Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-17
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. A Monster Gathering
 of the Graft. CHICAGO CROWDED WITH VISITORS. Three Grand Receptions to the
 Knights. DISASTROUS FLOOD IN IRELAND. Fifteen Persons Swept Off in
 the Torrent.
 THE WEST.
THE WEST.
Illinois.

Knights Templar-Thefr Big CeIebra- tfon-Chicago Invaded by Full Conn manderies-The Hotels Taxed to Their Utmost.
 CHICAGO, Aug. 16.-A steady stream of strangers. Knights Templar and their wives and ordinary men, women and children poured into the city all night and ar rived by thousands this morning Already the city is more crowded than during the National Re
 publican convention. The great difference in the crowd is the large percentage of wo- men, many of the Knights having not only brought their wives but whole families, Hotels which thought they were putting their powers to the limit to accommodate a thou sand are trying to lodge and feed double that number. Single cots will have to do double duty, and square yard of carpet is at pre- mium. To-day is devoted entirely to the re- ception of visiting Knights. On the north west and south sides of the city the comman- deries of Knights Templar continue to arrive in such rapid succession that it is impossible to keep track of them. So large has been the tide of visitors setting toward this city that trains have had to be divided to accom- modate the rush, and thus much delay has been oecasioned. The local communicates are busy escorting the visiting comr1anderies to their assigned homes. The Apollo com mandery receives those which arrive at the south side, the Chicago those arriving on the west side, and the St. Bernard those on the north side. The sound of music and tap of drum is heard in every direction, to which the various bodies of uniformed Knights are marching in and taking possession of the city. The streets are almost impossible with spectators, and Chicago is at the feet of an in- vading legion of Templars.
 The following communicates arrived dur ing the afternoon Bayard No. Il, Saltwater, Mich; Bethel No. 36, Elgin, H.; Grand Commandery of Wisconsin; Grand Com mandery of New Hampshire; Home No 5, ! Rochester, Minn.; M. T. Olivet No. 36, Ara mosa, Iowa; Shomer No. 19, Elmira, N Y; Richmond No. 8, Richmond, Ind; St. John No. 24, Clean, N. Y; Trinity No 16, Urba- ha, Ills; Newark, N. J., Commandery San dusky Commandery; Mansfield, Ohio Com No. 5, Hannibal, Mo, Carlisle No. 8, of Pennsylvania; Beauresant No. II, of Quincy; Shawnee No. 14, of Lima, Ohio There are in addition to these and the con- manderies reported to-day some PA con- manderies still to arrive in time te participate
  arrive by the delayed special midnight trains before midnight, but large numbers will probably come in the morning. The process sion is announced to move at S:3O, but will probably be delayed by the immense crowds sure to be on the street at early hour.
 This evening the triennial conclave was formally inaugurated by three grand recep- tions to the visiting Knights at Central Music, Mccormick and Farweu Halls Each of the three large halls was beautifully decorated with flowers, plants, festoons and Masonic emblems. They have a capacity of nearly three thousand each, but with the throngs passing in and out, probably not fewer than thirty thousand people visited the three halls during the evening. The ladies predomina ted, and what with their gay apparel, the gorgeous plumages of the Knights and the magnificent decorations of the halls, the effect was charming. The music, furnished by three of the best orchestras of the coun-1 try, was excellent. The oratorical part of the reception at Central Music Hall consisted of addresses of welcome to the city by Mayor Harrison, to the State by Governor Gull lom, a fraternity welcome by Grand Master Guerney, of Illinois, and on be- half of the Apollo, Chicago and St. Bernard commanderies by Most Worthy Sir Dewitt Clinton Cregier, and the acknowledgement on behalf of the Most Eminent Grand Master and the Grand Encampment by Benjamin Bean, Grand Generalissimo. Programmes of 8 similar character were carried out at Farwell and Mccormick Halls The streets of the city probably never appeared more beautiful than tonight as viewed by the thousands of spectators who thronged them. The many unique and beautiful transparent cies served to light up and show of the dec orations to excellent advantage, Nearly all the tents in the encampment are now occu- pied, but the majority of visiting Knights arc quartered at hotels in the city.