Evening star., 1931-04-05
PLANES SALUTE
At ROCKNE BURIAL
Drone Overhead as Body Is
Lowered to Grave Under
Historic Oak.
BY PAUL NICHOLSON.
Associated Press Sports Writer.

NOUTH BEND, IND, April A.
Beneath the spreading branches
~ of Old Council Oak, a sentinel
Of peace for centuries, Knute
Kenneth Rockne peacefully slept to-
night
AS the setting sun died in the West
ern sky, streaming its shadows like one
last salute on the famous golden dome
Of Notre Dame, all that was mortal of
the greatest fighter of the Fighting
Irish" was lowered tonight into the
grave.
It was a simple farewell that the
world of sport, the boys who fought
for him, and the holy fathers with
whom he worked and worshiped gave
him today. Yet. It was impressive. It
tugged the heart strings not only Of
Notre Dame, the Nation and his rivals
in life, but it saddened q world, which
was represented at his crypt and at the
services today.
Gridmen PaIlbearers.
Rockne, the immortal Viking, was
carried to his final resting place in
Highland Cemetery by the selfsame
group of boys" who carried on for
him on the foot ball fields of his glory,
Firm of step, but heavy Of heart, these
boys-Tommy Conley, Tommy Yarr,
Marchmont Schwartz, Frank Carideo,
Marty Brill and Larry Mullins-tenderly
took their chieftain to his last earthly
home and wept as they watched, with
the multitude of thousands, the de-
scent into the grave.
In its life span Of more than so
years, the picturesque Gothic Church of
the Sacred Heart, has been the scene
II services for loved men of Notre Dame,
but never before did any approach that
given Knute Rockne today In impress
siveness, sadness and sorrow.
AS the cortege, weaving its mourn
full journey from the Rockne home and
carrying the man of destiny's widow,
his 72-year-old mother, his four chill
dren and host Of n1ourners, came to
the church there was tribute, heart
stirring In its silence, to the beloved
foot ball coach.
ThrOng Outside Church.
Thousands. forced to forego admis-
sion TO the church because Oh the lack
Of room, barred and bowed their heads
as silent testimony. Inside the church,
where his family and 1,400 Of his
friends knelt In prayer, came another
tribute from the man who probably
knew him better than any Of the rest
the Rev. Father Charles L. O,Donnell,
c. S. c., president Of Notre Dame Uni-
Versity.
Before the hushed CONGREGATION. the
reverend father said that Rockne was
the man he was, the man the world
now mourned, because he was q ''Ro-
g1ver, q man who made use of all
the proper machinery and legitimate
methods of modern activity to be es-
sentially not modern at all; to be quite
elementary, human and Christian, CIV
fVHfr ~ ~
not for himself, but for others
AS he concluded his eulogy with the
words, may hiB soul and the souls of
all the faithful departed, through the
mercy. OF God, rest in peace" grief be-
yond conception wrenched in the
hearts Of the mourners inside and in
those of the millions who heard him
over the radio.
AS the last word dropped from Father
O'Donnell's lips, Notre Danes foot
ball heroes cracked and cried. There
was hard-boiled Hunk Anderson,
Rockne'S first assistant coach; Roger
K1ley, Gus Dorais, Eddie Anderson.
and the -four horsemen," Crowley,
Stuhldreher, Layden and Miller, and
others, whose emotion could not be
restrained.
Airplanes Salute Dead.
AS the body was blessed and taken
out to the chants of 40 choristers. an
AngeluS Bell in the belfry of the
church tolled its mournful chimes while
overhead, with a touch of irony, but
meant with the spirit of deepest sym
pathy, several airplanes saluted.
The services at the church, con-
Quoted from an altar before which
Romans once stood and worshiped $50
years ago, lasted but part of an hour.
AT pm. the cortege of so limouSines,
escorted by squadron of nine motor
cycle policemen, began its final jour-
ney to the cemetery
thousands stood In nlaSSed formation
and with heads barred in the little
country grave yard where the services
again were brief and impressive The
Rev. Father Michael Mulcaire, C. s. c.,
said the final prayers, and gave fnal
blessing with the multitudes as the
body descended
Floral tributes, sent from every-
where, were in profusion at the Rockne
home in Sunnymede, the little spare lot
was filled with them and the grave
was heaped high
Rocknes grave lies just of the beat
en- highway of Portage road and be-
meath the spreading boughs of an an
cient, gnarled oak tree, known as
Council Oak. 1t was beneath this
tree that the adventurous missionary
De LaSalle once talked with the In
dians OF peace and good Will and re-
ligion almost $50 years ago.
1t is located, too, two and a half
miles from the stadium that Rockne
and his genius built as a fitting me-
mortal to foot ball, and along the road
That once Knute, the immigrant Morse
boy, Travelled to Notre Dame 20 years
ago With a worn suit case in his hand.