Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-03-04
FROM WASHINGTON.
CORRESPONDENCE Of the Alexandria Gazette
WASHINGTON. March 4.

after the Inauguration ana Wnlle Presl
dent Mckinley is reviewing the inau
gural parade will leave Washington a
3 o'clock on the lighthouse tende
as the guest of Capt. Robley D. Evan
and Commander Lamberton for tel
days. trip in Currituck Sound back o
Cape Hatteras. Capt. Leonard Wood
an army surgeon, accompanied the par
ty. It is still undecided whether Mr.
Cleveland will be met by private
yacht at Wilmington, North Carolina
and cruise south in Florida and Yves
Indian waters, this depending entirely
upon his health and his ability to fish
and shoot at this inclement season. /
he recuperates as rapidly as he hopes
he will return north in the tender ir
about ten days and join his family al
Princeton. If, however, the weather
is bad on Currituck it is possible thai
either the Maple will cruise as far as
Indian river, Florida, or one of the
yachts which have been offered, proba.
bly, Mr.. E. G. Benedict's Oneida, will
meet the tender and take the President
to Jamaici.
The absence of Secretary Olney from
the group of Cabinet officers who re.
ceived the President-elect was much
noticed and gave rise to a rumor that
at the last moment break in the friend.
ly relations between President Cleve-
land and his Secretary of State had
taken place. This rumor which how
ever could not be verified represented
that Mr.. Olney had demanded Consul
General Lees recall from Havana and
that the President had declined to
accede TO the Secretary's wish.
The work of the Cleveland admins
tration ended at 10:45 a. m. and the
Cabinet room was deserted. The Pres
ident did not sign the sundry civil, In
dian or agricultural appropriation bills.
They all failed for lack OF the Presi-
dents approval and the deficiency bill
failed to pass Congress, so that the 55th
Congress, to meet on the 18th, will have
to 90 over all these bills again.
The ball to be given at the Pension
building tonight will be grand affair.
Just before eight o'clock, the hour set
for the function to begin, the current
governing the electric lights will
be turned on and the wide,
broad and high interior transformed
formed into fairyland. From dome and
gallery and from pillar, post and rafter
thousands of luminous CLEANS will
come forth bringing into view the re-
suits that en- army of decorators
have abored SO long to obtain.
More than hundred thousand yards of
cloth have been used in the drapery, six
thousand incandescent and fifty arc
lights have been wired and established
in their proper places, and forty thous-
and roses, not TO speak of yards upon
yards OF smilaX and other foliage plants,
will be arranged in an artistic manner
The President and Vice President will
be escorted from the executive mansion
TO the ball room by the inaugural COM
mittee and received By the reception
committee. 1t was the intention Of
the decorators to make gold the Pc
dominent color in The display. Tb3y
succeeded admirably, alternating with
an abundance of white chaille cloth
suggestive of the monetary agi alton in
the last campaign.
There was nothing new about the in
auguration to day except the excep-
tionally fine weather. The sidewalks
of Pennsylvania avenue, on both sides,
were crowded from the White House to
the Capitol, and in all its length there
was not an unoccupied window. The
men who had erected stands made
money, for there was not a vacant
seat on any OF them. The crowd
at the east front of the Capitol, how
ever, was not as large as that
Of four years ago, though the weather
then was bad. When the Senate was
called to order little before noon the
foreign ambassadors were announced
and took the seats assigned them; they
were followed by the foreign ministers,
all except the one from Turkey, who
was belated, but came IN soon after
wiping the perspiration from his face
and neck. Then came the members Of
the U. S. Supreme Court, and af.er
them the members of the House, some
of whom had to stand as there were no
seats for them. Then came the Vice
Presidential leaning on the arm of
Senator Ekins. Finally the President
and the President.elect entered the
door and marched down the aisle, the
latter with his arm in that of the for
mer, who supported himself with a
heavy cane. His face, it was observed,
was much redder than it was four
years ago, and had sterner and harsh.
er look then he had then. The ab.
sence of the representatives of the
army and navy was commented upon.
The galleries were crowded, the OBJ
served of all observers in them being
Mrs. Mckinley and her mother-in -law,
who had seats in the Presidents row.
The diplomatic gallery was also full, the
most conspicuous person in it being the
wife of the Chinese minister, while the
eX Queen OF Hawaii was the most OBJ
served. The Senate Inaugural commit
tee, after promising to send the latter
tickets OF admission failed to do 80, but
Secretary Olney exercised his authority
in the matter and it was on his order that
she and her secretary were admitted.
That he did so, is Objectionable to the
Hawaiian minister here, and will, it is
said be the cause of some correspond.
ence between the two governments.
The Senate committee appointed to
wait upon the President, replied that
they had executed their mission and
that the President reported he had
nothing else to communicate. The
Vice President then delivered his
farewell address and declared the Sen.