Evening journal., 1909-02-15
HONOR DEAD
OF THE MAINE
Monument to Their Memory
Erected in Arlington
Cemetery
ADMIRAL SIGSBEE
DELIVERS AN ADDRESS

BY United Press Leased Special Wire.
WASHINGTON Feb. 15-In the pres
ence Of a distinguished gathering of
officials. and great crowd of citizens
at Arlington National Cemetery this
afternoon. the anchor of the battleship
Maine. which sank in Havana Harbor
eleven years ago to-day, was ded-
Gated as a part of the monument TO
the sailor dead. and the granite stone
itself. which marks the spot where one
hundred and sixty-hve of the men are
sleeping, was covered with floral
wreaths.
one of the offerings was a magnih-
cent wreath from President Roosevelt
and other pieces were sent by the
camps and posts of the various patri-
otic societies of the capital.
The exercises at Arlington made but
one of a number of ceremonies COM
memorating the anniversary.
The patriotic societies participating
made the pilgrimage to the cemetery
on foot from the Virginia end of Aque-
duct Bridge: a band from Fort Myer
played the National Dirges; a bugler
sounded Taps and Admiral Sigsbee,
who commanded the Maine on the
night of the disaster, delivered an ad-
dress.
Address by Admiral sissbee.
The Admiral said:
when the battleship Maine was de-
stroyed at Havana. eleven years ago
to-day. two of her officers and $50 mem
bers of her crew came to- a sudden
death. Later. eight members of her
crew died in hospital from wounds re-
ceived in that awful catastrophe. OF
the crew, but sixteen men Of the
Maine wholly escaped injury. Her Of
hcers numbered 26 and her crew 32S
Twenty-Five of her dead are buried at
Key West. Several are buried re-
motely at different places.
"Sixty-seven are buried-only God
knows where. Here. in a cemetery
dedicated to our country's heroic dead,
lie 165 who were buried formerly in
Colon Cemetery, in the city of Havana.
In December, 1899, the battleship
Texas. under my command. proceeded
to Havana. and there with the assist
ance of Chaplain John p. Chadwick
she took on board all Of the Maine's s
dead from Colon Cemetery and brought
them to the Unte4 states
They were laid to rest in Arlington
in the presence Of President Mckinley
and. the secretary Of the navy. and
other high officials of the government
and with distinguished army and navy
escort and ceremony.
"The officers for the dead were led
by Chaplain Chadwick Volleys were
fired and taps closed the ceremonies
as indeed taps has closed the lives OF
these gallant men.
"On that dark. overcast. and omin-
ously quiet night, eleven years ago
taps took on a new meaning to the
survivors of the Maine. They were
sounded that night with exceptional
solemnitv. In the pauses. the echoes
rolled back from the hills with such
distinctness. that all must have listen.
ed and heard.
''Taps. the nightly signal for silence
and sleep was therefore, the last dis.
tinctive sound heard by these men in
life. for in one half hour they were
dead-for the greater part dead in theil
sleep. And the bugler. himself was
dead. He had sounded a requiem fol
himself, and his shipmates.
Honoring the Dead.
1--WE are assembled here to-day. some
as individuals, and others as member
of patriotic organizations. to honor oui
dead. The manner of their dying calls
for our deepest sympathy, and mos
profound sorrow. The honorable chance
of war that others had later, thes'
men did not have, vet just as trul,
thev served their country well.
"Bevond all doubt. our whole people
feel deeply the loss of the Names men
and with no passing grief The pres
ent gathering. and the gatherings ant
ceremonies elsewhere to-day, show tina
these dead are not forgotten. To me
as to no other man, has come knowl
edge of the sorrows and distresse
spread broadcast by that catastroph
of the Maine.
Comrades and friends. as the com
-mander of the Maine when she wa
lost. and so far as I may assume Z
be Representative on this occasion,
ioin my hands to yours in patriots
fellowship, and in grateful apprecia
tion of these commemorative service
at Arlington"
Rev. Father McGuigan celebrate
military mass in honor of the martyr
of the Maine at st. Patrick's Churc
in the morning. and in, the evenin
memorial services are TO be held at tn
First Presbyterian Church.