Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-10-28
&a9l&5ss &
PRESS DISPATCHES
The dwelling of the Statue.

NEW YORK, October 2S.-The rain storm
which prevailed all day yesterday ceased
during the night, but the weather this
morning was very unpromisng for the fes-
Invites which are to attend the naugura.
ton OF the Barthold Statue. A slight fog
hangs over the city obscuring ia measure
the elaborate decorations of buildings with
which the city has been beautified. French
and American flags are flying from house
tops and windows 10 every direction and a
general holiday appearance is presented by
moving bodies of soldiers, militia, civil
organizations, and by the collection on the
sidewalks of great crowds of people. The
decorations of the City Hall are very elabo.
rate. Business is almost entirely suspended,
the public schools are closed, and all New
York are taking part in the celebration
Visitors from all sections of the country
have been coming into the city for two days
past, and this morning thousands more
were added to the great throng, the pros
poets of unpleasant weather in no way
deterIing them. 1t is estimated that fully a
million of people took party in the festivi
ties. The multitude is simply enormous
The hour Of o'clock was marked on the
towers and steeples, and at that time all
organizations to take part in the parade
should have been at their posts in the streets
from seth to Saith, with right and left rest
ing on 9Th avenue. At this hour, however,
only three of the many regiments of the
great whole mad reached assigned positions.
The 9Th U. S. Artillery commanded by
Col. John Hamilton, and the engineer corps,
took their position in front of Secretary
Nhltney's house, at 5Sth street, and 5th
avenue, few minutes after 9. Next came
the Old Guard, who stood near the carriages
waiting for the President and his Cabinet to
leave Secretary Whitnev's residence, where
they had spent The night, Promptly at 10
O'Clock President Cleveland, accompanied
by Secretary of State Bayard, descended the
steps ard entered an open carriage. They
were followed by Secretary of the Navy
Whitney, Postmaster General Villas, Secre-
tary of the Interior Lamar Private Secre
tary, Col Lamont. Rear Admiral Luce and
stall, and Major Whipple. The Old Guard
preceded the carriages, and at quarter
past 10 o'clock commenced the march down
9Th avenue. On all the side streets from
Central Park down to the reviewing stand on
24th street the different military companies
and civic organizatius were formed. 1t was
lust l0:40 o'clock when the President
reched the reviewing stand. He was greeted
with hearty cheers as he drove down the
avenue, and drew up in front of the stand.
Secretary Bayard was in the carriage with
him. After the President had taken his
place on the reviewing stand the memb ers
OF the French delegation were presented to
him. The party included the venerable
Count dc Lesseps. and M. Bartholdi.
In the procession were the Governors of
several States, together with maay dis.in
guished foreign personsges. The ceremo-
MES attending the dedicationn on Lib
erty Island were CT an imposing char
acter. The civic and military organizations
which paraded through the principal streets
of New York had 80 900 men in line.
Tho statue had its origin in suggestion made
by NJ. Laboulaye at dinner party in Paris
twenty years ago, at which NJ. Bartholdi was one
OF the guests. The suggestion was that if O mon
ument should BE- erected to commemorate the in
dependence of the United States it shouId he
erected by the joint subscriptions of the French
and the American people, in order to commemo-
rate also the ancient friendship between the two
nations. Bartholdi eagerly seized upon the idea,
and after visit to this country introduced his
project to the French people at another banquet
hold November g, 1875. Tho statue represents
| over eleven years Of labor by NJ Bartholdi. II
cost the French people nearly one million dol
lars and the pedestal cost the people of the
United States over 100000. 1t is tho tallest
statue in the world, aud higher than any other
structure in the city or harbor of New York,
From tho foundation Of tho pedestal to the torch
She distance is 800 feet and inches The statue
itself is lol feet and inch high and weighs
| fooooO pounds Yet this huge structure of
bronze and iron, which was brought to this coun-
try packed in 80 cases, has been put together
on It's lofty pedestal without any outside scafold
lns, feat Of engineering which surprised M
| bartholdi, who says that when put up in Paris
| before its shipment to the United States it was
surrounded by mass OF scafFolding The colossal
statue represents q beautiful and patriotic senti
ment. Competent artists declare that the ststne
must be judged not as work of sculpture, but
aS WORK Oh architecture Bartholdi, they say is
great architect, more than great sculptor. The
ssat"e 10 a magnificent lighthouse, and bids fair
10 stand hundreds of years, and Bartho!di's name
Will endure as long as it does.
Adjourned Sine Die.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Oct. 2S.-The
Womans' Christian Temperance Union ad-
lourned sine die last evening, all unfinished
business being referred to the executive