Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-04-28
GRANT TOMB, YORK, WILL LOOK WHEN COMPLETED
1.-THE he tomb in positon1

ly-tinted clouds that later flocked tho
, ornament held no promise of anger o.
/ sorrow.
( Briskly blew the northwest wind and
! joyfully it tossed the striped and
starred bunting which from every van
/ tage point in Greater New York
cleaned in beauty and brilliancy
Flags there We're by the hundreds OF
thousands; flags of every size. from the
huge emblem with its fifty feet of fly
and fifty feet of hoist. to the tiny one
which decorated the collars of truck
I horses.
There We're flags in the great thor
oughfares and in the narrow alleys;
from tenement buildings and on the
staffs on public buildings; from the
stalls of street vendors and the facades
of mighty hostelries and mightier office
buildings: from the lofty spars of
World-encircling merchant ships and
from the bows of the humblest of canal
boats.
Long before the sun had cleared the
eastern horizon, the streets Were
thronged and signs We're given of the
mighty crowds which later in the day
surge around the mighty mausoleum OF
the great general. Much of the dec
oratons and Of preparation for the day
had been put off until the last moment.
lest rain undo the toll, and all night
work was kept up. AS the day
frightened the crowds increased and by
! O'Clock the hour when busy New
York is thinking of breakfast, the cars
as well as the sidewalks were teaming
with life.
The ceremonies began at sunrise
when from the tall flag pole near the
tomb was flung the immense American
flag furnished by the Daughters of the
Revolution. There it will fly, night and
day. in fair weather and foul
until the winds have worn ii away and
the sun has faded its colors. AT the
same moment the marines on the war
ships were piped to quarters anu
landed on the shore to stand and re-
oeive the head of the lanu column.
Bands We're playing on land and water.
children We're singing and youths
shouting in very joyousness of spirit for
it was agreed on all sides that the pre-
vailing note should be joy over the
iIlelflbly VI IL great man iltHpTeu-Iot
sorrow over the death of hero.
Not the least elated. however. We're the
members of Grant Post, G.. A. r.. upon
whom had been conferred the honor of
hosting the largest American flag that
ever ripped in the wind.
The Fifth Avenue hotel was the scene
of hustle and excitement during the early
morning. The broad corridors were filed
with native and foreign dignitares and
almost every second person blazei with
bullion and military trappings.
In side room were the members of the
reception committee. with their Insignia OF
Office. consisting Of white and blue rib
bOns. The guests of the city We're es-
corted to this room one by one. and each
was turned over to his s~ecial charge.
Among the earlst on the scene was
Speaker Reed who was the guest of his
boyhood friend. Augustus G. Paine.
Ex Mayor Grace has the secretary of
war in tow. Secretary Bliss was with the
Republican national committee Frank l..
Neatherbee and Charles Stewart Smith
guided the Italian ambassador and his
secretary. Gen. H. l.. Burnett took care
of the Brazilian minister while Homer
Lee made things comfortable for thu
minister from the Argentine Republic.
Gen. Arson q. McCook had Cen Miles
by the arm. and all the other for ieigners
were duly looked after.