Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-05

pOfafN seats winch, pllc1 ItT dbONt lieF
reached halfway up the sides Of the
building. and entirely covered the garden
AT the south end. looking down Pennsyl-
vania avenue. The pavilion IN front Of
the White House. from which President
Mckinley reviewed the returning pro-
cession, was a thing OF beauty-an archi-
tectural creation OF white and gold
strongly resembling In its apparently
substantial pillars and its general out
lines the portico OF historic. Arlington.
and conveying no impression that II was
simply a himsy structure Of wood, erect
ed for day.
THE PROCESSION.
No grander theatre for such a pageant
could well be found. Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. 12j feet from curb 10 curb. along
which the procession passed from the
White House to the Capitol. presents an
uninterrupted vista Of over a mile, COM
mencing with the massive Grecian facade
of the Treasury Department, which in
tersects the view at one end, and terml-
mating I'm the beautiful white marble
dome-crowned Capitol at the other end
with the needle-lite shaft OF the WASH
ington monument standing sentinel guafd
on the right hand towering 5Jj feet up
wards to the clouds On all the little park
ings and government reservations IoImed
by the different angles of the intersectlns
streets and the radiating avenues, gayy-
decorated stands had been erected, capa-
BILE Of seating at least 10000 people, and
these were densely packed with specta-
tors. one row above the other, like the
towers Of a Grecian trreme The entire
route from the White f0use TO the Capt.
tol was banked with hotrse y-shouting en-
thusiastic spectators. All street-car trainc
was. of course, suspended along the route
of the procession; the sidewalks were
roped off. and were so crowded with peo-
ple that locomotion was impracticaDle.
Mounted police prevented any one from
attempting TO break through the "trocha W
II seemed as II Washington's normal
population of 10000 had been swelled by
more than an equal number OF visiting
strangers. and that all were out TO see
the sights.
Every building on the line Of march was
draped i'm bunting Of the national colors'
and every window and point Of vantage
was occupied. The beautiful Stars ana
Stripes were everywhere seen, with other
appropriate banners and emblems. I'm ad-
dition 10 these festive demonstrations,
$1,000 miniature United States flags had
been gratuitously distributed by the Com
bibited at all available points. and We're
waved with enthusiasm as the Presidents
and other well-known public men rode
by. At least 10000 throats voiced a con-
tinuous welcome from the time the pro-
cession started until the Capitol was
reached: and these vociferations were
still more enthusiastically echoed on the
return trip.
THE GRAND MARSHAL.
The grand marshal entrusted with the
direction Of to-day's pageant was General
Horace Porter. formerly of the staff Of
General Grant. His organizing skill had
been tested In peace as well as in war
notably i'm the conduct Of the great sound
money procession through the narrow and
tortuous streets of New York city last
October. during the presidential cam
paign. With the broad avenues and
smooth asphalted streets Of Washington,
General Porter had full opportunities 20
display his genius for controlling the
movements Of large bodies of men. and
he availed himself Of them. From the
nature of the days proceedings there
were practically two professions, though
at the close they merged into one massive
and impressive body. part military, part
civic. and each most effective. The es-
cort. largely military but also consisting
Of Governors of different States and other
DISTINGUISHED guests Of honor. which ac-
companied the President and President
elect to the Capitol. naturally formed in
the immediate vicinity of the White
House and the Executive Mansion. The
civic organizations which followed the
President and ex-President on their re-
turn journey from the Capitol 10 the
White House were formed on streets
adjacent TO the Capitol grounds. All was
so arranged that each division fell into
line at the appointed time without delay
or confusion.
The military division, preceded by a
platoon of mounted police. and followed
by the Governors Island On. " Band.
was headed, of course, by the grand mar
shal. his staff, and aides, 300 In number,
selected from all the States in the Union,
all well mounted, some wearing crimson
sashes and others white. The grand mar
shal himself wore a sash blending the
national colors. by a happy thought, in
vitations had been extended TO all the
living sons of those who had served as
the nations chief Executive. and L. $.
Grant. webb c. Hayes, Henry a. Gar
field. Chester A. Arthur, and Russell
Harrison served as special aides on the
occasion. The first division Of the mill
tary parade. commanded by the gallant
cavalry leader, General Wesley Merritt
included a battalion Of United States
iengineers. the Seventeenth United States
Infantry. four batteries of United States
artillery. a regiment Of United States
marines. 800 sailors Of the North Atlantic
SQUADRON. made up from the crews Of the
New York. Columbia. and Indiana, now
anchored at Hampton Roads, and com
manded by Captain Sands Of the Colum-
bia. and whose appearance, as is always
the case when the bue-jackets come
ashore. was welcomed with hearty cheers.
followed a battalion Of light artillery and
a regiment of United States cavalry.
THE PRESIDENT-ELECT.
President-elect Mckinley, who had left
his handsomely fitted-up suite Of
rooms at the Ebbitt House suiiiciently
early TO pay his call Of ceremony on
the retiring President, was driven to
the White House, escorted by the
Senate Committee appointed for that
purpose. where, in one Of the State
apartments. he was received and well
coined by President Cleveland and his
Cabinet. Then the TWO presidents de-
scended the White-House steps, and to-
gether entered a four-hOrse carriage, Mr..
Cleveland sitting to the right, and amid
the booming Of cannon. the clatter or
cavalry, the deep. hoarse rumble of
artillery, the measured tramp OF many
columns Of infantry, and the biare OF
innumerable bands. the march to the
Capitol began. In another four-horse
carriage. following the President. rode
Vice-President-elect Hobart and the
senator's deputed TO escort him TO the
scene of his future duties Then, In a
long stream Of carriages, came the dis
tinguished guests.
The Presidents personal escort was
Troop A. of Cleveland, o., eighty cavalry
men. mounted on coal-black chargers,
and. still more interesting, a detachment
Of grizzed veterans from the Twenty
third Ohio Volunteers, Major Mckinley's
old regiment.
General Nelson Miles. commanding the
United States army. and Rear Admiral
George Brown ranking officer OF the