The times., 1899-12-29

The night OF February Il, 1898, We're buried
ri Arlington Cemetery yesterday, Full
military horors were paid 10 the memory
Of the men whose tragic fate furnished the
inspiration OF the war with Spain and
gave TO the navy and armies of the United
States a magic battle cry which aided in
expelling a Kingdom from the Western
Hemisphere and humbled one OF The
proudest monarchies in Europe
The President OF the United States Eas
there and with him were Secretary Gage,
Secretary Root. Secretary Long. Postmss-
ter General Smith. Secretary Wilson. As
sistsRt Secretary Allen. Admiral Dewey,
Major General Miles. General Gilmore,
General Haywood. Comman5 5er Wainwright.
and a score OF other high officers Of the
Army and Navy. Captain Sigzbee. who
was in command OF the Maine at the time
she WIS destroyed, mad charge OF the
funeral arrangements.
The highest officials OF the Republic
stood with barred heads though r cold
wind whiTled from the northwest across
heids Of SHOW. while the burial rites Of
Protestant and Catholic were celebrated
A few women. who had SONS or brothers
sleeping in the caskets over which rever-
sailors, marines and soldiers stood around
the cOfhns and the graves. rifles crashed.
bugies sounded taps. the band played a
scrrowing dirge and ciods Of yellow clay
and gravel beat upon the mOrtIary boxes.
An acre OF graves and cOtins was the
centre q a winter landscape All around
we're rolling hills and fields OF white
tlumps OF sncw-bent pines snd cedars.
gro ing u the valleys and ravinez- locked
black. A sad grey light fell from the skv.
Distant stretches Of lesfiess woodland ap-
peared dull blue and purple. The black
trunks Of the Arlington oaks and the white
shafts rising in their midst pointed the
thoughts OF men 10 death. Away of 70 the
southeast flowed the Potomac. bearing cn
its tides masses Of yellow ice
NOrkmen resumed their labor among the
grayes at dawn. The caskets which had
been taken from the funeral train al Ross
4yn and piled high in tents at Arlington.
We're removed and laid upon trusses above
the graves Many men were busy in clear
ing away the snow. so that after the cof-
ms had been lowered. only The earth might
oe thrown IN Sweepers went over the
long ridges Of fresh upturued clav. and
the white covering that had fallen dursng
The night was carried away in great hask- +
els. The stand, which had been erected F.
10 lhe north cf the graves for the shelter
q tie President. his Cabinet high naval
ana military officers and for relatives of .
The Maine men. was covered with American
enslgns festDoned with Grape. Long
streameus OF black bunting dutter15 IN tha
cold Viud.
a corps Of snOK-shoveiers was ser 10 4
the task OF clearing the roadway that Iea-s
east and west and separates the ee-
grown part OF the National Cemetery from .
TIE bare lands 10 the south in which the
men who died IL the Santiago campaign .
sleep and u which the Maine men now
rest
Senlnels drawn from the Marine Corps
paced TO and fro. beating q hard psta
through The Snow They shifted their III 4
les from one shoulder 10 another. and blew .
On their fingers, iu their effort - keeT
warm. In a raTine 10 the southeast Of the
N1nL-5Tept knoll on which the cazkets .
rested great pile Of logs and branches o. /
trees blazed, smoked. and cracked.
Around this IRE clustered the iaborers. ]
who. after having borne q few bodies from
the tents 70 the graves would quit their
grews0me work for a few moments to find .
warmth and shelter.
The snow-coyered knoll which has been 4
q nEecrated 10 the Maine men. was dotted .
with brown collins. each resting on a truss .
above the grave 10 which il was finally
committed over every casket before ghe .
solemnization OF the burial service. there
EL-
head OF each coffin was placed the painted
wooden hesdboard with z stenciled number. 4
which VIII indicate the graves till head
stones snail have been provided By the
Government A detachment Of blueiackets
distributed wresths OF iEg and laurel over
The csskets
On three sides Of this cofHned field. on the
south, the east. and west, were lined up
troops, sailors and marines. Two troops Of q
dismounted cavalry from Fort Hyer faced .
me graves on the south and east The vel
4oE-ll1c1 capes Of the troopers we're Bin-
ned back So toe, were the scarlet-Iined .
cspes OF the marines. The bIuejackeis
from the navy yard. With fifteen men from
he Texas, who had acted as the escort OF (
the bodies from Newport News to Rosslyn.
were drawn Up on the left OF the Presi-
dents stand
The first member Of the Presidents
cabinet 10 reach the cemetery was Score
rary Wilson. he left his carriage and
stood ID the open. During these move
men5S bout the Presidents stand there
could be heard the grating Of the shoveIs
as the snow was being cleaned from be-
tween the graves. The bugles al Fort Ny
eF were making faint music. Al IO.s5 4
detachment Of marines from the barrs. I-s
and navy yard under Colonel Harrington
emerged from the gloom OF the Arlington
oaks and halted at the northwest corner
oi the burial plot. The Marine Band
marched 10 the eastward and took ffu ifs
position at the southeast corner OF The
graves
After Secretary Wilson came Assistant
Secretary Allen. and little later Com
nlander Wainwright, who was executive
ofhcer q the Maine al the time OF her de-
struction and who 0mmanded the GIoucos
Ter At the tine OF the defeat Of Admiral
CerTera by Rear Admiral Schley. Then
came Admiral Dewey alone. There was :
pause 10 the arrivals for q few minutes
The people beat their feet against the fro
gen ground 10 drive away the colo. Fr-
everybody spoke in low tones and all ewes
rested on the field OF collins.
Along the road from the west came the
crisp roll ol carriage wheels grinding over
The packed SHOW The cOachmzn aud foor-
man wore tan livery. il was recognize5
as the: Presidents team. The commend
attention" sounded a number OF times and
there was shuf7ing and shifting among Ire
troops sailors, and marines. Mr MeKfn
ley, accompanied by Secretary Long Ieff
his carriage, and vas shown 10 seaf in
the stand Behind the Presidents carriage
came another, with Secretary Root. and in
the rear o. this came Secretary Gaze ana
Postmaster General Smith. Then came
General Miles. accompanied By General
Gilmore and Colonel MichIer
When al was in readiness the Marine
Band began the playing OF a dirge Under
the tuneful mourning OF the horns was a
ceaseless roll Of mufied drums. When
The last sad note had ended Chaplain
Clark. o. the Naval Academy al Annapolis
with black cassock thrown over his unf-
form Of blue and gold. proceeded from
within the Presidents stand 10 a foored
and sheltered bff of GRAND close - sf. /