Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-09-17
British Cruiser Lands
Fifteen Flag Draped
Caskets at Docks
FUNERAL SERVICE TODAY
Impressive Naval Cere-
mony Attends Arrival
of the Bodies
(By Associated P,e.s.l

A'e" Iofk, sept. l6-ReStlng il
flag shrouded caskets, covered witt
masses of flowers and guarded BY
armed men of a friendly foreign ma.
tion, the bodies of Commanders
Louis H. Maxfield, and H. T. Hoyt
and thirteen of their comrades
victims of the ZR-2 disaster-arriv-
ed home today on the British cruiser
Dauntless.
1T was far different home COM
ing that the victims had ANTICIPATED
when they sailed several months ago
for England to prepare and bring
back the monster dirigible, the dis
aster to which on a trial flight, sent
AZ heroes, men of two nations, to an
untimely death.
Greeted By Air Escort
Far out at sea the Dauntless was
met by a destroyer division of the
United States Navy. As it neared the
port the escort was met by a fleet
OF seaplanes representing the arm of
the service for which the victims
gave their lives. AS the feneral
ship came up the harbor the forts |
fhglr thgndepfd eGfSrs 81 SALUTE ehuEGh bells. toll
The Dauntless proceeded directly |
to the Brooklyn navy yard where the
British sailors tenderly carried the
bodies from hte deck of their craft
and delivered them to the keeping of
their former comrades in arms on the
pier. Tonight the flag draped cas-
kets were under the watchful eyes
of a guard of honor in the yard chap.
el where tomorrow they will be rem
dered the honor that the navy pays
to it's heroic dead.
Slept Under Shrouded Gun
The fifteen caskets, each draped in
an American flag, were carried on
what is known as the after super
structure deck of the Dauntless. A
gun, its muzzle shrouded in
funeral colors, stretched over the bo
dies arranged in three rows on the
warcraft's deck.
At each corner of the deck, as the
vessel was draped into it's pier, stood
an armed sentry with head bowed
and arms reversed. Forward of the |
platform was a non-oommissioned
officer, and aft an officer in full dress
uniform having a rank equal to that
Of Commander MaXfield. Both of
these officers stood at attention with
head uncovered until the caskets
were finally removed from the ship, |
On the deck of the cruiser the en-
ire crew of 400 men, with exception
of those on duty, were drawn up at
attention. On the quarter deck was
a guard of the Royal Marine Light |
Infantry standing rigid with revers- /
ed arms.
Funeral Silence Prevailed
A silence almost sepulchral in eff
feet hung over the funeral ship as
she proceeded up the harbor. EX-
cept for the barking of her guns as
they spoke 21 times in the usual sa-
lutte of courtesy given by war craft
entering a foreign port the only |
noise was the swish of water at her
bow the occasional clanking of a
chain or a command given in muf
fled tones.
Public memorial services will be
held at the navy yard at 2 o'clock to-
morrow afternoon. The body of one
of the victims, j. T. Hancock, OF
Michigan, was delivered to his father
and buried in England, and the body
of another brought home today,
Commander Emory Collie, will later
be buried at sea in accordance with
his oft expressed desire.