The Washington herald., 1908-05-24
HONOR TO His BONES
Remains of Clinton to Be
Moved Wednesday.
SOLDIERS TO ESCORT THE BODY
War Department Plans Announced
for Removal of Revolutionary Gov
ernor's Ashes to Kingston for Re-
buFial-in Good State of Preserva-
ton After 100 Year7 in the Grave.

The War Department has completed
preparations for the funeral honors at
tending the removal Of the body or Gov
and Vice President Clinton from Wash
ington 10 Kingston, n. Y. where II is
to be reinterred on the site OF the first
capitol of that State. The body, which
had rested for nearly a century in the
grave at Congressional Cemetery, was ex-
humed two weeks ago and is now In a
vault at the cemetery incased in a
Theoretically sealed casket Of lead.
Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock the
military escort for the remains Of the
famous Revolutionary governor will as
semble at the Congressional Cemetery.
At the long roll of the drum, the process
sion, headed by Maj. Gen. j. Franklin
Bell, Chief Of Staff his aid. Maj Gen.
Duvall: members of the General Staff.
troops Of cavalry. and batteries OF artil-
lery. will move down Pennsylvania ave-
nue. 70 the Capitol. thence over First
street 10 Massachusetts avenue. 20 Union
Station. The body will there be placed
aboard a fast Pennsylvania train for New
York City.
Military HOnOrs in New York.
When the body reaches New York. it
will be met by a large escort Of honoH
in which regulars, militia blue1ackets
marines. and police will participate. The
procession will be headed by Gen. Fred
D. Grant and staff. The body will lie in
state in the governors room in the city
hall until the following day. when II will
be taken 20 Kingston on a torpedo boat
destroyer
The body was exhumed in the presence
Of the great-grandsOn Of Gov. Clinton,
members of the Washington Anthropo-
logical Society, and physicians from
Washington and New York. Chaplain f.
R. Hoes, L. S. N. stationed at the Wash
ington Navy Yard, and a member Of the
Anthropological Society. performed the
autopsy. He said that one OF the inter
esting features OF the examination was
the fine state OF preservation OF the body
He said the torso. or trunk, was finely
preserved. and thst it was almost petri-
fed.
The skull was perfectly preserved. as
were the leg bones. thigh. and other
bones. The white shirt which covered the
body when buried in 1872 was in excellent
condition. and when IL was removed II
was torn with difficulty. The silk stock
ings worn at the burial were almost as
good as new. The foot Of one contained
the toenaiis and pieces OF the bones OF
the foot.
Water Found In Cnsket.
THE lead casket had been placed IN a
wooden one, which had long ago decayed, ''
he added, but the metallic box with the
exception Of one OF the seams, was still
intact. One Of the seams had sprung,
thus permitting the water in the ground
10 enter the casket This. l think. added
70 its preservation. ! am going to make
closer study OF water on corpses,
and determine beyond a doubt. II possible,
Just what effect il has believe il will
preserve when in small quantity as we'll
as it causes decay.
'As the earth was removed from the
/ top of the grave. the ground was found 20
be wet. ami when the lead case was lifted
stream Of water, somewhat discolored.
ran out. To Tighten the load and allow all
the water to run out an incision was
made in the top OF the CONN. 1 DO not
remember Of another case where the
body. after lying in wet earth. was so
well preserved as that Of Gov Clinton.
Brain Substance Found.
In the examination Of the head quite a
deposit inside the skull at the base proved
70 be brain substances. or course, the
brain cells we're destroyed. but the infor-
NAL microscopic investigation showed the
presence OF brain crystals.
The body was sealed up again and
placed in a vault at Congressional Gene
terry, and will not be opened again, but /
believe that should It be opened again in
100 years the body would be in just the
same condition as It is to-day