Evening star., 1941-12-14

Lodge, No. is (now No. y. Of Washing
ton, D. C.
The Rev. Thomas Davis of the Episco-
pal Church conducted the burial services.
DR.. Dick conducted the Masonic rites
Three discharges of arms by infantry.
artillery and cavalry paid . last tribute
to the American nberator. A vessel In
the river fired minute guns during the
services. The sun was setting Is the
sorrowing people turned from the tomb.
The bier upon which the CONN was con-
veyed from the mansion to the tomb was
In the Alexandra Museum. and was de-
stroyed in the fire of 1871. 1t was Of
oak, 8 feet in length, and painted lead
color. The handles hinged to the bier
had leather pads on the under side
fastened with brass nails. Upon the
outer lead CONN was q silver shield
inches long on which was inscribed.
GEORGE WASHINGTON,
Born February AZ, 1882,
Died December IA, 1899.
This burial took place in the old vault
on Wednesday, December 1s, 1899, and
here rested the body Of Gen. Washington
and other members of his family until
April 10, 1881. when they were placed in
the new vault, and six years later the
remains of Washington and Mrs. WASH
ington were moved from the rear of the
new tomb to the sarcophagi at the front
of the same.
The statement made that when the
comm of Gen. Washington was moved
from the old to the new tomb, that the
body was seen floating in alcohol, was
discounted by Harrison H. Dodge. who
for many years was superintendent of
Mount Vernon and who, in writing on
this subject, said:
THE most reliable authority, I have
had many occasions to quote. was an old
man, william Burgess, q stone mason
of Alexandria, whom 1 employed at
Mount Vernon from 1885 until he died,
1898.
Burgess was an apprentice bricklayer
and helped build the new tomb and
was present when the remains Of Gen.
Washington and others were moved,
April 10. 1881, from the old tomb to the
new. Only a few members Of the
Washington family were present then,
and this 18-year-old lad (Burgess) was
with them when they determined to open
the leaden casket to assure themselves
of the identity of what it inclosed. They
all expressed astonishment, when the
face Of the general was revealed, to OBJ
serve how little his facial expression
Judging from Portraits had changed
in the 3o-odd years since his death.
Burgess oft-repeated testimony was
to the effect that after the face had
been exposed for a few moments there
was an appreciable change noticed by all;
a falling in of the features quickly oc-
CURED. If there had been alcohol used
this wouldn't have occurred. No alcohol
was subsequently put in the casket,
know!"
Resolution Passed
Apparently, it was not the wish OF
Congress to have the body of Washing
ton remain at Mount Vernon, for nine
days after the death of the first Presi-
dent, a resolution was passed by this
body, and approved by President John
Adams, December "a, 1899, providing
that the family Of George Washington
be requested to permit his body to be
transferred from the vault at Mount
Vernon to the United States Capitol and
deposited in a space beneath a monu-
ment also provided for.
Mrs. Washington granted permission
for this transfer, and when the central
portion Of the cold Capitol Building was
constructed during the years l818-1829,
space for the tomb was provided. But
nothing seems to have been done with
the resolution of December %, 1899, until
February %, 1880, when a House resolu-
ton was passed for the purpose of for
mulating plans for carrying into effect
the provisions of the earlier resolution.
A further resolution of February IA,
1882, directed that application be made
to John A. Washington and George
Washington Parke Custis for the re-
mains of Martha Washington, that they
also be removed and deposited in the
SdPAtOA WlVll tilOoC Va ilCl 1dtC SOiiooit
George Washington Mr.. Custis gave
his consent, but John A. Washington
declined to do so, on the ground that it
was Washington's wish that his remains
repose in the vault at Mount Vernon
And 50, the space at the Capitol, in
tended as tomb, is still vacant except
for catafalque-a simple bier of boards
covered with black cloth which was first
used to support the remains of President
Lincoln, and which has since been used
for each person laid in state in The
rotunda Of the CAPITOL, which includes
Mr.. Lincoln, Thaddeus Stevens, Charles
Sumner, James A. Garfield John A.
Logan, William Mckinley, Maj Pierre
Charles LEnfant, Admiral George
Dewey the Unknown Soldier of the First
World War, Warren G. Harding and
William Howard Taft. The catafalque
also bore the casket containing the re-
mains of Salmon p. Chase, but this body
did not lie in state in the rotunda.
Not long since, the writer was shown
this tomb by the architect Of the Capitol,
David Lynn, who In his report Of his
ONCE for the year en1tns June 80 i'40'