The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-07
TENDER TRIBUTES
WERE PAID TO
HEROIC DEAD
AT Arlington Cemetery, Where
/ Were Buried Those Who Fell
for Their Country
I'm SPANISH.AMERIcAN WAR,
Some Very Pathetic Scenes
i Were Enacted Before a Vast
Concoursc of People.

WASHINGTON. April 6.-Wlth full
honors of war upon the crest Of the
southern slope Of Arlington cemetery
this afternoon the nation, represented
by President Mckinley, his cabinet and
other high dlgnitaries Of the govern
ment. the commanding general OF the
army and other distinguished officers,
all the regular and militia organizations
Of the district and vast concourse Of
$4,000 people, paid the last tender trib-
ute of honor and respect to the bodies
of 1856 officers and men who gave their
lives on distant battlefields for their
country during the Spanlsh-Amerlcan
wars and who were to-day mustered into
the silent army that sleeps in the last
bivouac Of the brave. The spot seelcted
is In the new addition to the cemetery
looking out upon the broad, sweeping
Potomac and across to where the glis-
tenlng Washington monument rears its
dizzy shaft and beyond to the classic
outlines of the capitol and the burnfsh-
ed dome of the new library building.
To the right rise the ramparts Of old
Fort Mcpherson, to the left countless
graves OF the heroes OF the civil war.
sprinkled with imposing monuments to
distinguished generals and TO the rear
of the stately old Lee mansion and Fort
Myer. In this burial lot, which covers
two acres in extent, In parallel rows the
wooden boxes containing the caskets
were ranged separated by great mounds
of earth. Over each box an American
flag was draped. There was no partic-
ular order in the disposition OF the re-
mains, though an exception was made
In the case of the officers.
The Officers.
The boxes containing the bodies OF
Captain Edgar Hubert. OF the Eighth
U. S. infantry; Lieut.. L. I. Barnett.
Ninth U. S. infantry Lieut.. William
Wood. Twelfth U. S. infantry: Lieut.. r.
S. Turman. Sixth U. S. infantry. and
Lieut.. Francis Creighton. Y. S. volun-
teer signal corps, were placed at the
head of the line of graves Immediately
under the eye of the presidential party.
or the others, fully seventy per cent are
identified. About thirty per cent are
wholly unknown or known only by the
regiment to which they belonged
About 2:30 the presidential party.
nhth H2d bctff tdRSft fff gam tfsts
Potomac bridge. from which it required
dozen mounted police to eStrtcate
them, reached the enclosure. They were
followed by General Miles and his staff,
the military attaches OF the British and
German embassies, all mounted and the
military escort. AS they arrived the
solemn strains OF the dead march in
Saul siienced the vast asembage and
with barred heads the crowds stood ut
the graveside while the presidential
party advanced and the military dis
positions were made.
A Pathetic Incident.
Just as the President and party ar
rived pathetic incident occurred. when
aged Mr.. and Mrs. O'Dowd pressed
through the lines and placed bunch Of
roses on the casket of their son, John
O'Dowd, of the Seventh infantry. The
parents of Lieutenant Wood also came
forward and deposited beautiful
wreath Of flowers. The sword of that
gallant officer was upon his casket. In
mediately the band broke out In the
sweet strains of Nearer Ny God to
Thee and Post Chaplain C. W. Free
land, of Fort Monroe, in the ecclesiasti-
cal robes Of his office, with Rev. Father
McGce, of St. Patrlcks church. followed
by three purple gowned acolytes, ad-
ranced to the graves and the funeral
services began. They were very simple
but very impressive Rev. Frceiard
read the military commital service Of
the Episcopal church. The vast con-
course barred their heads to the solemn
words and scene and thousands Joined
In the Lords prayer.
The Rev. Father McGee then conse-
Grated with the churchly power Invested
in him the earth into which the bodies
of the Catholic soldiers were placed
Meantime from Fort Myer booming
down the wind came the dull crack of n
gun every half hour and the national
ensigRs on the STATS there at the Lee
Mansion were run down to half mast.
Taps Sounded.
AS soon as the religious services had
been concluded, ilanldng detachments
OF the Fourth and Fifth artillery fired
three ear smashing. soul uplifting VOL
leys and IN the solemn hush tha. follow
ed the salute the bugle sounded "Taps."
The last religious and military rites to
the dead heroes were over and the presi-
dental party and military departed,
leaving the work Of actual interment to
follow.
AS each Of the Caskets weighed almost
500 pounds and required eight men to
handle It. It will tie two or three days
before all the bodies are In their graves
In order to permit all government en-
ployes to attend the services this after
noon NIL the departments and the fed
eral courts were closed by an executive
order Of the President. and all the flags
in the city were half mast.
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