The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-13
BRITISH VOLUNTEERS.
Find It Hard to Escape From Enthu-
siastic Friends

London, Jan. 13.-Though many stir
ring scenes have marked the departure
of the British troops for the front dur
ing recent months, today'S outburSt of
patriotism, on the occasion of the start
ing of the London volunteers was quite
unprecedented since the jubilee. 1t is
the first time in the history of the
movement that British volunteers have
been permitted to serve side by side
with the regulars in real warfare and
the people turned out in hundreds of
thousands to fttingly celebrate it. The
crowds began to throng the route be-
fore dawn and increased in such pro-
portions that a detachment of the Lord
Mayors own were engulfed at various
stages of the march. The ranks were
broken and the troops at times were
almost lost sight of in the cheering,
shouting and singing mob. Every now
and then a halt was made in order to
reform the ranks, but only to be broken
as the police We're unable to stem the
excited, cheering, living mass of peo-
pie which again and again broke all OBJ
Structions.
The Misunderstanding and embracings
were so exuberant that the original
smartness Of the volunteers was speed
lily impaired, many uniforms being torn
But the troops finally managed to
struggle through to the Mansion House.
On the balcony of that building the
Lord Mayor, Mr.. A J. Newton the lady
mayOreSS, the councillors and others,
and witnessed them actually fighting
their way through the dense crowds, as
sisted by male friends and impeded by
clinging women. When the force was
finally reformed, the Lord Mayor at
tempted to make speech, but found it
impossible. The din was deafening and
the chief magistrate had to be content
to indicate his good wishes by smiles
and gestures while the volunteers
greeted him with cheers and waving
hof Or1 f17oiT. r1icad
There was another herculean effort
on the part of the police and the detach-
nent resumed its march, to the accom-
paniment of pushing, screaming, cheer
ing and singing.
The column had hardly covered
hundred yards when it again inter
mingled with the 'surging crowds who
had undisputed sway along the route.
Many of the volunteers escaped through
side streets and others struggled along
in single file, tWoS or threes. BY the
time they reached the Thames embank-
ment the detachment had become a
conglomeration, women's hats being as
numerous In the ranks as the VOlun-
teers' headgear. So slow was the pro-
gress that an hour was consumed in
traversing the mile to Westminster.
There the police arrangements improv
ed and the multitudes were marshalled
into some kind of order. The windows
roofs and every other vanuage point
were crowded with u ging and cheer
ing humanity, waving banners, hats
and handkerchiefs.
Finally the column reached Nine
Elms station bearing numberless traces
of the difficulties of the march. The
public was excluded, the final leave
takings being held outside. and the
volunteers entrained and departed
amidst commingling of band music
and cheering and the singing OF "Aul1
Lang Syne," Rule Britannia" and
God Save the Queen
The Lord Mayor. sheriffs and coun-
cillors in their state robes, accompan-
led by many ladies, took another spe-
cia1 train for Southampton to bid fare
well to the volunteers on board the
transport Briton. The latter arrived
soon after the Lord Mayors party and
were saluted with ringing cheers from
huge assemblage on the quays as they
boarded the liner.