Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-09-29
THE MUSIC

1t was too long, as it occupied nearly
twenty minutes. The funeral address
itself occupied only fifteen minutes.
1t was delivered by blonde, smooth
faced, boyish-loeking young man, the
pastor of Gen. Garfeld's old church.
In the face of this opportunity many an
older man would have posed and at
tempted some very superior effort.
Not so Mr.. Powers. At the conclusion
of prayer quiet signal was given by
the white-gloved undertaken, and the
pall-bearers advanced. The sun was
then streaming in through the dome,
bathing the centre in sunlight. During
the ceremony a bat was constantly
flying about overhead. The pall-bear-
ers quickly seized hold of the coffin and
passed out upon the east front down to
the hearse in waiting. Grant and HAYES
were the first to follow; President Ar
thur, Mr.. Blame, and the cabinet next,
then the diplomatic people, and after
that everybody. One senator, who was
rather rudely jostled upon his wav to
the door, was heard to say to friend:
eff there ever was time when / should
wish for limited monarchy, that time
is now" AS the crowd passed over the
spot where the coffin stood, several
VANDALs
made clutches at the floral offerings to
obtain "keepsakes" of the occasion.
As the occupants of the rotunda came
out, an imposing spectacle was present
ed to them from the high platform of
the east front. Every available space
upon the front of the capitol was oc-
cupied by eager spectators. Down the
center of the east front stood a long
row of distinguished people, with the
two ex xpresidents at their head. In
that row stood nearly all the represent
ative men of three branches Of this
government. Just beyond Grant an0
Hayes was the hearse, right IN front
of the spot where Gen. Garfield, sur
rounded by his family and brilliant
concourse, delivered his inaugural ad-
dress. About the hearse were fifty or
sixty officers of the army and navy,
an escort of honor. Out beyond the
crowd Of officials, at the foot of this
front, was long line of troops, made
up of regulars and the militia COM
panies of the District. They ranged along
a glittering line from one end to the
capitol to the other. The Marine band
stood in the centre. Outside of this
military line thousands of people were
massed, waiting patiently. The Knights
Templars in full uniform guarded the
streets. After placing large Greek
cross of flowers in the rotunda before
funeral began, the Knights upon horse
back formed line ten feet apart from
the capitol to the depot As the Marine
band began a clashing, shrill wall of
sorrowful music, the troops wheeled
and with reversed arms moved slowly
away. The carriages followed. Twen-
ty minutes after, the front of the capi-
tol was deserted. AS the hearse en-
tered the depot, the avenue was blocked
with dense crowd. Upon every house
dark figures stood out in dark masses
against the sky. So well regulated,
however, was everything and so orderly
was the crowd that the procession was
not delayed a moment. The funeral
train left at the schedule time to a
second.
A RAPID RUN.
CLEVELAND, O., Sept. 24.-The train
arrived in Cleveland at twenty minutes
after 10. The journey was remarkable
one from the very fact of the time made.
and but for the terrible fate met by a
party of section men on the Pittsburgh
and Lake Erie road, would have been
throughout most enjoyable one. The
special train which was rendered by
the Baltimore and Ohio to the Wash
ington correspondents of the leading
journals of the country, owing to their
inability to secure places upon the
funeral Jrain, had to be run at an ex-
ceedingly high rate of speed. as it left
Washington three hours after the
funeral train, and it was the determi-
nation to reach Cleveland at least three
hours ahead of it. Attached to the
press special were two palace-cars con-
tanning the Columbia cOmmandery OF
Washington, of which President Gar
| field was a member. The great desire
of the newspaper correspondents and
Of the cOmmandery was to reach this
city so far ahead of the funeral as to be
at the Euclid avenue depot when the
presidents remains were taken from
the train. This was promised by the
Baltimore and Ohio, and to do it the
speed of the special train had to be
maintained very high the entire dis
tance. Every means were employed
to make the rapid run without delay
or accident, and to this end the differ
| ent roads on the route were closely
watched and
| PILOT TRAINS
went ahead of the special train. Both
the funeral on the Pennsylvania and
the press special on the Baltimore nd
| Ohio arrived in Pittsburg at precisely
the same nom ent and departed at the
same moment, the press special leay-
ing on the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie
| The pilot train was sent out twenty
minutes ahead, and just at the approach
of the sixty-feet trestle bridge ovel
Beaver creek, near Fallston, saw anC
warned party of trackmen to look
out for the special train. The men had
previously b;e notified of the coming
of the special, and near by was quite
little crowd of women and children tC
see the press train by. NOtWlthstand
ing all this, the trackmen lifted then
hand-car on the track and attempted
to cross the trestle-work on the track
ahead of the special. They had hardly
reached the centre of the bridge be
fore the special struck them with fright
full results. Three men were killed
outright. A fourth was lifted upon the
pilot of the engine with the hand-car
and a fifth was sent flying through
space to the creek-bed, sixty feet be
low. Two others were mortally wound
ed both of whnnn have since died