Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-16

toward the city hail, it passed through
a vast concourse of people flling the
walks and cross streets and crowding
house tops, windows and every avail
able space of the building along the
line of march.
AS the escort OF soldiers swung
slowly into Franklin streets, few
drops OF ram fell. In two minutes It
was raining hard. The long line OF
troops took their positions at atten-
ton facing the City hall. Ihe car
riages containing members OF the CAP
met rolled up TO the entrance. ne
last OF the carriages was the ono pear
ing President Roosevelt. Removing
his hat, the President stepped from the
vehicle and walked into the vestloale.
When the hearse appeared the four
horses were led slowly to the en-
trance and stopped. The band some
distance away began Nearer My God
to Thee" At the same instant pre-
eisely the rain came down IN sheets
and driven along by south west gale
of the water of Lake Erie, tore across
the City hall square.
The casket was lifted from the
bearse to the shoulders of the 5ailors
and marines and was borne into But
falo's official home. Outside there was
not a man. so far as could be seen, who
did not stand, defying the elements
with hat removed, respecting his dead
President Inside with steps impress
sively slow and measured, the bearers
made their way to the eatataique 4
minute later and the body OF Presl-
dent Mckinley was
Lying in State.
The scheme of the interior drapings
was unique and most artist!caliy car
ried out.
Entering the main vestibule from
Franklin street, the vision was greeted
with the graceful sweep of festoors OF
black and white cashmere. The crap
cry assembled from the floor to the
ceiling and dropped TO the mouldings,
where it was caught in bows or deep
black, thence to follow downward the
contour OF the building. A mammoth
column situation half way between the
side walls of the vestibule, served to
develop the arches. The column it
self, reaching to the ceiling became
monument of mourning in it's garb OF
lures of the martyred President fasten-
ed on either side of the column, while
companion pictures of like dimensions
adorned the walls. Many yards OF
drapery converted the rectangle spaces
demarcated by the solumn and the
walls into two arches of imposing pro-
portions, affording entry to the main
corridor where had been constructed
the canopy Of state under which the
dead President e. to repoSe Whlle
Buffalo's thousands paid their last re-
spects. Leaving the arches, elevator
shafts on either side were literally
hidden from view behind perfect sea
of black. Above the central point OF
the corridor, directly under the floor
walls was fashioned
The state Canopy.
White and black eashmeres OF costly,
price floated down in graceful lines
from a point high up in the building.
The purity of the white alternated with
the sombre of the black reaching down
II, French drapery with festooning OF
beautiful simplicity. Dropping down IN
impressive grandeur were four OF the
country's flags, SO huge as 70 burst
forth into an unmistakaIble cross.
Below on the tiled floor of the cor
ridor rested the catafalque. 1t was
covered with the same costly cashmere,
the severity being divided by six knots
of generous proportions of satin mater
ial It's head rose eighteen inches from
the floor and made gentle angle, al
lowing the bier to slope to the front.
Stairways flanked the two sides of the
corridor. The balustrades were hid
den from view beneath the conyen-
tbonal garb of mourning. Mounting
from the stairway posts were chan
.deliers of six lights burning low. The
arms of the chandeliers were wound
with black and white with altar crosses.
A radiator was swallowed up in mass
of funeral color and back Of this i'm
nronnt1l altar, there spread out
snace net unlike a chancel, all in black
and white. Behind it all f1oated an
other American flag of generous pro-
portions. The enclosure for the
catafaD1ue was surrounded by banks of
palms. There were pandanas. arecas,
kinitias, baytros, phoenix, inclanata,
and raffia, worked into the general
scheme of decorations. There was but
One Set Floral Piece.
This was contribution from the
French Society of Buffalo. 1t consisted
of two flags, United States and France,
on standards, with drapings of purple
and black, caught in the beak of
pure white dove framed in the words
with Sympathy and Regrets" This
design occupied the central place in the
southern bank of palms. Later superb
set pieces from the Miiburn house
reached the city hall and were given
places in the system of decorations.
OF striking beauty was white wreath
bearing in immortelles the name
"Chile"
Cireled about the bier was distin-
guished company. To the left stood
President Roosevelt. At his left was
Attorney General Knox. Then came
Secretary Long and Secretary Wilson.
Across to the right, Secretary Cortel-
you stood. With him were Secretary
Root. Secretary Hitchcock and Post
master General Smith. Guarding the
body we're a sergeant of artillery at the
head: marine at the foot; to one side