The times., 1899-04-03
PREPARING A new
CITY OF THE Dead
Plans for Burial of the Heroes
of Santiago.
To Sleep Beneath the Oaks, Pines,
and FRS of Arlington.
One Hundred and Fifty Bodies Piled
in Tiers I'm Army Tents Await
ing Interment.

! One hundred and fifty collins, containing
the remains of American soldiers who fell
for their flag in the operations against
Santiago, rest on a peaceful bit of land
overlooking the Potomac, midway between
the grass-grown parapets Of Fort Myer
and the oaks OF Arlington that rise abov..
the graves of men who fought in the Civil
War
The caskets are piled in tiers within
army tents. There are ten of these canvas
; sepuichers ranged in two lines. Around
them pace sentinels-the guard of honor
from the Thirteenth Infantry A few rods
/ beyond the tents of the dead are one hun
dred and fifty newly dug graves. and long
ridges OF red and yellow clay with which
the ashes Of the brave will ultimately min
gle.
1t is an open country where these men
will sleep. The timber OF Arlington Gem
etery-oaks, pines, cedars, and frs, ends
sharply about four hundred yards north of
old Fort Myer. The forest line runs east
and west from the red stone wall chat
marks the eastern boundary of the reserva-
ton at the foot of Arlington Heights to
the stone wall on the west which divides
the cemetery from the drill grounds of
the Fort Myer reservation.
Ii is a rolling country. Only few native
trees grow there, though a few young or
namental trees have been planted along
the west driveway of the cemetery To the
northwest of the new graves is hill that
slopes gradually to the river bottoms. To
the southeast is another hill, on which
the earth works of Fort Myer show Be
tween these hills is an apron shaped plat
eau that commands view to the east
ward between the hills described. The
graves have been dug on the outer edge
| of this piece Of ground. To the west of
the graves stand the tents that shield the
cofiins and to the west of these tents and
backed against the west driveway OF the
cemetery is rough and rudely built stand
from which the President and other dis
tipguished men will witness the impressive
funeral
There are no bones in the earth direct.
ly around the land in which the men who
died at Santiago will lie. About one hun
dred and fifty yards TO the northwest are
three new graves. unsodded and unmark-
ed. No grass grows in the fresh turned
clay. There is nothing to tell the passer-
by that there a dead soldier has found his
everlasting rest. little farther on TO
the northwest is line OF fresh graves
marked with small pine headboards, paint
ed white and letsered in black. The first
of these boards is inscribed. "14Se4 V.
/ Ducket, Co. u. I'D Infantry.
Two hundred yards to the northeast are
three or four muddy graves. These are the
resting places of men who died at the Fort
Myer Hospital and, at Camp Alger and
whose bodies we're not claimed by rela-
| tives. Some of the District Volunteers and
| some Grand Army men who died recently
are also buried there. These graves are
/ in depressed piece of land and the clay
is water soaked. Many withered flowers
Z .asNA III.
mud. Here and there small flags .iutter
above the graves.
The graves OF the Santiago yistims are
/ the southernmost at Arlington. Growing
among them are five native trees. One
is an ancient cherry, which probably fruit
ed years before the ashes of heroes began
/ to mingle with the soil OF Arlington long
before Americans shed each Others blood
! in civil war. Three rough old gum trees,
| bare as trees can be in winter, stand there.
I They are black without a touch of green.
| No leaf bud shows, and the sap has scarce
/ ly started. One scrub pine signs where the
! dead will lie
| To the east there is a clear view Of the
river the city. and the Maryland hills be-
yond. of TO the right is the Long Bridge.
across which many of the men who rest
there now crossed about one year ago on
their way South, departing for the scene
! of the conflict
There were few pilgrims TO the San
tiago graves yesterday. 1t was a bright
day, though the wind that swept from the
northwest across the Arlington uplands
was raw and biting. Several hundred per-
sons visited Arlington yesterday and car
ried Easter flowers TO the graves OF loved
ones. Probably not more than twenty five
persons went far enough to the southwark
to visit the burial ground of the men who
died at Santiago
About two hundred more bodies that
were exhumed from the fields around San
tiago will be buried with those that
reached Washington Saturday
The day OF the funeral has not been set,
but there is an understanding that it will
take place ON Thursday. Imposing military
honors will be paid to the dead. All the
regular troops in the vicinity will partici-
pate and IT is likely that the National
Guard Will be ordered out.