The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-29
Maine Victims Consigned to
Earth in Arlington
Cemetery
PRESIDENT AND
CABINET THERE
Men Whose Lives Cost Spain
Her Colonies Now Sleep
BY the Potomac

Washington, Dec. 2S.-Upon the
windy heights of Arlington cemetery
the Maine dead, brought from HAVANA
by the battleship Texas were today
laid away in their final resting place,
with simple religious services and the
impressive honors of war, in the pres
ence of the president, members of his
cabinet, officers Of the army and navy
and other representatives of the gov
eminent. A cabinet officer, surveying
the f1ag-draped collins before the cere-
monies began, said: 1.-THE lives of those
men cost Spain her colonies"
But there was no note of triumph in
the grim scene today. With touch
of sadness and solemn gravity, the ma
ton performed it's duty to the dead,
and gave it's defenders a Christian
burial at home, in soil halloWed by
patriotic dead.
MANTLE OF SNOW.
A soft mantle of snow covered the
earth, muff1ing the beat of the horses
hoofs, the slow turning carriage wheels
and the tramp of soldiers and sailors
as they approached the burial place.
The site is a commanding one. 1t
fronts the broad bosom of the ice
fettered Potomac, beyond the shaft of
Washington, the dome of the capitol
and the sprawling city; to the right
the choked embrasures of old Fort Nc
Pherson, and between the graves of
the heroic dead of Santiago, to the left,
the stately mansion of Lee. and to the
rear, through the vistas of snow-laden
pines and cedars, the silent army of
the patriotic dead of the civil war,
sleeping rank upon rank in their last
bivouac.
The caskets inferred today were
ranged row on row. Over each was
spread an American ensign, upon which
lay wreaths of smilax leaves. Around
the enclosure, shoulder to shoulder, the
yellow of their coat Innings forming a
band of color, were drawn up the
cavalry of Fort Meyer; to the right
was battalion of marines from the
navy yard, with their spiked helmets
and scarlet capes turned back; to the
left, a detachment of jackies from the
Texas, in navy blue; in the fiag-draped
stand in the rear, the president and his
cabinet, Admiral Dewey, Maj. Gen.
Miles and a distinguished assemblage
of high officials; while all around
pressed the throng of people who had
braved the snow and biting cold to pay
their last tributes to the dead.
FRIENDS OF THE VICTIMS.
Among these were many relatives
and friends of those who had been lost
in the disaster There was a tender
appropriateness in the fact that Capt
Sigsbee, who was in command Of the
Maine when she was blown up, had
charge of the ceremonies in honor of
his men, and that Father Chadwick,
who was chaplain of the Maine, was
there to perform the last rites. Three
others who lived through that awful
night in Havana harbor were at the
graves of their comrades, Lieut.. Com
mander Wainwright, who was execu-
tive officer of the Maine, and who sank
the Pluton and the Furor at Santiago;
Lieut.. F. c. Bowers, who was assistant
engineer of the Maine; and jeremiah
Shea, fireman on the Maine, who was
blown out of the stoke hole of the ship
through the debris, escaping uninjured
most miraculously.
Slowly, solemnly, the full Marine
band broke the deep hush, pealing
forth the sad, sweet strains of the
dirge, Safe in the arms of Jesus and
there were twitching of lips and wet
eyes as Chaplain Clark of the naval
academy at Annapolis came forward
and took his place under a canvas COW
cred shelter in the open space in front
of the dead. The Protestant services
were held first and were very simple
Chaplain Clark read the burial service
of the Episcopal church, and then gave
way to Father Chadwick, who was as
sisted by Revs. Holland and Brown and
two purple-robed acolytes
CHAPLAIN READ SERVICE.
With head barred to the wintry blast,
the Names chaplain read the burial
service according to the rites Of the
Catholic church, consigned the dead,
blessed the ground, repeated the Lord S
prayer and concluded with a fervent
appeal for the repose of the souls of the
departed. detachment of marines in
command of Capt. Harmony then
marched to the right of the graves and
fired three volleys over the dead and in
the deep stiffness that followed the
crash the clear silvery note Of bugle
rang out the soldiers and sailors last
| good night.
With the sounding of taps the cere-
monies ended. The president and his
party and the other distinguished
! guests, the military and the crowds
| then withdrew. Before leaving, Capt.
| Sigsbee introduced jeremiah Shea to
| the president When asked for an ex-
PLANTATION of the mystery of his escape
| by the president, Shea responded as he
did to a similar query from Father
| Chadwick at the time of the disaster:
IT don't know how I got through.
| was blown out. l guess I must have
been an armor-p piercing projectile"
| And thus, after two years, the dead
of the Maine have been brought home,
and in ground reserved for the nations
heroes have been buried with full mill
itary honors and the service of their
faith.