The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-28
AN HISTORIC PAGEANT.
Tribute to Grant the Greatest in the
Nations History,
FULLY A MILLION SPECTATORS

view the Monster street Parade,
which Can Only be Compared to the
Reinterment of Napoleon when His
Body Was Returned to Paris.
New York, April 2S.-Never before in
the history of the world, and never
before in the history of the United
States, has such a tribute been paid
to the noble dead as when yesterday,
with wondrous pageant by land and
sea, the nc,ion dedicated the tomb
that now holds the body of its hero,
Ulysses S. Grant.
It was an occasion more of triumph
ant eulogy and national pride than of
funeral rite. for in these u years since
first the nation mourned for Grant the
keenness Of grief has worn away, and
In it's place there lives I'm the hearts
of men that hero worship which
found such tumultuous vent yesterday.
The greatest of our citizens, our sol
diers and our sailors stood side by
side with men of fame from almost
every nation of the earth and paid,
without regard to race or creed, or
party prejudice, the last and long de-
layed honor of the living to the dead,
while the greatest throng that ever
filled the city of New York added it's
surging pean to the roar of belching
guns in the tramp of marching sol
diers And in that throng there was
no north and south, for since the sol
der president had said Let US have
peace" the gray had blended with the
blue.
Before the presidential party left
their hotel to take part in the dedica-
tion ceremonies the flag decked streets
were black with people, who eheered
vociferously aas the great men drove
by.
When the tomb was reached a
strange sight met the eye. All around
the oval in the center of which stood
the gray monument to Grant were
what seemed to be black hillocks This
sombre background was formed by the
thousands of spectators who filed the
wooden stands, built up from the
ground on both sides Of the tomb to the
level of the steps that lead to its mas
sive doors. To the south, where the
loop around the oval met the Riverside
drive, there were two solid lines of
humanity On all four sides of the
monument oval the stands were packed
to overhnwing. while facing these
crowds was the great mass of eager
sightseers who had not been officially
provided for.
The solemn service of dedication
seemed to throw a strange hush over
this vast throng. The president stood
bareheaded in the wind. When he
spoke Re was heard distinctly by the
| 5000 persons who stood directly in
| front of him.
/ General Porters grafton in honor of
the hero seemed to Impress the crowd
| less than the sight of the palefaced,
| bareheaded president standing beside
! the widow of the dead general, eX-
! President Cleveland and the gray
! headed statesmen and soldiers 1t was
| their presence rather than their words
| that lent solemnity to the occasion.
| And when it was all over, when
| Mayor Strong had formally accepted
! from the nation the trust of the tomb,
! and when the president and his party
/ disappeared in the luncheon tent, a
| sigh of relief went up from the crowd
| for at last the hero lay in the tomb
| BETTING his renown and fittingly dedi-
! Gated by a grateful nation.
| While the land parade was waited
! for after the conclusion of the cere-
| monies the sky became laden and the
wind increased until it almost howled
! around the trees. The waters of the
! Hudson reflected the ashen hue of the
/ sky, and the great white ships that
! foated on it's bosom stood out in al
! most ominous relief The dusty road
! bed Of the drive was whipped up until
| black coats became brown and spec
! tators forsool5 their unshelteTed seats
! for the protection of the tomb pillars.
Then suddenly, under the cloud of
| dust from the south between the two
| black lines of people which seemed to
meet in the perspective, came the
/ nodding plumes of the soldiers. On they
/ marched an endless line of white and
red and blue and gray. First passing
i on the west side of the monument
oval and then returning on the north
road under the monumental arch, they
passed the president in review and
then back again into the black back
ground of humanity and the white
clouds of dust.
! Surrounded by his cabinet, his gem
| erals and his friends, President Nc
| Kinley stood and reviewed the grand
est military pageant ever seen in this
city. There were regular soldiers, reg
] uldI EdllOIHs udllOlldl 3 uhi ubliltiA VI lAl1
sea and land forces, Grand Army vet
Grams. Confederate veterans and the
striplings who In the future may fight
as gallantly as their fathers did
When the cheering was at its loudest,
and when the wind had somewhat died
| away, a touching scene was enacted,
which was seen by few Silently Mrs,
| Grant stole away from the presidents
! reviewing stand where she had been
watching the gallant troops go by,
and, leaning on the arm Of her son,
gnionsi Grant, made her way to the
tomb followed only by the members
Of the Grant family. The bronze
doors were opened, and the widow of
the hero passed from the noise OF the
outside world into the dim quiet OF
the tomb. For about ten minutes she
stayed there and then, with her face
hidden in her hands, she left the scene
Soon after this President Mckinley
went aboard the Dolphin, amid the
hoomins of guns, and reviewed the
great warships that lay in the shadow
Of the tomb, The dense crowds still
stayed IN their seats and watched the
end of the LAND parade. Then, when
the last company had passed out OF