The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-17
Snow Covered Mounds of
Sleeping Warriors Covered
With Floral Tributes
PROMINENT SPEAKERS
PAY TRIBUTE TO DEAD
National Salute Fired Over Graves cf
Havana Harbor Victims While
Bugle Sounds Taps-Wilson
Sends Offering

Washington February 16.-Homage to
the men of the battleship Maine, who lost
their lives in the epoch making catastro-
phe in Havana harbor ID years ago, was
paid today by the navy and high Off
GERS of the nation at Arlington national
cemetery. Snow-covered mounds over the
sleeping warriors were decorated with
floral tributes and staunch little vessel
ploughed through the ice foes of the
Potomac to strew sprigs of evergreen on
the water. over the graves a detach-
ment of blue Jackets fired three volleys
and national salute and bugler sound
ed taps
Impressive Exercises
Impressive exercises We're held indoors
at Fort Meyer the blizzard making it
impossible to carry out the full programme
arranged for the occasion at the ceme-
terry. Hundreds had braved the freezing
blasts, however, to participate In the cere-
monies at the graves
President Wilson, confined by his ply
sician's orders to the White House, sent
beautiful floral tribute. President Men
oeal of Cuba cabled an expression of the
reverence of his government for the dead
of the Maine. His message expressed deep
regret that he could not participate in the
services, and added: But my mind win
be with YOU all. for | have to mourn
with you for the brave officers and sail
ors of the Maine
OratiOns Delivered
Orations We're delivered at Fort Never
by Commander-in-chief Washington Gard
ner of the Grand Army of the Republic,
Representative Logue of PENNSYLVANIA,
the Rev. Eugene A, Hannah, represent
ing the Rev. Mr. Chadwick, who was
chaplain of the Maine, and by John Nc
Elroy of the Army and Navy union
Secretary Daniels of the navy depart
ment and the official heads of number
of patriotic organizations We're present.
John McElroy suggested that the me-
mortal was typical of .all men who on
land or sea had given the full measure
of devotion to the country's laws by dying
under its flag"
Although l6 years have passed since
that day in February, 1898, when the
Maine was literally torn to pieces and 26a
of her officers and crew perished vet
each year seems to bring added vener-
alton for those piIo lost tileir lives in the
explosion. Today's exercises. while CEN
tering about the graves of the Maine
heroes, took on, however. a larger sig
nificance in including all those of the
land or sea forces who had sacrificed
themselves in the line OF patriotic duty.
Large bodies of cavalry, artillery sail
ors and marines began assembling through
the morning for the street parade leading
to Arlington. The forces included the
troopers stationed at Fort Meyer the ar
tilery with their long line of rumbling
field pieces, large detachments of blue
Jackets and marines from the warships
and marine barracks in this vicinity, and
the full strength of the National Guard
of the District of Columbia Many patri-
otic societies also participated, and in
the line of march were carriages bearing
the commander-in-ch of the G. A. r.,
Washington Gardner of Albion. Mich |:
the commander of the Spanish war vet
Grams. John Lewis Smith; the head of the
Army and Navy union, H. Ogden Lake,
and others prominent I'm civic and patri-
otic affairs.
Great crowds lined the streets as the
procession moved through the downtown
section and across the Aqueduct bridge,
over the Potomac river. to Arlington.
Crossing the bridge the parade halted to
witness a novel and impressive feature
of the days ceremony-the unloosng on
the river below of boat laden with flow-
ers which was sent adrift down the his
toric old stream. making its way slowly
seaward until lost to view-a memorial
to the unrecovered dead, not only of the
Maine but OF other times and places.
Mute Reminders
Arriving at Arlington all about were
seen the mute reminders of the Maine $
glories On one side We're the graves of
the salors recovered from the wreck of
the ship and brought home by the gov
ernment for final burial here. In the
foreground lay huge cylinder of taper
ing steel, rusty and indented, but still
preserving the stately outlines of the FORE
mast of the Maine This too had been
brought back from the tangled wreckage,
to be erected and unveiled later in the
spring or summer, alongside the graves
OF those who in life had seen the flag
whipping from its topmost point. At
either side of the mast lay two great an
chors of the Maine. Today mast and an
chors were strewn with flowers, two
large wreaths coming from the White
House, and others from patriotic bodies
and citizens.
As the parade made its way slowly
through the grounds a salvo of artillery
greeted the raising of the flag to full
mast The invocation of the day was de-
livered by. Bishop Harding. Protestant
Episcopal bishop of Washington The
exercises included addresses by Mr.. Lake.
Col. John McElroy, commemorative ad-
dress by Mrs Ida M. Galloway, past
president general OF the United Spanish
War Veterans auxiliary, and the recit-
ing of the recessional by Mrs. Isabel Wor-
rell Ball. chairman of the woman's ex-
ecutive committee.
An impressive feature of the closing ex-
ercises was the sounding of taps-the
final good nightly many buglers widely
separated at remote points throughout the
vast cemetery, one after another taking
up the dying echoes and passing them
along from point to point like old time
signalling of war days.