Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-19
CORNER STONE LAID.
M'kINLEY PERFORMS IMPOSING
CEREMONY AT CHICAGO.
Wields a Silver Trowel in the Exer-
cises mt the New Federal Building
Great Parade FolIows-Soldiers of
Three Wars In Line.

Under bright sky, in an atmosphere
Of Indian summer, with flags waving and
the strains of the national anthem pealing
forth and viewed by throngs at windows
and on roofs. the corner stone of the new
Chicago Federal building was laid by the
President Of the United States Monday
morning. President Mckinley spread a
trowelful Of gray mortar upon the foun-
dation stone of the great Federal struc-
ture. He received 1t from a shovel hand
ed him by hod carrier. Workmen more
experienced in the art of rearing mighty
buildings spread other mortar upon the
base. The corner stone, white and mas
sive in the sunlight, was lowered from
a flag-entwined derrick upon the founda-
tion stone, dropping upon and hermetical-
ly sealing the copper box containing doc
uments and coins which may not see light
for another century.
Secretary of the Treasury Gage waved
his hands to the multitude. Then, as a
band played "rhe Star-Spangled Banner
and a battery on the lake front doomed
the national salute 10000 persons, stand
ing with uncovered heads, cheered the
nations ruler and the nations anthem.
Thousands from the windows and tops
of the high buildings about-from the
flag-bedecked turret of the Union League
Club, the dizzy cornices of the Great
Northern, the massive heights of the Mo-
nadnock building-took up the mighty re-
frain. These persons numbered fully
$4,000. Following the example of those
who had points of vantage, the tens Of
thousands who could not see, and had not
heard word, but held back from the
proximity to the Federal building by lines
of bluecoats, had patiently held' their
ground for hours, sent up a hoarse cheer.
AS the stone was falling to its bed, and
inch by inch closing the sunlight from the
precious box, member of the First ar
tillery, l. n. G., signal service, who stood
in the presidential stand, wig-wagged his
flag thrice. A man on sky scraper in
the vicinity wig-wagged another flag, and
a third man, farther east, waved his flag.
And two seconds by the stop watch after
the corner stone Of the new Federal build
ing was laid the deep-toned salute of the
cruiser Michigan and Battery ID echoed
from the lake front and mingled with the
acclamations of the populace.
When silence reigned again Secretary
Gage, white-haired and distinguished,
stood over the huge block of Illinois lime
stone and said, with digniied emphasis:
II now pronounce the laying of the cor
ner stone complete, and ask Rev. Frank
Gunsaulus to ask Gods blessing" And
the thousands and the tens of thousands
bowed their heads as Rev. Gunsaulus
called upon the supreme being to hold
the great structure-to-be in his keeping.
The trowel was an insignia of holiday
Chicago. With the deft turn of the
Presidents wrist and the falling of the
wet mortar upon the stone was completed
that little act about which all other acts,
great or small, of the fall festival CEN
tered. With the laying of the corner
stone at the southeast corner Of the struc-
ture which is to be Chicago's magnificent
postoffice-the most imposing building in
all this city Of giant structures-the eli
max of weeks festivities had been
reached. Eloquence from jurists, states
men and divines, the presence of the pre-
miers of three great governments, and
the representatives of dozen other ma
tions made the occasion one calculated to
clinch the memory of every spectator.