The San Francisco call., 1899-09-04
GATHERING OF
VETERANS AT
PHILADELPHIA
Thirty Third Encampment
of the Grand Army Be-
gins To-Day.
RANKS ARE Trimmed
Remnant of the Northern Forces
Will Be Accorded an Enthu-
siastic Welcome.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

row. The vanguard OF the veterans iie'''
reached the city and found the peoPie
with outstretched hands. Never again.
perhaps, will Philadelphia be the scene OF
q National encamnment of the Grand
Army. OF the valiant men who de1enaeo
the cause of the Union there remains pul
a remnant, and with the depleuon OIL 'he
ranks the welcome is more heartteit ana
enthusiastic.
Admiral Sampson with his Meet OF
fighting ships arrived here to-day ana tnis
event marks the beginning or the week
celebration. The city is crowded WIN
strangers, while the incoming trains from
all sections are bringing thousands TO
help swell the throng. The city has porne
its share of the work and the cltlzens OF
Philadelphia by contributions OF cash anu
in welcoming banners have shown their
interest in the reunion.
The route of the veterans parade,
which takes place on Tuesday. Is one
solid blaze of color and light. Not build
ing but has its front incased in the reu'
white and blue. The Avenue of Fame,
which extends from Walnut to Cherry
street en- Broad a distance of five blocks,
with the City Hall as the center, Is the
most magnificent piece Of decoration ever
attempted in this city. There are two
classes of columns. The larger and more
ornate are about fifty feet in height and
are placed at the street corners. Inc
smaller columns, about twenty-five teet
high, stand on each side of Broad street.
between the larger columns. The corner
pillars are massive but graceful, and at
the base of each are alternately in heroic
size two soldiers and two sailors. Nu-
merous circles of electric lights decorate
the piles from the base to the gllded
eagles at the top. The columns are con-
nected by festoons of bunting and laurel
and strings of inCandesCent lamps give
a brilliant effect at night
The north and south fronts to the City
Hall will be illuminated with massive
electric light pieces thirty feet IN length
representing the G. A. r. badge.
Camp Sexton, near Belmont, in Fair
mouth Park, contains 1900 tents. 1t is
intended to accommodate those posts of
the Grand Army which prefer to camp
out rather than be quartered in halls ar
mories or private houses. The tents Will
shelter 10000 veterans. The big parade
Tuesday will be in two divisions. Post No.
/. from Rockfort, Ill, the Oldest post in
the Grand Army, will head the line. As
the veterans pass around the City Hall
they will be reviewed by President Nc
Kinley, who is expected to arrive here
Monday night, accompanied by Secreta-
ries Root and Gage and Postmaster Cen
eral Smith. There will be over $4,000 men
in line.
"A feature OF Tuesdays events will be
the chorus of 5000 school children. who
will occupy a portion of the grand stand
on the north side of the City Hall: AS
the parade passes this point the children
will sing patriotic airs.
OF all the military organizations to at
tend the encampment probably none will
attract more attention than Boyd's girl
cadets of Topeka, Kan. These young la
commanded by H. N. Boyd, who, was ser
geant of Company l., Seventh Illinois
Cavalry during the civil war.
question of absorbing interest to G. A.
r. veterans which will be decided during
the encampment is the election of a com
mander-in-chief and other officers. Two
candidates prominent in the held are AL
bert D. Shaw of Joe Spratt Post, Water
town, n. Y, and Judge Leo Rassiur Of st.
Louis. Private James l.. Dalzell of Com
pany H. One Hundred and Sixteenth Ohio,
is also a candidate.
The Naval Veterans will enjoy the dis
tinction of giving the first street parade
during the encampment. Theirs will take
place tomorrow afternoon. and will be
unique feature of the demonstration. The
old volunteers who fought under Farragut
will tramp shoulder to shoulder with the
younger veterans of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war:
place Admiral Simpsons fleet will be
anchored in the Delaware River opposite
the city and a long line of vessels will
pass around the fighting ships President
Mckinley and Cabinet officers will review
the warships from the revenue cutter
Gresham. Members of the commission of
the imperial Russian navy statione6 a. mere I41r
ship and a cruiser, will participate in the
naval pageant,
zens and visitors. There were three great
centers of interest to which people locked
was gathered along the Delaware River
front to watch the arrival of the warships;
The North Atlantic squadron, composed
of the flagship New York, cruiser Brook
lyn, battieships Indiana, Massachusetts
and Texas, under command of Rear Adj
miral Sampson, arrived off the center or
which anchored at Bombay Hook. about
fifty-miIes down the river, last night.
weighed anchor at Z o'clock this morning
committee composed of Mayor Ashbridge,
the local G.. A. r. committee and several
city officials, left the League Island navy
Samoset to meet the squadron. The ships
were off Chester, Pa, and the reception
committee boarded the flagship and for
mally welcomed the admiral to Philadel-
phia.
Neither Admiral Sampson nor any of
the officers of the fleet came ashore to-
day. Most of them viii, however, land to-
morrow and take up quarters at the Hotel
Walton which have been PROVIDED by the
reception committee. The admiral will
return Mayor Ashbridge's visit tomorrow
The five big ships that arrived to-day,
the New York. Brooklyn, MASSACHUSETTS,,
city, and the people evInced the greatest
interest in them, 1t being their first .ap-
pearance in these waters since the close
of the war.
From Chester to this city, distance of
seventeen miles the fleet was rendered
continuous ovation. Steam whistles Of
factories locomotives and river craft
made a great noise, to which was added
the cheers of the multitude along. both
the Pennsylvania and New Jersey shores.
The squadron presented magnificent ap-
pearance as 1t steamed slowly up the
river. The New York led the way with
the Brooklyn, Indiana, Massachusetts
and Texas following in the order named.
The flagship dropped anchor off Market
street and the other vessels swept grace
fully by with their crews at attention.
They dropped anchor to the north of the
flagship, forming a single column, and
will remain in that position. until they
sail away the latter part of the. week.
The cruiser Detroit arrived several hours
later and anchored south of the flagship.
The gunboat Nashville is expected to
join the squadron tomorrow or Tuesday.
Next in interest to the arrival of the
feet was the tented city at Belmont, in
Paramount Park. There are over 1900
tents erected on the slope at that place
and will accommodate over 10000 veter-
ans. The camp is conducted strictly ac-
cording to military rules, reyeille and
taps. being sounded for the veterans just
as they were in the early sixties. A full
regiment of Sons of Veterans is con-
stantly on duty. The camp is only par
tally filled up, but by tomorrow night