New-York tribune., 1908-02-17
A KRUGER MEMORIAL.
FIREM4N'S FUNERAL.
Bishop Potter Speaks an F'aUor Of
Tribuuc's Plan

The funeral Of Deputy Chief Charles W kruger,
which held yesterday at the home of his sis
Mrs Frederick Volzing. No. c26 East street
at o'clock and later at St Thomas's Church, SD
street and Fifth avenue. was one of the most i'm
posing in this city in many years Thousands
with barred heads lined the streets the body of
the fire fighter taken from the house the
church. while the windows of the Fifth
houses were filed with those anxious to pay their
last respects the dead fireman.
Over one thousand uniformed firemen and police
men We're in the line of march, in addition to
company and volunteer frerlen. The
hcarse. preceded by fifty mounted policemen and
the police bani. with Chief Croker and Deputy
Chief Duane was followed by Commissioner Bon
several automobiles filed with flowers and
draped in black, four fire chaplans. several hat
talon chiefs and the fremen The procession
passed through 5Sth street to Second avenue. TO
57th street, and through Fifth avenue, and then
down TO the church
Beside the hearse marched the six battalion
chiefs who acted paIbearers, while the dead
chiefs cap and a wreath of white carnations and
roses sent by Mayor Mcclellan placed the
oak coffin. When the church reached the
body carried in and met at the foot of the
aisle by Bishop Potter. the Rev. Ernest NJ. Stires,
rector OF 81. Thomas's and his assistant Rev.
Robert H. Claiborne. They escorted the body TO
the chancel where it placed upon a bier.
Immediately following the coffin were-.commis-
sioner Hugh Bonner, Chief Croker and other off,
-ciaIs of the Fire Department and the four chap
sielTs. Two roman tathoLc ana Two Protestant
Between solid lines of policemen the remainder of
the cortege filed into the church. including the
members of the Rip Saw Club, of which Deputy
Chief Kruger was 4 active member, and the i'm
mediate members the family, the widow Mrs.
Gertrude {. Kruger and her two daughters; Will
lam Kruger, brother, and two sisters, Mrs. Fred
erick Vozing and Mrs. John Friend Bishop Pot
ter read the Episcopal service for the dead and
preached the euIogy. in which he paid a glowing
tribute to Deputy Chief Kruger and all the citys
hremen. He said in part:
No tragic event has occurred in the his
tory of this metropolis, in fact in the history
OF the fire departm, Mt in any community in this
country, than the one which resulted in the death
of the commanding officer whom here O.
day gathered TO honor In the last few weeks
mere mas beeh a series or most tragic happenings
among that most admirable body of men, and il
allow such 4 series of losses OF life IN the per-
formance Of duty to pass without comment. Has
benefited by these seIf-sacrihcing men? Has it
sacrifice on the part OF these men incontrovert-
4oy fd nner M f99 Va ever dispaiyed on any nattie.
them Of chivalry of the highest order.
we are mere ie-day .9 20 pay tribute 10 one or
all indebted And in this particular case. If
gary! carve in the stone the words. He never said
Bishop Potter also urged memorial to brave
fremen such proposed by The Tribune
yesterday saying:
ask you that this servics which we. are now
holding in memory Of the departed one should not
end. We have in this great city monuments com
memorating the gallant services of great soldiers
and sailors well the lives OF great states
men and poets. Why should not we in the form
of monument commemorate the acts OF these
modern heroes who are ever ready TO perform
ser.ting q fireman carrying down from a place Of
danger mother with babe in her arms? II
often takes place in this city And let reCog-
niZe the bravery involved
The body was then taken from the church and
as il was placed in the hearse the police band
played Nearer, MY God. 70 Thee The funeral
escort then proceeded up Fifth avenue. Many flags
along the route, in private homes and clubs,
at half mast In fact the death Of Deputy Chief
Kruger was generally observed in this manner
throughout the city.
At 5sth street the funeral procession turned
to Broadway. As it passed the house Of Engine
Company % the fire apparatus drawn up
the sidewalk with the men in front while the
CINE bell toIled at intervals until the last of the
carriages had passed. At Broadway the cortege
turned north Columbus Circle and up Central
Park West TO I'D street, at which point the police
band drew up in files. The mounted police broke
into two divisions drawing up on both sides of the
street, forming lane, through which the nremen
first marched and then drew up. forming part
Of it themselves. After the hearse driven
through, the carriages about fifty in number, fol-
lowing the funeral escort was dssanded and the
hearse and carriages we're driven 10 the cemetery
Many men prominent in all phases of New York
life were present he funeral. including ex-Fire
Commissioners Sheffield, Sturgis. Hayes O'Brien
ana IEtntrS ana cA-Deputy 'oIIHllSSIOneF Cnufchlil
There were more than sixty floral pieces sent in
memory OF the dead fireman the second to arrive
being a large from the members of the Balti-
more Fire Department This placed at the
head OF the coffin Deputy Chief Kruger was act
ing chief of Fire Department the time Of the
Baltimore fire and II was by his orders that the
apparatus sent from this city to the help of
the Baltimore fremen. There were also pieces from
New York Board of Fire Underwriters. various
officers of the Fire Department. the department
of Short Hills =. j.. and newspaper reporters.
The police were in charge OF Inspector Schnltt-
berger, who rode their head. and Of Inspector
Walsh.