The Washington herald., 1909-08-22
OUR ILLUSTRIOUS DEAD
Congressional Cemetery Holds Remains of Many
and Monuments to Others.

as the city beautiful. OF all the capitals
OF the world Il Is the only one created
rather than made. for It was planned
for a definite object. for the home of the
Federal government, and streets. ave-
nues and circles were laid down before
a house was erected. Not only IS the city
unique IN this respect, but It also boasts
a cemetery the like of which is not
elsewhere IN EXISTENCE place in which
the memory OF politicians is revered,
where after LIES htful fever they sleep
we'll" Soldiers and officers Of the navy
are remembered in national graveyards in
many States, but in Washington alone
can be found a tract Of ground sacred
10 The ashes Of members OF Congress.
A couple of years after the first Congress
convened in the new city two gentlemen
Of the united service. Commodore Tingey.
commandant OF the navy yard and Maj.
Samuel Miller. [. S. A.. and their friend.
Mr.. Coombs. took UP a tract Of land,
about fifty acres. lying on the shore OF
the peaceful Anacostia and set II aside
as Gods acre for the National Capital
Finding the management OF a graveyard
which at once became popular as the last
home of representative Americans was
more difficult than they imagined, they.
IN 1907. decided the ground TO Christ
Church. I'm whose parish IL lay, ana 70
this day, Notwithstanding Its imposing
name OF Congressional Cemetery, it is
under the MANAGEMENT of a church and
not OF the government.
In 1910 a paternal government voted 10
erect Sandstone cenotaph TO the MEM
DRY Of every Senator or Representative
dying while In office. and the Episco-
palian burying ground was chosen for
the place to put them. so the sectarian
name was soon lost by popular use in
the more catholic term Of Congressional.
OF course the country now boasts Of
too many States and statesmen 10 con-
tlnue this custom. but OF all these peculiar
monuments so per cent cover remains,
and they certainly serve the purpose
for which they were intended, of me-
mortal. for so ugly are they, judged by
present-day standards-once seen never
forgotten.
Many IIlustrfOus Names.
Among these stones the Representa-
tive whose name is first recorded was
from Virginia. T. Bland. who died as
sarly as $780, then Hunter. delegate from
the Territory Of Mississippi. 1902, then
Hon. James Jones. or Georgia, who pass
pd away in 1901. Thomas Blout, Of North
Carolina. closed his eyes on the strug-
gle Of the stormy period of 1872. March
70. 1906. was memorable as the day the
famous old Georgia warrior, Maj. Gen.
Jaszson. entered into rest after a pecu-
llarly stormy life. His body lies unmarked
fully fifty feet from the stone which tells
that he deserved and enjoyed the con
dence OF a grateful country as a soldier
and statesman. who was the determined
foe OF foreign tyranny. and the scourge
and terror OF corruption al home. George
Kennard. Representative from Indiana,
had the distinction of death in harness.
for on the way TO Washington 70 take his
seat In 1896 the boiler OF the boat on
which he was a passenger burst, killing
him Instantly February Is, lS4s, witness
ed the death of John Quincy Adams
whose long public career closed while
Representative from Massachusetts.
Among the illustrious senators here in
tered are Mai. Gen. Uriah Tracy, OF
Connecticut. 1907; John c. Calhoun, who
died March @. 1850. Henry Clay. Of Ken
lucky, died June %. 1852. One massive
stone covered the infant son Of Josiah
S johnson six years before the Senator
from Louisiana was laid 20 rest under IT.
Besides the statesmen thus honOred by
memorials in Congressional Cemetery there
are hundreds of other names here re-
corded IN marble whose bearers played
important part when American history
was in the making. or whose fate still
is locally recalled. Among them prob
ably one OF the most striking is the
monument over the two friends who died
by the explosion aboard the Princeton,
Capt Beverley Keunon. L. s. A., and
Abel Parker Upshaw. OF Virginia, Secre-
tary OF State at the time of his death.
There are yet Neutrality-suspicious. who re-
member the tragedy Of February rs 1874
when the big gun. the Peacemaker, burst
aboard the frigate used for the test Of
this cannon. which IL was hoped would
revolutionize warfare. causing universal
peace on the basis of humiliation Of the
enemy This trial had been made q gala
occasion, and among the guests Of honor
were numbered President Tyler and his
hancee, Miss Julia Gardiner; her father,
a brilliant New York lawyer, and the
lifelong friends Kennon and Upshaw.
The President life was probably saved
by a glrlish prank OF Miss GARDENERS
who had hidden his hat, and he, discOv-
ering need for H. rushed below at the
instant the fuse was lit which exploded
the gun and killed five OF the party. in
cludng the young lady's father and the
two friends who were placed together
under the stone SO touchingly Inscribed:
United IN life, in death they are not di-
vided."
Another record Of friendship to the
death IS that Of little Midshipman Fred
erick Rodgers. seventeen years Of age.
bD IN
the vain effort 10 save from the water
Midshpmen Harrison and Slidell, his
comrades in death as in life" HIS father.
Commodore John Rodgers. senior officer OF
the navy at the time Of death, lies alone
under the memorial he caused to be set up
TO mis- boys unselhshness. but his works
live I'm the pages of American history.
and she delights TO honor Com. John
Rodgers"
Died I'm n Hurricane.
Another naval tragedy is pointed out by
the broken granite mast which rears its
ragged head in memory Of the members
OF the Coast Survey, who went down in
the once famous hurricane of 1916.
The Gulf Stream. which they were en-
gagged in exploring, received the bodies
Of Lieut.. Commander NIihlin Bache, U.S.N..
and nine others. and a stone was erected
in this graveyard "by their shipmates,
who shared their peril. but escaped their
fate" Lieut. Bache was grandson to
Benjamin Franklin.
But OF all the tragedies probably the
one that most touched washington's core
was the awful explosion Of red Gre" at
the arsenal in June OF 1864 which carried
twenty-one girls to instant death. There
were not enough hearses In town to bear
these poor bodies 10 the grave: a story
Of the funeral speaks OF "the son,ber line