The San Francisco call., 1898-03-04
Naval Representative at the Funeral of One
 Victim.
All Due Glory Accorded an Un- identified Seaman From
 the Lost Maine.
People in All Walks of Life at Key West Pay Tribute During the
 Solemn Ceremony.
Copyrighted. 1898, by James Gordon Bennett

OUpyTlsHleU, l6So, Dy JdlLeS GOTuOH 1ocfihStt
 KEY WEST, Fla, March 3.-The United States navy this morning hon ored one of its unknown dead. He lies in an unnamed grave, but Key West flew all her flags at half-mast in his memory, and the chaplain of the flag ship of the North Atlantic squadron read the impressive words of the ritual that consigned his body to the soil of the country in whose service he died.
 When the little coast survey steamer Bache ran her prov into the harbor to-day in the teeth of tropical squall that made all the Key West windows rattle and her streets run like millraces she brought from the Maine wreck only one body. Who he was will never be known, but he was an American seaman. That was enough Captain McCalla of the cruiser Marblehead. who had been detailed by the admiral to take charge of the funeral arrange ments had disembarked forty blue jackets from his ship to act as guard of honor. The massive copper casket in which the body was sealed weighed together with it's contents and pine box inclosing it, nearly thousand pounds. No hearse In Key West was large enough to receive It. So 1t was placed on an undertaker's wagon and then the wagon and casket were covered completely by the beautiful folds of Old Glory
 Above the flag were laid a bright mass of simple but beautiful floral em- blems, wreaths. anchors and crosses. Among the donors of these tributes to the unnamed dead were: The wife Of Commander J. K. Wynn, U. $. N, re- tired, now resident at Key West; Miss Dolly Watts also of Key West; Mrs. Telling, Mrs George H. Curry and Mrs. P. L. Cosgrove, wife of one of the officers of the lighthouse tender Man grove. From the Government wharf the funeral procession started, headed by Lieutenant Anderson in com mand of the guard of honor, eight sea- men of which acting as pall-bearers walked on either side of the impro- vised hearse. They marched to the tap of single muff1ed drums. The color bearer bore all of the stars and stripes heavily draped at the peak of the staff with black crape.
 Behind the guard of bluejackets. who numbered forty men, rode in carriages Mayor Maloney of Key West, represent ing the civic government, and Captain
  ter carefully gloved and with deep bands of crape circling his left arm. Then came struggling procession car riages and cabs. Perhaps the most touching scene of the whole pathetic ceremony was witnessed just as the head of the line wheeled into White head street Here the Key West popu- lace, black and white, native and Cu- ban, had assembled in thousands. As the fag-draped casket slowly passed them hundreds of Panama hats, naval caps and many piece of less arfsto- cratic headgear came off inStinctively. Even the negro bootblackS either felt the moving impulse of respect for the honored dead, or were quick to follow the graceful example of others, for 1 saw not less than a score of coal black urchins who with bare feet stood ankle deep in mud, pluck tattered old hats and caps from crinkled woolly heads and stand solemn visaged in the bright sunlight. which as if a good omen had followed the mornings storm. It was 10:30 o'clock before the procession start ed from Whitehead street. It passed to Fleming street, thence to Eliza beth street, and from there to Key West City Cemetery through Windsor lane. Along the entire line of march the little cor tege was followed respectfully and si- lently by hundreds of Americans, Gu bans and negroes. On they plodded through streets deep with muddy wa ter. There was no jostling, no levity and no light talk. It was a spontane- ous tribute of simple-minded people to the memory of an unknown hero who had died for the flag while on duty and had gone down with his ship. At the cemetery all but the funeral party and newspaper reporters found further progress barred. The services there were impressive in their simplicity. Lieutenant Anderson lined up his com mand in double platoon a few paces from the first row of six open graves.
 The eight sturdy pallbearers, assisted by four of the undertaker's men, lifted their heavy burden and consigned 1t to it's resting place. The guard of honor stood at parade rest while Rev. Alfred Lee Royce, DID,, chaplain of the flag ship New York, read the regular burial church, beginning with the solemn words: T am the resurrection and the life"
 During the prayer that followed Chaplain Royce prayed that we might still be permitted to enjoy the bless ings of peace. Then while stalwart negroes began to fill the open grave, a bugler of the Marblehead sounded taps, and the funeral over the un- known dead was done. It was just 11:40. The funeral services and pro- cession had passed within an hour, but the scene was one long to be remem- bered. On all public buildings and many private ones flags flew at half mast, and the Spanish flag over the Spanish consulate was at half mast also, while at many points, as an in- teresting contrast. 1uttered the single star and bars of Cuba fibre.
 l When the last of the Maine's dead has been recovered it is expected a more impressive ceremony will be held with large detachments from the army | of course, that the army and navy have not found more serious service | elsewhere. Until then the bodies as they arrive on the Bache will be buried with all due honors, as was done this morning, but with only company de- | tailed as escort