The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-17
TH0SANDS LINE THE STREETS
And With Tear Stained Eyes in Silence and Sorrow
Watch the Procession as 1t Moves Along
Pennsylvania Avenue.

Washington, Sept. 16.-The remains
Of President Mckinley tonight lie in
the east room of the white house
where for more than four years he
had made his home as the chief mag
istrate Of the great American repub
lie. Upstairs his widow mourns for
her dead in the family apartments.
that now bring back but the saddest
Of memories. 1t was with simple cere-
mony and silence that defined per-
fectly the sadness of the occasion that
the body Of the late president was
borne up Pennsylvania avenue to the
white house and laid upon the bier
in the great east room, where he had
stood SO often in the pride of his
manhood to receive the greetings Of
the common people he loved better
than himself.
1t was fitting that such ceremony
as there was should be severely mil
itary in character, in recognition of
the fact that the president was the
communicative of the United
States army and navy. Nowhere was
there any show of civilian participa-
tion.. The streets about the station
were filled with mounted troops and
the station itself was occupied by
stalwart soldiers and sailors in uni
form. The blue coated policeman and
the railroad employees were nearly all
that stood for civil life.
1t was not so on the broad stretch
of avenue that led to the white
house. There the people strained and
crowded in a vast multitude against
the stiff wire ropes which restrained
them from the space marked out for
the line of procession. The silence
that marked the progress of the fun
eral party through the national cap
ital was profound The. people as a
whole did not even talk in whispers
and the only sign of agitation in the
crowd was the silent pressing and
striving against the ropes to see the
mournful cortege which swept slowly
along.
The afternoon was cloudy and with
the close of day began the dull op-
pressing boom of great gun at in
tervals of five minutes.
1t was the signal which gave notice
of the approach of the funeral train.
At the Pennsylvania railroad station
men in bright uniforms gathered, a
mixture of soldiers and sailors, and
with lowered voices talked in groups
while waiting to take up their parts
in the ceremony. From the brigadier
general and naval captain down to
the humblest lieutenant and ensign
every officer on duty in the capital
was there save few of high rank who
composed the guard of honor and
waited at the white house.
Presently in dead silence two
troops of cavalry from Fort Meyer
swung from Pennsylvania avenue to
Sixth street. Then Secretaries Hay
and Gage and Acting Secretary San
ger and Commissioner MacFarland
and few subordinates privileged to
enter the space within the, station
where the train was to stop. Among
them was the veteran Captain Charles
Loeffler, who had been the personal
messenger and usher to President
Mckinley and of every other president
back to the administration Of Presi-
dent Grant; Major Pruden. assistant
secretary to the president; Mr..
Barnes and Warden Young, and others
Of the white house -staf. The army
and navy officials awaited inside the
station the speeding train. The night
was humid and dark and the surround.
ings depressing in spite of the official
gold lace everywhere about.
The train was little late. It was
due at 1928 but the clock stood at
S:3S when the headlight of the big
locomotive passed along the rails and
the car swept quietly to a stop at