Inside all was gloom, tears and death, while outside the sun shone gloriously as the marines continued at their task, the silence only broken by the busy clicking of moving-picture machines and the snapping of many cameras. The arrival of the corpse-laden vessel had driven home the whole horror of the catastrophe, and people moved around on tiptoes, talking in hushed whispers as the place became more and more populous with its load of coffins.
SMALL WHITE COFFINS
When a group of marines passed by, each carrying a tiny white coffin, the strain became too much, and many men were moved to tears, while the few women present were openly crying. One little coffin opened, disclosing a beautiful baby girl of about four, with golden curls clustering around her ears, looking as though happily asleep—stark naked. Even hardened newspapermen were overcome at the sight.
Dead silence reigned as the slow minutes went by, each recording the advent of the marines’ load of horror, until the long counters were filled and the last score of bodies had to be laid on the floor.
PATHETIC SEARCH FOR RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
At the heads of the lines of coffins stood anxious men and women, many of them survivors, looking for relatives and friends. Each coffin lid was lifted by one of the searchers while others crowded close to get a glimpse at the body inside. The line moved constantly. One lid would be dropped with a low toned “No” and the searcher would raise the lid of the next coffin, just dropped by the person ahead.
Occasionally a low moan of a man or the muffled scream of a woman broke the silence. “Oh, Mary!” “My husband!” or some name of endearment was uttered.
One particularly pathetic figure was an elderly Australian named Byrne, who had after years of saving started out with his wife and daughter on a tour of the world. He had been saved, but both wife and daughter had met their death. He seemed too overcome even to realize his loss, and rambled about, aimlessly looking at the tagged numbers on the coffins and muttering: “Would to God I had gone with them.” Their bodies were not found in the list.
Another old man sat beside the coffins silently weeping, and asked all he met if they would not get him a newspaper so that he might find what had become of his family.