Morning journal and courier., 1881-10-19
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. TURNTABLES SURRENDER. The Second Days Festivities At
 Yorktown. LAYING OF THE CORNER STONE. Distinguished Guests Assisting At
 The Ceremonies. Honors to the Foreign Guests. The Old Town In Holiday
 Attire.
LAYING OF THE CORNER STONE.
Honors to the Foreign Guests
THE NATIONAL CELEBRATION.

THE NATIONAL CELEBRATION. The Close of the Revolution-COmme mem- orating the Surrender of Lord Corn waIlis-A Gala Day at YOrktown-Dis- tinguished Visitors on the Scene-HOn- ors to Our Foreign Guests-A Brilliant Round of Events.
 1 YORKTOWN, Va, Oct. 1S.-Fhe Yorktown centennial opened to-day under favorable auspices. The weather was bright, but it
 was disagreeably hot and dusty, there being no protection here from the latter. All day long steamers were arriving loaded down to l the water's edge with soldiers and visitors.
 The latest arrivals include the Thirteenth regiment of New York, Rhode Island and New Hampshire troops, and the Washington | Light Infantry, of Charleston, s. 0. Early 1 in the day it appeared that the attendance would be light, but it is estimated that 3O,- 900 persons are in attendance, and the har- and crafts of every class. On land the scenes 1 to- day have been animated, and tonight were l picturesque, all life and excitement, and on | the water they were equally lively. Looking | out on the vast fleet with twinkEng lights and | now and then to hear the shrill notes of the boatswain's whistle, or to hear the sharp | ringing of ships bells, one is reminded of | the days of the late war, in which Yorktown and it's land and naval forces played an im- portant part. The scenes out at Camp Mat thews were interesting to-day. The guard 1 mounts and drills and other incidents Of camp life drew many toward that section During the evening all is silent in the tented | city Here and there sentries pace to and 1 fro, halting each passer by and preserving strict discipline The whole forms 8 great picture, and though there are more or less | inconveniences to put up with, every one ap- pears good natured and no one cares to cre- ate disturbances. The strictest police regu- | lations are enforced Details from the police departments of Richmond, Norfolk and Washington are on duty, stationed on the shore and on board the steamers at the wharves. Many distinguished peo- pie were among the arrivals to day, including the President and Cabinet, Senators and members of Congress, French and German guests, Rev Alex. Stewart, formerly mem- Der of President Fillmore's Cabinet, being his Secretary of the Interior and others. To-
 days events included the laying of the cor
 ner stone of the monument, the reception of distinguished guests, concerts by various bands, pyrotechnic display and grand ball night. The corner stone laying, ow ing to delay in the landing of the President and party, did not begin until o'clock. The
 
 lay for some time in the harbor. Admiral Weyman and General w. S. Hancock visited him on board immediately after his arrival, when an exchange of courtesles occurred amid the roar of guns from the war vessels, the crews of which manned the yards in handsome style. The whistles of private steamers blew shrilly and the crowds along the shore cheered Justify. The
 President, Judge David Davis and others landed in boats without any display and pro- ceeded on foot to the grand stand, where the
 monument was located. A very large as-
 semblage, mostly Masons, were there to re-
 ceive the party. They arrived late, however,
 and the ceremonies being in progress they were escorted to seats without ceremony. The corner stone laying was very impressive, opening with formal address by Senator Johnston of Virginia, chairman of the cen tennial commission, and was concluded with vocal and instrumental music, the singing of
 ''The Star Spangled Banner' and several hymns composed for the occasion being rem dered with grand effect. Governor Holli- days address of welcome was hearty and well-timed and replete with grateful senti ment for the interest shown in the event all over the world. Most Worshipful Peyton
 Skipwith Coles, Grand Master of the Masons of Virginia, manipulated the silver and jeweIed trowel in laying the corner stone. The procession, which included besides Virginia lodges many communicates
 
 the Grand Masters of the thirteen original States, was under command of Most Worship full Robert Enoch Withers, P. G. M, grand marshal The procession formed in an open field a mile away from the monumental site, and, though the road was dusty and rugged,
 marched excellently. Beneath the corner stone was placed copper box with silver plate on the lid inscribed as follows:
 ''Corner stone of the monument to the commeno- ration of the surrender of Lord Cornwais and the I1Dde hia md 1 French troops at Yorktown, Virginia October 19, commission, by Grand Lodge of Free aud Accept
 Masons of Virginia the occasion of the ceebra
 tion the hunored anniversary of that event." The contents of the box were as follows: One copy of the Holy Bible, a copper coin of the United States of 1782, United States,
 French and Canadian bank notes, $1O0 Vir- ginia treasury note of 1862 various confed- crate money, @ copy of programme of the 1 celebration, photographs of the confederate | flags, 8 Yorktown centennial medal, a pro- gramme of the corner stone ceremonies, Vir- ginia Journals, publications referring to the centennial a copy of the charter of the York town Centennial association, 8 leaf from the Bible on which George Washington was sworn as a Mason, an electrotyped copy of the charter of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, list of the members of the Yorktown cen tennial commission, copy of the music sung by the centennial chorus and the Mason apron worn by the late Rev. A. A. Baldwin. The ceremonies concluded about 2:30 o'clock, when the President and Secretary Hunt were escorted to Lafayette Hall, where an informal reception was held. The hall was gorgeously decorated with flags and ev- ergreens, and the floors were highly pol ished. The reception was an informal though quite brilliant affair, the wives and daugh- ters of Congressmen and army and navy officers attending. The President and Sec retaries Blaine and Hunt were in full even | ing dress, and the foreign guests in their gay ! uniforms looked striking when compared with the uniforms of the Americans. | The French and German visitors, &C.,
 companied by Secretary Blaine arrived on the Catskill about o'clock. They steam l ed into the harbor with the French, German l and American flags flying gaily. When they cams to anchor the foreigners fired the ad- miraPs salute of twenty-one guns and dipped | the American flag, which was returned by similar salute on board the flagship Frank ] lin Batteries of artillery on shore also fired | salutes. The distinguished foreign guests of ! the nation were visited by many prominent officials on board their vessels, after which l they disembarked and came ashore. This l afternoon more salutes were fired. Tonight | the Dodsworth band and the bands of the | Fifth Maryland and Ninth Massachusetts regi- ments went serenading and the old town was | lively up to 8 very late hour, hundreds of people coming in from the surrounding | counties The Fifth Maryland regiment was reviewed by Governor Hamilton th1S after- noon. and the Ninth Massachusetts regiment gave dress drill, which was loudly applaud | ed by the spectators.
 The programme for tomorrow includes military and naval parade, an address by Governor Winthrop and poem by J. Baron
 Hope and other interesting features. Nearly | all the soldiers to participate have arrived. | The pyrotechnic display was magnificent. | Set pieces and rockets were sent up from schooner in the harbor, and there was con tinued shower of rockets, Roman candles and such from the war ships and camp. Each vessel was illuminated with thousands | of lanterns of all colors forming scene of | great beauty. The fireworks and illumina- l tions lasted until late hour.
 l President Arthur will probably leave here | for Washington tomorrow night. It is ru- | mored that trouble has arisen between the