Evening star., 1901-09-17
UNDER THE DOME
Impressive Services at
the Capitol.
APRESIDENT'SFUNERAL
Eloquent Eulogy by Bishop
Andrews.
A DISTINGUISHED ASSEMBLAGE
Tribute to the Dead Chief
Magistrate. !.
CITIZENS VIEW THE rem AIMS
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4 DISTINGUISHED ASSEMBLAGE
CITIZENS VIEW THE REM AIMS

/
1 The scenes about the Capitol this morn
| ing showed that, regardless of any dis
| comfort that might be encountered, the
people Of Washington were determined to
| be witnesses Of the memorable events con-
nected with the funeral of their beloved
| President. Lowering clouds threatened
rain very early in the day, but, provided
| with umbrellas the people began to gather
at the east front Of the Capitol two or
| three hours before the services to be held
In the rotunda were to begin.
| Yesterday the east front Of the historic
| structure was strewn with building mate
| rial, with two temporary workshops built
| on the lawn near the Senate wing. Today
/ transformation had taken place. Every
| vestige of evidence of the work of making
| repairs to the building had been removed
| and the lawn had been rolled so that 1t
had lost all signs of the workshop and the
| lumber yard. The great pile of white
| marble surmounted by a dome of snow
like purity had never looked grander nor
| more imposing. flag at half-mast re-
| sponded to the breeze above the two main
entrances of the building-entrances fac
/ ing the east and west.
| No Black Drapery.
| There was no other indication of death.
| No black drapery was to be seen any
| where. 1t was all white, the emblem OF
death adopted by some eastern nationa
| But as 1t was not in accordance with
American ideas Of providing black drapery
| for the dead. It was an evidence Of the re-
| spect in which the written law is held by
the American people, an evidence of tho
majesty Of that law at which the assassin's
had lafa
directed. law is on the statute books
providing that no drapery be used on pub
| lie buildings II was law enacted In very
recent years, its trainers providing against
the frequent draping of public buildings for
officials OF various grades. but it is prob
able its trainers gave no thought to its ap-
plication on such an occasion as today,
when the whole nation was mourning for
the sad death OF Its guiding spirit. No one
could have urged objection had the law
been brushed aside but so potent was the
statute in the minds of those who alone
could have broken 1t that no thought OF
It's infringement was entertained.
THE law forbids it."
That was all and enough The great
Capitol was undraped when prepared to
receive the remains of the President.
Reverentfal Crowds.
The crowds gathered about the Capitol
showed plainly that they had come In
no irreveFent spirit. but fully realizing
the consequences Of the awful tragedy
that had made such day possible They
entered the grounds Surrounding the big
building and were soon massed directly be-
fore the east entrance, and as sthe hours
wore on the crowd increased and extended
toward East Capitol, street. 4 reserved
for rfac he
sion had been roped of in front of the easG
staircase, and the great concourse of people
quietly took their places back of It. Tho
close cut lawns, splendid trees and flower
ing shrubbery of the Capitol grounds never
appeared more beautiful than today Red
blossoms on some Of the Towering trees
gave touch of color to the scene The
foliage had not yet been touched by the
blighting effects Of autumn, and all was
fresh and green.
In the R0tunda.
Within the building the rotunda had been
prepared for the impressive ceremony that
was to take place there. The nation could
provide no more fitting place to honor the
dead than this circular room with lofty
domed roof and walls ornamented- with his
torical pictures representing great events
in the early history of the new world For
the funeral of President Mckinley the
place was especially fitting. Some of the
most active years of his life were spent
within the building. Indeed, his fame as q
statesman was written while serving tho
people Of his congressional district in the
House Of Representatives It was In the
performance OF these duties that he be-
came known all over the land as a repre-
sentative Of a principle OF government which
later won for him the nomination of his
party and his election by the whole peo-
pie. Many time had he crossed the very
spot that today was to be covered by the
funeral drapery arranged for the reception
of the casket containing his mortal re-
mains. He had loved to linger in that
great rotunda with its pictures and air OF
bigness, and in passing from the House to
the Senate had often done so. On his bier
today the figures of the great allegorical
picture on the ceiling of the rotunda looked
down with strange Significance. The em-
blem "E Pluribus Unum'' plainly visible on
the canvas was emblem for which he
had fought when little more than a youth
and for which he had contsnded In the
mature years of his life.
The scene Of the ailegorical representa-
ton of the great events that had made
such country as ours possible was In
Itself q rebuke TO the thought OF lawless.
ness which had been the direful cause Of
the foul treachery that has so lately shock
ed the American people. Placed there by ,
the fathers of the country, the painting
represented the ascendency Of the common
people, the majesty of rational freedom exc