Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-31
AT ARLINGTON.

Washington Mcy 3U.-DecoratiOn day
was observed here. Friday. perhaps
more generally than ever before. The
announcement that Pres. Roosevelt
would deliver th- Grafton a Arlington
brought 10 that historic city Of the dead
q vast concourse Of people. The local
arrangements were in charge Of the de-
p:irtment Of the Potomac and included
a parade OF all The q. a. r. and other
patriotic organizations. the decoration
Of monuments ana graves ana ad-
dresses BY men prominent in the affairs
Of the government
At Arlington where the principal eX-
crciSes We're held. a national salute was
fired at = o'clock by ting 4th Battery.
Y. :. Field Artillery. Music was rem
dered by the Marine Band and by the
Memorial choir. Upon arriving at Ar
iington the procession marched to the
tomb Of the Unknown" During the
decoration of the tomb the Marine
Band played an appropriate selection.
The procession then broke up and the
general decoration Of graves began. A
touching feature of the work of the
decoration was the strewing offiowers
over the graves Of the Confederate
cemetery.
In the meantime vast crowd had as
sem1e1 a The amphitheatre. where the
services were conducted. The familiar
strains Of Nearer. MY God to Thee by
the Marine Band. marked the begin
ming o. The services. which had been
most deliberately planned. Pres. Rooee-
velts arrival was the signal for IN uot-
burst of applause which continued for
some time after he had taken his seat |
on the platform.
After the invocation and the rendi- |
ton of several numbers by the band |
ana choir y. r. Hay read Lincoln's
Gettysburg address. Pres. Roosevelt |
followed. and as he rose he was again |
greeted with cheers and the plaudits Of |
the immense crowd. which stretched !
far outside the limits of the ampithe- !
atre. His remarks were given the clos |
est attention and he was frequently in
terrupted by bursts of applause.
The applause accorded the President /
as Re concluded was long and continu-
Gus and as he took his seat some one
in the crowd cried out: Three cheers
for our brave President" whereupon n
mighty shout went up from the throats
of the thousands who had crowded into
every available space to hear him.
Gen. Ell Torrance. commander-in-
in-chief of the G.. A. r.. followed the
President with few remarks and then
the services We're brought to a close
with the playing of America by the
band, the choir and assembly joining in,
ana benediction by Henry S. Stevens,
department chaplain.
Immediately after the memorial ser
vices q the ampitheatre the monument
erected to the memory Of Col. Edgar
O'ConnOr of the I'd Wisconsin Regi-
ment, was unveiled in the presence Of
q number of his comrades. The adj
dress of the occasion was delivered by
Rep. John J. Jenkins of Wisconsin.
At Soldiers Home at battle-ground
near the site of Old Fort Ste
vens. and at st. Elizabeth's, where lie
countless numbers Of veterans who lost
their reason as a result of military SER
lum grounds. and at other cemeteries,
services were held, Sec.
Shaw delivering the address at Battle
ground cemetery, while his assistant, ,
Sec. Hon. NJ. r. Allies, made the memo
rial address ut St. Elzabeth's. Rep.
Gardener of New Jersey,
was the principal speaker at the Ma
tional cemetery, Soldiers Home, where.
too. there was an immense gathering
Of comrades and relatives and friends
Of deceased soldiers.