The record-union., 1899-01-17
HONORS TO THE
DEAD STATESMAN.
Funeral Services Over the Remains
Of Nelson DingIey
Held Yesterday in the Halls Of the House
Of Representatives.

"A Large Concourse of Notable Peo-
pie Present, Including the Pres
ident, His Cabinet, the Repre-
sentatives of the Diplomatic
Corps, Members Of the Supreme
Court, Senators and Congress-
men.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-A state fu-'
neral, almost majestic In it's impress
iyenees, was given the late Representa-
tive Nelson Dingley at noon to-day in
the House of Representatives, where he
had SO long been such commanding
figure. The President, his Cabinet, dis
tinguished members of the diplomatic
corps, members of the Supreme Court,
Senate and House and distinguished
men in military and civil life, were
ranged about his bier on the floor or
the hall, while the galleries, to which
admission could be obtained only Dy
card were occupied by the families of
nent persons invited to be present. Some
of them, like delegation from the New
York Chamber of Commerce, had come
from a distance to pay their last trib-
Ite of respect to the dead statesman.
Not since the late William D. Kelly of
Pennsylvania was given a state funeral
in the House during the Fifty-first
Congress, while Mckinley was Char
IL
tee. has such honor been accorded a
deceased member of the House.
The remains were taken from the Ho-
tel Hamilton to the Capitol this morn
ing at 10 o'clock, and were borne into
the Hall of Representatives by squad
of Capitol police under the direction of
Sergeant Russell. The casket was
placed on a bier in the area in front of
the marble rostrum of the Speaker, and
for an hour the public, which would
have no opportunity to- witness the Off
cial ceremonies later, was allowed to
view the remains as they lay in state.
Thousands of people streamed through
the main door down past the casket and
gazed upon the calm, serene features
of the dead during that hour. Some
could with difficulty be induced by the
pelice to move away from the casket.
The House pages and other employees of
the House entered the line and took
last view of the revered statesman Mr..
Dingley was we'll loved by the employees
OF the House, and there were tears in
many eyes.
The decorations of the hall were SIM
pie but strikingly beautiful. Palms re-
lieved the rigid corners, and palm leaves
arranged in the form of trefoil, plant
ed in wreaths of gala leaves and tied
with. long streamers of purple, adorned
the walls. A cluster of roses and palm
leaves were arranged on each section
OF the brass railing about the rear of
the hall. This simple scheme of decora-
ton eliminated about the rostrum be-
meath which the remains 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 beautiful and 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 Joint High Commission.
The only floral piece on the casket was
a cluster of orchids, the gift of Mrs.
Blaine. AT the head of the casket, like
halo above the brow of the dead man.
was 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 seats, while the
body lay in state, single desk was
wrapped in black and covered with
roses and lilies.
During the interval before 10 o'clock
almost every member of the House who
is In the city came in and stood for a
moment by the casket with bowed head
and gazed for the last time on the fa
niiliar features. Meantime the CALLER
les had filed.
At 11:45 the stream of people who
had been fling by the bier was inter-
rupted, and the members of the House
began seating themselves on the left of
the main aisle near the chairs reserved
for the family. Speaker Reed called
the House to order An air of deep
sadness pervaded the hall as the MEM
bers rose to listen to the brief and sim
ple PRAYER of the Chaplain, and while
the clerk read in full resolutions adopt
ed on Saturday after the announcement
of Mr.. Ding1ey's death. The clerk OF
the Senate announced the passage of
similar resolutions by the Senate.
Immediately afterward the Vice
President and the Senate entered the
chamber in a body and were followed
by the diplomatic corps. with whom
came the members of the Anglo-Amer-
lean Commission, of which Mr.. Dingley
had been a member. The members of
the corps wore mourning attire. At
the head of the diplomatic corps was
the venerable dean, the British Embas-
sador, Sir Julian Pauncefote. Follow
ing came the Russian Embassador,
Count Cassini; the French Charge
d'Affaires. NJ. Thiebaut; Baron Speck
Won Sternberg of the German Embassy;
Minister Yang Yu of China, with his
rich Oriental robes; Baron Riddle, the
Austrian Charge; the Minister OF
Japan, Venezuela, Costa Rico and
many other countries, and many at
taches. The Anglo-American Com
missioners included Lord Herschel, Sir
Wilfred Laurier, Sir Louis Davies and
Messrs. T. Jefferson Coolidge and John
NJ Casson.
Then followed the Chief Justices and
Associate Justices of the Supreme
Court in their robes. and they in turn
Jfkre followed by the President with
~ Cabinet Secretaries Hay, Gage,
Xker, Attorney General Griggs and
efere4aries Long, Bliss and wilson