The morning news., 1899-04-07
HONOR TO AMERICAS DEAD.
BURIAL OF SOLDIERS WHO GAVE
UP LIVES AT SANTIAGO.


Tribute of Regard-ApprOpriate
Funeral Service-DispositiOn of
the Dead-SaIutes Fired From
Many Guns.
Washington. April 6.-With full honors
of war, upon the crest of the southern
slope of Arlington cemetery this afternoon,
the nation, represented by President Nc
Kinley, his cabinet and other high dig
niaries of the government, the COM
manding general of the army and other
distinguished officers, all the regular and
militia organizations of the District and
a vast concourse of 1900. paid the last
tribute of honor and respect to the bodies
of 1856 officers and men who gave their
lives on distant battlefelds for their couu-
try during the Spanish-American war,
and who We're to-day mustered into the
silent army that sleeps in the last bivouac
of the brave
The spot selected is in the new addition
to the cemetery looking out on the broad
sweeping Potomac. In this burial lot,
which covered two acres In extent, in
parallel rows the wooden boxes contain
ing the caskets were ranged. separated by
| great mounds of earth. over each box
an American flag was draped.
Disposition of the Dead.
There was no particular order in the dis
| position of the remains though an excep-
ton was made in the case of the officers
| The boxes containing the bodies of Capt
Edgar Hubert of the Eighth United States
Infantry, Lieut. L. 1. Barnett, Ninth Uni
ted States Infantry; Lieut.. William Wood
! Twelfth United States Infantry; Lieut.. R.
S. Turman, Sixth United States Infantry.
! and Lieut.. Francis Creighton, United
! States Volunteer Signal Corps, were placed
at the head of the line of graves, imme-
diately under the eye of the presidential
| party.
OF the others fully 70 per cent. are identi-
fed About 80 per cent. are wholly un-
known or known only by the regiment to
which they belonged.
A platform had been erected enclosed
with flags and draped in mourning to ac-
commodate the distinguished personages
in case of inclement weather, but the day
| was an ideal one and the platform was
practically unoccupied. Long before the
arrival of the military, thousands of peo-
pie had surrounded the enclosure where
the dead soldiers lay.
President and Party Arrived.
At 2SO O'Clock the presidential party
which had been caught in a jam at the
Potomac bridge from which it required
| dozen mounted police to extricate them
| reached the enclosure. They were follow
| ed by Gen. Miles and his staff the military
| attaches of the British and German en-
! bassies all mounted, and the military es-
cort As they arrived the solemn strains
of the dead march in Saul silenced the
vast assemblage. and with heads barred
the crowd stood a the grave side, while
the presidential party advanced and the
| military dispositions were made,
The military was under the command of
Col Francis L. Guenther, and consisted
/ of the District National Guard, the light
battery with two Hitchkiss guns, a bat
| talon of naval militia. and the regular
troops from the arsenal at Fort Myer.
The troops were formed upon three sides
of a reetangle and files of soldiers were
marched into the ranks of the dead.
Fianking the open space at the head of
the graves were The red-coated artillery
men. who were to fire the last salute, and
on the left was stationed the Fourth Ar
| tillery band.
The President, accompanied by Secre-
tarv Gage Secretary Long, PoStmas ier
! General Smith, Secretaries Hay, Hitch
cock and Wilson, Assistant Secretary Tay-
| lor. Cen Corbin, Gen. John NJ. Wilson and
| Col. Bingham, came forward with uucov-
cred head and took his place in the open
space facing the graves. He was follow
ed by Cen Miles and his staff in full uni
form and other distinguished guests in
| cluding some of the representatives Of for
eign countries
Some Pathetic Incidents.
lust as the President arrived a pathetic
incident occurred when aged Mr.. and Mrs.
| O'Dowd pressed through the lines and
! placed a bunch of roses on the casket
of their son. John O'Dowd, of the Seventh
| Infantry.
The parents of Lieut.. Wood also came
forward and deposited a beautiful wreath
of flowers, and the sword of that gallant
officer upon his casket. Immediately the
band broke out in the sweet strains Of
Nearer, My God TO Thee and Post
Chaplain c. w. Freeland OF Fort Monroe,
In the ecclesiastical robes Of his office,
with Rev Father MCGEE, of st. Patrick $
Church. followed by three purple gowned
acolytes, advanced to the graves and the
| funeral services began. They were very
simple, but very impressive.
Rev Freeland read the military com
| initial service of the Episcopal Church.
beginning with Man that is born of
woman" aud concluding with the prom
! ise of Heaven contained In the words, II
| am the resurrection and the life" As he
pronounced the words, Dust to dust,
| earfh to earth" the soldiers at the side
of each grave crumbled a clod Of earth
| upon each casket. The vast concourse
barred their heads 10 the solemn words and
scene, and thousands joined in the Lord s
prayer
Rev Father McGee then consecrated
with the churchy power invested in him
the earth into which the bodies Of the
| Catholic soldiers were placed.
saIutes Fired TO the Dead.
Meantime from Fort Myer, booming
down the wind, came the dull crack OF a
| gun every half hour and the national en-
signs on the staffs there and at the Lee
| mansion were run down TO haf-mast
As soon as the religious services had
| been concluded, the hanking detachments
| Of the Fourth and Fifth Artillery fired
| three smashing soul-upliftlng volloys.