The record-union., 1897-03-05
CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION
AT THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.

! known future; the Supreme Court in
its robes; the army and navy in its
plumes, their gold and their glitter; the
| diplomatic corps IL its lace and dec
orations, and citizens in ordinary dress
representing the unpretending mill
| lions of the land
| The brief ceremonies were quickly
over, and the official company, forming
in two two filed out of the chamber
| and passed on to the platform at the
east front. With it's first appearance
the waiting thousands broke into tre
mendous cheers of welcome which roll
! ed and roared while the procession, fol-
lowed by the occupants of the galleries
crowded its seats
The general acclaim greeted the
| President-elect with a shot which was
the climax of its enthusiasm, and as
Major Mckinley advanced to deliver
his inaugural adrdess these serging
waves of sound gave way to still more
| impressive silence He looked out upon
a wonderful scene. The steps, the bal
| comics and every projection of the Cap
| itol front and the dome We're crowded.
1t was as if that granite facade was
| banked to the roof with visiting thou
sands. The front of the library swarm
ed with people from every street and
avenue. Looking in toward the Capt.
| tol, projecting groups of horsemen and
| the heads of columns awaited the or
der to march, and everywhere shining
! banners waved.
Major Mckinley, standing on raised
platform, well advanced at a salient
! spot, was readily distinguished by his
| magnificent audience, and those who
could not hear were we'll content TO see.
| There was universal silence as the
! black-robed Justice of the Supreme
| Court administered the oath which
made William Mckinley President of
/ the United States. Then the seal of
| silence VISA broken by the reign Of
| sound, deep swelling, all pervading,
dominating sound as if a surging sea
We're rolling over the land before the
! driving of a king of storms. AS the
many bands Joined the mighty acclaim
the organized columns marched into
place, the grand review was in motion
and the currents and waves of human
| ity began to flow toward the lines of
| its march.
Moving promptly in from all streets
!
east of the Capitol, the column of the
parade was quickly formed along the
spacious plaza extending from the
| front of the house and Senate wing.
and the central buildings. The new
| President entered his carriage, and the
/ column, circling the create white tenn
PIE of the nation, in and about which
/ the tribes had gathered with patriotic
| purpose, passed down through it's
| beautiful grounds and wheeled into
! Pennsylvania avenue at the Peace Mon
ument, where it's real march began.
From this point to the Washington
| Circle, two and a half miles distant,
this noted avenue had been made a
| triumphal way. This great avenue,
with a width Of 100 feet and perfect
concrete pavement doubly swept for
the occasion, afforded such a field for
! decoration and ease of movement of
| columns as cannot elsewhere be found
in the land. Looking from the head of
| the line at the Peace Monument toward
| the treasury and White House, mile
and a half away, was like gazing into
| a broad canyon whose high walls We're
a mass Of humanity and flags. The
| buildings, low and high, plain and
stately, were almost concealed from
| view by the spectators and these in
turn We're as thickly covered with
Estreamers, banners and bunting. wav-
! ing to the light breeze or woven into
| countless forms of beauty as are au-
/ tumnal woods, vast he coloring of gold
| entwined with the banners to suggest
the central plank of victory.
AS a basis for decoration, the Inaug-
ural Committee distributed 10000 na-
tional flags to all on the line of march
y no would use them in their windows.
I So great was the demand that there
would have been 100000 used if the
committee had provided them. Upon
such a background each individual
owner builded and wrought out such
forms of beauty as his enthusiasm and
his patriotism suggested.
First vast he clean swept floor of the
avenue. roped in throughout its length
and clear Of every object save the lin
ing of police who kept it So The wide
| rayemeuts on either side throughout
the line Of march were packed. Rising
above these came the crowds in the
show windows then the thick ranks OF
the balconies Every window and cor
| ,;oe had IFS fillI quota of spectators.
and so upward to the fringes of men
along the edges pf the roofs, every
available point of observation was not
only filled but crowded to its utmost
capacity.
The great stands which lined all the
marks and reservations were for the
first time in the history of inaugurations
both attractive in plan and beautiful in
decoration.
over triumphal way, and thus hon
ored by magnificent preparations and
the presence and thunderous applause
of unending crowds. President McKin-
lev was escorted to the White House,
and when he proceeded to stand in front
of il to review the imposing columns OF
the marching thousands. which had fol-
lowed him from the Capitol, he received
at every hand unbounded admiration
and acclaim which al intervals drowned
| the music of the bonds.
The Presidents reviewing stand oc-
cupied two-thirds of the front of the
White House round. The audience was
notable in its elements. The official life
of the nation was well represented The
ambassadors and Ministers of all ma
rs~1-