Farewell,
Babe.
Babe Ruth was idolized and beloved by millions of
Americans, especially children. When he died, at
8:01 P.M., on August 16, 1948, at age 53, America
lost a great truely mythic hero, as well as the
greatest player ever to play the game. He lay in
state in "the House That Ruth Built" for
2 days as more than 200,000 paid their last respects.
An invitation to the Babe's funeral can be seen
below. Distraught dads lifted their sons up for
one final look. To the left, is a rose that lay
on the Babe's casket.
Three days later the funeral was held at St.
Patrick's Cathedral. Tens of thousands were in
the streets outside while tens of thousands more
lined the funeral cortege route. At the funeral,
Ruth's old teammates were pallbearers. Claire
Ruth, Babe's widow, lived on at their apartment
at 100 Riverside Drive for another 28 years until
her death.
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