Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-01
Il At THE TOMB OF GRANT
Bismarck of the Orient Rev.
erences the Great Captain.
MYSTIC CEREMONY IN CRYPT
Subsequent Visit to the Wdow-An Affecting
Meeting-The Popuace of New York
Continues to 0yate Him.

New York, Aug. S1.-Li Hung Chang,
| despite the fact that he attended a dim
ner in his honor Saturday night by the
! ex-ministers to China at the Waldorf, and
| had remained up at least an hour be-
| yond his usual hour for retiring, arose
yesterday morning at $50 o'clock.
| AT 10 O'Clock delegation of thirty Chi
nese merchants, representing the Lee
| family in these parts, called on the am
| bassador to pay their respects. The dele
| CATION which was headed by the Chinese
consul, was attirsd in all the splendor of
oriental dress, and their pig tails were
carefully groomed The members of the
| delegation all bowed almost to the ground
| as they entered Ii Hung Changes pres
ence, and the great man returned the Sa-
| lutte. The audiences lasted for more than
| an hour, and it must have been pleas
| ant meeting, for the delegation was smil-
| ing all over when the members came out
of the room.
The most interesting event of the pro-
gramme was the visit of the ambassador
/, to the tomb of General Grant on River
| side drive. Ii Hung Chang had great
| admiration for General Grant. who was
| one of his heroes. At an early hour in the
| forenoon crowd began to gather in the
vicinity of the Waldorf. anxious to get
glimpse of the famous Chinaman.
Acting Inspector Harley, with a force
of 125 men, stationed around the house,
kept the people from croWding around
the hotel.
There was no cavalry escort, the
mounted police doing the honors. The
programme of the yiceroy was personal
one, and this accounts for the absence OF
the government escort.
The hour set for Earl LIS visit to
Grants tomb was O'Clock. Before that
time the police stopped traffic and no.
body was admitted into Thirty-third
street. A dense mass of people lined the
sidewalks along Fifth avenue as far as
the eye could sec There were bluecoatS
stationed all along the route which was
covered by the distinguished visitor.
This was Fifth avenue to Forry-ninth
street, to the Boulevard. to Riverside
drive and the tomb. Acting Police In
spector Thompson was in command OF 500
men stationed around the tomb and along
the drive.
Col. Fred D. Grant, accompanied by his
son. Ulysses Grant, and by his brother,
Ulysses Grant, of San Diego, Cal, arriv-
ed at the Waldorf al 2:20 o'clock. Mrs.
Grant. the widow of General Grant, who
was staying at the Fifth Avenue hotel,
was driven to Colonel Grants house, 20
East Sixty second street where Ii Hung
Chang was to visit her after the cere-
mony at the tomb was over.
An immense wreath. which the ambas-
sador was to place on the tomb of the
dead general, was 0rst carried down
stairs from the viceroy's apartments.
This wreath, carefully guarded by a
member of LIS suite, was placed in a cab
and taken to the tomb.
At 8 o'clock Ii Hung Chang, escorted
by General Kruger and Colonel Grant,
came down stairs and walked through
the corridor of the hotel to the Thirty
third street entrance. There a carriage
was awaiting and he took his seat in 1T.
Colonel Grant, General Kruger and the
official interpreter occupied seats in the
same carriage
In the second carriage were General
Miles, Gen. Horace Porter and Henry M
Cannon.
Ulysses Grant, the son of Col. Fred
Grant, his uncle Ulysses Grant, and Mr.
Drew were in the third carriage.
Then came the Chinese minister and
ex-minister to China, George F. Seward.
In the last carriage were four attend
ants of the ambassador. LII Hung
Chang's chair occupied carriage all to
itself.
Everything was ready in few min
utes and the start for the tomb was made
at $40 o'clock, the carriages driving at
fair rate up Fifth avenue. LII held his
famous umbrella over his head all the
way He received an enthusiastic ova-
ton from the 10000 or more people who
lined the Riverside and Morningslde
drives
had been roped in, giving the spectators
good opportunity of witnessing the pro-
ceedings. At the foot of the steps lead
ing to the crypt was stationed SER
geants guard from Governors island.
solitary policeman stood guard at the
gate of the tomb, in which had been
placed earlier in the day a wreath from
Mrs II. s. Grant, Sr., consisting OF white
roses and galaxy leaves tied with satin
bow.
Ii Hung Chang drove up Riverside OPP
posite the tomb at Ais o'clock. His APP
pearance was a signal for hearty cheer
ing.
There was a short delay while one of
the Chinese attendants hastened back to
a rear carriage to bring Ii Hung Changes
sedan chair. When 1t arrived he was
carried by four policemen from the road
to the tomb He carried an umbrella in
one hand and gold mounted cane in the
other On reaching the top of the flight
of stairs LII dismounted. After taking in
one hand his floral wreath he entered the
crypt and placed it on the iron casket.
Before doing so he made profound bow.
At his side were Col. Fred Grant, his
brother, u. s. Grant, of San Diego, Cal
and his son, u. s. Grant, Jr., as we'll as
the steps outside stood General Ruger,
Gen. Horace Porter, Col. ]. j. McCook
j. H. Seward and Captain Mills. Several
members of the viceroy's suite, including
MS son, Lofu LII, also Stoou near the en-
trance.
LIS wreath was beautiful affair. 1t
was about feet in diameter and consist
ed Of bay leaves and white and mauve
orchids tied with yellow velvet. The &C.
casion seemed to affect Ii deeply.
In conversation with Colonel Grant he
referred to his warm admiration for the
late generals qualities. One Of the lead
ing reasons, he added. for returning home
by way of America was to visit his
friends grave. Through the interpreter
he made many inquiries about the maui
soleum, toward which he forwarded Hon.
John Russell Young check for $500.
After remaining standing for twenty
minutes alongside of the casket, Ii utter
ed several words in Chinese and made
profound bow. Stepping backward to
the door. he repeated the same words to
himself and made second bow. Then
he withdrew. AS he seated himself in the
sedan chair the crowd uttered rousing
cheer. This seemed to please him great
| ly, for he gently nodded his head.
The entire party then entered carriages