Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-17


state funeral was given the late Repre-
sentative Nelson Dingley at noon to-day
in the House of Representatives, where
he has so long been such a commanding
figurue. The President, his Cabinet, dis
tinguished members of the diplomatic
corps. members of the Supreme Court,
Senate and House, and distinguished men
of military and civil life We're ranged
about his bier on the floor Of the hall,
while the galleries, to which admission
could be obtained only by card, were oc-
cupied by the families of those who sat
upon the floor and of prominent person
ages invited to be present. Some of them,
like a delegation from the New York
Chamber of Commerce, had come from a
distance to pay their last tribute of re-
spect to the dead statesman. Not since
the late William D. Kelley, of Pennsyl-
vania, was given a state funeral in the
House during the Fifty-first Congress,
while President Mckinley was chairman
of the Ways and Means Committee, has
such an honor been accorded a member
of the House.
The remains were taken from the Hotel
! Hamilton to the Capitol this morning at
10 o'clock and were borne into the Hall of
Representatives by a squad of Capitol
police under the direction of Sergeant-at-
Arms Russell. The casket was placed on
a bier in the area in front of the marble
rostrum of the speaker, and fer an hour
the public, which would nave no oppor-
tunity to witness the official ceremonies
later, were allowed to view the remains
as they lay in state. Thousands of peo-
pie streamed through the main door down
past the casket and gazed upon the feat
ures of the dead during that hour. Some
could with difficulty be induced by the
police to move away from the casket.
The House pages and other employees
of the House entered the line and took
a last view of the statesman. The dec
orations of the hall were simple but
strikingly beautiful. Palms relieved the
rigid corners, and palm leaves, arranged
in the form of a trefoil planted in
| wreaths of galax leaves tied with long
streamers of purple, adorned the walls.
A cluster of roses and palm leaves were
arranged about the rear of the hall. This
simple scheme of decoration eliminated
| about the rostrum beneath which the re-
mains lay.
| Immediately in front of the white
marble rostrum the casket lay banked on
either side with rare and exquisite flowers
which completely concealed the marble.
These included a few of the most beauti-
full and most appropriate floral offerings
which had been sent to the family; a great
wreath of white roses from the Sons and
Daughters of Maine, a beautiful piece
from the Ways and Means Committee,
and a magnificent mass of American
Beauty roses from the Canadian High
| Joint Commission. The only floral pieces
on the casket was a cluster of orchids.
the gift of Mrs. Blaine. At the head of
the casket like a halo above the calm
brow of the great man was a magnificent
wreath of orchids and lilies of the valley
tied with deep purple RIBBON. which had
been sent by the President. Out in the
waste of the seats while the body lay in
state, d single desk was wrapped in
black and covered with roses and lilies.
During the interval before twelve almost
every member of the House who is in the
city stood for a moment by the casket
with bowed head and gazed for the last
time on the familiar features. Meantime
| the galleries had filled.
At His the stream of people who had
been filing by the bier was interrupted
and the member of the House began
seating themselves on the left of the
main aisle in the rear of the chairs re-
served for the family. Speaker Reed
called the House to order. An air of deep
sadness pervaded the hall as the members
rose to listen to the brief and simple
prayer of the chaplain. The clerk read
in full the resolutions adopted on Satur-
day after the announcement of Mr.. Ding
ley's death. The clerk of the Senate an
nounced the passage of similar resolu-
tons by the Senate.
Immediately thereafter the Vice Presi-
dent and the Senate entered the chamber
in a body and were followed by the dip
lOmatic corps. with whom came the mem
bers of the Anglo-American Commission.
of which Mr.. Dingley had h-en a member.
The membe of the corps wore mourning
| attire.
Then followed the Chief Justice and
| associate justices of the Supreme Court
in their sombre robes, and they in turn
were followed by the President with his
Cabinet, who took places Immediately TO
the right of the casket. From the lobby
in the rear the honorary pall-bearers,
with white sashes across their breasts.
filed in on the left.
Directly in front of them and across the
| aisle from the Presidential party, and in
front Of the casket sat the large family
of the deceased. representing three gener-
atoms. 1t included the two sons. Edward
n. and Arthur. with the wife and tHA