Evening star., 1896-07-09
ONE ENT SHORT
Williston Was Blown Down by the Gale
Last Night
DisapDointment Today, but 1t VIII
BE I'm Place Again for Use
Tomorrow.

much damage to the arrangements and
plans for the great convention as could
possibly have been done. OF the three
| tents which have been erected on the
ellipse back OF the White House, one-Tent
Williston-was blown to the ground by the
heavy wind.
Through 1t all the Endeavorers who
throng the capital, and the members Of the
| committee who have worked SO hard to
make the convention a great success slept
on, not knowing the great setback they
had received. When day dawned. and the
first of the faithful workers reached head
quarters. they learned that one of the big
canvas cathedrals had been leveled. To say
that the news created CONSERVATION would
be to put it mildly. After working so hard
Tor so many months, to have such an un-
foreseen and unpreventable disaster occur
was enough to daunt the spirits Of the
most enthusiastic and hopeful. But not for
one moment did the local committee lose
heart and Immediately steps were taken
10 repair the damage and to make good all
deficiencies, SO that the convention might
60 on with as little interruption as possi-
1t was some time between / and 2 O'Clock
tnat the worst of the storm struck the
White Lot 1t was supposed that the big
tents mad been put up securely that
there was no chance of any mishap but IL
was impossible to make provision for such
a blow as this. and the only wonder 10
The great stretch of canvas swayed and
beilied In the wind. Ropes were wrenched
snd torn TO the breaking point, and some
or the big pegs were pulled from the soak
ing earth 1t was but question of a few
minutes before il must 90 down, and final
ly, when an extra gust struck it the i'm
nense tent careened and slowly collapsed,
To Prevent Further Disaster.
Inc news OF the accident was not long in
spreading, and in short time the fore
man Tor the company which had erected
the three tents had his force of men on the
ground to repair the damage as far as pos-
| slble or course. nothing could be done
Win the soaking canvas that had already
falien, and they devoted all their attentton
| TO saving Tents Endeayor and Wash,ne-
ION. Adoitional ropes were strung and big
pegs orlVen, TO which the guys were at
.ached' ana the result was that when day
broke, cloudy and wet two of the tenss
were still standing and little the worse for
what had happened.
The larger portion of the great host NJ
hhaeavorers knew nothing OF the mishap
nhtli they began to gather in the neigh
porhood OF headquarters. and the great
stream OF humanity, heading from all parts
OF the city, met in the vicinity of the
White Lot on the paths leading TO the tent.
Inc news that passed from lip TO lip was
ISceived with every expression of regret
lHere was no one but realized the i'm
,nehsiiy OF the disaster 1t was remarka-
think of their own Inconvenience and on
all sides were heard expressions of syrn-
psthy Tor the committee OF 's6 who had
labored SO faithfully, only to be met with
ram ana disaster on the opening day Of
the convention.
AT at early hour in the morning the head
quarters In Light Infantry Armory were
crowded with people who were anxious to
know what was to be done under the cir
cLmstances. AT first it was suggested that
the best thing 10 do was to secure Central
III n fnr
exercises which were to have taken place
at Wflliston Tent go on there. 1t was soon
realized, however, that that plan not
a feasible one, owing to the difficulty of
getting word to the speakers well as the
audience. But no time was lost In making
preparations for other meeting places for
the afternoon and evening, in case Tent
W illiston could not be raised i'm time
PrOners OF Assistance.
That there was a general desire to help
out in the hour of need was shown by the
fact that from all quarters came offers Of
assistance Chairman W. H. II. Smith Of
the committee of &c received word from
the pc stor of the First Congregational
Church and from the pastors of other
churches la the downtown section that
their edifices were at the disposal OF the
committee If they were needed for over
now meetings. Word was sent back TO
keep the churches open, as they might
possibly be used. but shortly after
o'clock 1t was decided not to make tho
effort, but TO confine the exercises of the
morning to the meetings in the two tents
brief consultation was held and il waa
determined to hold the Congreg ational rally
this afternoon at Central Hall, which Ia
located at 9th street and Market space in
stead Of at Tent Williston. The evening
meeting which was to have been held at
Tent Williston will be held at the Metro
politan NJ. E. Church, corner Of Az and c
streets.
Fortunately the plans for the morning
were not SO seriously incommoded as they
might have been by reason Of the fa,t
that the exercises at all three tents this
morning were to have been substantially
the same, consisting OF addresses of wei
come together with the reports Of President
Clark and Secretary Baer. The result was
OF delivery, and the crowd that would have
filled Tent Wllliston was divided between
the other two tents.
Early this morning the seats which were
10 nave been used by the chorus in Tent
Williston were removed and as many AZ
possible were sent to Tents Endeavor and
Washington. and when the singers reported
for duty and asked for directions thew
were used to augment the other two Choir.
uses
Repairing the Damage.
big force OF workmen in the employ OF
the owners Of the tents were emploved
about the wreck. The city was secured.
and all the available hoisting apparatus
was secured. 20 that 1t was said that IL the
sun would only come out for awhile n
might be possible to put the tent up again
in the course Of a couple Of hours. Owinr
20 the heavy fall OF rain the canvas was
waterlogged and SO heavy that III was inn
possible to do anything with 1t until II
dried out
From an early hour this morning there
was a constant stream of people heaSltnr
toward the scene Of the meetings Almost
every one stopped for q few moments at
the Armory headquarters, and the wearers
Of official badges were driven all but crazy
by the multiplicity Of questions which were
fired at them. Then the visitors took up
their bedraggled way to the tents.
Owing to the fact that President Clark
was to preside at Tent Washington and
read his report. and that the secretary's
report was to be read by Mr.. Baer himself,
that tent was by long odds the favorite
with the crowd and was crowded long be-
fore there was a handful of worshipers
gathered in Tent Endeavor.
Notwithstanding the heavy rain the
ground was not sodden and muddy as
one would have expected. The earth had
absorbed the water pretty WELL though the
grass was very wet, and the paths and
driveways were in excellent condition.
n q "a as,,re ha