Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-08-13
GENERALGRANTS FUNERAL
THE GREAT PAGEANT IN NER
YORK SATURDAY.


YORK SATURDAY.
- l.lNi ttFI
ThcTremendous CroNd-Crack Miii-
tary Organizations I'm EIine-Fhe
Veterans and Civic Societies.
NEW YoRK, Aug. 6.-People loitered in
City Hall Park ali night. They were first
in the line soon after 6 O'Clock this
morning and began filing pastthe remains
of Gen. Grant where they lay in the city
ing admission. There were not more than
1000 persons Mt 6 o'clock. Inspector
Steens was In charge. He had ordered
that 150 policemen should report
to him ut 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. The compliment was present
soon. Two lines of policemen were
placed across the plaza from the city hall
entrance to the fountain. These two lines
formed passage way through which
four men might walk abreast and along
which all day the visitors to the remains
should pass. Meanwhile the officers
of the Twenty Second Regiment who had
been on duty through the early morning
were filing out of the city hall. They
were going home and their places were
being taken by members of the Twelfth
Regiment. Sergeant Riley with 30 men
picketed the corridors through the build
ing, so as to form the channel through
which the throng should move TO the
exit on the court house side of the city
hall. The Grant Post had mounted a
detail ot s o'clock to serve from that hour
until O'Clock. These were placed
nearest the catafalque and the two lines
of visitors pissed between them
and the cnsket on either side.
All within the gloomy corridor
was in readiness. Outside on the top
step of the city hall and in the middle of
the channel of officers to the fountain
stood big brawuy 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 casket as detailed.
The clocks pointed 6.06 O'Clock and
at the inspectors orders the iron gates
were pushed open. Ten or twelve hundred
people had damned up against the Off
GERS who barred the chanuel at the 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 along the channel made for
it, then split on the big officer on the top
step and went pnst the remains and
through the building
The first person to view the remains to-
day was spare, but sweet-faeed little
woman who led with each hand little
boy. She was anxious her children
should see the generals face, and the
children were permitted to halt an instant
and gaze over the side of the casket and
peer into it. The police refrained from
pushing the very first visitor and
she IL woman. On the other
side of the casket the line had also begun
with woman, n fat matronly dame. The
second man on one side was bright
fnced fellow with lunch roll in his hand
and pair of llneman's climbers slung on
his arm. He was on his way to work.
Soon came man with the smell of wood
shavings upon him and in his hand he
. carried carpenters saw fnd other tools
wrapped in his striped apron.
The line started slowly. The
police had not yet begun that annoying
practice of humping persons forward
upon the heels and neck of their first
predecessor. In the first minute only 81
persons passed the casket. This rate OF
j,nSsnge would never answer when the
dense crowd should be waiting outside.
An old lady who was very fat strolled
i'll. She caught glimpse OF
the big floral pillow from the
Loyal Legion ut the foot of the
cusket aud began adjusting hel
glasses TO inspect it clearly. A tall
lean policeman ustonished and interrupted
the fat lady by putting his hand under
her shoulder blade and hustling hei
along. People were hnstened along
They were hurried through Mt the rate OF
IO1 n minute, then the pressure was in
creased to 1OI II minute. This was better
The procession was almost lock stel
and the tramp was quick. The dammec
up crowd that had waited at the fountain
circle for the gates to open was being
drained away through the channe
between the police lines TO the hall en-
trance. At length those who passed dit
so without Whiting. The tide was easily
formed of persons who came from carr
or who passing through Mail street wer,
drawn into the stream by desire TO se'
the dead.
II was G.25 n. M. and the pulse o
curiosity had sunk to 81 TO the minute
At 6.2S the rate was So. A negro fathel
with his little boy cnme in. The picka
niuny wns too small to see and the fathe
lifted him SO that he could, the child
toes humping the dais, to the horror ant
anger OF the body guard. The fathe
and son were aided along the lin
with some vigor. A little bootblack witt
his box on his shoulder came along Il
see the dead general. His face shone IN,
his hair hnd been freshly wet an,
smoothed out by the fountain. Man,
women came too and they caused delay
They must needs examine every detail
aud would fain put their noses to til
flowers. Men and boys and wan fnce
women with lunch baskets and Dime
mills filed along. At $40 the runnin
average per minute WINS 9l, and the tot
then passed between 2,700 and 2,S0t
The channel wls even full with no clogs
ing or crowding. The hour from I
7o'clock was employed by working me
and women, boy and girls, in viewing u
remains. They We're ON their way to worl
the day was young and their opportunlt
better than Mt amy other hour OF u
day. All Though the hour the formatlo
of the line was ut u point near the foul
tain and the line of waiting was III
more than 10 minutes from the poll
where the line formed TO the place whel
the remains rested.
The line, slowly sllutlling in lock ste
Mt lO.30 had stretched down the west sl'
of Centre street To Chambers stree
Then il turned the corner ilnd eXtenu'
10 broadway where another bend carrie
the solid ranks down to Nluil street whe
the people We're dropping into line. In
il was TINT no break occurred i'll u
line by reuson of street crossings. 1
person was permitted To join the line e
cept nj broadway and MIail streets, whe
Mt 10. 40 the line of formation was. The
police were ranged along the line N
extended as the procession lengthene
Places already obtained were jealous
held against any interlopers who
tempted TO crawl into the lines. As
throngs passed by the remains they We
hurried out ms quickly MS possib
Emerging on the steps upon the cou
house, the line broke and the people d
solved in the throng thnt ut all paths II
avenues were breaking their way throu
the solid ranks that Mt Ii o'clock circl
and solidly bound the city hall square
''See the hour and n half we hG
wasted here" remarked a heated citiz,
who emerged upon the rear steps of
city hall short time before II o'clo
At that time between $4,000 and 81 4
persons had passed the casket and lool
toward the remains though many com
rapidly in from the bright sunlight W
scarcely able to distinguish them in
sombre shadows of the black-draped C
ridor.