The morning times., 1896-05-08

The Grand Commandery of Washington
knights Tomplar paraded yesterday for
the first time since the formation of the
organiZation, and furnished a public
pageant which has not been surpassed for
many years in the District In length OF
line, in its general view, and in the beauty
and suggesJiveness of detail; in military
order, III ease and grace of movement, the
Exhibition Well deserved the applause 1t
received from the thousands who witnessed
the assemblies at the various rendeZvouSeS
and on the White House ellipse, the field
of evolution, dress parade, and inspection.
The Washington Grand Commandery.
which. up TO January last, was under the
jurisdiction Of the grand encampment
formed about that date its present form
of government, with Noble ID. Larner as
its grand commander, with jurisdiction
over the five Communicates of this Dis
trict. 1t was largely to celebrate this
event that the parade and exercises of
yesterday were conceived, and so bril-
liantly carried out. The line was COM
posed OF Washington, No. L; Columbia, No.
2; Potomac. No. 8; DeMolay. No. 4, and
Orient. No. 8. The guests OF the occasion
were Bauseant Comma ndery, OF Balti-
more.
From p. m. until p. m. the air for
half mile around the White House was
loud with music from the half dozen. bands
and drum corps at the various meeting
points, which were as follows: De Moiay.
at the south gate of the White Lot; Orient,
at the northeast entrance; Washington, Op-
poSite the Light Infantry Hall; Columbia, on
Madison Place; Potomac on Jackson Place;
and Bauseant, on the south portico OF the
Treasury building.
MANY BANDS IN LINE.
The bands, which made the air musical
were the Fourth Artillery, the Mt. Pleasant
Drum Corps, the c. G. Conn Drum Corps.
HeaIey's National Capital Band, the Sixth
Cavalry, the Potomac Drum Corps,
the Potomac Band, Washington Drum Corps,
and the Fort Myer mounted band.
With the exception of the Bauseants, all
of the men in line were handsomely uni
formed in blue or black, the distinctive
feature of the uniform being the flowing
white plume and the cross OF the most
ancient knights in the world.
The companies filed with splendid pre-
cision and enthusiasm of movement on the
field of the eIlipse, having first occupied
tile outer edge OF the oval where, in the
woods, they looked all the world like an
army about to carry the White House By
storm.
BY and by, the Washington Comma ndery,
with four banners flying, two of the order
and two United States flags, came on the
them in order the Communicates in the
order OF their numbers above given. Wash
incton Commandery took position on the
right, the east side OF the ellipse, and on
this the line was formed. The Bauseants
did not form in the line, being guests.
The splendid line OF the De Molay mount
ed knights did not enter the field. much to
the disappointment OF all, but took up a
position on the east walk OF the oval
As it was extended almost across the
ellipse it is estimated that there We're
about eight hundred men in line, includ-
| ing the cavalry.
The officers OF the review were Grand
| Commanded Noble d. Lamer. AdIutaut Col.
! W. G. Moore Aile G. H White andPast Com
manders w. H. H. Cissel. + g. Alexander,
| T. Somerville. NJ. 0Connor, II. h Simp-
son. F. II. Thomas. J. H Jochum, F. 7.
| O'Nelu A. w. ONeil, s. H. Merrill, W.
II. Darby. and P. G. johnson.
EMINENT COMMANDER THOMAS PRES
ENT.
To the right of the reviewing staff were
| in a carria Ze W. Larue Thomas, OF Mayes-
Vile KY. Most Eminent Gra.I1 Commander
| OF the Knights Templar Of the United
States: and the venerable Past Commander
| Bennett the oldest in that office in the
! District.
The review and parade were in the
usual military form, with the exception
| OF course. that the gun gave place to the
! sword.
| After the dismissal the line filed out iu
| order named from the ellipse to Seven
| teeuth street. thence to K. thence on
| Mass sachusets avenue to Tenth and down
to F. where the parade was dismissed.
The festivities were concluded last night
at Masonic Temple, where a banquet was
given in honor Oft the Bauseant Commandery
| The hosts were Columbia Commandery, No
2, Beside the Bauseants, this comma ndery
had as guests the officers of the other
| commanderies, and Grand Commandei
| Thomas of the grand encampnent.
| Robert E. Constant, grand commander Of
! Columbia Commandery, No. z, presided
| The affair was given early in the evening, sc
| as TO permit the return home of the Baitt
more guests on the $40 p- m. train.
The speech of welcome and greeting wa:
! made c commander Constant. Grand Com
| mander Thomas responded to the toast
''The Grand Encampment OF the United
States" and Commander Larner spoke t6
| the sentiment "The Grand Commandery Of
| the District of Columbia" The toast t6
the Baltimoreans was happily Responded
| to by T. Frank Tyler. OF that commandery
One of the many interesting features o.
| the banquet was the presentation to Crane
| Master Mason 7. J. Shryock, OF Baltimore
end of the Bauseant Commandery or
! certificate of honorary membership in Co
| Iumbia Commandery, No.2. Thespeech OF
presentation was made by Commander
| Frank H. Thomas, of the Columbia Com
nlandery.
Lecture on "Old and New South"
1 np in