St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-06-15
THE BURIAL OF HIROSE.
Tribute Paid by Japan to Her
Naval Hero.
AN IMPRESSIVE SERVICE HELD.

Late Commander In the Japanese
Navy Who Gave His Life For An
other at Port Arthur Was Buried
with shinto Rites-Mikado Ordered
That All Honor BE Paid the Dead.
From Tokyo, Japan, under a recent
date a war correspondent of the In
dianapolis News writes:
The most impressive thing have
seen in Japan so far was the ceremony
at Aoyama, the funeral, according to
Shipto rites, of that gallant hero of the
war, Commander Hirose of the Japa-
nese navy.
The Japanese are hero loving race,
and few nations have had a better op-
portunity for hero worship than that
accorded by the funeral of Hirose, a
remarkable man, fine sailor who en-
bodied in himself all those qualities
that the Japanese most value. He lost
his life, as is well known now, in try
ing to save Sugino. his warrant officer,
and the story of his exploit is the most
memorable thing in the Port Arthur
enga cement
The body of Commander Hirose was
buried by the Russians when they
found it in the water. and, like noble
enemies, they gave their antagonist a
solemn funeral. with all the military
Lonors that would have been accorded
to an officer Of the car. But that real
funeral was deemed insufficient by
Hirose's friends in Tokyo, his old home,
and it is even said that the mikado
himself gave instructions that all hon
or should be paid to the dead man.
Ind so with fitting pomp and won
drous ceremony they incased all that
was recovered of Hirose's body-a mere
shred of fesh-in a plain wooden box,
and this has been left out there in
Aoyama under the cypress and cherry
trees, the grave fittingly facing the
rifle range and Aoyama barracks.
In the morning a solemn service con-
Quoted by one Tamura, a Shinto priest,
was held at the Marine club in Tsukiji,
and then, after a procession had es-
corted the coffin to the graveside at
Aoyama, another service was held at
| which Lieutenant Matsura read let
ter Of coincidence from Admiral Togo,
which was followed by brief speeches
on the value Of a hero to the nation by
Vice Admiral Arima and Viscount
Kano.
The streets in Japan are always
crowded, but never saw any street in
Tokyo so damned with humanity as
was the road to the cemetery. The
throng was thickest on the slope which
leads from Kojima chi to Akasaka, past
the palace of Prince Kitasharawa Here
the procession had to pass through
lane of people twenty feet deep on
either side, mostly townsfoIk in haori
and hakama, but with a good sprin-
king of Europeans about also.
When the procession left the club the
gun carriage on which the coffin rest
ed was escorted by about 200 marines
with reversed arms and the members
of the club. AS it passed various
streets, evidently by Encouragement,
numerous representatives of various So
cieties joined in until there was, when
the diplomatic and official carriages
| joined in, procession nearly a mile
| long.
Somewhere along the route too,
company of bluejackets Joined the
cortege, but just where I did not see,
| as rode ahead and waited at the Gem
etery for the procession to come.
| 1t came in absolute silence up the
| long slope, and as it came the throng
| fell silent. It seemed bit curious to
see no heads uncovered as the coffin
| passed, until one remembered that this
| form of salutation has not yet taken
| hold in Japan. There was manifested
| plenty of curiosity, and all the tomb
| stones in the cemetery-and the yapa-
| nese are very fond of queerly shaped
| tombstones-were covered with people
| clambering up to get better look.
| The dense crowd about the grave
side parted as 400 bluejackets, sturdy
| fellows and visibly affected, Shout
dered their way through. They took up
| positions beside the grave and waited
| in silence. Then came carriages, with
| elaborate iveries, of the higher Of
| ficials, civil, military and naval, and
| the diplomats, and these passed on.
Then there came in sight an aged
| Shinto priest dressed all in white and
| wearing old fashioned red lacquered
| shoes. Above his head a tall blue
| jacket carried an immense Silken flag.
| on which, in Chinese characters, was
written the name and rank of the de
| ceased officer. Then came a company
| of marines carrying red and white ban
| ners and "banzai'' flags, and young
| sakaki, the sacred Shinto tree, covered
with the white paper go-bef.
Two naval officers came next, carry
| ing decorations, and behind them the
| gun carriage rolled along, draped in
black velvet and drawn by bluejackets.
Last thing of all-and that caused an
| intake of the breath, SO solemn and
touching was it-came a group In
white; the sister and young niece of
| Commander Hirose, with the mother,
| old and bent, of Sugino, the man for
| whom the hero had given his life.
Song Dedicated to Kansas University
| Mrs. Blanche Lyons of Lawrence.
| Kan, has written the words and mu-
| sic for new song, "a Romance Of the
Kaw," which she has dedicated to the