The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-06-03
Grand Masonic Demonstrations
Dedication OF the New Masonic
Temple.


NEW York, June 9.-'rhc Masonic de
monstration to-day is most imposing
affair. Flags, banners and bunting are
everywhere displayed, and the streets
through which the procession moves are
crowded. The ceremonies OF the dcdica'
ton Of the new Masonic Temple may be
said to have begun yesterday, when the
annual session Of the Grand Lodge OF the
State was opened. Very much To the
satisfaction Of the thousands who paraded
to-day in the procession and to their
friends, who numbered many more thou-
sands, the sun rose upon cloudlcss sky,
and at an early hour the city was astir
with Masonic bodies moving from
their headquarters out to the point
designated for them, an unusual pOmp
having been observed, and the result was
that at the hour named for all to he in line
very few lodges were out OF their places,
The Red Cross showed in the sun, and
familiar notices Liet the eye at every
turn. Soon after . three guns were fired
and the signal to move was communicated
to the head Of the line at 10Th street by
tho waving Of guidons. Marshal Priston
and aids took position at the head OF the
line, and the procession, marshallcd in
twenty divisions, took mp It's march, Pre-
Ceding the MasOns came twenty.lOur
mounted police and two platoons Of officers
on foot. The communicates looked we'll,
and the elegance OF their appointments,
together with the excellence Of disCip
line obtained for them many favorable
comments. The Ercniag Post says that
the principal feature was the Detroit
Commandcry No. |, This COmmandery
is said to be the most proficient in the pc
CLliar drill of the Knights Templar o(any
in tho country. They were not long in
demonstrating their claims to u great
deal Of credit for celebrity and precision,
for soon after the line moved they began
their evolutions, and continued them at
short intervals along the line Of march.
As the Eighth Division passed 25th
street, the Blue Lodges filed into their
places from the streets on either
side OF Fifth Avenue. Previous to
this their lines had been broken to per-
nit as many Of the order rs possible to
witness the divisions up to 10Th avenue.
Each division was provided with bands OF
music, and consisted Of from toto 10 lodges
IN the 18th division, 81. Johns Lodge
No. !, was the Bible on which Washington
took the first oath Of office administered
to the President Of the United States. In
this division were borne the vessels con.
tanning corn, wine and oil, and symbolic
lodge, carried by four Masters The
orator Of the day, Judge Lewis, occupied
carriage. In the rear Of the line came
the Commissioners Of Appeal, the Grand
Secretary and Grand Treasurer, pre-
ceeded by the Grand Master who rode be.
tween ! Stewards bearing their rods
Of office. II Is estimated that there were
not less than 1900 knight TcmplarS in
line, representing about forty lodges 0i
Masons, and there were thirty.nlnc bands
of music, The parade was fully H,OOO
strong. Regulations ~ to dress were al
most without exception complied with.
Broadway presented an extraordinary ap-
pearancc. Below Canal street the road.
way was blocked by carriages and Wagons
filled with spectators, rs indeed were all
the side streets. Along the line, houses
were, many of them, dcCked with flags and
strcamcrs, some OF which were decorated
with Masonic symbols. The windows and
roofs Of the buildings were crowded with
spectators.
After several hours weary waiting the
crowd assembled in front Of the temple
were gladdcncd by the arrival OF the
Grand Lodge. The officers alightcd from
their carriages at the curbstonc, and
marchcdup the steps headed by the Grand
Master and accompanied by past grand
officers, representatives Of other grand
lodges and special guests. II was ten
minutes to . o'clock when the large body
began the ascent Of the stairs, and the last
member did not pass in until nearly hall
an hour afterwards.
At the head Of the stairs they were mel
by the officers having the ceremonies IL
charge, and directed to their proper pO'
sitiOns in the hall Of the Grand Lodge
The hall was not decorated except Mt the
east end, where, on raised platform
there were many beautiful floral ndOrn.
ments. On the other side Of the stage
stood the pillars Of the temples outer
porch made Of evergreen and ivy leaves
twined about with red and white flowers
In the centre was large floral bank Of
various COlOrs, representing an altar, tC
the left Of which stood the Ark Of the
Covenant drnpCd with flowing white
CLOTH The Grand Lodge filed in first
and were assigned seats in the body o.
the room. The musical programme con
sisted Of Masonic hymn, for baritone
solo and chorus, "ThOu who Nrt Coo
alone" written by DR.. Leopold DanirosCl
expressly for the occasion and conducted
by him in person; Tc Deum, by Prof
Caswcll; II Masonic ode, "Our Temple
reared, complete ii stands" by Harrison
Millard, and chants, marches, an invOCa
ton, grand chorus and tlOxOlogya The
other exercises began with prayer ant
reading selections Of Scripture by tho
Grand Chaplain, followed by M address
by the Grand Master, the presentation o.
the presentation Of the Architect, n
Lehman, and the Brother builder, Johi
Il. Conover, to the Grand Master and the
lattcr's response. A procession Of off:
GERS was then formed and conducted
around the chambers. The Grand Chap
lain then Offered the Conservation prayer
The Grand Master poured on the lodge Il
vessel Of corn, dcdicAting the lodge tC
trcCmnsOnry; vessel Oi wine, dcdiCnt.
ing IL tO virtue; and Il vessel Of oil, dCdi.