1879 in sLA Traviata-'' After trip to St. Petersburg she appeared for trial before Ambrose ThoInas and the in1pressarfo, Vancnrhell, who en-s gagged her for the Grand Opera House in Paris. Her first appearance there, was a triumph. The critics observed her American accent, but said it gave. piuuancy to her tone, and her acting was la5uded as equal to her singing.
 She returned to America, and toured this country with great success In the succeeding years she appeared in opera or concert in almost every city of musical culture in the world He1 repertoire included more than fifty operas Her success with Wagnerian roles became the pinnacle of her fame At Bayreuth in 1884 she ap- peared as Elsa in .Iohengrin.'' and she is. perhaps, best remembered in of various sorts abroad and gifts without number from friends at home. The stockholders of the Metropolitan Opera House presented her with a dfa I1ond tiara
 WAS THRICE MARRIED.
 Her matrimonial ventures numbered three. She was first married in 1s82 to Frederick A. Gower, a wealthy electrician and a. native of her state of Maine, whom she met in Paris Shortly after she had begun separa- ton proceeedings in 1884, Gowen dis appeared He attempted a balloon trip across the English channel AL though the balloon was later found, nothing was ever heard or seen ot him.
 In 1896, Mime. Nordica married zol- tan Doene, a Hungarian army off1- cer and singer, from whom she se- cured divorce in 1905
 Her third marriage was in London, in 1so9 to George w Young, a veal l nounced at that time that Nordica would retire from the stage, but after honeymoon spent in part at the old Norton homestead in Maine, she de- cided upon a farewell concert tour of the world It was while making one leg of this trip on the Dutch steamer Tasman that the vessel ran ashore on Thursday Island in the Antipodes The shock of the accident and ex- posture brought on pneumonia Mime. Nordieass admirers felt it to be a par ticu1arly tragic circumst ance that the famous singer should have fallen dan- gerousIy i'll on the other side Of the world
 Her body, undoubtedly, will be brought directly to this country and be buried near the old homestead in Maine.
 The Nordica fortune must be large It was published as a fact in 1909 that she had made s12soo8 during that sea son alone Much of her money went toward realizing her dream of a Bayreuth in America She bought a large tract of land along the Hudson near Ossining and, with great enthu- siasm, sketched plans for a great nu- sical institute. It was said a million dollars was back of the scheme, but it was never brought to full reaiiza- ton
 <sFY IT.