The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1914-05-22
FIRST Dead in MEXICAN
War Buried With Honnre

- W.
persons in New York City Joined the
nation Monday in memorializing with
simple dignity the heroism of the 10
Dluelackets and marines who gave
their lives at Vera Cruz.
AS the impressive funeral pageant
started on its solemn route from the
Battery to the Brooklyn navy yard. it
was as II the pulse of the city had
temporarily stopped. All business
was suspended, and over the CONNER.
clal section of the city there fell rev
erential hush.
On the stand with the President at
the Brooklyn navy yard were relatives
OF the dead sailors and marines-moth-
ers, sisters and wives in all the
throng of mourners none seemed more
deeply touched than the man whose
word sent the lads of the navy to fight
Tor their country's honor at Vera Cruz.
And to the President was left the
privilege of voicing the nations grief
and the nations belief that those who
died in the performance of duty had
done for their country service not to
be measured by their individual deeds.
The feeling that is uppermost, !"
ne said, lis one of profound grief, and
yet there is mixed with that grief a
profound pride that they should have
gone as they did, and if may say it
out OF my heart, touch of envy of
those who were permitted so quietly,
so nobly, to do their duty"
The head of the nation looked out
over the thousands massed about the
collins on the parade grounds, and his
voice shook with emotion as he de-
clared his creed: 1--WE have gone
down to Mexico" he said, ''to serve
mankind if we can find out a way.
We do not want to fight the Mexicans.
We want to serve them.
There was wistful note in his
voice as he added:
Il never was under fire, but / fancy
that there are some things just as hard
to do as to go under fire. l fancy that
it is just as hard to do your duty when
men are sneering at you as when they
are shooting at you. When they shoot
at you they can only take your natural
life; when they sheer at you they can
wound your heart"
From a birdseye view the multitude
aligned along the route of the funeral
cortege presented the picture of vast
human stream connecting two arms of
the sea. Muff1ed voices, soft-spoken
commands by military officers, the
melancholy tolling of the Trinity
church bell, emphasized hush that
had fallen over a city of noise.
The dead were landed by the tugs
Traffic and Correction early in the
morning and lay in state in the Bat
terry park plaza for more than an hour
before the procession started. There
were II collins. The other two vic
Tins of Mexican snipers honored died
after the Montana left Vera Cruz with
the bodies of their comrades.
AS the procession entered City Hall
plaza, treble voices of 500 children
rose to meet them. The children sang
''Nearer, My God, to Thee"
Mayor Mitchell briefly eulogized the
dead and laid upon one of the caissons
a huge wreath symbolizing the city s
appreciation of the service rendered at
Vera Cruz.
After this brief halt, the cortege
resumed its measured progress to
Manhattan bridge and over this to the
navy yard. The quiet restraint that
had characterized the crowds in the
business district gave way as the pro-
cession proceeded through the East
Side and Brooklyn to storms of ap-
plause. Here it seemed that the pres
ence of the President eclipsed the grief
of the occasion.
In the naval parade ground less than
10000 were able to pack themselves
into the enclosure and face the stand
where stood the President with barred
head. Mayor Mitchell was at his right
and Secretary Daniels of the navy at
his left.
With sharp precision the bluejack-
cts, their white hats catching the dull
sunlight, drew up into military forma-
ton before the stand. At the same
time the II caissons draped with flags
and banked with flowers were laid di-
rectly in front of the stand. A mo-
ment later the crowd was permitted to
enter and Immediately it filled the en-
tire field. The band of the battleship
Texas played softly '.Nearer, My God,
to Thee" and Naval Chaplain Cassard
began his invocation. In referring to
the dead heroes, he prayed it would
not be necessary to make further sac
rifice on the altar of patriotism.
Secretary Daniels then turned to the
President and read the names OF the IL
men in whose honor the funeral was
held and delivered brief eulogy.
President Wilson stood with heac
bowed. His deeply-lined face showed
the grief and solemnity of the mo-
ment. He delivered his eulogy II
low, clear voice that carried to the
farthest parts of the field: 1t was fol.
lowed by prayer by Rabbi Stepher
s. Wise and benediction by DR.. Johr
P. Chadwick, chaplain of the old bat
tleship Maine.
Three volleys fired by the marines
across the consecrated dead, the ina