Evening star., 1921-09-18
IMPRESSIVE RITES
FOR R2 VICTIMS
Nation Pays Homage as Fu-
neral Is Held at New York
Navy Yard.
By the Associa ted Press.

Navy Idru.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. September 1.-THE
nation from President to humblest
citizen today paid its tribute to the
memory of sixteen brave men.
These sixteen were American Of
ficers and men of the Inflated dirigi-
BILE ZR-2. whose disastrous plunge
into the river Humber put two ma
tions In mourning.
Around the caskets of fifteen-for
one has been buried in British soil
there gathered in the New York navy
Je.o tnis afternoon from great band
Of mourners. coming from all ranks Of
American society. With them. In rev.
erent sympathy. stood guards of
honor from three foreign nations
Great Britain, France and Brasil
which landed parties from warships
now in port. -
Secretary Denly Pays Tribute.
Secretary of the Navy DENLY. rep
resenting President and cabinet, at
tended the memorial service and
placed on each casket a bouquet OF
Mowers. When he had finished his
sad task. his hands were trembling
and has eyes moist.
AS promptly as the Navy runs
through Its maneuvers, 1t began the
s-A.ie. %. f.s ncIo uedo. was
martial funeral. worthy Of the gallant
I....i VINO nau so.sn, ausen...e aiIu
found death.
Because of rain. which became a
downpour at 2 o'clock. the hour set
for the ceremony, the service was
held in the yard mess hail. instead
or outdoors.
At one end of the whitewashed hall
was the speakers platform. and In
front OF it, in. long, solemn row. the
dead. Each coffin was shrouded in
the American flag. each was covered
with flowers. each bore q simple card
bearing the name and rank of the
deceased.
First to file into the mess hall were
the American, guards OF honor -
picked seamen and men from the Ma
rine Corps. The line Of blue and
khaki was drawn up along one side
of the auditorium.
Brftixh. French and Brnxillans Mourn
Then again the tramp Of marching
men and platoon OF royal marine
light infantry. from. the British
cruiser Dauntless. which yesterday
the side facing the Americans. the
Britishers-trim in their blue uni
forms. with white belts and pith he'll
mets-took their stand.
Into the rear of the hall filed sailors
from the Brazilian battleship Minas
Geraes and the French cruiser Vile
d'Ys.
Then the doors were thrown open
to all. AS the floor slowly filled II
became an oblong of contrasts. The
glitter of gold lace on STAFF officers
was tempered by the. sombsr dress
the men, not the women. who touched
the picture with color.
On the platform were seated men OF
rank-the Secretary Of the Navy.
three admin ais. commanders Of for
eign warships at anchor here; Sir
Hugh rrenchard. British air minister:
Mai. Gen. Robert Lee Bullard Of the
United States Army; British and
French consul generals and men
prominent in varied walks Of life.
But even. nearer the caakets were
prfvates and ordinary seamen, while
inside the auditorium and out were
men without collars. who stood for
hours in the rain, until their clothes
were soaked. to pay tribute to men
who had faced death unfiinchingiy.
sailprmen had known in life was
yThe ,sound Of muffied drums out
side the hhall-the strains Of the Star
SpangIed Banner within. and the
service had started.
the. dead, who had pressed their hand
kerchiefs to their eyes as they passed
the caskets on entering the hall. stood
a little straighter. held their heads a
little more proudly when they heard
the anthem of a country for which their
sons. brothers and husbands had lived
and died.
Oae Mother Near Collapse.
But there was one gray-haired
mother for whom the strain was too
much. the sorrow too deep. 1t seemed
as if she would faint and she was led
weeping from the building.
kerchief to his eyes as the mother was
assisted down the aisle moaning again
and again: MY babyr'
Lieut. Com. F. E. Meyer, Navy
chaplin. conducted the final ritual
quartette sang Lead Kindly Light"
Then Secretary DENLY stepped for
ward. Behind him were three Ameri-
can seamen, bearing bouquets sent
from the President and cabinet Rev
erently he placed one on each comm.
Sir Hugh Trenchard and the COM
mander OF the Dauntless then laid on
wreaths from the British embassy.
British air ministry and the crew of
the British cruiser which had served
as funeral ship. On the casket of
Commander Louis H. Maxfield, who
was to have had charge of the ZR-2
on her transatlantic flight. was a rep
resentation of the airship. in English
violats, with q card inscribed: "A re-
mennbrance, from your shipmates
whom you left behind"
Then Capt. N. c. Gleason. Catholic
chaplain. conducted the second serv-
Ice. Opposite him.. holding lighted
candles, were three bluetackets-
scarcely eighteen.
Nearer. My God. to Thee"-and
then three volleys Sharp and crisp
they rang ont. A bugler sounded taps.
The service was over.
When the yard Had been emptied
of visitors fifteen hearses drew up in
front Of the mess hall and the caskets
were borne away to the Naval Hos
pital.
Four bodies VIII be inferred in
one-that of Lieut.. Emory
Coil.-will be buried at sea, and the
others Will be turned over to the
nearest Of kin. -.
cONVENING SENATE