DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, Sept. 14.

  To the Secretary of the Navy: 

  Out of respect to the memory of the President, the executive departments
  will be closed to-day and on the day of the funeral.

  JOHN HAY.

A similar order was communicated to all the heads and acting heads of the executive departments in Washington by government telegraph.  They in turn issued the necessary orders for the closing of their respective departments, not only in Washington, but throughout the country.  In a short time the large buildings were deserted, except by a few clerks detailed to aid their chiefs in the promulgation of necessary orders.

In addition to issuing the order closing the Navy Department, Acting Secretary Hackett dispatched the following order to every commander-in-chief, to every navy yard, and to every United States ship, stating simply: 

  It is with profound sorrow that the department announces to you the
  death of President McKinley at 2:15, September 14.

The Acting Secretary also issued the following order to the naval branch of the United States: 

  [SPECIAL ORDER No. 12.]

  NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, Sept. 14, 1901.

The President of the United States died this morning at 2:15, in the city of Buffalo, N.Y.  Officers and men of the navy and Marine Corps need not to be reminded of the public and private virtues of their late Commander-in-Chief.  The whole people loved William McKinley, for he loved and trusted them.

  As soldier, statesman, husband, and as a pure-minded, great-hearted
  American, his fame now belongs to his country.

  Under the Constitution, Theodore Roosevelt, previously Vice-President,
  has become President and Commander-in-Chief of the navy and Marine Corps
  of the United States.

  F.W.  HACKETT,
    Acting Secretary.

The ceremonies to be observed are provided for in the naval regulations as follows: 

Upon the receipt of official intelligence of the death of the President of the United States, the senior officer shall direct that on the following day the ensign and union jack be displayed at half-mast from sunrise to sunset, and guns fired every half hour from all ships present.  Similar orders shall be given at naval stations.

A naval regulation provides that salutes shall not be fired on Sunday except in cases wherein international courtesy would suffer from the breach.  Therefore the firing of the guns will take place on Monday at those points where the department’s announcement was received yesterday.

ORDER TO THE ARMY.

A dispatch was received at the War Department on the afternoon of the 13th from Secretary Root approving the draft of the order to the army, announcing the death of President McKinley.  It was sent to all officers in command.  The order follows: