The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-02-14
BODIES OF AMERICANS FOUND
ALONG IRISH COAST.
REMAINS OF 145 BURIED
LAST MOMENTS OF AMERICANS
AND PATHETIC INCIDENTS
SURROUNDING THEIR
INTERMENT.

A Scotch Seaport, Feb. 14.-A cor
respondent of the Associated Press
who reached here with two American
officers after a perilous voyage from
ireland is able to give the first ac-
count of the last moments of many
of the American victims who perish
ed as a result of the Tuscania dis
tending their burial on the bleak and
rocky shores of this barren coast.
The correspondent assisted in the
burial of 16 Americans, bringing the
total of those buried thus far to las.
Fourteen bodies of Americans were
recovered today and will be buried
tomorrow. The bodies OF eight mem
bers of the crew also have been re-
covered.
Today's burial was at the waters
edge at the base of rocky cliffs and
was picturesque in the extreme. All
the tiny villages for miles around
were in mourning for the Americans,
and farm and fisher folk came great
distances to attend the ceremonies.
Twenty-Five American survivors of
the disaster who had been left be-
hind for the purpose assisted the ma
tives in digging the graves into which
the khaki clad troops tenderly placed
their dead comrades.
Moulners High Above.
Looking down from the top of the
hA
mourners, headed by a British col
onel and an American private carry
ing an "Old Glory" made for the oc-
casion by a group of Scotch women,
who, on learning that the Americans
had no large flag, obtained a small
silk handkerchief edition of the flag
from a sergeant and remained up all
night copying it on a large scale.
Two clergymen came many miles
and read the Scotch and Episcopal
services, after which volunteers fired
three volleys, which re-echoed
against the hillsides. While this was
going on the only photographers
within 90 miles photographed the
scene.
The ceremony was much the same
on the previous day, when "a Amer
leans were laid at rest in two other
graves. So badly mutilated were
many of the bodies that two Ameri-
can army officers who were sent here
from London expressly for the pur-
pose found it impossible to take fin
ger prints for Identification purposes.
Marked by Wooden Crosses.
Wooden crosses, with distinguish
ing numbers, have been placed on
each grave, all of which are inclosed
by temporary fences.
The bodies of the Americans have
come ashore thus far at eight widely
separated points along the coast. All
but IA, which were recovered today,
have been buried at three of the most
central points, or where the greatest
number were recovered. For In
stance, at one point alone the funeral
rites were carried out over 60 sol
diers who were washed up within a
stretch of coast line not longer than
two city blocks.
Among the treacherous, low lying
rocks 20 miles further north the next
greatest number was found-49.
Midway between these two points A
bodies were discovered in a small
cove, 16 of which the correspondent
helped to bury.
When a few bodies were found at
scattered places they were brought
to a more centralized point and bur-
led 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 20 instances of
men wearing blank tags. but in spite
OF this fact majority of them were
identified by a general description of
the body and papers carried by the
men in their pockets.
So many bodies came ashore be-
tween the cliffs and in inaccessible
places that great difficulty was ex-
perienced in conveying them to bur-
ial places. Some bodies were dashed
upon the rocks at the base of precipi-
tous cliffs higher than the palisades
OF the Hudson river. AT one point
A bodies were recovered at the base
of cliffs which rose to a height of
800 feet, making it impossible to re-
move them more than few yards
from the waters edge.
Fell Trees to Make Coffins.
The absence of timber on the bar
rem lands out of which to make cof-
fins delayed the burials and made 1t