Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-03-11
The Parade.

In the matter of weather the inaugura
tons of William Henry Harrison, Polk,
Lincoln, Grant, Hayes and Benjamin Har-
r.son alone were married by storms and rain
All tn other Presid .nts were favored with
sunshine; some even with balmy warmth
Thus the popular ides as to the prevailing
inclemency OF March weather in Washing
ton does not seem to be borne out by the
facts. The exceptions, however, have been
of great severity. At Grants second in
auguration some Of the troops nearly froze
at their posts and many deaths were directly
attributable to the cod, drenchiny rain
which accompanied the late Presid nt's Ell
try into office
The parade was greater in numbers and
more imposing in military and civic display
than TINT of any previous Inauguration.
Gen Martin F. Mcmahon of New York, the
grand marshal, carried ont in the organize
lion of the procession the same admirable
methods Of assembling his forces which
m ade his management of the Columbian
parade in New York City last October so
successful. With military sagacity h. recog-
niZed the fact that IL takes MANY hours TO
march 1900 OF 5000 men past a given
point, even under the most favoring circum-
-tances of broad and wei paved streets, and
instead of ordering all the organized bodies
to be ready to fall in at one and the same
time, he allowed sufficient int rvsis between
the hours of assembling to prevent as far as
possible fatiguing wits, and so arranged
the assembh Ilaces on contiguous 81 g
streets that the men were abe to fern and
drop into line without delay and without
c ossing the line of march. In all these
l., l. L.
general, Col. II. c. Corbin, U. S. A
The escorting division composed of artil-
lery, cavalry AMI infantry of the regular
army, drawn from the garrisons Of Fortress
Monroe, Fort Meyer and For McHenry, and
he arines from the Washington navy
yard, viii the admirably drilled National
Guard Of the District. the high school cadet
regiment and other local organizations, as
embed in the neig hhorhood OF the White
House and the War, State and Navy build
ings. and formed in columns Of sections Of
AZ each promptly at 1880. They marched
down the avenue, Accompanyin the Pres
Dental partv from the White House to the
Capitol prior TO tie inauguration Al the
rest of the PARADE assembled below the
Capitol and marched from the Capitol I'D
the avenue sitter the inauguration ceremo-
MES were over, distance Of fully two miles
to the point of disarmament. Washington
Circle near Twenty third street.
For m re than half ths day the city looked
like vast military camp, the almost inter
niinable marching East Of regu airs and the
numerous and well-equipped mililis forces
of e states being broken in upon only in
part by the visiting goyerno in their
civilian costumes, riding pas IN The order
that their states were Omitted into the
Union. and accompanied by their brilliantly
uniformed stats
Then, with an intervening interiude of
Grand Army and Union Veterans, came the
civic halt Of the parade, fully as numerous
and as interesting as the military display.
The civic processio-. under the marshalship
OF Col. William Dickson, was in six divi-
sions and aggregated more than %. 600 men.
and quita n noticeable Of lady eqaestrians.
Tsmmany, with its gorgeous new banners
and badges, held the right of line. The
>ec nd division was assigned TO Pennsyl-
van a. Massachusetts,, New Jersev. ami
Delaware held the third division Maryland
ths fourth. the fifth was The Western div!-
sion, and the sixth WIS made up OF the lat
arriving organizations The bicycle ciu's
Ct Washington and Baltimore brought up
the rear.
A detailed and itemizei re port of the
great parade Is OF course impossible, when
3 mere enumeration Of the various regi-
ments, companies posts snd civic or, anisa-
tons participating occupies three newspaper
columns.