The Wagner leader. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-1912, 1912-03-29
NAMES DEAD ARE
PUT TO REST WITH
GREAT SOlEMNlTy
President, Cabinet, Naval ON
GERS and Those in Charge
of Doomed Ship Pay
Last Tribute.


pomp and solemnity that a mighty ma
ton 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 .
brought Jack from Havana harbor art
er h war with Spain. they were con-
signed to the earth Of the old dominion,
while a nation paid its last measure OF
honor to the unidentified" Of that great
catastrophe, that brought on a war.
changed the map OF the world and
tended the empire of the United states
into the corners of the earth.
Seldom In the history of this country
has there been planned a higher tri-
butte to the memory of any man or men.
tnan that for the "a dead of the Maine.
Government business In Washington
was practically suspended by executive
, order. President Taft. most OF the
members of his cabinet. the highest Of
flcers Of the army, the navy n n
marine corps, officials of the depart
ments and the representatives OF many
foreign powers participated in the ser
vice.
Over government buildings flags
hung at half mast, while congress ad-
journed for the day. The booming or
! minute guns and the tramp of soldiers
added the touch of military pomp ana
circumstances.
Preparations Were Elaborate.
Elaborate and careful preparations
had been made for the ceremonies OF
the burial. Beginning with the removal
of the dead from the United States
ship Birmingham. which brought them
up from havana and ending with the
firing OF three volleys of musketry over
the new made graves across the
Potomac, the exercises were designed
a. -I-4-- III h0-nr orI raCnnnt m the
martyrs of the doomed battle ship. The
escort for the slow march through the
streets of the capital from the Bfrm-
ingham to the state, war and navy
building was picked from the Birming-
ham and other vessels now in WASH
ington. The speakers who faced the
crowd in the plaza behind the navy
building were only three-Presfdent
Taft. Father Chadwick, chaplain of the
Maine when the explosion of February
Is. 1898 sent her to the bottom, and
Chaplain Bayard. United States navy.
The marine band, the show bind OF
Washington, was chosen to give the
solemn music for the dead, and an
army battery stationed near the WASH
ington monument, was selected to hre
the 81 gun salute. as the ceremonies at
the navy building ended and the quiet
march to Arlington was begun.
Ships Officers Present.
Conspicuous among the OI1clalS IOr
whom reservations a been made Just
behind President Taft on the steps of
the big granite building were Rear
Admiral 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 un-
der him at the time. For Admiral
Dewey and Lieut.. Gen. Nelson A. Miles.
| the ranking officers of the navy and the
army, special places had been set aside.
During the memorial exercises, the
committee had arranged for the tolling
of the Paul Revere" bell of All Souls
Unitarian church, which has been tolled
at the funerals of presidents, admirals,
generals and other prominent men.
Winding slowly out from behind the
navy building into Pennsylvania
avenue. the funeral procession found
it's way through the older part OF
Washington, across the Potomac river
and up the gray road to Arlington.
Rear admiral Bradley A. Fisk had been
assigned to lead the parade and behind
him were placed first as escort of po-
lice; a detachment OF troops from Fort
Myer; the marine band. a squadron OF
cavalry and the first battalion of en-
gineers.
The naval escort comprised a bat
talon of marines, two battalions OF
seamen. the nava band and the District
of Columbia naval militia.
Taft's Eulogy.
President Taft in his eulogy at the
Maine funeral ceremonies aid
We meet to pay appropriate honor
to the memory of the first of the coun-
try's som who gave up their lives IL
our war with Spain. l do not mean by
this to charge responsibility to the
Spanish government for the explosion
of the Maine, but hat the tragedy was
part of the causes which led up to
the Spanish war, no one familiar with
the circumstances can now doubt.
OF hat wal every American car
feel proud. because it was fought with
out a single selfish instinct and was
prompted by the most altruiStfc mo-
tives. Beginning with a s~elf-denying
ordinance with respect to Cuba, we
were forced into the attitude of taking
| over the Philippines, and our course
In those islands has reflected the high
est credit on u purposes and civiliza-
! ton.
These. our honored dead. were
hurled into eternity without the in
%spiration of anticipated battle OF
hoped-for victory. But they were or
duty when they went down; they wore
the uniforms of their beloved coun
try; and they are to be classed well
to the fore in that long list of naval
heroes whose steadfastness m cour-
age have given the American navy
the high position it occupies in his
tory among the navies of the world.
1T is well that we should halt the
wheels of government and stay the
hum of industry to take time to note
by appropriate ceremony the debt we
owe to those who gave up their lives
for the nation. We raised the ship
from the mud bottom of Havana har-
Dor. and gave her remains honorable
burial in the blue waves of the ocean.
We now consign to the sacred soil OF
Arlington the recovered bones Of those
who gave the Maine her personality
end made her a living weapon for the
protection of national honor and Vita
interest. We have given to those cere-
monies all possible solemnity that are
included in the honors of war, and
we hall fail If they do not express in
unmistakabie one and sign the deer
and lasting gratitude of a nation te
her martyred defenders"