Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-26
LIEUT.. SELFR|OGE LAID TO REST
AEROPLANE VICTIM BURIED IN
ARLINGTON CEMETERY.
Crowd of More Than a Thousand At
tends Military Funeral of
Young Officer.

Almost within sight of the spot where
he fell to his death in the Wright aero
plane, the body of Lieut.. Thomas E. Self
ridge was yesterday laid to rest with
military honors in Arlington cemetery.
Ever since the day following the acct
dent the body has rested in the receiving
vault south of the Mansion House. Here
yesterday afternoon gathered a crowd of
about 1000 people, many Of them the
same who saw the fatal fall and others
representing aero clubs and organizations
in the line of work for which the young
officer had given his life.
The receiving vault is in natural am
phitheater and on the far SIDE of this the
slope was covered with spectators. The
ground about the entrance to the vault
was covered with flowers. At a little be-
fore o clock the officers of the airShip
board of the War Department, who were
among the honorary pallbearers arrived
in one of the signal service automobiles.
They were joined in front of the vault
by DR.. Alexander Graham Bell. president
of the Aeronautic Experiment Assoca-
ton, and the other pallDearers, and the
band of the 18th Cavalry, dismounted
and in full dress uniform, took its place
on the sloping roadway. There was
wait and then the caiSSon from the arti-
lery sheds rumbled into sight, swathed in
black and with the six horses fretting and
lathering in the warm afternoon sun. The
vault doors were swung open and as the
pallbearers disappeared in the recesses of
the vault. the band played the burial
hymn, Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"
Distinguished Men Attend.
The coffin, buried under mass of flow
ers, was brought out of the vault and
strapped to the caisson, while more
wreaths and emblems We're piled upon it.
On each side were lined up the enlisted
men of the CORPS the active body bearers,
and behind them the honorary pallbear-
ers. These were Maj. G. o. Squier, Lieut..
R. B. Creecy, Lieut.. G. c. Sweet, Dr.
Alexander Graham Bell, Prof. Octave
Chanute. J. A. d. McCurdy. Percy Brad
ford, Prof. Monroe Hopkins. F. w. Bald
win and w. ]. Hammer. They were fol-
lowed by Baron Col. de Bode, military at
tache of the Russian embassy; Mai
Fournier of the French embassy and Maj.
Tanka of the Japanese embassy. on foot,
and the family of the dead officer in car
riages.
Under the spreading trees of the Gene
terry the procession moved at a foot pace
past the open western gate in sight of
the iron stake marking the place where
the aeroplane crashed to EARTH A little
farther on. under the shadow of the
grass-covered ramparts that give Fort
Myer its name, the grave had been dug,
just oi the eOSe VI the Mil looking
toward Washington.
There was no elaborate ceremony at
the grave. The mother of the dead Of
ficer, supported by her two remaining
sons. stood with bowed head a little to
one side and about and behind the family
stood the silent, bare-headed crowd of
spectators.
Three Voleys and Lights Out.
Rev. Herbert S. Smith, pastor of st.
Margarets Church. read the committal
service and at signal from Maj.
Magoon, the superintendent of the ceme-
terry, the firing squad leveled their guns