The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-05-08
The Washington Centennial.

The one hundredth anniversary of the
first Inauguration of George Washington as
president of the United States was observed
in New York city on Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday of last week. Preparations for
this great event have been in progress for
months past, and the celebration was the
grandest and most imposing in the history
of the nation. The weather was favorable,
and every part of the ceremonies passed off
successfully. The great metropolis was
thronged with visitors, it being estimated
that there were a million and a quarter
strangers in the city during the festival.
In the naval parade, Monday forenoon,
there were three hundred fifty vessels in line,
extending ten miles down the bay The YES
sells were divided into three diVisions-the
naval revenue and yacht, and merchant ma
rine. The revenue and yacht division was
in double column, one hundred yards apart,
and two hundred yards between columns,
the eastern column being directly astern OF
the naval column, two hundred yards be-
tween the rear of the naval division and the
head of the revenue division, and one hum
dred yards between the revenue and yacht
division. Between these paralleled columns
the " Dispatch" bearing the president and
vice-presdent, passed. When the " Dis
patch ~ came abreast of the rear of the
yacht division the revenue cutters, and such
of the yachts as carried guns, began a salute
of twenty-one guns, and as the presidents
ship passed the officers and crew of each
vessel paraded on deck, saluting by uncover
ing all. When the Dispatch " reached
the rear of the naval division the yards of
all the vessels were manned and each ship
fired salute of twenty-one guns As the
Dispatch " passed each vessel the officers
and crew uncovered, the marine guards and
sentries presented arms, the drums beat
feur ruffles and the band played the national
air. The triumphant passage of the " Dis
patch " between the parallel lines of steam
ers occupied about an hour. AT the last gun
from the Chicago the naval and the
revenue and yacht divisions got under way
and steamed up the bay and North river at
speed of six knots an hour, preserving the
same formation and distance as when at
anchor The merchant marine, in two
great divisions of five squadrons each, fol-
! lowed the Dispatch " up the East river.
When off Wall street the Dispatch came
to anchor, and the merchant marine, after
rounding the stoke-boat and the column of
naval and revenue vessels, dispersed.
A reception at the Lawyers Club, in the
| Equitable building, followed, and the day
closed with grand ball at the Metropoli-
tan opera-house. The floral decorations in
the ballroom We're of the most elaborate
order. over the presidents box was a
large brass pendant, displaying the word
Washington" and at either end of it We're
| the dates "17S9 and 1889 - in brilliant
gas-jets, The box itself was draped with
cloth of gold, fine laces, embossed velvets,
! figured silks and flags, festooned with
! flowers The entrance from Broadway
seemed to be into an old-fashioned garden.
| The outer walls of the auditorium and the
sides of the double staircase formed three
sides of the garden, and trellised vines and
Towering shrubs added to the mural effect,
while real fruit-trees were set about
in artistic abandon. There were apple
trees in blossom and pear-trees in bud;
peach-trees with a strong suggestveness
of fruitfulness, and cherry-trees with
included ounces and prunes, and grapes
even, while lilacs and wistaria and five
finger and smilax climbed the balustrades
and made up a continuous panorama OF
floral verdure. In safe corners of the cor
ridors stood still rarer plants, and on each
beauty.
Tuesday morning Bishop Potter preached