Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-02-16
COMMUNICATION OF
MAINE DISASTER

Washington, Feb. 16.-An imposing
street demonstration, followed by i'm
pressive ceremonies at Arlington Ma
tional Cemetery, marked the commem-
Grafton here today OF the sinking of
the United States battleship Maine in
Havana harbor, that historic event
which startled the whole world and
famed into flame a war fever culmi-
mating in the Spanish-American war,
Although sixteen years have passed
since that day in February, 1898, when
the Maine was literally torn to pieces
and go of her officers and crew
persisted, yet each year seems to bring
added generation for those who lost
their lives in the explosion. Today's
exercises, while centering about the
graves of the Maine heroes, took on,
however, larger significance in in
Guiding all those of the land or sea
forces who had sacrificed themselves
in the line of patriotic duty.
Large bodies of cavalry, artillery,
sailors and marines began assembling
through the morning for the street
parade leading to Arlington. The
forces included the troopers stationed
at Fort Myer, the artillery with their
long line of rumbling field pieces,
large detachments of bmejackets 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 patriotic
societies also participated, and in the
line of march were carriages bearing
the commander in chief of the Grand
Army of the Republic, Washington
Gardner of Albion, Mich; the com.
mander of the Spanish War Veterans,
John Lewis Smith; the head of the
Army and Navy Union, H. Ogden
Lake, and others prominent in civic
and patriotic affairs.
Great crowds lined the streets as
the procession moved through the
downtown section and across the
Aqueduct bridge, over the Potomac
river, to Washington. Crossing the
bridge, the parade halted to witness
a novel and impressive feature of the
days ceremony-the unloosing on the
river below of a boat laden with flow
ers, which was sent adrift down the
historic old stream, making its way
slowly seward until lost to view-a
memorial TO the unrecovered dead, not
only of the Maine but of other times
and places.
Arriving at Arlington, all about
were seen the mute reminders of the
Names glories. On one side were
the graves of the sailors recovered
from the wreck Of the ship and
brought home by the government for
final burial here. In the foreground
lay huge cylinder OF tapering steel,
rusty and indented, but still preserv-
ing 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, along
side 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 anchors of the
Maine. Today mast and anchors weer
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 artil-
lery greeted the raising of the flag
to full mast. The invocation Of the
day was delivered by Bishop Hardin
Protestant Episcopal bishop Of Wash
ington. The exercises included ad-
dresses by Mr.. Lake, Col. John Nc
Elroy, commemorative address by
Mrs. Ida NJ. Galloway. past president
general of the United Spanish War
| Veterans Auxiliary and the reciting
Of the Recessional by Mrs Isabel Wor-
rell Ball, chairman of the womans ex-
ecutive committee.
An impressive feature of the closing
exercises was the sounding of taps
| the final goodnight-by many buglers