The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-05-07
IN HONOR OF GRANT.
RIVERSIDE PARK MONU-
MENT DEDICATED.
FIFTY Thousand Soldiers, Sailors. yeter-
ans. Cadets and Civilians Pass In Re-
view Before President McKinley--A
Million People View tho Pageant.

New YORK, April 49, Never but
once in the history of the world, and
never before in the history of the
United States, has such tribute been
paid to the noble dead as when, YES
terday, with wondrous pageant by
land and sea, the nation dedicate the
tomb that now holds the body of the
hero Ulysses S. Grant.
The greatest of our citizens, our sol
diers and our sailors stood side by side
with men of fame of almost every ma
ton on the earth, and paid, without
regard to race or creed, or party
prejudice, the last and long delayed
honor of the living to the dead while
the greatest throng that ever filed the
city Of New York added its paean to
the roar of belching guns and the
tramp of marching soldiers.
Before the presidential party left the
city to take part in the dedication GER
emonies the fag-decked streets were
black with people, who cheered vocif
erously as the great men drove by.
When the tomb was reached, 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
somber background was formed by the
thousands of spectators who filled the
stands, built up from the ground on
both sides of the tomb to the level of
the steps that lead to it's massive 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 Overlooking,
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 III the wind. When he
spoke he was heard distinctly by the
5000 persons who stood directly in
front of him. General Porter's grafton
in honor of the hero seemed to impress
the crowd less than the sight of
the pale faced, bareheaded President
standing beside the widow of the dead
general, ex-President Cleveland and
the gray-haired statesmen and sol
diers. 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,
sigh of relief went up from the crowd,
for at last the hero lay in a tomb be-
fitting his renown and fittingly dedi-
Gated by grateful nation.
Surrounded by his cabinet, his gen
eral and his friends, President McNin-
ley stood and viewed the grandest
military pageant ever seen in this city.
There were regular soldiers, regular
sailors, national guardsmeu of the sea
and land forces. Grand Army veterans,
Confederate veterans and the strip.
lings who, in the future, may fight as
gallantly as their fathers did.
Soon after this, President Mckinley
went aboard the Dolphin. amid the
booming 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
sight on the white roadbed, the hun
dreds of thousands of spectators sought
their homes. All traffic was congested,
and it was hours before the tide of
travel fell to its normal condition.
While the surging crowds were still
seeking their homes, an elaborate re-
ception to President Mckinley was in
progress at the Union League club.
Scarcely hitch occurred in the
whole arrangement for this great cele-
braton, and the arrangements for the
committee from early morn until late
at night met with complete success.