Birmingham state herald., 1897-03-05

 THE DECORATIONS. The decorations of the city were ex- | ceedingly effective, with but one single 1 exception, That was the treasury de- | pertinent, the majestic lines of which l were disfigured in violation of all rules l of taste. Each of the graceful futed l columns of the eastern facade on Eff 1 teenth street was partially swaddled in | striped pantalettes. falling short of the l pediments, exactly after the fashion of Uncle Sam's' trousers as depicted in l the comic papers, and over the entabla- 1 lures at each end and also over the main 1 eastern entrance, the shield and eagle of 1 the United States were daubed upon 1 hideous yellow background. the whole forming a tawdry combination which 1 third-rate circus would have scOrned to l display.
 Everywhere else, however, the scenic l effect was fine and even the bad taste l displayed in the treasury drapings was l in part obliterated by the animated con l course of employees and their families
 and guests who occupied the temporary 1 seats which piled tier above tier, reached l half way up the side of the building and entirely covered the garden at the south l end, looking down Pennsylvania avenue. l The pavilion in front of the white house. 1 from which President Mckinley reviewed the returning procession, was thing of beauty-an architectural creation of 1 white and gold, strongly resembling in its l apparently -substantial pillars and it's l general outlines the portico of historic Arlington, and conveying no impression l that it was simply a flimsy structure 1 of wood erected for a day. l SCENE OF GRANDEUR. l No grander theater for such pageant l could well be found. Pennsylvania ave- l nue, 125 feet from curb to curb, along 1 which the procession passed from the white house to the capitol presents an uninterrupted vista of over a mile, com l n0annino he rtan a. l cade of the treasury department which l intersects the view at one end, and termi- l hating in the beautiful white marble 1 dome crowned capitol at the other end, I with the needle-like shaft of the Wash | ington monument standing sentinel i guard on the right hand. towering 555 feet l upwards to the clouds
 1 On all the little parkings and govern l ment reserva tions formed by the different l angles of the intersecting streets and the | radiating avenues, gaily decorated stands 1 had been erected, capable of seating at l least 30,000 people, andAhese were densely packed with spectators, one row above l the other like the towers on a Grecian l trireme.
 1 THE CROWDS.
 l The entire route from the white house l to the capitol was banked with hoarsely 1 shouting, enthusiastic spectators All i street car traffic was, of course, suspend 1 ed along the route of the procession; the
 
 crowded with people that locomotion was | impracticable. Mounted police prevented l any one from attempting to break 1 through the "trocha-'
 1 It seemed as if Washington's normal 1 population of 200 GOO had been swelled by | more than an equal number of visiting I strangers, and that all were out to see 1 the sights. Every building on the line of march was draped in bunting of the | national colors, and every window and nOint of VaDf9rn npp1Inp1 The beautiful stars and stripes were every where seen, with other appropriate ban ners and emblerns.
 1 In addition to these festivic demonstra- tions, fifty thousand miniature United | States flags had been gratuitously dis | tributed by the committee on arrange ments. These were exhibited at all avail able points, and were waved with enthu- l sjasm as the presidents and other known public men rode by.
 | At least 900 threats voiced a con tinuous welcome from the time the pro- cession started until the capitol was req ched And these vociferations were still more enthusiastically echoed on the return trip.
 THE GRAND MARSHAL. | The grand marshal entrusted with the direction of todays pageant was Gen. Horace Porter, formerly of the staff of Gen Grant. His organizirg skill had been tested in peahe as well as in war notably in 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, Gen. Porter had full opportunities to dis play his genius for controlling the move ments of large bodies of men, and he availed himself of them.
 THE PRESIDENTS. From the nature of the days proceed ings there were practically two process sionS, though at the close they merged into one massive and impressive body, part military, part civic, and each most effective. The escort, largely military, but also consisting of governors of diff ferent states and other distinguished guests of honor which accompanied the president and president-elect to the capi- | tol, naturally formed in the immediate vi- cinity of the White House, the executive mansion. The civic organizations which | followed the president and ex-president on their return journey from the capitol | to the White House, were formed on a l street adjacent to the capitol grounds. 1 All were arranged so that each division 1 fell into line at the appointed time with | out delay or confusion.
 | The military division, preceded by l platoon of mounted police and followed 1 by the Governors Island (N. Y.) band, was headed, of course, by the Grand | Marshal his staff and aides, three hun
 
 states in the Union, all mounted, some wearing crimson sashes and others white. The Grand Marshal himself wore sash blending the national colors THE SONS OF PRESIDENTS. By happy thought invitations had been extended to all the living sons of those who had served as the nations chief executive and U.~ S. Chant, Webb c. Hayes, Harry A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur and Russell Harnison served as special aides on the occasion. The first division of the military pa- rade, commanded by the gallant cavalry leader, Gen. Wesley Merritt, included a battalion of United States engineers the 1 Seventeenth United States infantry, four 1 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 1 Hampton Roads, and commanded by | Capt. Sands of the Columbia, whose ap- 1 pearance, as is always the case when 1 the blue Jackets come ashore. was well