Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-09-17
BRITISH CRUISER ARRIVES AT
BROOKLYN BEARING BODIES OF
IS VICTIMS OF zR-2 DISASTER
Vessel Is Met Far Out at Sea BY Destroyer
Division of the United States Navy; AS the
Ship Comes Up the Harbor the Forts ihun-
der a Salute and Bells Toll.
(By The Associated Press.)

New York, Sept. 16.-Resting in
ag-shrouded caskets, covered with
masses of flowers and guarded by
armed men of friendly, foreign
nation, the bodies of Commander
Louis H. Maxfield and fourteen OF
his comrades-vietims of the ZR-2
disaster-arrived home today on
the British cruiser Dauntless.
1t was a far different home
coming than the victims had anti
cipated when they sailed some
months ago for England to prepare
and bring back the monster dirigl-
BILE, the disaster to which on a
trial flight sent forty-two heroic
men of two nations to their un-
timely death.
Far out at sea, the Dauntless
was met by a destroyer division of
the United States navy. AS it
neared port, the escort was aug
mented by a fleet of seaplanes,
representing the arm of the serv-
ice for which the victims gave
their lives. AS the funeral ship
came up the harbor, the forts
thundered salute, church bells
tolled on the Brooklyn and Staten
island shores and passing craft
dipped their colors in reverential
salutes.
Bodies Carried From Deck.
The Dauntless proceeded direct
ly to the navy yard in Brooklyn,
where British sailors tenderly car
ried the bodies from the deck of
their craft and delivered them to
the keeping of their former COM
rades-in-arms on the pier. Tonight,
the flag-draped caskets were un-
der the watchful eyes of a guard
of honor in the yard chapel, from
which tomorrow they will be rem
dered the honor that the navy pays
to its heroic dead.
The fifteen caskets, each draped
in an American flag, were carried
on what is known as the after su-
perstructure deck of the Dauntless.
A monster gun, its muZzle shroud-
ed in funeral colors. stretched over
the bodies, arranged in three rows
on the war crafts deck.
Sentry With Head Bowed.
At each corner of the deck as
the vessel was warped into its pier
stood an armed sentry with head
bowed and arms reversed.
Forward of the platform was a
on-commissioned 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 cas-
kets were removed from the ship.
On the deck of the cruiser the
entire crew of 400 men with the
4 exception of those lon duty, were
drawn up at attention. On the
quarter deck was a guard OF the
Royal marine light infantry, stand
ing rigid with reversed arms.
Silence Hangs Over Ship.
A silence, almost sepulchural in
effect, hung over the funeral ship
as she proceeded up the harbor.
Except for the barking OF her
guns, as they spoke twenty-one
times in the usual salute of cour-
tesy given by war craft entering a
foreign port, the only snoise was
the swish Of water at her bow the
occasional clanking of a chain or
n command given in muffled tones.
AS the Dauntless passed quaran-
tine, navy tug carrying Capt. G.
M. Tozer. representing the secre-
tary of the navy. and Commander
c. r. Robinson. representing the
commandant of the New York
navy yard, went alongside and the
American officers climbed aboard.
Crew Stands at Attention.
At the navy yard the Dauntless
was berthed opposite the Brazilian
battleship Minas Geras, whose en-
tire crew was standing at attention
ON deck. A company of blue jack
cts and a company of marines act
ed as escort to Commandant Vo-
gelge sang and his staff who were in
waiting to receive the bodies. Rear
Admiral III. P. Jones, commanding
the Atlantic fleet, and Rear Ad-
miral A. II. Long, chief of staff,
were also present.
When the Dauntless was made
fast, her commander, Capt. Gilbert
Stephenson, and his staff. together
with the American officers on
board, took their places near the
ship end of the gangway. A whis-
fCoufin11ed IN pa oa Two