Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-12-18
The Funeral Of the Dead Million
alre.

The Funeral Of the Dead Million
alre.
NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-THE last sad
rites Of the death over the remains Of
w. II. Vanderbilt, were begun this
morning, when the body of the de-
ceased was removed from the ice-box
in which it had rested since Tuesday,
to the coffin of cedar covered with
black broad-cloth. The coffin was then
taken to the bedroom on the east side
of the house. The sun had barely ap.
peared upon the pinnacles Of s.. Pat
rick's cathedral before small groups of
people began to gather opposite the
house, and when Rev. Samuel Cooke,
rector Of St. Bartholomew Protestant
Episcopal church arrived shortly after
3 O'Clock the attendance had increased
to a small crowd. 1t was orderly and
the services of the police was not
needed. Shortly before 8 o'clock the
immediate family looked for the last
time upon the face Of the dead. The
services were conducted by Rev. DR..
Cooke, was simple and touching, con-
sistlng of a prayer, and few words Of
remembrance and consolation. The
coffin then was closed, and Mrs. Van
derbilt retired to the apartment which
she has occupied since the death Of
Mr.. Vanderbilt. The coffin was raised
upon the shoulders of the undertaker's
assistants and preceded by clergymen
and pall-bearers, bore down the broad
stair case through the corridors and
through the open doors.
At 9:45 am. the funeral cortege
started for the church. There were
no crowds on the streets through
which it passed and the police along
the line almost out-numbered the
sightseers. AT a quarter-past ten the
doors of ST. Bartholomew church
were opened and the porters, bearing
upon their shoulders the coffin, passed
down the centre aisle. Preceding the
coffin walked the pall.bearers wearing
the white sashes. These were Chaun-
cey M. Depew, ]. Pierrepont Morgan.
Charles Rapallo, VIM. Turnbull, VIM.
Bliss, George 1. Magee, G. M. Berger,
Charles G. Clark, Judge John K.
Brady, w. s. Scott, D. 0. Mills and S.
w. Caldwell. The deep tones of the
organ sounding the opening measures
of Chopin's funeral march were
heard as the procession moved
down the aisle of the crowded church.
The Rev. DR.. Samuel Cook, accom-
panied by his assistant, the Rev. 7. w.
Clampitt, clad in the white robe of
the Episcopal clergy, walked in ad-
vance of the solemn procession and
read the well known lines from the
burial service: 81 am the resurrection
and the Life" etc. Following the
coffin came the members Of the Van
derbilt family, headed by Cornelius
Vanderbilt and wife, when the music
of the funeral march ended the choir
sang: Lord let me know my end"
After the simple service for the dead
had been read the choir and congrega-
ton united in singing: "Nearer My
God to Thee" 1t was ten minutes
ofS@eleven when the doors of the
church again swung backward and
the solemn procession returned to the
street where the carriages werein wait
ing to take the coffin and the mourning
family and friends to the ferry boat at
the foot Of Forty-second street.
Probably never within the history of
the city of New York has so many
men prominent in the financial world
assembled to do honor to the mem ~
of a dead associate. No one was
admitted to- the church except friends
of the family and the representatives Of
commercial business or educational
bodies. AS a natural result there were
less than 100 ladies admitted to listen
to the service. Prominent among the
business men were the presidents and
heads of departments of all the roads
with which MI. Vanderbilt has been
connected.