The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-22
THEKNIGHTSOFTHE TEMPLE
A Drenching Rain-Storm Spells the Dec
oratiOnS and Stops the Parade.
First Session Of the Grand Encampment-
Points from Reports Of Officers-Imposing
Street Display To Be Made To Morrow.


Templars of America The city. its business
men and private citizens, have We'd with each
other in decorating their buildings and resi-
dences. and the result is most pleasing. Along
the line of march Of the parade the fronts of the
business and municipal buildings are hidden
with their decorations of flags bearing appro-
pirate inscriptions, emblems and notices and
various colored bunting. draped in graceful
and fantastic manner. The most snowy decora-
tons are those about and upon the courthouse
This building occupies an entire square, all
around which have been placed at equidistant
points. poles twenty-five feet high,
trimmed and connected with each
other by garan6s of woven evergreen.
Each pole bears shield, upon which
is painted the grand seal of some State or Ter
ritory. Behind the shields. and falling from the
top of the poles to the ground are long, graceful
tri-coored pennants. At each entrance to the
building stand two immense pyramidal pillars
of eyergreens, crowned with Masonic emblems.
Directly over each entrance are sem-circular
sun bursts constructed of evergreens, flags and
bunting The building presents brilliant APP
pearance. All of the business houses are taste
fully trimmed Washington avenue and Olive
street are gay with futtering bunting. Pine,
Chestnut and Market streets have their share of
flags, while the less popular thoroughfares have
flags in every window, giving the streets gala
day appearance. The flags and remnants so
thick on some streets that viewing them in per-
epective, every breeze seems to set the walls in
motion. Immediately in front of the main en-
trance to tho Exposition Building the reviewing
stand has been erected aud it, too, is deliberately
decorated. The stand is about fifty feet square,
and Is covered with a canopy or canvas, from
the center of3which floats large United States
flag Entirely around it have been placed
national flags and Knight Templar emblems.
while from its corners depend steamers Of
mAny-colored bunting.
When the Knights Templars awoke this morn
ing the clear sky of last evening had become over
cast with dark clouds, and adamp northeast wind
blowing with considerable velocity. Light
Overc0ats were not at all uncomfortable. and the
cooling drinks provided for the anticipated
thirst of the marchers were entirely superfuous
At o'clock cold, steady rain set in, and the
parade would have been march through mud
had not the streets along which the parade
passes been thoroughly swept and cleaned
early this morning. AS early as $40
A. N. squads companies and commander
les, many of them accompanied by bands
of music, could have been seen hurriedly
marching TO their rendezvous. Those who start
ed thither early in the morning were more for
Lun2Lo Lnan tn6lr CdrQy brethren. WnO at 0:3U
were proceeding to their appointed places with
dropping plumes and dripping uniforms. The
early morning trains were all on time, and de-
posted many communicates who have come to
the conclave from points near St Louis, and
they proceeded Immediately to their positions
At half-past the first gum directing the com
manderies to FORM fired, and the side streets
leading into the main thoroughfares were alive
with the 30. 600 Knights who were to participate
In the parade hurrying to their positions, and
nd 1xr - 4o;c kI,o;~
visions. AS time passed on, the rain fell heavier
and heavier until the streets became sopping wet
at o'clock the prospects for clearing up were
pot at all bright, and few minutes later j. r.
Parsons, ommander-in-chief of the command
sreS, issued an order abandoning the parade.
The order was communicated to the faithful
knights who had been standing in the rain ready
90 march, and they broke ranks greatly disap-
pointed at not being able to parade, but very will
ing to Get In out of the wet.
The disappointment at the abandonment Of
che parade was immeasuable in every quarter
A mere postponement would not suffice, as the
rules of the order permit parade only as an es-
Cort to the Grand Encampent, and as that body
must meet at the appointed time the rain abso-
lutely prevented parrde at this conclaye. Said
Commander in chief Parsons:
''The disappointment is greater than l can ex-
press The arrangements were perfect to the
miputest detail We had impressed into our
service for the occasion the very best military
talent in this section, and were assured of some
thing over twenty thousand men being in line at
the stroke of the appointed hour and had the
state of the weather permitted the parade would
have been the finest ever known. AS it was.
however nothing was left but to abandon it, and
thus cut out one of the most prominent public
features Of the conclaye."
TO the tens of thousands of spectators who had
begun to crowd the streets along the proposed
route of the procession, the disappointment was
almost as great as to the Knights themselves
The decorations were drabbled and torn, while
the heavy wind which accompanied the rain tore
many from their bearings and by 10 o'clock the
spectacle was anything but beautiful or enliven-
Ing In every quarter stores, doorways and ev-
cry place Offering the slightest shelter from the
driving wind and rain were crowded with wet,
bedraggled and thoroughly Disguised men, wo-
men and children, Knights and civilians. The
hotel Hobbies and the various headquarters were
thronged with knights and their friends, bitterly
be wailing the misfortune of the morning. Not
only was the abandonment of tho parade made
necessary,sbut the continuance of the storm rem
dered repetition of the friendly calls with
which yesterday was occupied impossible. The
numerous reviewing stands erected along the
route of the procession. which early began
to fill with sight seers, presented q de-
serted and lonesome appearance and
the owners. who had counted on handsome re-
turns from their investments in constructing
them, as they saw their prospective profits van
ish, voiced their disappointment in terms even
stronger than those employed by the Knights
1ne oniy peopic oencuteu Dy the Storm were the
keepers of downtown resorts. whose places rap
idly filed with those who could find no other
way OF passing the time, and the street-cars and
other transfer people, whose services were in
great demand.
About O'Clock the skies began to clear. and
the Wis ing Templars, who had been imprisoned
In their quarters by the elements. emerged and
spread themselves over the central portions of
the city. The excursions on the river were quite
literally patronzed and many fraternal calls
g n Opd 81 wQ ~ IN nd BY T.
fl. the skies were perfectly clear and the wealth
or had acquired all those desirable qualities
which were SO conspicuously absent in the morn
ing. The temperature was not uncomfortably
low, and the dreuchng which the pavements had
received in the morning rendered them almost
perfect for marching, which began even before
the fall of darkness. There was no set pro-
gramme for the night, but all communicates kept
open house aud the marching to and fro Of bands
and communicates Was incessant
L.ns thia off liz yua datarnairad oI.;x.