The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-11
Dazzling Decorations In Honor of
Knights Templar.
HALF A MILLION LIGHTS
FIFTY THOUSAND PILGRIMS
REACH THE CITY.
Opening of One of the Greatest
Weeks In the History of Templar-
ism-All Street Traffic Suspended
and the Sights Have Never Been
Equaled.

Pittsburg, Pa, Oct. 10-With a bril-
lance of incandescence emanating from
nearly half a million electric lights, the
conclave of the knights Templar has
now fairly started and tonight close to
$4,000 pilgrims are reveling in each
others hospitality.
The day was chiefly spent by the diff
! ferent communicates in arranging their
headquarters and getting ready to re-
ceive their guests and visitors. In this
| respect the various delegations WED
with each other in the matter of put
| ting up the most inviting refreshments,
ranging from the glass of ice water up
| to Kentucky bourbon, California wines
and even champagne. Souvenirs of all
| shapes. sizes and designs are in abund-
ant evidence, and most of the knights
are bedecked with decorations not I'M
like a major general and veteran of at
least 20 wars.
Although the business meetings of the
gathering have not yet commenced,
electioneering for the honor of holding
the next conclave is in active progress
In this respect the Louisville people are
apparently in the lead. This afternoon
the members from the Minnesota COM
manderies virtually gave up the con-
test they had expected to make in ia
vor of st. Paul. Northern New York
delegations are plugging for all they
are worth to have the next conclave
held at Niagara Falls in 1901.
The foremost event of today's pro-
gramme undoubtedly has been the re-
ception and ball of Tancred comman-
derry No. As, of this city, at their head
quarters in the court house, which COM
menced at 2 o'clock this afternoon, and
it is expected that the dancing and en-
tertainment, with undated musical ac-
compartment, is to continue until II
o'clock tonight.
The sights on the streets have never
been equaled in this city, as far as
the crowds are concerned. Street car
traffic is at a standStin, and vehicles
of all descriptions are banished from
down town thoroughfares, while every
inch of ground is monopolized by thous-
andS of pedestrians, who move along
like an immense wave of humanity.
There are those on the sidewalks shout
ing and applauding the parading
knights as they pass in an apparently
never-ending column through the
streets.
Fire threatened early this morning
to throw a mantle of gloom over the
first day of the triennial convlace of
knights Templar. The Richelieu hotel,
a 4-story structure on Liberty street !
opposite the Union depot, caught fire
at O'clOck and for time the entire |
block was in danger of destruction The |
guests of the hotel included a number |
of knights, but fortunately none of |
them were hurt. C. NJ. Yohe of Pitts |
burg, was narrowly saved from suffoca- !
ton and George Rupp, a sergeant of |
company A, Seventh infantry fell from |
the second story while making his es-
cape from a third floor window on a |
rope. The fire was confined to the cell
lar and first floor of the hotel building |
and the loss will not be heavy.
Grand Master Warren La Rue
Thomas expressed the general opinion
Of the visiting knights when he said
We are going to have one of the great
est weeks in the history of templarism.
The crowd is going to be one of the
greatest that ever attended a triennial
and the work which PittSburg
las accomplished in the way of enter
aiming is marvellous The gorgeous
less of the decorations is wonderful
md the hospitality of the people over
vhelms US. The brilliancy of the city's
street decorations marks an epoch in
he history of electric Illuminating.
Within a radius of four blocks from the
leart of the city 10000 incandescent
amps burn every night. Huge electric
rosses and other emblems of templar-
SIN are suspended on the sides of the
ity's tallest buildings and there is
hardly store or shop in the down
own district which has not an illumi-
lated design of some Masonic signifi-
ance in it's windows. The result at
light is that Pittsburg presents a per
ect blaze of electric glory, with an :
fleet that probably has never been
qualled.