The San Francisco call., 1898-04-13
OVATION TO
 GENERAL LEE Washington Goes Wild Over the Return of
 the Consul. Unprecedented Demonstration in the Halls of the
 Capitol. A Conference Held in tho White House hmm ediately Upon His
 Arrival.
Special Dispatch to The Cal.
Call Office. Riggs Hou

Call Ofhce, RlggS House, Washington, April 12. Consul General Fitzhugh Lee arrived here from Havana at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon. A large crowd of enthusias- tlc admirers had gathered at the Penn sylvania station and when the general stepped from the train he was greeted by a tremendous outburst of applause. Women waved their handkerchiefs and men their hats and altogether the dem- onstrat1on was a notable one. Wash lngton crowds as a rule are not demon strative, but this occasion was a con- spicuous exception.
 Long before the hour set for the ar rival Of the train the crowd began to gather. It completely filled the station and Sixth street, adjacent on the east, and extended far into Pennsy- ia ave- nue. The general occupied the last car III has train, and when it was known that 1t had reached the station there was a tremendous rush to get a look at him. By the time he was ready to alight the crowd was so dense about the train that, even with the assistance of a pla- toon of police, it was with difficulty that he reached the platform.
 Several friends of the general, among them many ladies, pressed forward and finally succeeded in grasping him by the hand. One of the ladies presented to him bouquet of roses tied together by ribbons of the national colorS and bearing a tiny Confederate battle flag. Immediately the crowd began to cheer, and round after round of applause greeted him as he walked slowly and uncovered down the long platform of the station. On reaching the B-street entrance General Lee entered a State Department carriage and was rapidly driven up the avenue to the State De- partment.
 The general had not perceptibly changed in appearance since he was
 last in Washington. His eye was as
 bright and his step as elastic as ever and nothing in his manner indicated that there had been anything unusual in his experience during the last sev- eral months. How long he will remain in Washington is not known, but it is assumed that he will make his wishes conform to those of the President as to the length of his stay.
 News that General Lee was on his
 way to the State Department spread | rapidly, and when the carriage drew up at the south front of the building a | big crowd was assembled on the DOT | tlcO. A r0uSlnS cheer went up as Gen.
 era1 Lee stepped from the vehicle, and,
 lowing right and left, hurried into the building. The cheers had appraised the
 clerks and other employees of the big ! building of his coming and there was a
 wildrush for the State Department. cor ridor. Clerks left their desks without leave, officers of the army and navy joined the rush, and for the time being the discipline of the building was re- | faxed. The crowd lined up in front of
 the elevator shaft, leaving a lane from the door of the Secretary's office
 | As the elevator came to a stop and the Consul General stepped out a scene
 occurred unprecedented in the history of the great building. Hat in hand,
 General Lee passed into the corridor,
 and some one said, Now, boys," and three rousing cheers went echoing down the long halls. Then there was another
 outburst, and people poured forth from i every room.
 The cheering caused intense excite
 ment, and it was some moments before
 quiet had been restored. General Lee
 bowed to the crowd, and, as he reached
 the door to Secretary Shermans office,
 turned and bowed again. Then the door closed on him and the throng dispersed
 After a few minutes General Lee