The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-03-03
AT THE CAPITAL.
Everything in Readiness
For the Inauguration.
Washington Gave the President
Elect a Most Cordial Greeting.
The City Thronged With Vlsistors--Prepara
tions For the Big Inaugural Parade.

Washington. March 3.-The principals
and spectators of tomorrow's great dem
onstration--the Inauguration of William
Mckinley as president of the United
| States--are all here and busy preparing
| for the event. Vice President t-elect Ho-
bart and the members-to- of McKin-
ley's cabinet, with their families, are
| comfortably located in their temporary
homes.
Public men from all sections of the
country arc here in large numbers and
political gossip is flying thick and fast.
Everything is subordinated to the in
auguration pAgram, and until the new
administration has assumed control
nothing definite concerning future poll
cies and appointments can be obtained.
The Inauguration ceremony itself win,
| in all probability be the grandest cele-
bration which has ever accompanied the
induction of president into office.
| Nearly 10000 men will be in the military
| and grand civic divisions of the in
augural parade.
Grand Marshal Porter is hard at work
at his quSrters arranging for the big
parade tomorrow. A rough total of the
| diers and sailors who will be in line shows
an aggregate of IL 900 to II, ,OOO The es-
| cort of Presdent-elect Mckinley when,
| in accordance with custom. he rides
| down the avenue to the Capitol to take
| the oath of office, will number about
| 5000. The civic organizations vary so
| greatly in strength that IL has been
| found absolutely impossible to make an
| exact statement of the number Of men
| they will have in line. but II is estimated
| at about 1900.
| Crack marching bodies, ambitious to
| display their tactical skill in the parade
before the largest audience they have
| ever faced, will find pigeon wings and
| other fancy maneuvers barred, for Cen
| eral Porter his directed, In official orders,
| that commanders be careful to keep
| their organizations in the middle OF the
street and prevent obliquing at any point
| in the line Of march.
The occupants of the reviewing stand
and vicinity doubtless will rejoice in
the order that Hail to the Chief" shall
| be performed by no band except that at
| the head of the column. Several hun
| 6red bands, it may be stated, will be in
| line. Another direction to the band
leaders is that in The civic organizations,
| where they will be unusually thick.
bands following each other in column
shall play alternately.
( AS the day wears on the depots are
| clogged with the rush of incomers, and
there is constant succession Of loaded
| trains bearing individuals. military
| bodies and clubs. The most noteworthy
| of these arrivals is the crack cavalry
company of Cleveland, which will form
/
| Troop A of the Ohio National Guard
They have a complete new uniform and
outfit for the occasion, and, mounted on
| the 80 coal-black chargers, the officers
| and men expect to make fine showing.
| Their mounts were carefully selected for
| the occasion and brought on with the
| men, who are commanded by Captain
| Russell Burdick.
| Arrangements have been perfected by
| which each important stage in the out
| door ceremonals will be announced by
| the booming Of cannon. A national sa-
| lutte of 81 guns will be fired when Presi-
| dent Cleveland leaves the White House,
| I'm company with Mr. Mckinley. for the
| Capitol, and another salute of 81 guns
| will announce that they have arrived
| at the Capitol One gun will be fired
| when Mr.. Mckinley takes the oath of
| Office a national salute of 21 guns at the
| conclusion of the inaugural address,
| when President Mckinley and Mr..
Cleveland begin their return march to
the White House, and the same number
| OF guns when, the tour made. President
| Mckinley enters the White House or
| the reviewing stand. Locally, the all
1 important question now Is the weather.
| and of that the weather sharps fight
| shy and ask for mature delberation and
the further development Of meteorologi-
| cal facts be fore hazarding n predic-
| tion.
/ One thing they will announce and that
| Is that the temperature will be entirely
comfortable. Snow is out of the ques-
tion. Whether IL will rain or not is an
open question. There is wet area out
West and gathering showers i'm the
| South. but, though there has been some
| gathering cloudiness around the Dis
trict Of Columbia. and a growing haze,
| which II takes longer each morning for
the sun to disslpate. there is persistent
high barometer that brings clear skies
long before noon. On the whole. the
Indications favor showery weather and
| possibly rain just before or just after
Inauguration day. with prospect that
that day itself may escape. and. indeed,
| that the showers may be either light or
forced into another direction.
Pennsylvania avenue. the far-famed
thoroughfare OF the capital city. is
choked with people. and the railroad
stations are congested with traffic
Owing TO the great number of trains.
| many are several hours behind time. and
individuals and clubs are late In reach