The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-25

SIXTY N|NTH'S SEND OFF.
The Irish Regiment Receives
an Ovation as It Departs
for the Front.
STIRRING SCENES At THE STATION
No Such Enthusiasm En-
countered Since the War
Began---Tears and
Cheers.

Never before was there Such a scene IN
Jersey City as was enacted at the station
of the Central Railroad of New Jersey
yesterday afternoon when the "lrlsh
Regiment the historic Sixty-nlnth,
started for Chickamauga- Nothing like
it will probably be seen. again. Those
who saw the brave soldiers depart Will
have something to talk of during the re-
mainder of their lives.
1t was a stirring scene that marcn
through New York City. through double
lines of cheering thousands; it was a
pathetic scene which occurred at the
Communipaw depot. There wives, mothers
and sweethearts bid goodbye to those
who never will return" Fathers kissed
the lips of babies whom they will perhaps
never see again. No one was ashamed
to be seen crying at that leave taking, IN
fact the dry eye was the exception. Even
the spectators who had no dear ones IN
the ranks could not keep the tears from
yelling to their eyes as they witnessed
the scene. The three hours that the soil
diers were at the station seemed all too
short to those they were to leave behind,
and when the last coach pulled out at
7:S0 o'clock it seemed as if the good1byes
had not been half said.
The train did not arrive in Jersey City
according to schedule. Early in the
morning it was reported that it would be
at the Communipaw ferry at ten o'clock.
Many persons believed that it would and
went to the station at that time to meet
their friends in the regiment. Several
hundred persons were probably there at
that hour and the crowd was increased
with the arrival of each ferryboat there
-r+or ,.n4t nj &-ra osa1NnE <h1ro r..ora
nearly three thousand persons waiting.
There were 10 adequate accommodations
for them. They were too many to re-
main under the ferry shed or in the wait
ing room so they were forced to stand in
the yard to the south of the depot where
the trains which were to carry the sol
diers were waiting. There were many old
women in the crowd and dozens of young
women with babies in their arms. Their
powers of endurance must have been
taxed to the uttermost, but they never
fiinched and stood the ordeal nobly. No
matter how tired they may have been
they did not show it by their actions.
Those who had gained supposed points of
advantage held them despite all the push
ing and jostling of the crowd that surged
about them.
Each woman had a bundle containing
food or clothing for some soldier boy.
Eyes were strained riverward and each
ferryboat that pulled down the river was
closely scanned in the hope that it might
bear the expected troops. Hour after
hour passed by and still they did not
come. The crowd grew impatient. 1t
did not know that all New York had
turned out in honor of the gallant Sixty
ninth and that the boys had literally TO
fight their way across the city. They
could not understand what was causing
the delay. Many wondered at the absence
of police arrangements. But Chief Muir
ply knew what he was about. He had
Detective Pearson stationed at the Thir-
ty-fourth street ferry to telephone him
the moment the regiment arrived at that
point. He allowed hat it would. take
two hours for the soldiers to cross New
York City. Word came from Pearson ait
about two o'clock. Chief Murphy at
once made preparations to receive the
men. Police Captains McKaig and Nu-
gent went by train to the depot with
twelve men from their precincts. The off
platoons from the Third, Sixth and
Seventh precincts with the senior SER
geaqts in command congregated at Po-
lice Headquarters There were thirty
83S1I men Oh tueLu, LldhiDS ia al a1ls
men. The thirty-eight men at Police
Headquarters were put in charge of Ser
geant Holderer. They were marched to
the Pennsylvania ferry and crossed to
New York where they took the Central
ferry to C-omnnunipaw. By $3.50 O'Clock
the fifty police were at the depot. Chief
Murphy was on hand to direct the move
ments of the men. He had them drive
the crowd back, as gently as possible. SO
as to leave a wide passageway from the
ferry slip to the waiting trains.
The police preserved excellent order.
Acting under instructions from Chief
Murphy they old the waiting friends
that there was no necessity of their push
ing through the lines as they would be
given ample opportunity to see the sol
diers after they had boarded the trains.
1t was 40 O'Clock when the first ferry
boat, carrying the third battalion, arrived.
The other boat did not land until forty
FIVE minutes later. The delay between the
two sections was due to the miserable po-
lice arrangements on the New York side.
After the first battalion in line passed
into the ferry house the crowd surged in
behind it and completely shut off the next
battalion. Thousands of persons crowd
ed between the two lines of soldiers, and
there were not enough police on hand to
keep them back. The soldiers didn't have
the heart to push through the crowd
with bayonets at a charge and they could
not force a passage in any other way.
It took nearly a~n+nour to clear the crowd
aside and get the other two battalions
aboard
The men were thoroughly tired out.
Since early moETdng, when they had some
coffee and hard tack, they had had moth
ing to eat-x The station restaurant was
besieged. A special supper was served
to the field and staff and their families in
the dining room. Beer flowed in plenty.
Many of the girls bought bottles OF beer
and sandwiches and carried them out into
the railway yard to their sweethearts on
the trains. One pretty girl pushed her
way through the crowd, trying to com
ceal under her cape eight bottles of beer.
The regiment went aboard three sBalti-
more and Ohio trains, each made up OF
three freight cars, eleven passenger
coaches and a Pullman sleeping car. Col.
Duffy and his staff occupied the Pullman
of the first section, and in the train were
Tarnpanles c. b. T. and II, Major Thomas
II. Lynch in command. Companies = =,
A and 3. in command of Captain Charles
Eealy. occupied the seconq sectlon- n1aJ2t
~ n 6-~t1.aon had Commands D. 4.