The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-12
With Simple Dignity Nation MemOrializes
 HerOism at Vera Cruz
fConfinued from Page One,

 and lay in state in the Battery park plaza for over an hour before the procession started. There were F coffins The other two victims of Mexican snipers honored today, died after the Montana left Vera Cruz with the bodies of their comrades
 The police escort headed the cor tege and was followed by the naval battalions from the Wyoming and Texas. Then came the IT gun caissons carrying the dead. Each caisson was drawn by four horses, astride two of which rode members of the First and Second regiments of the field artil- lery There was in addition one mount ed police escort for each cafsson Four sailors on each side acted as pallbear- CTS These men, tanned from recent service in Vera Cruz had been called to New York especially for the serv- ices in memory of their dead com rades.
 Directly behind the caissons, which stretched out their single file were the carriages of the President, Gov ernor Glynn, Secretary Daniels, Mayor Mitchell and other distinguished guests. The presence of the President in the procession came as a surprise. for it had been announced that he would proceed direct from the Pennsylvania station to the navy yard.
 All along the route every vantage point was black with spectators Win
 dows, roofs, half completed steel frames of buildings Were crowded Three thousand policemen. one every 10 feet, held the crowd back on the sidewalk. But during the entire cere- mony there was not a suggestion of disorder.
 As the procession entered city hall plaza the voices of 300 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 cais- sons huge wreath symbolizing the citys appreciation of the service rem dered at Vera Cruz
 After this brief halt the cortege re- sumed its measured progress to Man haitian bridge and over this to the navy yard The quiet restraint that had characterized the crowds in the streets gave way as the procession proceeded to the East Side and Brook lyn to storms of applaue. Here it seemed that the presence of the Pres ident eclipsed the grief of the occa- sion
 10000 in InclOsure In the naval parade ground the
 demonstration found small physical | compass 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 Secre-
 tary Daniels of the navy at his left. l 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 IF caissons, draped with flags
 and banked with flowers contributed by the sailor comrades of the dead, were laid directly In front of the stand.
 moment later the crowd was per
 mitted to enter and immediately it filled the entire field. The band of the battleship Texas played softly, !! Nearer My God To Thee" and the naval chaplain Cassard began his in- vocation. In referring to the dead he- roes he prayed it would not be neces- sary to make further sacrifice on
 the altar of patriotism.
 Secretary Daniels then turned to the President and read names of the 19 men in whose honor the funeral was held and delivered brief eulogy.
 With Head Bowed President Wilson stood with head bowed. His deeply lined face showed the grief and solemnity of the moment. But in general his appearance gave no indication of the recent strain at Wash ington.
 Tie uelVereQ blS eulOSy OL tHe uedu in low, clear voice that carried to the farthest parts of the field. It was fol- lowed by a prayer by Rabbi Stephens Wise and a benediction by Dr. John F. Chadwick. chaplain of the old battleship Maine. at
 Three volleys fired by the marines across the consecrated dead the final
 melody of Taps and the funeral serv- ices were completed. They had lasted a little less than an hour.
 During these brief exercises, the op- pressive heat proved too much for sev- eral spectatcrs, who tainted and had to be carried away on stretchers. One marine was among them
 For half an hour after the service the caissons lay as they had been placed. in front of the stand, where all could view them. Then they were carried into the naval barracks Three were taken back to the Montana, which steamed out
 of the harbor for Boston late in the day. Relatives claimed the three bodies of those whose home was New York and preparations were made to send the other bodfpa fa fheir sann rata deStinat tiOua