The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-02-14

the bodies of the men in their uni
forms, covered with canvas. Some
few coffins were provided from trees
cut down for the purpose.
An undertaken at the point where
the so bodies were found soon ex-
hausted his small supply of eoffins.
Thereupon, the owner of a big estate
Immediately ordered out all of his
employees to cut down the only clump
of trees within, miles in order to
more trees were to be found on the
otherwise barren land, so it was de-
cided to place the coffins at the bot
tom of a great pit and then lay the
bodies of some of the men in rows on
top of them.
The overlayer of khaki clad SOL
diers was placed in one great sheet of
canvas. Another 10 bodies were laid
over this row and so on until all
were ready for burial.
At the point where A bodies were
buried no timber whatsoever was
available and all the men had to be
buried without coffins.
The bodies washed up in the dis
trict where the 60 men were buried
were not badly bruised, but those
coming ashore at more rock-strewn
places, where the waters gave up
groups of 40 and A, were mutilated
almost beyond recognition. The sea
had dashed the dead men against the
rocks and some of them were almost
completely disrobed by the action of
the water.
Waves Crushed Lifeboats
1t was noted in most cases that
nearly all the men wore lifebelts and
that their clothing invariably was
saturated with oil, which came from
the two great tanks on board the
Tuscania. Immediately after the tor
pedoing of the steamer the men were
thrown into the sea by the faculty
launching of lifeboats and swan
about in the oil laden water before
giving up the struggle in the dark
ness. Many of the men, however,
were within few yards of the land,
after hours of rowing, when the seas
crushed their lifeboats against the
rocks.
Private Wilbur Mutt, of Spring
Valley, o., was in lifeboat IL, which
capsized when it struck against the
rocks, emptying 80 occupants into
the swirling sea.
II was carried over the rocks on a
great wave" said Mutt, and wander
ed for six hours up and down the
cliff. have just seen the names of
all the other occupants of the boat
among the dead"
Another survivor was looking hag-
gard and worn as a result of his long
struggle in the water. He told much
the same story as his comrades. He
was Boyd E. Hancock, who says he
owes his life to Sergt. George Volz.
Hancock, who is a patient in the hos
pital here. had been in the water for
an hour or more when Volz pulled
him into lifeboat 10.
The only member of the crew who
was then i'm the boat was later wash
ed overheard, but they safely nego-
tiated the rocks along the coast,
reaching shore about the middle of
the night and slept on until daylight.
Heroes also appeared among the
fisher folk ashore. A British col
onel who came SO miles and worked
indefatigably with the survivors men
tions in his report to the war office
Robert Morrison, coast watcher, and
Duncan Campbell for bravery. Nor
rison heard cries in the middle of the
night and, running down from his
home on top of the cliff, saved many
men by dragging them to the higher
rocks He took care of 80 survivors
at his tiny house and still has some
of the sick there. Campbell, at a
point 10 miles further away, did
much the same thing. He helped IA
men to reach land and took them to
his farm house.