Memorials › Claude Newton Sillivan

Claude Newton Sillivan

10 May 1901 – 12 Jun 1924

Birth10 May 1901
Death12 Jun 1924
CemeteryMount Hope Cemetery
Sargent , Custer County , Nebraska , USA
Added byWalking the Past on 25 Aug 2018
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192549323

Bio

He died on the battleship Mississippi, just off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. ............................................................ CLAUDE SILLIVAN KILLED IN BATTLESHIP EXPLOSION Thursday afternoon, June 24th, 1934, Claude N. Sillivan of this city was killed in an explosion on the battleship Mississippi which was engaged in target practice forty or fifty miles from its base in San Pedro harbor, San Pedro, California. Claude belonged to one of the gun crews of the Mississippi. He with sixty or seventy other men were engaged in firing the big fourteen inoh guns in one of the ships turrets. For some reason not yet understood one of the big shells did not go when the gun was fired. The men started to open the breech to see what was the matter. As soon as the air entered the breach, a flare back of flames struck to bags of powder which exploded. The concussion, heat, poisonous gases and so forth produced by the explosion of these two bags of powder caused the death of three officers and forty-five enlisted men on the ship, and seriously injured about a dozen others. A telegram received Friday morning notified Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Sillivan of this city of the death of their son. Later they received several telegrams bearing expressions of sympathy, including one from the President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, and one from the officer in command of the fleet. One telegram stated that the body would be shipped by prepaid express from San Pedro Wednesday of this week. A national funeral was held for them all Tuesday morning of this week. A nephew of Ed Sillivan, (son of his brother Will Sillivan) telegraphed to his uncle here that he attended this general funeral and that he saw Claude's body and that he looked quite well. It is thought that the body will not arrive here before Saturday night, not earlier than Friday night. Accordingly, the funeral is being planned for Sunday afternoon at two o'clock at the M. E. Church in this city, with Rev. M. M. Long, the pastor in charge. Other details and so forth will be given in next week's Leader. The publisher joins with the entire community in extending sympathy to the bereaved parents. brother, sisters, and other relatives. Later:—A telegram received this Thursday afternoon by Mr. Sillivan stated that the body would arrive in Sargent Saturday night. FUNERAL OF CLAUDE N. SILLIVAN LARGEST EVER HELD IN SARGENT Last week's Leader told of the death of Claude Sillivan In the explosion that occurred on the battleship Mississippi Thursday afternoon, June 12th, while engaged in target practice some miles out at sea of Santa Barbara, California, Claude being one of forty eight who lost their lives in the explosion. In that article which we said that the funeral was to be held at the M. E. Church at two.o'clock Sunday afternoon. However, after we secured our Information it was decided to have it in the Community Park as a much larger crowd than the church would hold was sure to be present. The casket containing the body arrived here Saturday evening. A large number of people were at the depot when the train pulled in. Of course the casket came inside an outer box. When the lid of this box was removed, it was found that the casket was covered with beautiful flowers and a very large American flag was also provided for draping over the casket, which was then placed in the hearse and taken to the Sillivan home. By two o’clock Sunday afternoon the park contained a very large gathering of people who came to pay their last respects to a young man who had given his life while in the service of his country. The low band was covered in beautiful flowers and the national colors. Shortly after the appointed hour a large number of American Legion boys, in uniform some bearing the colors, some carrying rifles came marching on to the grounds followed by the hearse and mourners. The pallbearers consisting of James Lovejoy, Sebastian Hyde, Carl Peterson, Albro Lundy, Victor Edney, and Sydney Vose then carried the casket between two lines of American Legion boys and placed it on the stand and in front of the audience. Miss Rea Tucker at the piano playing softly the while. A mixed quartette, Dr. H.T. Olson, Miss Marie Scott, Mrs. O. M. Scott, and George Young then sang “Jesus Lover of my Soul” Following which Reverend M. M. Long read the portion of scripture and then offered prayer. The quartette then sang; "Lead Me Softly home." Rev. Long then gave on of the finest funeral addreThe pallbearers then took the casket to the hearse a procession was formed and went to the cemetery. There were eighty seven cars in this procession. In addition some cars had gone on ahead of the procession to the cemetery. The American Legion had charge of the service at the cemetery, with the exception that Rev. Long read the burial service of the church and offered a prayer. Then Joe Vose as chaplain read the American Legion burial service. This was followed by the firing of three volleys by a squad of American Legion boys. Following this “Taps” were sounded. Obituary Claude Newton Sillivan was born on a farm near Sargent, Nebraska, May 10, 1921 and died on the United States battleship Mississippi off the coast of Santa Barbara as the result of an explosion, June 12, 1924, aged 23 years, 1 month and 2 days. His parents, Mr, and Mrs. E. N . Sillivan, resided on a farm and he at- understood he said he would try it i where he conducted attended a country school until 1916 when the family moved to Sargent, Here he entered the Sargent high school from which he was graduated in the Spring of 1921. That fall he entered Wesleyan University, University Place, a suburb of Lincoln, Nebraska, and there he studied for one year. While there he stayed at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Yetter, whose son Glenn Yetter, met a tragic death last winter in an automobile accident. He and Glenn Yetter became good friends. Mr. and Mrs. Yetter thought so much of Claude that they came from Lincoln to attend the funeral. While attending Wesleyan University he was converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal church. Claude was an athlete and was always fair in all of his activities. In March, 1923, he went to Omaha, Nebr., and. enlisted in the United States Navy. He was sent to the Pacific coast where he was assigned to the battleship Mississippi. Claude was rated as a second class seaman, He was a gunner, and it was while performing his duties as such that he met his death in an explosion caused by combustion, when the breech ,was opened to remove a charge from one of the fourteen inch guns that had misfired. He leaves to mourn his tragic and untimely going, besides his parents, a twin brother Clyde Sillivan of Sargent, Nebr.: two sisters, Mrs. Ida Vose of Lillian, Nebr.; and Miss Jennie Sillivan of Sargent, Nebr., and a host of relatives and friends. Interment was made Sunday, June the 23rd, in the Sargent cemetery, shipments from Friday, June 19th, Three of the pallbearers mentioned above were his classmates; James Lovejoy, Victor Edney, and Albro Lundry. * Thank you to FAG member Terry Wilmoth -Jepsen (47545613) for this information. *

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