The Washington times., 1923-08-08
Throngs Pack
Route of Cortege
h,Last Tribute

Bareheaded, reverent throngl
which exceeded in numbers and sur
passed in intensity Of spirit the ju
bilant attendance at the great
Shrine parade last June today gath
cred along Pennsylvania avenue tt
witness the funeral of the late Pres
ident Harding.
Masses of Humanity.
Men, women and children were
packed, six to eight deep, along the
entire route Of march. Behind the
silent lines thin vein Of life flowed
as late corners. craning their necks
sought untaken points Of vantage.
Every office window down the
avenue Of sorrow was a mass Oh
faces. Fourteenth street, from the
avenue to F street, shaded by tall
buildings. was a solid block OF
humanity.
The great tide began to flow
toward downtown Washington at ar
early hour. Along the taut cables
stretched parallel with the route OF
the procession, early arrivals took
their positions. At the street
LO LA4S 4S(W W ma - AAOS~~
a distinct crowd grew past controlla
BILE proportions to witness the de
parture of President Coolidge and
Cabinet officers for the funeral.
Through the main traffic arteries
of the District, automobiles, ladeI
to capacity, pulled in and discharge
their passengers.
Within the hour before the fu
vsanHHn0a IL
their singleness of purpose, escapet
n1iraculously from injury or death bS
street cars. Motormen changed thetl
bells necessarily.
Through Lafayette Park, toward
the White House, the great crow
streamed. Above the heads OF -ht
massed watchers in front of the Elk
ecutive Mansion shone the white uli
form helmets of the marine guard
The equestrian Jackson statue OPP
posite the Whites House seemed t.
have DOTTED its helmet in salute tC
the departed leader.
Official automobiles whirled noise
lessly through the gates of the man
sion. The dense throng watched fol
the sign of the procession's begin
ming.
It was a solemn crowd that gath
cred along the length Of Pennsyl
vania avenue. There was none OF
the light-hearted chatter as in the
average throng. Conversation was
carried on in a subdued tone. Dur
ing the actual passage OF the cor
tege there was almost absolute 81
lence, unbroken even during the
80
was taking part in his first public
function as the Chief Executive.
An example of the feelings Of the
crowd was revealed on the avenue
between Third and Fourth streets
northwest, shortly before the cortege
passed. An old. white-haired woman
and a young man who might have
been her son, were talking ear
nestly. Their conversation was
about the immortality of the soul
And you believe that where the
President has gone there is no
sickness or sorrow?" the man
asked. The woman nodded an EN-.
phatic affirmative.
The American citizen was not
alone in paying tribute to Presi.
dent Harding on Pennsylvania ave
nue.. In the foreign settlement
along the lower end of the avenue,
there was as reverent homage as
at any other. Scores of Chinese
stood bareheaded in the sun
throughout the passage of the
cortege in grave silence. One old
Celestial, seated on a box in front
Of his store, putting slowly on a
long stemmed pipe, stopped as the
caisson came in view, knocked out
his pipe and laid it on the box
rose to his feet. and solemnly
pulled off silk skull cap" expos
ing a glistening yellow poll to the
hot sun.
An Italian woman. a child on her
shoulder. clutched the baby to her
with tears in her eyes as the flag
draped coffin passed, crossed her
self, and gasped. "Madre Dolorosa"'
A swarthy, black bearded italian
fruit vendor, at his stand. turned to
a colored man who had neglected to
remove his hat as a flag went by.
grasped him by the shoulder and
Missed TAXA off the hat next time,
see?" He had been recently nat
uralized, he explained.
American Hebrews were repre-
scented in the funeral procession by
Paul Baerwald, New York; David
A. Brown, Detroit; Fulton Brylaw-
ski. Washington, and Henry H.
Rosenfelt, New York city. national
director Of the American Jewish re-
lief committee. One wreath at the
White House bore the name of the
Jewish Joint distribution committee.
and another that Of the American
Jewish relief committee.
Peace Monument was a favorlte
place for spectators. An hour ana
a half before the cortege appeared
the base was concealed by a mass
of humanity. sweltering in the hot
SIM, without a vesitge Of shade. A
number of news photographers
planted their cameras at the top
- the base which was kept clear
g.. +ha;r benefit by a pair of husky