Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-07-12
AQUAINT CEMETERY.
WHERE OVER 100 OF THE CoUNTRYS
, EARLY LEGISLATORS SLEEP.


Burial Sites In Suburbs of washing
ton That Were Set Apart For the
Free Interment of ConEressmen
Dying Away From Home.
! On the eastern outskirts OF Washing
ton. where the city, struggling over the
commons and vacant squares, hats at
the edge of the marshes of the Ana
costa river, stands the old Congress
sional cemetery, with its eightscore
cenotaphs, memorials OF departed
statesmen. Years ago the tide OF pop
ulation surged westward and north
ward, overrunning the salubrious high
lands of those sections and establish
ing it's burial grounds In the new re-
giOns. But this little city OF the dead
was left alone in the deserted quarter,
with the Jail, the aImhousc and the
workhouse for neighbors.
In it are 160 cenotaphs to dead con-
gressmen, stretching in monOtonOus
rows through the cemetery, alliOf them,
with two exceptions, OF Il uniform
shape and size, and erected att govern
ment expense to the memory of the
governments dead representatives.
Some of the stones mark the actual
burying place of the defunct states
men, but others, like those comment
orative of Henry Clay, John Quincy
Adams, Thaddeus Stevens and others,
merely stand in honor of those dis
tingufshed names. Since 1ST6ithe prac-
tice OF erecting cenotaphs, begun in
1896, has been abandoned
When the cemetery was! established
in 1908, its projectors thought it would
be a successful idea to secure the inter
ment in the new cemetery OF congress
men who passed away while serving
their country in the then msIarial eli
mate of Washington and TINT it would
give this mortuary site distinction
above ordinary burying grounds
So 400 burial sites were iset apart for
the free interment of congressman dy-
ing away from home, and the place
was named heCongressionaBc cemetery
In those days it was impossible to
transport a body long distances with
out great expense and trouble, and the
purchasing of burial lots was expen-
sive, so the privilege thus extended
was readily accepted. The funerals
were conducted with imposing ceremO-
MES, and the departed solons were laid
away with pomp and circumstance in
the spaces specially allotted and set
apart for them.
AS methods OF transportationlimpro
ed, however. with the years, and the
families OF the deceased found, oppor-
tunity to take the bodies home for in
terment, the practice fell into idisuse,
and ultimately law was enacted pro-
vidfng that n cenotaph should lie erect
ed in the cemetery to eve.9 congress
man who died in the harness, and for
a number OF years this custom was fol-
lowed, so that many OF the monuments
merely stand in memory OF the con-
gressmen without actually marking the
burial sites.
In 1876 law was enacted providing
that no cenotaph should he erected I'M
less intermeht was made in the ccme-
terry, and there has not been a burial
OF a congressman I'm the plot since that
year.
The cenotaphs are plain blocks OF
masonry. covered with cement to with
stand the rnvages OF the elements.
Each Is inscribed with the name OF the
dead man, the state he represented i'm
the house or senate and the date of his
death. Some of the inscriptions are
now ilIegible, but the oldest one de-
cipherable is on cenotaph in memory
Of Andrew p Butler, n senator from
the state Of South Carolina, who died
in 1916. AS stated. all the ccnOtaphs
are of uniform size and shape. except |
In two instances. One is n marble mon
ument to EIbridge Gerry of Massachu- |
sets, at one time vice president Of the
United States and famous in Revolu- |
tionary history. 1t is pyramid shaped !
pile OF marble about twice the height |
OF the other cenotaphs, surmounted by