The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-16

post OF nOnOr.
In the carriage following the Grand
| army marchers rode Senator Hanna.
| Gov. Odell, Senators Fairbanks and
hean. Senator Burrows, Director Cen
eral buchanan and two exposition Off
Gals occupied the next. Then came
COL Bingham and Mai Thomas w.
| oylnonds, who has been the active rep
resentatlVe of the War Department
mere since the shooting of the Presi-
dent occurred. The White House staff,
VINO were so closely identified with the
late President rode together. Mayor
Dlehi, of Buffalo, and city officials and
members of the City Council were the
last OF the official members in the cor
! tege.
After them followed a long line of
carriages occupied by those who had
been near the President officially and
personally and who followed more as
friends than as officials. None of the
members of the family entered the car
| riages.
AS the funeral cortege moved south
through Delaware avenue toward the
City Hall, 1t passed through a vast
concourse of people, filling the walks
and cross streets and crowding house
tops, windows and every available
space of the buildings along the line
of march.
AS the escort of soldiers swung
slowly into Franklin street a few drops
of rain fell. In two minutes it was
raining hard. The long line of troops
took their position at attention, facing
the City Hall. The carriages, contain
ing members of the cabinet hurried up
to the entrance. The last of the car
riages was the one bearing President
Roosevelt. Removing his hat, the Pres
ident stepped from the vehicle and
walked into the vestibule.
When the hearse appeared the four
horses were led slowly to the entrance
and stopped. The band, some distance
away, began, Nearer, My God, to
! Thee" At the same instant precisely
the rain came down in sheets, and
driven along by southwest gale, off
the waters of Lake Erie, tore across
City Hall Square.
The casket was lifted from the hearse
to the shoulders of the sailors and ma
rines and was borne into Buffalos Off
| cial home. Outside there was not a
man, so far as could be seen, who did
not stand, defying the elements, with
hat removed, respecting the dead Presi-
dent. Inside, with steps impI1ssively
slow and measured, the bearers made
their way to the catafalque. A mo-
ment later and the body of President
Mckinley was lying in state.
The Decorations Beautiful.
The scheme of the interior drapings
was unique and most artistically car
ried out, pure white being used with
the sombre black. The enclosure for
the catafalque was surrounded by
banks of palms. There were pandan-
as, arceas, kintias, bay trees, phoenix,
inclanata and rafia worked into the
general scheme of decorations. One
set floral piece was a contribution from
the Frenh Society of Buffalo. 1t con-
sisted of two flags, United States and
French, on standards with drapings of
purple and black, caught in the beak
of a pure white dove, framed in the
words with Sympathy and Regrets"
This design occupied the central piece
with bank of palms. Set pieces from
the Milburn house were given place
in the system of decorations. OF strik-
ing beauty, was a white rose bearing
in immortelles the name Chile"
Circled about the bier was a distin-
guished company. To the left stood
President Roosevelt. At his right
was Attorney General Knox. Then
came Secretary Long and Secretary
Wilson Across to the right Secretary
Cortelyou stood With him were Secre-
tary Root, Secretary Hitchcock and
Postmaster General Smith. Guarding
! the body were a sergeant of artillery
at the head, a marine at the foot; to
one side was a sergeant OF infantry, to
the other another marine.
The casket was Immediately opened
to it's full length. An American flag
was thrown across the foot of the
casket and resting against 1t were
wreaths of roses.
A moment of silence prevailed. Then
President Roosevelt nodded to Secre-
tary Root, and side by side they left
the scene by the rear doors, followed
by the other members of the cabinet
Five minutes were spent in complet
ing arrangements for the admission of
Buffalo's citizens. Streamers of double
faced satin ribbon. white and black
were stretched from the hands of the
sailors and soldiers, a mark to be re-
spected by the throngs At lbs exact
ly, the police were notified that the
body could be viewed by the people.
Citizens View Dead President.
A minute later and the first of the
long line came through the doors. Sol
emn visaged, in dignified silence. they
moved past the bier to view the face
of the President. Old men and weak
women, and strong men and children,
leaders of men, and laborers, all these
classes were represented in the
thrOngS that filed past. During the
first hour the people passed the cata-
falque at the rate of lis to the minute
They seemed as the afternoon wore on
to come more rapidly.
Outside the lines the crowds were
amazing in their dimensions. Two long
blocks through Church street to Main,
half mile in two directions, its arms
lost themselves in continually grow
ing crowds. Word was brought into the
City Hall that in order to accommo-
date as many as possible it would be
wise to hasten the speed of the people
Accordingly the people were urged and
the view obtained after that was fleet
ing at the best At the end of the
first hour it was estimated that some
thing like 1000 persons had pasesd the
bier. The statue like guard was re-
lieved at the end of the hour and the
hourly relefs were continued until the
crowds were stopped.
Distinguished Men I'm Line.
Distinguished persons took their
places in the line. At o'clock came
twenty-eight commissioners from va
rious American countries to the Pan
American Exposition. There was a
score or more of distinguished Chilians.
DIR. Eugene Wasdin, one of the physi-
clans who attended the President, es-
corted to the bier a lady and passed
on with the crowd.
Throughout the long hours of the
afternoon there was never a cessation
of the 81! mt, moving stream of people.
who passed into the City Hall. In the
early hours the function was rendered