The sun., 1918-09-02
Thousands Assemble in the
Parks and Add Flowers to
Great Mounds.
SERVICES AT HIPPODROME
Pedestrians Pause i'm Streets to
Utter Silent Prayer for
the Wars Dead.

! and park and In many OF the principal
meeting halls throngs gathered to pay
tribute to the heroes In whose honor the
day had been set aside by Mayor Hylan
as a special memorial day.
In the parks men. women and children
| heaped flowers on the mounds raised for
that purpose. while airplanes circling
aloft dropped sheafs OF roses which
huttered down caressingly on the heads
OF the crowd. Even Mother Nature
seemed to realize that something out Of
the ordinary was In progress. for in spite
| OF the dismal prophesies of the weather
| man she let loose burst Of sunshine
| that transmitted everything 1t touched
with silver and gold.
At 1853 o'clock. while the park cere-
monies were in progress. taps" was
| sounded. At the same moment traffic
ceased in all the streets and pedestrians
stood with bowed heads breathing silent
prayers for the souls OF the men who had
| gone forth to battle never to return. At
o'clock =. NJ. the general celebration
came to a fitting close with a monster
! memorial meeting in the Hppodrome.
which like all the other features OF
Heroes Day had been arranged by the
Mayors Committee on National Defence.
Singing in the Parks.
There was a prearranged similarity
about all the park ceremonies. On the
Mall In Central Park the service opened
with the singing OF America" and the
Battle Hymn of the Republic" At the
| conclusion Of the singing. which was led
by Harry Barnhart of the New York
Community Chorus, Bandmaster Chester
Smith. from a position we'll In back Of
! the crowd sounded taps on his cornet
while the congregation stood with I'M
covered heads. The only speaker was
Alfred e. Smith. President of the Board
OF Aldermen. who explained the meaning
OF Heroes Day.
ITO the mothers OF America who have
given up the objects of their love and
devotion" said Mr.. Smith. I'VE offer the
consolation that comes from the knowl-
edge that your boys have died the death
OF heroes In a righteous cause not alone
for US and our children but for our pos
terity and the whole Of mankind.
Our gratitude goes out to the wives
and relatives Of the brave men who have
died in the service. The great sacrifice
they have made for their country will
the countless generations of Americans
who will enjoy the fruits of the victory
for which their immortal souls were
plunged into eternity.
THE world looks to America to win
the war with troops with supplies and
with money; and the sacrifices that our
heroic boys have made and are making
In our behalf must not be In vain. The
greater our self-denial the sooner this
struggle will end.
Are Equal to Task Set.
'Our boys have been equal to the task
eat far ha,.
admiration OF the seasoned veterans OF
Europe. No longer do the military au-
tocrats of Germany sneer at Americas
army. A great fear is spreading over
the German Empire as the exploits OF
the soldiers OF democracy become known
and their numbers increase. The Ger
man resistance is crumbling. They
have sown the wind they shall reap the
whirlwind."
In Central Park. as in all the other
parks, band concert of more than or
binary merit concluded the programme.
In Hamilton Fish Park a crowd of
about 1000 listened to speeches from
Representative Henry NJ. Goldfogle and
Benjamin Hoffman. A special feature
was provided here in the nature OF a flag
raising. at which David KAUFMAN, 81
Of the Daughters of Jacob. officiated
years old. and an inmate OF the Home
Patriotic songs were sung in English
and French by Jean Dorgal of the
French Opera Company.
Battery Park was the scene of another
impressive gathering. Here speeches
were made by Assemblyman Peter j.
Hamill. chairman Of the subcommittee
of the Mayors committee in charge OF
the Heroes Day celebration. and by
Dock Commissioner Murray Hubert
This point was subjected to an espe-
cially heavy floral bombardment from
the military planes which circled over
the park
In Harlem there was a celebration I'M
der the auspices of the Harlem Board
Of Commerce which began with a parade
from the boards headquarters at Lenox
avenue and 125th street. through the
neighborhood and to Mount Morris Park.
where there were speeches and singing.
Largest Turnout in Brooklyn.
The biggest turnout. however. was a.
Prospect Park in Brooklyn. where 10, 900
persons gathered for the special exer-
eises. Here Mrs. Elizabeth Blanchfeld,
widow OF Capt. John Blanchfield OF the
United States Marine Corps. who was
the first American officer killed in the
war; placed a wreath on the mound
typifying the grave OF the dead soldiers.
With her was her little daughter, Veron-
lea. who deposited an armful of flowers
on the mound. The Prospect Park
speakers were Borough President Riegel-
mann of Brooklyn and County Judge
Roy.
other important open air exercises
were held in Van Cortlandt Park. High
land Park. Queens; Curtis Field, Rich
mond; Poe Park. in The Bronx at the
Soldiers and Sailors Monument, at 1s0th
street and Boston road and in Mckinley
Square. where veterans of the Spanish
American war placed flowers around the
base OF the monument there.
Groups of the Pershing veterans who
have come back to tell of the deeds be-
ing performed by American soldiers In
France. attended most OF the public
meetings held In the course OF the day.
but the entire 400 were present at the
Hippodrome meeting in the evening.
In Woodlawn Cemetery the graves OF
Major John Purroy Mitchell and Vernon
Castle were covered with flowers.
The special service held at the Cathe-
dral of St John the Divine attracted a
large congregation The Very Rev.
Howard c. Robin. dean of the cathe-
dral conducted the services and preached
the sermon. The men who had fallen In
France. he said, had won Immortality.
'These laus VINO now rest IN quiet
graves" he said, "have not died in vain.
As time passes we may forget their
names. but their actions and the cause
for which they died will teach us 10 hold
each other and all OF them in loving
grateful remembrance. They have won
the Immortality Of the sons OF God"
CREEL CITES HEROES AT ZONE.