The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-29
HEROES or THE MAINE
Bodies Of the Dead Sailors in Their
Final Resting Place.
FUNERAL RITES;


Five Survivors Of the Great Disaster
Were Present to Fay . LAST Tributs
Of Respect to the Men whose Lives
Cost Spain Her Colonies.
Washington, Dec. 29.-Upon the
windy heights Of Arlington cemetery
the Maine dead, brought from Havana
BIZ the battleship Texas, yesterday
were laid away In their ANAL resting
nIaces with simple religious services
and the impressive honors OF war IN
the presence of the president, mem
hers Of the cabinet, officers of the army
and navy and other representatives OF
tine government. A cabinet ofhcer,
surveying the flag draped coff1ns before
the ceremonies began, said: the iiveS
Of those men cost Spain her colonies
The c.skets Inferred yesterday rang
cd row on row. Over each was spread
an American ensign, upon which lay
wreath of galax leaves. Around the
enclosure were drawn up the cavalry
Of Fort Meyer, to the right was a bat
talon Of marines from the navy yard
and to the left detachment Of tackles
from the Texas. In the flag draped
stand In the rear were the president
and his cabinet, Admiral Dewey, Major
General Miles and distinguished
group of officers Of the army and navy.
while all around pressed the throng of
people who had braved the snow and
biting cold to pay their last tribute to
the dead. Among these were many
relatives and friends Of those who had
been lost In the disaster,
There was tender appropriateness
In the fact that Captain 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 chap
lain Of the Maine, was there to per-
form the last rites. Three Others who
lived through that awful night in Ha-
vana tarbor were at the side Of the
graves of their comrades-Lieutenant
Commander Wainwright, who was ex-
ecutive officer of the Maine and who
sunk the Pluton and the Furor at San
tiago; Lieutenant F. G. Bowers, who
was assistant engineer of the Maine,
and jeremiah Shea. a fireman on the
Maine, who was blown out Of the stoke
hole Of the ship through the debris,
escaping uninJured and most miracu-
lousy.
After the Marine band had played
the dirge. Safe in the Arms Of Jesus"
the Protestant services were held, and
we're very simple. Chaplain Clark
read the burial service of the Epis-
copal church and then gave away to
Father Chadwick, who was assisted by
Revs. Holland and Brown and two
purple robed acolytes. With head
barred to the wintry blast the Names
chaplain read memorial service &C.
cording to the rites of the Catholic
church, consigned the dead, blessed
the ground, repeated the Lords Prayer
and concluded with fervent appeal
for the repose of the souls Of the de-
parted. A detachment of marines 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 notes of a
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 Cap
tain Sigsbee introduced jeremiah Shea
to the president. When asked for an
explanation of the mystery of his es-
cape by the president Shea responded,
as he did to a similar inquiry from
Father Chadwick at the time of the
disaster: II don't know how got
through. was blown out. I guess
I must have been an armor piercing
proiectile."