New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-09-15
BEWILDERED By CALAMITY
FLAGS FLYING, BUT NO FESTIvITY-
BUSINESS GOING ON. BUT De
PRESTON REIGNING

Those who were in this city yesterday may
markable Of lifetime 1t was not day of
element but IL day of strained interest
and rare experience-happily rare. One of the
effects Of a great calamity is bewilderment
Great calamities are SO few that most people do
not know how to take them. 1t was so yester-
day. The people did not quite know what they
ought 20 do in the face of such occurrence
as the assassination of a President Naturally,
fl ended in their doing nothing. except to go
about their ordinary occupations as much as
was needful. and, of course, this was just what
they ought TO do.
But the city had strange air. 1t was not like
a business DAY or Sunday a holiday and yet
Il was somehow like all of them. The shops
were open and yet both shopkeepers and Gus
toners seemed TO wish that they could put trade
far from them. There was unwonted quiet
everywhere, and yet business was going on.
Every flag in town was flying, and yet there was
no festvity. There was the deepest of interest
interest amounting to fascnation-in the
one subject which filled all minds but there was
no curiOsity-no suspense. With these lacking
the day was like the day before. There was no
dread. anxiety. alienation of hope and
apprehension. but there was the same depres-
SON. the same quiet submission and sense of
irrepara BILE loss.
On Friday night the crowds stayed late about
the bulletins They stood patiently waiting ex-
pecting news but the worst, yet unwilling to
go away without knowing whatever to be
known. Toward midnight the crowds began to
thin out little and at ] o'clock there a
report-one of the many false ones-that the
President was dead. This sent many more away.
and thousands went home and slept, thinking
that all over And so. although the Pres
to learn in the morning that he dead. The
news was that he had not died so soon as they
had supposed.
To many the first real tidings of the death of
the President was the sight of flags at halfmast
in the morning. The bells of Trinity Church and
few others had been tolied as soon as the
news came, but that was at the hour when
nearly everybody was asleep, and few heard
them.
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS UNDECORATED
In The forenoon more flags were flying than
have been seen in town before since the Spanish
war Indeed the streets looked much as they
did then, till one looked closely enough to see
that all the flags were at halfmast. AS the day
went on other decorations than flags began to
appear, and by evening there were good many
of them. These were for the most part simply
festoons of black. although on some prominent
buildings more elaborate arrangements were
seen But decoration has only begun. There
will be much more of it 1t is curious that
the only conspicuous absence of decoration will
be on the buildings controlled by the United
States Government A recent law prevents the
decoration of any building belonging TO the ma
ton for any purpose whatever by Withholding
all money from such purpose. The city build
ings will be decorated, however, orders to that
effect having gone forth early yesterday. The
decoration of the whole city seems likely to be
slow account of the lack of material for the
purpose, as the supply close at hand appears to
be far from sufficient to meet the large ana I'M
expected demand.
There were the same signs of recognition of
the general sorrow wherever ships were to be
seen Every kind of craft in the harbor which
could carry flag at all carried one at half
mast, even the boats which do the drudgery of
maritime labor and do not usually trouble
themselves about how they dress for the task.
observing the general mourning. All the for
eign ships in port were in mourning too, like
the American. The Shamrock and the Erin
were counted IL this rumber and had their
flags at half mast like the rest.
Not much talk of anarchy was heard about
the streets and in the public places yesterday.
The feeling seemed be that anarchy could
wait-that II would be dealt with fully and
finally in it's turn, but that for the present there
was matter of more Immediate concern. Yet
the matter of more immediate concern seemed
10 consist rather in consideration of the Situa-
ton than in any action with regard to it. The
people were restless, and yet had nothing to do.
Nothing was be done; news was TO be
sought: there was much talking, but
there much thinking, and. no doubt, there
was much growing realization of the loss and OF
its full meaning Ii was q time of deep emotion,
with the excitement and the suspense all gone
out Of ii. and only the restlessness and the sor-
row remaining