The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-07

President Adams issued proclamation
advising all citizens to wear crepe on the
left arm for thirty days and setting
apart Feb. p, 1900, as a day when special
services in honor Of Washington should
be held. These instructions were faith
fully carried out. but the people did not
want to show their respect to the
memory of Washington. James McHen-
~, then Secretary of War, ordered fun
eral honors to be paid at all military
stations, and this paved the way for a
large number of professions in which
civilians Joined with the soldiers
Washington's body was buried in the
tomb at Mount Vernon with simple but
impressive honors on Wednesday. Dec
is. 1t was solemn day, far beyond the
confines of Mount Vernon. A resident Of
Alexandria wrote: we are ali to close
our houses and act as we should do if one
of our family had departed The bells
are to toll daily until he is buried"
Between 8 and o'clock in the after
noon. sloop belonging to Robert Ham
iiton of Alexandria, began firing minute
guns from its anchorage in the Potomac.
started, led by troop of cavalry. Four
clergymen. who had been Washinxton's
band. and then came the Generals IA
vorite horse, led by two negro grooms
The bier followed next. attended by the
pallbearers and Masonic brethren. The
bier was made of oak, and is still pre-
served in the museum at Alexandria. An
elaborate account. which was widely cop
pied at the time. was published by the
Georgetown paper on Dec. 20, and thus
described the closing exercises:
When the procession had arrived at
the bottom Of the elevated lawn on the
banks of the Potomac, where the fam
lily vault Is placed. the cavalry halted.
the infantry marched toward The mount
and formed their lines, the clergy, the
Masonic brethren, and the citizens de-
scended 10 the vault, and the funeral
service of the church was performed
The firing was repeated from the yes
sci in the river, and the sounds echoed
from the woods and hills around Three
general discharges by the infantry and
the cavalry and the eleven pieces of ar
tillery which lined the banks of the Pa
tomac back of the vault, paid the last
tribute to the entombed Commander-in-
Chief of the armies of the United States
and to the venerable departed hero. The
sun was now setting. Alas! the sun OF
glory was set forever. No, the name of
Washington, the American President and
General, will triumph over death; the IN
clouded broghteness of his glory will il
illuminate future ages"
Nothing illutrates better the great
change in the method of travel than the
fact that Washington was dead and was
being buried before Congress received
news of the fact
In Philadelphia as capital of the coun-
try, more elaborate services were held
than in any other city. Dec. 26 was Sc
lected as the time for this popular dem
onstration. Business was entirely sus-
pended, nearly every house was draped
in mourning, bells were tolled, and at
daybreak sixteen guns were fired, and
thereafter until sunset one gun every
half hour.
The procession was a long one THE
companies of militia held their arms re-
versed and the flags were heavily draped
in black. A white horse covered with
black crepe preceded the bier. and among
the paIlbearers were Alexander Hamil-
ton, Benjamin Stoddard, Secretary of the
Navy, and James McHenry, Secretary of
War. Following the bier came delega- !
tions from all the government depart
ments. the members of the Senate and Of |
the House marching two by two. each |
wearing as a badge of mourning n white |
scarf with a black rosette tied on the left |
shoulder Thirty-three clergymen were |
also in line.
The procession started from the old |
State House and moved on through sew |
eral of the principal streets tc the Ger
man Lutheran church, then the largest |
religious ediice in the city.
There prayer was offered and a diTge |
was chanted by choir which had among |
its singers Mr.. barley, a popular English
ballad singer. and Mrs. Oldmixon. cell
ebrated actress who played with great
success in America. General Henry ee
delivered the grafton on Washington. It
was considered. justly, too. one Of the
best of the numerous eulogies which the
occasion called forth. While II les fer
gotten beneath musty book covers, that
famous phrase. First in war, 9fst in
peace and first in the hearts Of his
has won undying fame
New York paid its tribute to Washing
ton on the last day Of the year. No
carts carriages or horseback riders were
allowed in the streets through which the
funeral procession passed. and the day
closed with impressive exercises in St.
Pauls Church. Governor Morris. who
but few months before had been EJECT
"a to the United States Senate. delivered
the Grafton. and Bishop Samuel Provost,
who was ordained in England in 11Ss. rs
The first Episcopal Bishop Of New York.
conducted the religious servi,s -
rammany FIau and the Ma 'cnic soci-
,ties were CONSPICUOUS among all other
organizations in the parade
~ their elaborate symbols Of mourning.
The thirteen Tammany sachems bore the
banners OF the original states. covered
With black cloth and ornamented with
Knots OF crepe. William Mooney, found
y Of the society. carried the great cal
met Of peace. decorated IN the most
solemn and appropriate manner. agree
.ble to the aboriginal custom The
Of the Virginia tribe car
-ied his banner reversed. as Washing
an. being a native Of that state. had al
vays been considered an honorary mem
,ar Of that tribe. Each brother had the
customary bucks tail r. his hat and a
,and OF crepe around MS left arm.
In Bston. Christmas morning was
,>hered In with the tolling q bells. and
ne flags on ali The shipping 70 the har-
,9r were displayed at halt mast. The
heatre postponed Its performance FOR
hat day. and when lt opened few days