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Show Uiy W. U. Tolograph IECOKA,TI05I DAT. I -Waehington,30. -Fully 10,000 persons were on the ground at Arlington to-day. Three grand aruhes wie erected in the ; rear of the Leo mansion, one over the right or south entrance, another over tho north entrance, and the third over tho main entrance, each trimmed with festoons of evergreens and flowers in mottoes. Tho special feature of the profuse decoration was two large pyramids pyra-mids representing different branches of the U. 8. service, and haviDg for their most striking ornamentation muskets, mus-kets, sabers, swords, drums, and other implements of warf.irc, tho whole being be-ing surmounted with a liberty cap. Tbo tomb of iho unknown dead was festooned with flowers and evergreens from.base to apesr. The monument was covered with American fhgs wrapped with evergreens. The front of the Lee mansion was also or nam en tod, the eight massive columns being trimmed with tri-colors, wbilo abovo the columns col-umns a festoon of American flags wiib arranged, and in tho oentrewas a large shield from which stringers of evergreens ever-greens connected to the oolumnp. From the entrance to the amphitheatre waa a line ol lhgs extending around the grand strand and auditorium back to tho starting point, and at each tree near thereto a shield was placed in poaition. Tho entrance gates wero also arched with flags and evergreens. The ro8trum,oapable of seating 300 perssona, was uncomfortably crowded Among tbo distinguished invited guests who participated in tho exercises, were President Grant, the heads of the various executive departments and bureaus, bu-reaus, governor Cook and other district dis-trict officials. The Rev. Dr. Tiffany opened with prayer. A chorui of 500 voices, comrades of the Grand Army of tho Republic, pang a national hymn, entitled, "To thee, 0 Country," after which was reoited an original poem by Dr. E. A. Dnnoan, and the bymn of "Peace oa Earth," was sung by the Grand Army ohoir. Upon its conclusion the orator of the da7, the Rev. T. DeWitt Talmadge, delivered an oration. A male ohorus sang a rnusioal selection from "Comrades in Arms," whioh wag followed by an instrumental in-strumental produotion by tho marine band, which terminated the services at the rostrum and amphitheatre. At tho ooniploiion of thu exeroiscs at the stand, tho orphans and such others as oould find accessible standing roam near tho grinito monument proceeded to tho tomb of the unknown dcadt Tim exorcises thtro opened with the national anthem, "God Save the Union," by tho Grand Army choir, after whioh tho Rev. John Chester Ches-ter offered prayer. A body of orphnno from the National Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, undor charge of the lady managers and officers of the homes then sane the hymn Soldiers Memoiiil Day, after which an original poem, Unknowo, was recited by comrade com-rade J. B. Irwin. In the courso of the afternoon the graves were strewn with fl iwcrs. New York, 30. Dispatches from all the principal cities and towns, in the Middle and Eastern States, report that Decoration Day has been generally oVeerved. Business has been suspended sus-pended aud tho civio societies, school ohildron. and citizens joined with the Gran 1 Army in strewing flowers on tho soldiers graves in tlio various cemo-tcrios. |