San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-03
WASHINGTON
IS PREPAR|NC
FOR FUNERAL
Dead President to.Lie in
State Under Dome Of
Capitol.
THEN TO MARION, OHIO
Services for Martyred
Lincoln and Mckinley
Recalled. .
THEN TO MARION, OHIO

Washington. ID. c.. Aug. 3.-While
waiting word of Mrs. Harding's wishes
regarding plans for funeral services
in Washington, officials who will be
in charge OF arrangements turned back
the pages of history and reviewed the
state funerals OF the martyred Lin
coin and Mckinley.
Although both those Presidents lay
in state under>t the dome of the CAPT
tol while long lines of sorrowing thou
sands passed along for Il last glimpse
and Il last show OF respect and grief,
their bodies were first taken to the
White House to be left alone for the
last tender moments with their fam
lilies.
Lincoln's body was taken direct
from the house on Tenth street across
from Ford's Theater, to the White
House and placed in the historic East
room under. the great crystal chande-
Her, and so was McKinley's after it
arrived in Washington from Buffalo.
White House in DisaTay.
The White House has been in q
state of disarray during the absence or
the President and Mrs. Harding. while
workmen were giving it a thorough
renovation. 1t will not be difficult.
however, to put the mansion to rights
so that. if Mrs. Harding desires, she
may, with those relatives who are
accompanying her. occupy her usual
apartments until after the state flu
neral and until she is ready to depart
for Marion on the last journey with
4er husband.
If precedent is followed and Mrs.
Harding desires to have Mr.. Hard
ings body taken to the White House
before it goes to the capitol to lie in
state under The great dome, the cas-
ket will be placed in the center of the
great room on the same spot where lay
the bodies of Lincoln and Mckinley.
The body of Secretary Gresham of the
State Department also lay there. The
room is the best known of all the
White House apartments to the thou
sands of Americans who visit there
each year and the thousands of 9th
ers who have attended the official re-
ceptions of the Presidents.
Thousands of Americans will re-
member the great crystal chandelier
with its myriads of cut glass pieces
and electric bulbs and the rich but
ssfnberly decorated walls with the
portraits of former Presidents looking
down upon them. 1t is probable that
none but the most intimate friends
and members of the official family and
members of the diplomatic corps will
be admitted there. The White House
grounds will be closed.
Unknown Soldier Recalled.
At the capitol the catafalque will be
placed in the spot where reposed the
remains of Lincolp. Garfield, Mckin-
ley and Americas Unknown soldier. IL
was less than two years ago that the
President and Mrs. Harding bent over
the same spot laying wreath in hon.
age to the nations heroic dead.
If the customary plan is followed,
Mr.. Harding's body will lie in state
for several hours before the official
funeral ceremony, conducted in the ro-
tunda. Admission to the official fu-
neral services will be by card and It
will be impossible TO provide for all
those who will wish to attend.
In fact, it is difficult TO provide
for all those who take part in the
ceremony. The rotunda has space for
less than n thousand seats. and. out
of these, 500 have to be reserved for
members of Congress. the diplomatic
corps requires about go and, in adj
ditiOn. places are required for the
Supreme Court, high officers of the
army and navy and others in official
life.
Presidents Lincoln, Garfield and
Mckinley had military funerals, but
in the absence of definite word from
Mrs. Harding it is thought there win
be no military display. The President
and his wife have always shown q
leaning TO simplicity. as was evidenced
when. at the time of his inauguration,
he reduced the program of ceremonies
to a simplicity approaching the In
ottpura tion of JnckSon