Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-07-20
GRAVES OF VICTIMS AVOIDED.
Monument After War Memorial Of
Those Who Perished on Lusitania.


ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence
Queenstown. July 10.-The newest
mem orial to be placed on the graves
Of the Lusitania victims Is an artificial
bouquet Of flowers enclosed in a glass
case which also contains woman's
photograph and small marble cross
with the inscription: in memory Of
my dear wife, Margaret Butler
drowned on the Lusitania. Vengeance
is mine saith the Lord. I shall repay"
This and three round mounds Of earth
virtually are all that mark the resting
place of more than 1000 persons who
persisted May 7, 1915. when German
submarine stunned the world by send
ing 70 the bottom Of the ocean twenty
three miles from here the first trans
Atlantic passenger steamship to De
sunk by a torpedo.
A movement IS on foot to erect
great monument over these graves, but
il Is not likely to bear fruit until the
end Of the war. 4 high official Of the
Cunard Steamship Company, owner OF
the Inflated Lusitanta, visited the
graves recently and deprecated the
fact that they are so neglected. He
told the veteran town clerk, James
Campbell, that he is making a report
to his company with the view OF CO.
operating with the British government
for suitable monument, but expressed
doubt as TO whether anything could be
done in the midst Of this war.
Officers and men from American
craft now in British waters also have
made long overland pilgr!mages to the
graves and have given hearty support
TO the movement.
A correspondent Of the Associated
Press. who few days ago visited the
burial place in local cemetery. which
is situated in a green wood on the
cliffs behind this picturesque town,
found grass growing foot high over
! the three mounds marking Is many
huge graves, the largest containing
seventy bodies and the others fifty and
| twenty-seven victims Of the German
| submarine. The town clerk apologized
| for the uncut grass, saying 1t was per-
| m,tted to grow until July !, to enable
the poorly paid caretaker to procure
hay therefrom. AFTER July the first
! he said, you will see a transforna-
| ton
The town council! has just denied a
| request made by the relatives OF Miss
| E A. Secombe, Of Peterborough, n. H.,
| to permit her body to be exhumed for
| burial in the United States, on the
ground that it IS detrimental to the
public health. 1t develops that the
| town medical authority has been busy
| ever since the catastrophe in declining
requests made by relatives Of the VIC
tins in America and other countries
The cemetery is seldom visited by any
of the townspeople, who shun it be-
| cause Il brings back awful memories
Of the heartbreak!ng scenes enacted on
that fateful May 7. two years ago.
AS showing the xentinen taEty OF
these pious townspeople, 1t is interest
ing to note that the town hall, which
was turned into a temporary norgue
| on that occasion, has never been oc-
| cupied by any one since, except Camp
| bell, the town, clerk.
People who used the town hall as
a market place, where they sold butter
eggs and cheese, have never returned
said Campbell. The treasury is Sc,
back FIVE pounds annually, derived
| from rental space in the town hall"
Not until about two years after the
disaster could the decorator and paint
er be induced 70 take up the work OF
housecleaning The town hall. which Is
being done in the nope Of coaxing back
the market people and incidentally
some Of the revenue Of this quaint old
place which before the war owed It's
fame largely 70 its being the port Of
cali Of American mail steamers and
the fact that Il boasts the oldest ath-
!etic club in the world.