Funerals of the Suffocated Men.

Two sailors united in death after years of friendship.

This forenoon the remains of Thomas T Elliott and John Edwards, the two men who were suffocated to death by the inhalation of foul gas or sulphuretted hydrogen were clad in their robes of death and placed in their coffins. At two o’clock this afternoon they will be removed to the First Baptist church, Chestnut street above 4th, where Rev. Sembower will preach their funeral sermon.

There is a touching and affecting story corrected with the history of these two men’s lives. Both of them were sailors. Elliott was on board with the Great Eastern with Cyrus W. Field when the Atlantic cable was first laid across the Atlantic. Edwards was on board of another vessel in the fleet. Off Queenstown one day the two men were thrown into each other’s company, but were soon separated. Elliott came to America. Some time ago the two men met each other again in the city for the first time in many years, and since then were firm, fast friends. They called each other “mate” and on the morning of the tragedy, when Edwards saw Elliott in the well, he exclaimed “My God, mate, what are you doing there?” and he immediately jumped in, to lose his own life in the attempted rescue. Thus these two men, who met as strangers on the stormy sea and there made friends, lost their lives on land, one attempting to save the other.

The features of the men looked calm in the sweet repose of death. Undertaker Miller prepared their caskets the same, and both appeared very natural. Elliott was 38 years of age. The wife is disconsolate, and has troubled herself nigh unto death since the accident. Mt Penn Lodge of Odd Fellows will send a committee of twenty members to the funeral of Elliott, accompanied by the following officers: N.G., Joel B. Gebret; V.G., Alexander Spyker; Acting Sec., P.G. Eisenhower; Assistant Sec., John S. Behm. P.G. Eisenhower will perform the Odd Fellows’ burial services at the grave. Tulpehocon Tribe, No. 181, I.O.R.M., and the Knights of the Union, will be represented. The members of the Star Temple of Honor No. 58, and the Christian Home Lodge No. 1056, I.O.G.T., will attend the funeral of Mr. Edwards. He was 40 years of age. The interment will take place on separate lots at the Charles Evans Cemetery.