The Indianapolis journal., 1885-08-07
Scenes In and About the City Hall, in New
York, Yesterday-The Varying Aspect
of the Great Throng.
Someof the Arrangements for the Grand
Funeral Cortege on Saturday.
The City of New York Can Give No Clear
Title to the Site Chosen for the
Burial l-Place-General Notes.
VIEWING THE BODY.
Scenes at the City Hall-Varying Aspects of
the TI,rong of People.

Scenes at the City Hall-Varying Aspects of
the Throng of People.
New YORK, Aug 6.-People loitered IN City
Hall Park all night. They were first in the line
that, soon after 6 o'clock this morning, began
fling past the remains of General Grant where
they lay in the City Hall There were no great
throngs awaiting admission. Those who waited
at o'clock were not more than 1000 persons.
Inspector Steers was in charge. He had or
dered that $50 policemen should report to him at
the City Hall at an early hour this morning.
AT o'clock, the hour fixed for admitting the
public, the Inspectors officers were still filing
into the plaza. When the complement had
arrived two lines of policemen were placed across
the plaza from the City Hall entrance to the
fountain. These two lines formed passageway
through which four men might walk abreast,
and along which, all day, the visitors to the re-
mains should pass. Meanwhile, the officers
of the Twenty y-second Regiment. who had been
on duty through the earlxHmorning, were fling
ont OF the City Hail. They were going home,
and their places were being taken by the officers
of the Twelfth Regiment. Sergeant REILLY,
with thirty men, picketed the corridors through
tho building so far as to form the channel
Through WHlCu VnS lHTOuS SuOulu move 10 Guo
exit on the court house side of the City Hall
The Grant post had mounted detail at o'clock
to serve from that time until o'clock. These
men were placed nearest the catafalque, and the
two lines of visitors passed between them and
the casket on either side.
Ell within the gloomy corridors was in readi-
ness Outside, on the top step of the City Hall,
and in the middle of the channel of
officers to the fountain, stood a
big, brawny police officer. He would act
as wedge to split the current Of people and
send them in lesser streams through the gates
where they should flow past the caaket as de-
tailed The clocks pointed Cos o'clock, and at
the Inspectors orders the iron gates were thrown
open. Ten or twelve hundred people had jammed
up against the officers who barred the channel
at TIE edge of the fountain circle. But when
the gates swung open the officers ceased to hold
the people in check, and the stream began to
flow past the remains and through the building.
The first person to view the remains to-day was
spare built sweet-faced little woman, who led
with each hand a little boy. She was anxious
her children should see the Generals face, and
the ch ldreu were permitted to halt an instant
and gaze over the side Of the casket and peer
into It, 1t was vet early. The police refrainod
from pushing the very FIST visitor and she wom-
an The police had not yet begun that annoying
practice of humping persons forward upon the
heels and necks of their immediate predecessors.
In the first minute only eighty-fou persons
passed the casket. This rate of passage would
never answer when the dense crowd should be
waiting outside. People were hastened. They
the pressure was increased to 104 minute. This
was better. The procession was almost lock-
step, and the tramp quick. The tide was
easily formed cf persons who came from cars or
who, passing through the streets, were drawn
into the stream by desire to see the dead.
1t was 6:25 A. NJ, and the pulse Of curiosity
had sunk to flfty-six to the minute At 628 the
rate was fifty two. A little bootblack, with his
box on his shoulder, came along to see the dead
General. His face shone, and his hair had been
freshly wet and smootheo out by the fount-
ain. Many women came, too, and they
caused delay. They must needs examine every
detail, and would fain put their noses to the
flowers. Men, and boys and man faced women,
with lunch baskets and dinner pails fled along.
At GAO the running average per minute was 81,
and the total then passed was between 2, 700 and
$500 persons The channel was even full, with
no clogging or crowding.
The hour from to o'clock was employed by
workingmen and women, boys and girls, in
viewing the remains. They were on their way
to work, the day was young, and their oppor-
tunity better than at any other hour of the day.
All through the hour, the formation of the line
was at point near the fountain, and the time
of waiting was not more than ten minutes from
the point where the line formed to the place
where the remains were resting.
After o'clock the line changed as to its per
sonnel. There were less women and girls; they
had gone through and were at work, when the
line began to lengthen. At s o'clock there was
another change taking place in the complexion
of the visitors. The labOrers had gone and the
clerks, coming down town, were stepping from
elevated and surface cars into the line that was
moving then at the rate of ITO to l20 per minute.
The police were reinforced at o'clock Details
under sergeants and roundsmen had been ar
irving and reporting to the inspector from
o'clock. At o'clock there were 4S7 men on
duty. The channels, with walls of police, was
extended in ''Y" shape around the side of the
fou.tains s circle, which, like hopper, received
the people, and from which they were stragtened
out in lines of twos and threes up to the City
Hall steps The guards at the casket were
Fastening the people; $50 per minute were being
hurried through
The hands on the clock dials marked o'clock.
The fountain circle was no longer the point Of
formation Of the line, every car and train com
ing down town added its quota to those anxious
to look upon the face of General Grant. By tho
remains the U. S. Grant Post had mounted
another detail OF three men and Of the men of
Wheeler Post, of Saratoga, which first mounted