Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-03-07
INAUGURATION CEREMONIES.
4 Republican Administration UShered in
on MOnday--Al Immense Crowd and
an Imposing Demonstration.
A RAINY DAY.

Morton, Mr.. Harrison announced that the
programme would be carried out. rain OF
shine.
The great crowd which had gathered
under a forest of umbrellas went wild
with delight when this announcement
was made.
THE GREAT CROWDS.
There was never such a crowd in Wash
ingtOn. 1t is estimated 10000 strangers
are in the city. Train men could not be-
gin to estimate the numbers of incoming
passengers. Boats on the river were laden
with human freight. and the roads lead
ing in from the country saw professions
of wagons filled with family parties; all
coming to see President inaugurated.-
Every available room in the hotels had
been engaged weeks in advance. Board
ing houses had changed their halls into
dOrmitOries. \ great army of soldiers
had camped in the public buildings. Poor
indeed, was the private family that did
not accommodate its country cousins. \
myriad of cots sprang up like mushrooms
over night. and filed almost every place
that bOasted roof and walls as shelter
from the keen March weather. 1t was
the reign of the cot; it whitened every
floor and appeared in every shape, from
the humble crOSs-legged army couch to
the new-fangled two-StOried variety.
THE GRAND THOROUGHFARE.
Surely there never was such another
public way as PENNSYLVANIA Avenue-one
so well adapted for the elaborate pOmp
and circumstance of great popular de-
monstratiOn such as the inaugural pro-
cessiOn. In ordinary days. when free
from ornamentatiOn, the eye takes in its
majestic stretch from the fair white Cap
itol, crowning the hill, westward to the
point where the massive porticOS of the
Treasury building cut off the view, it is
a noble sight. But on this 9TH of March,
1889, when, as if to make amends for the
foliage stripped off by the blasts of win
ter, tall trunks and trailerS of bunting
sprang up and bore vast bowers of vari-
Gus hued cloths and flags and streamers
and lanterns, adding beauty to architec-
tural forms already full of grace, and
burying in happy oblivion palmer homes
and shops, this grand thorOughfare must
have filed with exultatiOn the heart of
every American who gazed upon it, and
stamped upon his mind a picture never
to be forgotten.
Few, indeed, were the houses along the
avenue from the Capitol to the Treasury
not aTrayed in holiday attire. The hotels
and other buildings of public character
were Ornamented with lavishness never
before equalled, while from every window
and cornice of the business places and
shops. the national colOrS were displayed
in streamers, banners, flags, and lines of
beauty. Here the decorator achieved his
pefect work. Where all of the bunting
came from is a mystery. 1t waved from
lofty poles in banners of imperial size: it
dangled from slender ropes and wires and
thousands of little triangles and pieces OF
fantastic shape; it ran riot like convOld-
tiOns of giant creeperS across the vast eX-
panse of brick, and everything it touched
it glOrified.
GATHERING FOR THE PARADE.
In spite of discouraging rain, there
was a stir and hustle about the city from
an early hour in the morning In fact the
restless throngs that surged through the
streets yesterday hardly quieted down
during the whole night by o'clock the
blare and beating of bands could be heard
in every direction. The air resounded
with national airs. Civic and military
organizations were marching to their re-
spective rendezvous, and streams of peO-
pie were pushing their way to the line of
march of the inaugural procession.
Dl III dll lllG
tary was to move, the windows and seats
on the stands erected along the line began
to receive their occupants, and half an
hour later both sides of Pennsylvania
Avenue from the Executive Mansion to
the Capitol, were lined with a surging
mass of humanity, and the Inauguration
day was fairly begun.
Probably 100000 visitors and as many
more of the resident population of Wash
ington were along the line of march wait
ing patiently to witness the inaugural
procession. perhaps the most stupendOuS
and significant pageant on the face of the
earth; and to-day the most imposing
of that kind the country
has ever seen. By this hour the various
civic and military organizations and the
regular troops which, since early morn
inn, with their bands and marching had
enliYened and animated various streets,
had passed along and were fastening to
the places assigned them in the great
parade of the day, and the city presented
a scene of gay animation and life only
here on Inaugural occasion.
Fifty thousand men were marching or
waiting to march, and the entire pOpula-
ton of the city seemed to have deserted
its homes and gathered along the line of
march. The crowd was something un-
even in this city, accustomed
to receive the OutpOurings of the nations
At 1920 A. NJ the First Division, Gener-
el Gibson commanding, consisting of
about four thousand troops, of the regu- |
lar army, cavalry, infantry and artillery, |
and the National Guard of the District of |
Columbia, and which was to escort the |
retiring Chief Magistrate and the PreSi- |
dent elect to the Capitol, were in line and
waiting on Pennsylvania avenue in the |
vicinity of the Executive Mansion, while |
the other five divisions, consisting of the |
various State militia, and civic OrganiZa- |
tions, were rendeZvousing in the vicinity |
Of the Capitol.
General James A. Beaver, Chief Mar
shall of the day; General Daniel Hastings, |
his Chief of Staff, and number of special |
aids, were on hand, and about 10:45 the
word of command was given and the First |
Division, the military escort, began to |
march toward the Capitol.
START FOR THE CAPITOL.
AS the hour drew near when the escort |
was to start with the Presidential party !
for the Capitol, the promise of the early
was verified, and the rain came
down in driving shower. The Capitol
seemed to float in a sea of mist. Horses
bearing aides dashed to and fro envelOped |
IN the steam from their bodies, troops
hurried to their posts with the moisture
from their uniforms. The pO-
ice began to force the spectators beyond
the cables which ran along the curbs and
busy wOrkmep spun the wires across the
streets. A forest of umbrel-
as hid the sidewalks from view
Owing to the rain only few hundred
people gathered around the Arlington
Hotel to witness the departure of the
President-elect and party for the Capitol.
At 10 o'clock the carriages provided by
5he committee to convey the party to the
Capitol drew up in front of the Johnson
annex entrance, facing Vermont Avenue,
and for time were the center of interest
% the crowd. A few moments later Mr.
Morton, clad in heavy ulster coming
lOwn to his shoe-tOps and wearing high
L. 1