Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-10-27


tribute to the American soloier as he
called on the two men most prominent
n the late war to reply to The toast
The Army. The toast was drunk amid
wild enthusiasm and cheer after cheer
went ringing through the hall as Gen.
Miles rose to speak Of the glorious
dee0s Of the American regular and vol
unteer. Every allusion to the deeds
performed by the American fighting
men was greeted with prolonged ap-
plause. The welcome extended to Gen.
Shafter, who followed Gen. Miles with
another speech on the same subject,
was no less than that extended to his
superior in rank. The Navy was re-
sponded to by Capt. Charles D. Sigs-
bee. The next toast, International
Arbitration, was responded to by Pres
ident Angel of the Michigan univer-
sity. The last toast ON the program,
Our Future, was responded 20
by Secretary Lyman J. Gage,
and President Cyrus Northrup of the
university of Minnesota. Immediately
after the conclusion of the banquet
President Mckinley was driven to the
McWilliams residence and soon re-
tired, He leaves Washington tonight.
The Big Parade.
The spectacular and browning glory
of the week of jubilee was the great
street parade Of Wednesday. 1t start
ed from the corner of Michigan avenue
and Congress street promptly at the
time scheduled and for more than three
hours 1t moved swiftly and with scarce
a single halt through the principal
streets in the business portion of the
city. The one drawback was the
weather. The greetings extended to
President Mckinley were enthusiastic
in the extreme, as were the plauditS
showered upon Gems. Miles and Shafter
as they passed through the streets.
The president in his carriage was sur
rounded by the members of the Chica-
go hussars formed in a square and de-
tachments of the grand army and con-
federate veterans acted as an escort.
He leo the parade from the starting
point to the Union League club house,
where in company with the other dis
tinguished guests, he aIighted and re-
viewed the parade. Throughout, the
entire march past the grandstand,
which lasted a trif1e over three hours,
the president remained standing, nor
did he take seat until after the pla-
toon of police which formed the pro-
tecting line for the rear of the parade
had passed down the boulevard. The
advance of the parade, after the presi-
Dental escorts wheeled out of line, was
given to the veterans of the grand
army who were present in great num-
bers.
AS the president left the reviewing
stand going into the club three cheers
were given him and these cheers were
nearly the death signal for many peo-
pie. All day long the pressure of the
crowd on the police lines at the two
ends of the square in the center of
which the Union League club house is
situated had been enormous. Time
after time the utmost efforts of the
officers had been unable to withstand
the weight of the crowd. Their lines
had been frequently broken and the
officers were well nigh exhausted with
their long hours of hard work. They
opened their lines just as the crowd in
front of the club house was cheering
the president and the crowd, thinking
some new excitement was on, fastened
from both ends of the square toward
the center. Seeing the awful crush
that must inevitably ensue, the police
made desperate efforts to push the
crowd back toward the ends of the
square, but without avail. Detach-
ments of soldiers and marines hurried
to their assistance but in short time
they, too, were powerless. Tighter
and tighter the crowd became, and
then came from women and men cries
Of distress and calls for help. A large
stand had been erected on the north
side Of the square opposite the club
house on the vacant ground upon
which the new postoffice is in course Of
erection. All along the edge of this
stand hands reached to the struggling
crowd below, and hundreds of men,
women and children were dragged
anyhow, everyhow, by arms, legs and
collars into the stand above. Cloaks,
overcoats, dresses and shirts were
torn to shreds and in numerous in
stances torn completely from the body
of the wearer as the rescuers above
dragged them hastily over the ratings.
After nearly half an hour Of this
sort of thing the crowd was thinned
so that a long breath was possible and
comparative quiet was restored. No
lives were lost, but there
never was a more narrow
escape from a long list of fatalities.
the crowd fingered in front of the club
house and called for the president. He
was at luncheon, but the crowd would
not be denied and the president
stepped once more upon the reviewing
stand, accompanied by President Re
veil of the Union League club. AS
soon as quiet was restored the presi-
dent spoke as follows:
II witnessed with pride and salts
faction the cheers of the multitudes as
the veterans of the civil war on both
sides Of the contest passed in review
I witness with increasing pride the
wild acclaim of the people as you
watch the volunteers and regulars and
our naval reserves-guardians of the
people on land and sea-pass before
your eyes. The demonstrations today
are worth everything-everyth to
our country, for read in the faces and
heated clutch in the main shaft in the
to see to it that this great government,
with its free institutions, shall never
perish from the surface Of the earth.
/ ;ch thot OH tho hord Of