The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-15
Volunteers From Y. M.
G. A. Service Win
Praise Of Officers.
FUNERALS w EIR D
Procession Cropes Way
in Darkness Over the
Shell-torn Ground
Under Fire.

Paris. July IA weird procession
wendell its way over the rain soaked
earth and through the darkness of
the night. In the van was a chaplain,
acting now more in the capacity of a
guide. feeling the way around she'll
craters and under low hanging trees,
Next came two men carrying a
stretcher upon which was the body of
comrade who has made the SUI
preme sacrifice Following were other
soldiers, acting as grave diggers.
1t was a funeral procession-a
funeral OF a United States soldier who
had given his all that freedom might
not perish,
Occasionally an enemy star-shell.
shooting high above No Mans Land,
aided the marchers. Illuminating the
treacherous way and casting their
long shadows across the path. Again,
as the pickering light of the star
shell gradually became extinguished.
a warning whistle of an arrivee would
send tho party to seek shelter in a
shell hoe for the moment
For twenty-one consecutive nights.
Rev w. y. Howells. formerly assist
ant pastor of the Woodward Avenue
Baptist church. OF Detroit, Mich, and
at one time field secretary of the
United Society OF Christian Endeavor
in America led such a funeral pro-
cession behind the American lines
around Cantigny. On many of these
nights there was more than one such
funeral--~sometimes there were as
many as eight at which he oficiated
az cha plain.
Assisting him in this work OF bury
ing the dead was f1r. Murray Bartlett,
formerly president of the University
OF the Philippines. at Manila
Both had gone TO the front as Y NJ.
&c. A workers. but had been asked by
1.-The regimental commander to act as
honorary army chaplains, They con-
isented Immediately.
Theirs was work filed with
danger. and which had to be carried
out under the most dangerous of cir
cumstauces. Because of the fairness
OF the country in the sector in which
they were assigned this work could
not be accom- lished in the day time,
At night, although aided in some re-
spects by darkness. they were COM
PEELED to cross in open view of the
enemy snipers. Dr. Howells was gass-
ed upon one occasion while officiating
at a funeral His eyes being closed
and his voice silenced for several
hours
For his work the regimental COM
mander cited him. This is what the
colonel said of him in the orders:
He volunteered for service in the
first line. He has done work of most
exceptional courageous and efficient
character During hombardment and
notably during gas attacks he assist
ed in the evacuation of the wounded
and the gassed and gave religious
burial to the dead. His work is an
inspiration to all"
Once. the fuenral party was COM
PEELED to wear gas masks, the Ger
mans having sent over a number of
gas shells just as they were lowering
the body OF a soldier into the grave.
MANY times II was so dark we
could not see the grave he said.
Then we would have TO feel around
for II. We buried them all in big
graves. placing them side by side. For
identification purposes We attached a
wire to each body, running the wire
to the surface and then placing a
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