Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-09-25

"i"e feclihE Aroused by the Death
OF PRESIDENT Mcllinley-For Five Min
utcs tho Nations business Was Sus-
pended as Tribute to the Dead
Washington, u. C.-At the stroke Of
church bell in Il country town on
Thursday the world listened. then
st;od still, then linclt and then prayed
Sorrow ovcrlcapCd the bounds of
space. The knell that sounded at
80 o'clock in tho Ohio town of
Canton-thc one great metallic voice
that seemed 10 say REST, Rest, Restr'
rs the body OF William Mckinley was
borne TO its tomb-Grcw ana grew to
thunder of sound with the greater
leagues that it covered.
10 east and west IL spread. and as
that voice. now chanting solclnnly.
Mourn mourn! mourn" swept over
the earth, al peoples prayed: the
prince. the priest the citizen.
Never before in the history o? the
world had that world been so swept
by sorrow-a tidal wave OF emotion
that surScd from pole 10 pole. from
east to west. blotting out class and
creed and race in the universal tribute
of tears
The bell that changed ont its message
In the little Methodist church i'm Cam
ION was Ike heart sending out it's
pulses through the body of the world
like a great central station with n
million wires. making Il web each
strand of which touched Il heart some
where
In this Nation i. mattcrcd not
whether men were on land or water.
They ceased the moments stcD for ~
iull five minutes To say. God rest
MIN" The engines of great ships and
ptte river boats stopped. and rs the
craft lay idle. again came the simple.
solemn phrase. God rest himr'
Time had been dctird: The great
Clock of the Human Heart marked
only the one hour. 1t was 80 o'clock
in Canton; it was 80 o'clock in spirit
in New York City. in san Francisco.
IN Hawaii. in Hong Kong. in Bombay,
in ConStantinoplc, in Paris. in London.
Truly the wide world wcpt.
Never before in I'LL the history of
the United States or the world was
such tribute paid to the memory OF
one man. In every city and town of
the United States all commerce was
stopped, while hats came off and voices
sadly and solcmnly Joined in one OF
the dead Presidents favorite hymns.
In New York City the most remarka-
bic SCENES occurred In the public
squares thousands gathered hours be-
fore the time for the bells to toll the
news that the Last solemn act OF tho
great national tragedy had begun.
Patiently and silently they waited.
Then, aS the first deep notes of the
bells were heard every hat was
raised, and no man stood there COW
cred. Many n handkerchief was
lifted to tear-filled eyes. but not III
sound was uttered. Trolley cars were
ut standstll. and so stood all until
the last strokes of the bells announced
that the gates of the tomb had been
closed. Not n car moved in the city
during this time. Not telegraph in
strument clicked. In the great harDor
not propeller turned.
All over this country similar scenes
were enacted. Street car lines and
great railway systems came to n dead
stop. Even those never-ceasing max
ers OF speech. the telegraph wires. Law
pulSeless for five mnuteS-for that
only five minutes of all the ages in
which the world stood still in rever-
cnCc OF II memory OF Il man.
In Englnnd's capital memorial serv-
Ices were held in Westminster Abbey
that were second only to those I'm
honor of the lamented Queen Victoria.
The representative of King Edward
VII. was present. as was most dis
tinguished asscmblagc Services were
also held in st. Paurs and In all the
great universities OF Great Britain
and Ireland.
In every capital OF Europe and in
nearly every civilized country of the
world memorial services were held. sa-
lutes were fred and flags lowered to
half staff. Wherever the warships OF
Great Britain and Germany were sta
toned the guns joined in the salute
due to the head Of the new great world
Power Throughout the British en-
pre such reverence was paid by voice,
gun md flag rs has never been paid
before to any one save Queen Victoria.
In the American church in Paris,
Frenchmen and Americans mourned;
to the services in Berlin the Kaiser
sent special representative.
And Of William McKnley's own
what need TO say that it's
grief was the greatest it ever has
known! From outcTmost cape of the
East to our weSicrnmost island pos
session, from Seattle TO Cuba. the
were filed and the flag that
he loved dropped at half-mast.
The ceremonies. the services, the
decorations. the actions of the citizens
were the same in capital and in ham
let. The culogies differed only as the
limitations and abilities OF the speak
rrs differed All were alike in that
hey breathed forth the deep sorrow.
he great love OF a weeping Nation.
The story of the ceremonies and OF
~ closing OF business houses and fac
ories IL the same everywhere. The
story Of ono city's action Is the story
)f every city and village ~fhin the
of the United 81 ). Grief
md mourning were general.