Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-11-11
MANY Thousands File Past
Casket To Renoer Last
Tribute to Unknown.
FLORAL WILDERNESS
Blossoms From Every Cline and Of
ferings From Every Nation Adorn
Coffin.

Washington, Nov. ia river OF
humanity, American men, women
and children, Americans by heritage
Americans by election. flowed all day
today and far into the night past the
bier of the dead soldier, under the
great dome of the Capitol. 1t flowed
as the life blood Of the nation it
self-a slow but overwhelming tor
rent of human documents gathered to
attest the valor Of Americas dead in
France.
From early day until long after
darkness had shrouded the city, the
great stream surged up the eastern
front Of the rotunda four abreast, up
the granite stairway, in through the
huge doorway to pass solemnly, rev.
arently, by the casket and its five
guards, motionless as the statues OF
Lincoln and Grant at the far door
way which looked down on the NOV
ing spectacle.
Out through that doorway the
stream passed. through the stately
corridor and it's marble stairway and
down over the wide terraces Of the
western front to the homes in the
city below. Each hour saw thous-
ands make the slow Journey of honor
to the dead. Each hour saw new
thousands pouring uD the wide drive
ways that circle the great building
to replcnish the living stream.
That was the overshadowing ele
ment in the cycle Of honors heaped
unon this nameless soldier, this son
of the people come home to claim
the great reward his valiant heart
had earned And it was his own Deo-
r,le. OF every nook of the nation, that
silently. gave this reward more pre-
cious than any 5eweled or carved
token that governments of the world
will place tomorrow above the still
breast Of the sleeper
To one side of the throng that roll
ed ceaselessly by the flag-draped cas-
ket, second unending ceremonial OF
honors for the dead went on. There
great men gathered in Washington
to deal with great affairs, came hum
bly, to place their wreaths and roses
at the bier. There came comrades,
limpine from wounds that brought
them down in France. There came
gray-haired veterans of old wars,
moved to DO honor to the young,
stricken comrade Of the last great
struggle; there in ordered course
came the Ambassadors. the Minis
ters and the special ENJOYS Of gov
ernments around the world.
There We're fo-rnaj services here.
always with the shuffling footsteps Of
the human river beyond merging with
the prayers and the chants and the
spoken tributes to the dead. There
We're some. like those wounded boys
from France, who stood awed and
abashed at the solemn majesty that
lad come to this comrade. They
placed their wreaths in wordless
,raise. their wounds and the eyes of
that great. endless, living river be-
yond making them awkward; their
r,ntches and canes tapping on the
{, Id stones as thew shuffled back
into the obscuritv thew craved.
Came, too. black-gowned women.
mary bowed and gray with aon and
sorrow. and all wearing in pride the
'oiIen star that tells of son who
died over there They brought al
ways with their flowers the great
stars that bring to this unknown son
Of libertv q message from those COM
radcs whose names stand above all
others in the roll of the nations serv-
ants: the great scroll of those who.
like him, died for the flag.