The sun., 1918-02-13
American Losses Thought
to Number 159 Upon
Lowest Estimate.
BODIES MUCH MUTILATED
Most Of Victims Identified
Despite Fact Some Tags
Were Blank.
Nv the Associoted Press.

the sinking OF the steamer Tuscania
apparently number at least l5a. Thus
far l45 bodies have been buried along
tho Scotch coast, and fourteen addi-
tional bodies were recovered to-day.
Funeral services over the latter will be
held tomorrow.
Burial was at the waters edge at the
base of rocky cliffs. All the tiny villages
for miles around were in mourning for
the Americans. and farm and fisherfolk
came great distances to attend the cere-
monies. Twenty .ilve American survivors
Of the disaster Who had been left behind
dissing the graves into which the khaki
clad troops tenderly placed their dead
comrades.
Looking down from the top Of the
cliffs 900 feet above stood the mourners,
headed by a British Colonel and an
American private carrying an "Old
Glory" made for the occasion by a group
Of Scotch women, who on learning that
the Americans had no large flag OBJ
tanned small silk handkerchief edition
Of the flag from a sergeant and remained
up all night copying It on large scale.
Two clergymen came many miles ard
read the Scotch and Episcopal services.
after which volunteers fired three vol
leys. which reechoed against the hill
sides. So badly mutilated were many
OF the bodies that two American army
officers who were sent here from London
expressly for the purpoe found It I'M
possible to take finger prints for identi-
hcation purposes.
Graves Are Marked.
Wooden crosses with Distinguishing
numbers have been placeds on the
graves. all Of which are enclosed by tenn
porary fences.
The bodies OF the Americans have
come ashore thus far at eight widely
separated points along the coast. All
except fourteen which were recovered to-
day have been buried at three OF the
most central points or whore the great
est number were recovered. For in
stance, at one point alone tho funeral
diers who were washed up within
stretch Of coast line not longer than two
city blocks.
Among the treacherous. low lying
rocks twenty miles further north the
next greatest number was found-4?.
Midway between these two points a.
bodies were discovered in a small cove.
Is Of which the correspondent helped to
bury to-day.
When a few bodies were found at
scattered places they were brought to q
more centralized point and buried with
many others in one or two large
trenches A majority Of the dead were
Identified through the metal disks which
the men wore. There were about twenty
instances of men wearing blank tags. but
In spite Of this fact q majority Of them
were identified by a general description
OF the bodies and papers carried by the
men in their pocketIs
So many bodies came ashore between
the cliffs and in inaccessible places that
great difficulty was experienced in con-
veying them to burial places. Some
bodies were dashed upon the rocks at the
base Of precipitous cliffs higher than the
Palisades Of the Hudson River. At one
point forty-four bodies were recovered
at the base Of cliffs which rose to a
height Of 400 feet. making It impossible
10 remove them more than a few yards
from the waters edge.
Coffius Hurriealy Made.
The absence Of timber on the barren
lands out of which to make collins de-
layed the burials and made 1t necessary
ultimately to bury most OF tho bodies
OF the men in their uniforms. covered
with canvas. Some coffins were pro-
'lded from trees cut down for the
purpose, but only small proportion Of
the men were buried in this way.
"A local undertaken at the point where
the sixty bodies were found soon sx-
hausted his small available supply Of
cofms' Thereupon tho owner of a big
esSte Immediately ordered out all of
ms employees TO cut down the only
cIulnp Of trees within miles to make
oofhns, This provided twenty-five. No
more trees were to he found on the
otherwise barren land. 30 II was decided
70 place the coffins at tho bottom OF q
sreat pit and then lay the bodies Of
some OF the men in rows on top Of
them
The over layer Of khaki clad soldiers
was placed in one great sheet OF cam
vas Another ten bodies were laid over
ms row, and so on until all were ready
for burial.
At the point where forty-four bodies
were buried no timber whatsoever was
available and all the men had to be
buried without coffins. The bodies
washed UP in tho district where the
snty men were buried were not badly
oru'sed. But those coming ashore At
mNe rockstrewn places. where the
waters gave up patches Of - and ~,
we're mutilated almost beyond recogni-
uoh' The sea had washed the dead
men against the rocks and some OF them
we're we're almost completely disrobed by the
s'lon OF the water.
Yearly All Wore Life Belts.
IL was noted in most cases that almost
sH we men wore Nfe belts and that their
.o'hlng invariably was saturated with
on' which came from tho two great tanks
". board the Tuscania., Immediately
"Iter the torpedoing Of the steamship
,a ,ne men were thrown into the sea Dy the
.suty launching Of life boats and swan
"nou, In the oil laden waters before
svlng up the strdkgle In the darkness.
nany Of the men. however. were within
~" Yards OF the land after hours o.
wing Nhen the seas crushed their IIfa
"'a,s against the rocks.
:, rrlNste Wilbur Mutt. Spring Valley.
mo ' was in lifeboat II. which capslsed
.nen " struck against the rocks, empty
s 'hlrty occupants into the swirling
was carried over the rocks on
Continued ON Second Page.