The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-23
Last of the Maine Dead Are
Laid to Rest.
POmp and SOIemnity Attended
the Funeral Ceremony.
ARE INFERRED At ARLINGTON
Sixty-FOur Bodies Are Placed
Beside Those of Comrades.
All Government Business Is
Suspended in Washington.

] Washington. March 25.-With all
the pomp and solemnity that a mighty
nation can pay it's heroes of war the
last of the dead of the Maine were
laid away today in Arlington cemetery.
Side by side with the bodies of those
brought back from Havana harbor
after the war with Spain, they were
consigned to the earth of the old
Dominion, while a nation paid it's last
measure of honor to the unidentified"
| of that great catastrophe that brought
on war, changed the map of the
world and extended the empire of the
| United States into the corners of the
earth.
Seldom in the history of this coun-
| try has there been planned a higher
| tribute to the memory of any man or
men than that for the sixty-four dead
! of the Maine. Government business
in Washington practically was sus-
| pended by executive order President
Taft most of the members of his
cabinet, the highest officers of the
army, the navy and the marine corps.
| officials of the departments and the
| representatives of many foreign pow
| ers participated in the exercises. over
| the government buildings flags hung at
halfmast while congress adjourned for
| the day. The booming of minute guns
| and the tramp of soldiery added the
touch of military pomp and circum-
stance.
Elaborate preparations had been
| made for the ceremonies of burial,
\ beginning with the removal of the dead
from the U. S. S. Birmingham, which
! brought them up from Havana, and
ending with the firing of three vol
| leys of musketry over the new made
| graves across the Potomac.
The ceremony was designed to show
all honor and respect to the martyrs
of the doomed ship. The escort for
the slow march through the streets OF
! the ca pitaI from the Birmingham to
the state, war and navy building was
picked from the Birmingham and 9TH
| er vessels now in Washington. The
| speakers who faced the crowd in the
plaza behind the navy building were
| only three-President Taft and Faith
| eli Chidwick, chaplain of the Maine
1898, sent her to the bottom. and
Chaplain Bayard. L. S. n.
Order of the Procession.
The Marine band, the show band OF
| Washington, was chosen to give the
solemn music for the dead and an army
| battery stationed near the Washington
monument was selected to fire the p
gun salute as the ceremonies at the
navy building ended and the quiet
march to Arlington was. begun.
Conspicuous among the officials for
| whom reservations had been made just
| behind President Taft on the steps of
| the big granite building were Rear Ad-
miral Charles d. Sigsbee. who COM
manded the Maine at the time of the
| explosion, Rear Admiral Richard Vain
wright, Lieutenant Boyd and Medical
| Director L. G. Heneberger officers
under him at the time. For Admiral
Dewey and Lieut.. General Nelson A
| Miles, the ranking officers of the navy
and the army special places had been
set aside.
During the memorial exercises ar
rangement had been made for the toll
| ing of the Paul Revere bell of All Souls
I II
tolled at the funeral of presidents. ad-
mirals. generals and other prominent
men.
Winding slowly out from behind the
navy building into Pennsylvania
avenue the funeral procession found its
way through the older part of Wash
ington, across the Aqueduct bridge over
the Potomac river and up the gray
road to Arlington.
Admiral Fisk i'm Command.
To Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fisk
had been assigned command of the
parade and behind him were placed first
an escort of police; a detachment OF
troops from Fort Myer; the marine
band, a squadron of cavalry and the
first battalion of engineers. The naval
escort comprised a battalion of ma
rines, two battaliOns of seamen; the
naval band and the District of Colum
bia naval militia. Just ahead of the
"a army caissons bearing the leaden
and Father Chadwick and just behind
! the flag draped coffin the palIbearers
from the navy, the honorary pallbear-
ers from the United Spanish war vel
Grams and 48 body bearers.
The place at the head Of the mourn
ers was given to President Taft. In
the White House automobile his sec
retary. Charles D. Hilles. and his naval
aide, Lieutenant Timmons, slEo had
seats. The personal escort was a troop
of cavalry and the line behind his au-
tomobile included the secretary of war,
the secretary of navy, the assistant
secretary Of navy, officers of the Maine.
aides to the secretary of the navy,
chiefs of bureaus of the navy depart
ment and the major general command
ant Of the marine crops Just behind
these official places had heen left for
the distinguished persons. the United
Spanish war veterans, ladies' auxiliary
of the veterans, societies and citizens
over the graves in Arlington the sim
pie exercises included burial services
by Chaplain Bayard and Father Child
wick.
With the firing of three volleys OF
musketry by a company of marines.
a national salute of q guns from an
army battery in the cemetery and
the sounding of the plaintive call o.
taps the dead were given to the earth.
President Taft's Eulogy.
President Taft in his eulogy at the
funeral ceremonies said:
I'VE meet to pay appropriate honor
to the memory of the first OF the
country's sons who gave up their lives
in our war with Spain. do not meas
by this to charge responsibility to the
Spanish government for the explosion
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