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Article THE MONK OF ST. DUNSTAN". 4 ← Page 4 of 4 Article A MASONIC BURIAL AT SEA. Page 1 of 1
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The Monk Of St. Dunstan". 4
ruin . Yet for them the grave has no repose— -that day of wrath consigned them into the power of the fiend , to whose counsels they listened in an evil hour ; and on stated nights , the wild shrieks heard there attest that their undecaying bodies are dragged forth to endure fresh torments on the spot which was desecrated by their heinous crime . ' ¦ ¦
A Masonic Burial At Sea.
A MASONIC BURIAL AT SEA .
During the recent trip of the steamer Empire City from Havana to this port , an incident occurred which left a deep and permanent impression upon the minds of all who were on board . Death is at all times a fearful thing" , but when the King of Terrors claims his own upon the sea , and rudely severs the associations which invariably connect those who journey together upon the great deep , a peculiar feeling is experienced-that lingers upon the mind and causes one to remember vividly for years , what would under other circumstances pass away like the summer breeze , leaving little or no trace upon the
memory . The same day the steamer left Havana , April 11 , it was reported to Captain Windle that one of the cabin passengers , Mr . Joseph Watermyn , formerly of Galveston , Texas , had died at three o ' clock of consumption ; and in accordance
with the customary usages at sea , the remains were placed in a hammock and laid upon the quarter-deck , in order to be buried at sunset . The deceased was a Hoyal Arch Mason , formerly attached to a Lodge and Chapter of the Fraternity of the City of Galveston , and as there was several of the mystic tie on board the steamer , it was resolved that the deceased should be intered with the Masonic honours peculiar to the Order .
A formal demand was made upon Captain Windle for the remains , who promptly acceded to the request with that urbanity which is a marked trait in his character as a gentleman ; and as the sun was about sinking beneath the wave , they were placed in charge of such of the Fraternity as were on board , to be buried by them with the last rites peculiar to the Institution . The remains , which have been covered by the United States flag , were laid upon a plank at the stern of the steamer , and as the ship ' s bell began to toll the intervals , the Brethren formed a circle around the corpse , when the Masonic burial service was beautifully delivered by P . M . J . E . Elliott , of New York , who
presided as Master upon the occasion . The ceremony , beautifully impressive at all times , were remarkably so upon that occasion ; and when the Worshipful Brother pronounced the words , "We , therefore , commit the body of our departed Brother to the great deep , his memory shall remain engraven upon the tablets of our hearts , while his spirit shall return unto God who gave it , " a single plunge was heard , and the deceased had gone to his last long home , accompanied by the last few words of Alas , brother ! " from those of the Fraternity who formed the broken chain upon the quarter-deck of the
steamer . It is a very rare occurrence that any member of the Craft is buried with the honours of the Fraternity while at sea ; but the character of the deceased was so well known as a "just and upright Mason , " that it was considered but a just tribute to his memory . It was a scene marked with more than an ordinary degree of solemnity , and will not readily be forgotten by those who participated in the obsequies of the deceased . —N . F . Picayune .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Monk Of St. Dunstan". 4
ruin . Yet for them the grave has no repose— -that day of wrath consigned them into the power of the fiend , to whose counsels they listened in an evil hour ; and on stated nights , the wild shrieks heard there attest that their undecaying bodies are dragged forth to endure fresh torments on the spot which was desecrated by their heinous crime . ' ¦ ¦
A Masonic Burial At Sea.
A MASONIC BURIAL AT SEA .
During the recent trip of the steamer Empire City from Havana to this port , an incident occurred which left a deep and permanent impression upon the minds of all who were on board . Death is at all times a fearful thing" , but when the King of Terrors claims his own upon the sea , and rudely severs the associations which invariably connect those who journey together upon the great deep , a peculiar feeling is experienced-that lingers upon the mind and causes one to remember vividly for years , what would under other circumstances pass away like the summer breeze , leaving little or no trace upon the
memory . The same day the steamer left Havana , April 11 , it was reported to Captain Windle that one of the cabin passengers , Mr . Joseph Watermyn , formerly of Galveston , Texas , had died at three o ' clock of consumption ; and in accordance
with the customary usages at sea , the remains were placed in a hammock and laid upon the quarter-deck , in order to be buried at sunset . The deceased was a Hoyal Arch Mason , formerly attached to a Lodge and Chapter of the Fraternity of the City of Galveston , and as there was several of the mystic tie on board the steamer , it was resolved that the deceased should be intered with the Masonic honours peculiar to the Order .
A formal demand was made upon Captain Windle for the remains , who promptly acceded to the request with that urbanity which is a marked trait in his character as a gentleman ; and as the sun was about sinking beneath the wave , they were placed in charge of such of the Fraternity as were on board , to be buried by them with the last rites peculiar to the Institution . The remains , which have been covered by the United States flag , were laid upon a plank at the stern of the steamer , and as the ship ' s bell began to toll the intervals , the Brethren formed a circle around the corpse , when the Masonic burial service was beautifully delivered by P . M . J . E . Elliott , of New York , who
presided as Master upon the occasion . The ceremony , beautifully impressive at all times , were remarkably so upon that occasion ; and when the Worshipful Brother pronounced the words , "We , therefore , commit the body of our departed Brother to the great deep , his memory shall remain engraven upon the tablets of our hearts , while his spirit shall return unto God who gave it , " a single plunge was heard , and the deceased had gone to his last long home , accompanied by the last few words of Alas , brother ! " from those of the Fraternity who formed the broken chain upon the quarter-deck of the
steamer . It is a very rare occurrence that any member of the Craft is buried with the honours of the Fraternity while at sea ; but the character of the deceased was so well known as a "just and upright Mason , " that it was considered but a just tribute to his memory . It was a scene marked with more than an ordinary degree of solemnity , and will not readily be forgotten by those who participated in the obsequies of the deceased . —N . F . Picayune .