St. Landry democrat., 1883-12-08
EVACUATION DAY

c,hr,+ad nm an Elaborate Scale in New
York An Enormous PROFESSIONS W.T.
messed by a Multitude Of People, Despite
the Fact that the Rain Came Down In
Torrents - dwelling of the statue o.
Washington.
NEW YORK, Nov. 26.
The day opened with a dull, leaden sky
Indicating rain or snow, and the amos
nhere was moist and raw, but not cold. At
s,,nrise the forts and ships fired a salute OF
t1vantv-one guns. This was followedln half
an hour with a successful effort OF the steam
whistles in the bay and on the rivers TO
create the most disagreeable noise lmagln~~
able. thus emphasizing the wonderful diI-
ference between navigation in 1853 ana
1881. At min o'clock people took posses
sion of the streets and every means OF con-
vevance leading down town. They hiled-
cars. omnibuses and carriages, and still
fine sidewalks on Fourth Fifth and Sixth
avenues and Broadway presented a aenseF
mass of humanity.
The decoration was elaborate on tho pub
lie buildings, and the club houses content
ed themselves with a display of stars and
stripes. Occasionally the colors OF France
and Germany mingled with the red, white
and blue. All places of business were
closed and the entire population OF Man
haitian and Long Island gave themselves
up to the enjoyment of this patriotic oeca-
sion. Points of historic interest were sur
rounded by crowds anxious to recall inc
| scenes of the day when the British With
drew from the American shores and lnde-
pendence was really made secure.
A fog on the bay and rivers deprived the
| Hotilla of steam vessels of much of its ex-
pected glory. 1t was a novel parade to-
New York, and it attracted a great deal OF
observation. The programme laid down
for it by Admiral John H. Starin was
| strictly adhered to. Boats, to the numberof
several hundred, rendezvoused in the bay,,
formed in divisions and steamed into North
! River and along the New Jersey shore tllE
opposite Sixty-ffth street, New York,
thence returning down the New York side
of the river, around to the Battery and into
the East River. steaming up there as far as
the navy-yard, and returning along the
Brooklyn shore to the starting point at Bay
Ridge, As the boat bearing the Admiral.
of the feet passed the Tennessee, flagship
of Admiral Cooper, several ships OF the
| United States fired a salute of twenty-one~
guns, manned their yards and made other
demonstrations customary on such occa-
sions. Atnoon every steam whistle in the
CITY began a salute, which was unbroken
for five minutes, the time during which it
was to last.
About nine o'clock President Arthur, ac-
companied bv ex-President Grant and Cen
eral Varnum, left the Fifth Avenue Hotel
for the point where the head of the column
was being formed. There they took their
places in the line. 1t was nearly ten O'Clock
before the line was formed and put IN notion.
The police had great difficulty in clearing
the passage. After the police came Cen
eral John Cochrane, Grand Marshal, and,
staff, accompanied by the First troop OF.
the Philadelphia City Cavalry under com
mand of Brigadier General E.>B. Grubb.
The first division was commanded by Brew
ct Brigadier General Richard II. jackson
Of the Fifth United States Artillery, and
composed of United States troops as an
escort to the distinguished guests following:
in carriages.
President Arthur and his Cabinet officers.
were in the first carriages, and were followed
by the Governors of the States, Mayors of
municipalities and other civil officers,
officers of the army and navy and delega-
tions of mercantile bodies from this and
other cities. The Grand Army Posts came
next followed by the associations of volun-
teers, the fire departments of the present
and past, and more civic societies.;
The = head of the column reached
the Battery at 1880 p. IN. When President
Arthur arrived at the Battery stand he was
assigned a place there with the Governors,
of the States, and reviewed the procession.
Later he was driven off to review the river
parade of steamboats,, after which he went,
to the sub-treasury to witness the unwilling
of Westinghouse statue. Lower Broadway
was crowded with a surging mass of hui
manity that cheered the President heartily
and rave a lusty recognition to Governor
Butler, punctuating it occasionally by cries
of "Tewksbury." The procession required
four hours to pass a given point. Notwith-
standing the rain, the procession was the
grandest New York has ever presented and
was witnessed by a vastly greater number
of people than any previous affair of the
kind. Thu rain was continuous, and those
in the procession got thoroughly wet.
There was a continuous roar from the
throats of the people while the firemen.
marched by.
The unveiling of the statue of George.
was attended by a brilliant company, in
Guiding the President of the United States,
members of his Cabinet, Mayors of New
York and Brooklyn, Bishop Potter, Rev.
DR.. Storrs, Collector Robertson and VIII
liam M. Evarts.
George w. Lane, President of the Cham
Der of Commerce, opened the ceremonies.
with a brief address, speaking of the asso--
Citations connected with the spot.
:, Rev. DR.. Storrs made a short prayer,
after which Royal Phelps, on behalf Of the
statue committee of the Chamber of Com
merce, presented his report to President
Lane.
Governor Cleveland then unveiled the
statue, and, after the cheering had subsidized
President Lane turned to President Arthur
and said that, as President of the Chamber
of Commerce., the pleasant duty devolved
on him of rendering through President
: Arthur to the Government of the United
, States the custody of this statue of Wash
ington. erected by the citizens of New York,
pursuant to In act of Congress, to COM
memOrate his taking the oath of office on
. this spot rs the first president.
, President Arthur rar1vinp said