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the latter date changes for the worse
developed.
At three o'clock on the morning of
April 5 Mr. Depew was noted to be
unconscious and breathing heavily.
Dr. Hooker, who was in an adjoining
room, was summoned. He directed
that the family be called into the
room. Mrs. Depew, Chauncey M. Depew,
Jr., an only son, and Miss Anne
Depew Paulding, a niece, immediately
came. Soon it became evident to all
present that the end was at hand, and
the household staff, most of whom had
been with the family for years, were
summoned. All were present when
Mr. Depew peacefully breathed his
last. His nephew, Charles Cook
Paulding, Vice-President, Public Relations,
New York Central Lines,
reached the house a little later.
Thus, within eighteen days of his
ninety-fourth birthday, Mr. Depew,
surrounded by his loved ones, departed
from the world of which he had been
one of its most famous characters
and which he had enriched so much
with his wholesome philosophy, gentle
toleration, and constant spread of
good cheer.
Extra editions of the morning papers
carried the announcement of his
death. A few hours later messages
of condolence and magnificent floral
tributes began arriving at the Depew
home. They were a striking testimony
to the esteem in which this great
man was held in the hearts of his fellow
men and women, and they continued
in a steady stream until the
hour of his funeral. In addition there
came to his home many men and women
who had known Mr. Depew in
politics, in business and transportation
circles, or socially, to leave their
personal condolences with his widow
and family.
One of the first tributes paid to the
deceased Chairman of the Board was
that of President Crowley, who ordered
all flags displayed at half mast
on all buildings of the New York Central
Lines until after the funeral, and
the draping in mourning of the Concourse
of Grand Central Terminal and
the facade of the General Office Building
at No. 466 Lexington Avenue.
Messages of condolence came to
Mrs. Depew by the hundreds. They
came from President Coolidge, Vice-
President Dawes, the Prince of Wales
and many others of the world's great,
representing many nationalities. Following
are a few of the messages:
President Coolidge—"I have learned
with great sorrow of the death of Senator
Depew. His high sense of personal
service and his rare and fine
philosophy of life made him respected
and beloved. I have always valued
deeply his unswerving support of my
administration and shall always remember
with pleasure his visits with
you to the White House. Mrs. Coolidge
joins me in heartfelt sympathy."
Vice-President Dawes—"My wife
and I join in deep sympathy to you in
your bereavement. A great man and
leader in our national life, Senator
Depew is mourned by his countrymen."
Sir Esme Howard, Ambassador
from Great Britain—"I have received
a cable from the Prince of Wales saying
that his Royal Highness is deeply
President Crowley's
Tribute
//"TN the death of Chauncey M.
-•- Depew, America has lost one
of its foremost citizens and the
railroad world one of its great historic
figures. Mr. Depew's lifetime
covered, lacking a few years, the
history of the American railroad.
The New York Central's first unfa,
the Mohawk & Hudson Rail Road,
operated its first train less than
three years prior to the birth of
Mr. Depew. In his sixty-two years
of service with the New York Central—thirteen
years as President
and thirty years as Chairman of
the Board—Mr. Depew played a
leading role in the remarkable development
of modern transportation.
His nobility of character, his
lovable personal characteristics and
his loyalty to his friends endeared
him to all."
distressed to hear of the death of Mr.
Depew and desiring that his sincere
sympathy be conveyed to you and his
family."
Governor Alfred E. Smith, of New
York State—"I learned with great regret
of the death of Chauncey M. Depew.
He was one of the leading citizens
of our country and of our State.
As far back as 1864 he was elected to
the office of Secretary of State. During
a long and useful life, he always
displayed a great interest in our public
affairs. He served the people of
F
UNERAL services, of beautiful
simplicity, were held for Chauncey
M. Depew, America's most beloved
patriarch and senior railroad executive,
in St. Thomas' Protestant Episcopal
Church, Fifth Avenue and Fiftythird
Street, New York City, on Saturday,
April 7, commencing at 10:30
o'clock in the morning.
The church is within a block of his
late home and is the one where he had
worshipped for many years. This was
also the same church from which, with
similar simple services, the funeral of
the late President of the New York
Central Lines, Alfred H. Smith, was
held four years ago.
The great auditorium was filled
with an assemblage of distinguished
men and women representative of the
nation, state and city, as well as those
from every walk of life, including political,
financial and railroad circles,
and every strata of society. Their
presence was a fitting tribute to the
unusually wide circle of friends and
admirers which the statesman and
railroad executive had enjoyed
throughout his long and eventful life.
Delegations from the Maintenance
of Way, Operating, Motive Power, Engineering,
Traffic, Accounting and
other departments of the New York
Central attended the funeral.
Outside the church thousands stood
bareheaded on Fifth Avenue through-
New York Central Lines Magazine for May, 1928
t * *
this State with distinction in the Senate
of the United States. He had an
army of friends and admirers, and
while he lived to a ripe old age he will
nevertheless be greatly missed. I have
ordered the flags on the public buildings
at half mast. I express the deep
sorrow of the people of the State and
extend our sincere sympathy to the
members of his family."
John D. Rockefeller—"I have just
learned with deep sorrow of the passing
of your dear husband and my lifelong
friend, Mr. Depew. He will be
greatly missed by the multitudes who
knew him but to love and honor him
for his noble character and high attainments
and for the valuable services
which he has* rendered to his
country and the world. Be assured of
my sympathy for you and other members
of your family in sad bereavement."
Charles E. Hughes, former Governor
of the State of New York, Secretary
of State of the United States, and
Justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States—"Permit me to express
my deep sympathy. The closing of a
life of such extraordinary usefulness
and distinction seems to mark the end
of a period of which Mr. Depew was
one of the most illustrious figures.
The best part of it was that in what
we ordinarily call old age, he capitalized
the varied experiences of the examplar
of wisdom, grace and buoyancy
of spirit, so that in a very real
sense he retained leadership to the
end. Mr. Depew illustrated the victory
of life by his rational self-discipline,
his unfailing interest, and his
undimmed hope. He radiated good
cheer and his passing leaves us with a
sense of irremediable loss."
Hundreds of Notables at the Funeral Services
out the entire service, striking evidence
of the great hold Mr. Depew's
magnetic personality had on the public,
the later generations of which
knew only of him through his written
and spoken words, and of his oftrecounted
achievements from the lips
and writings of others.
The beautiful Episcopal Church
burial service, barren of eulogy or
pomp, was conducted by the Right
Reverend Ernest M. Stires, Bishop of
the Diocese of Long Island, who was
rector of St. Thomas' Church for
many years and a warm friend of
Senator Depew; the Right Reverend
William T. Manning, Bishop of Diocese
of New York, who requested the
honor of participating, and the Reverend
Roelif F. Brooks, Rector of St.
Thomas' Church.
The coffin, covered with a deep blanket
of red roses on which lay a cross
of lilies of the valley, was taken from
the home nearby and conveyed to the
church soon after 10 o'clock. Traffic
was not suspended on Fifth Avenue,
at the request of Mrs. Depew, but
steel erection work on a near-by building
was stopped. Otherwise the noted
statesman's body was received into the
church for the burial service with the
same simplicity accorded the commoner
of no distinction.
As the members of the family were
being seated, the organ played Bach's
New York Central Lines Magazine for May, 1928
third Vt«.t m! v"'! 9
t h e
° ., „ f u n e r a l
«rv,ces for Chauncey M. Depew in St. Thomas' Church, Fifth Avenue and Fifty
thLlr hi J ' -Z S f f i C e r S
.° ° f t h e N e W Y
° r k C e n t r a l w e r e s t i
" assembling in the forward pews to pay tribute to
tneir esteemed leader. The choir stalls were banked with flowers, the gifts of many whose names are known the world over.
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