Evening star., 1902-01-01
THE ANNUAL REVIEW
LEADING Local Events Of The Past
Twelve Months.
DISTRICT AFFAIRS Of IMPORTANCE
Record of the First Year of Twentieth
Century,
WASHINGTON'S BUSINESS INTERESTS

The past year has been an impor-
tant one for the District OF Columbia
Some splendid material advances
have been made and foundations
have been laid for even more mag
nifcent things to be accomplished in
the future
There has been a mingling of JOY
and sadness, of pleasure and OF pain,
OF advances and of backsets.
The life of community carries
the same general characteristics as
the life of an individual.
Here follow the most important
events of the year:
Services held over the remains OF
William Mckinley at the Capitol.
Congress takes action toward
general plan to beautify the city.
Grand union station becomes a
surety.
Important steps taken to provide
new sewerage system.
Street extension law declared con-
stitutional.
Hoxie tunnel completed and filtra-
ton plant begun.
New District code adopted.
Personal tax law declared invalid.
Killing OF James Seymour Ayres
and acquittal OF Mrs. Bonine
Mysterious assault on Mrs Ada
Gilbert Dennis.
The Mckinley Services
The saddest scenes Of the entire year ac
companied the mourning for the martyred
President al the nations capital. The en-
trance of the funeral train on the evening
of September 16 and the thousands of men
and women with bowed heads assembled
on Pennsylvania avenue to offer tribute
of their grief will ever live in the memory
of those who witnessed it. On the day fol-
lowing funeral services We're held in the
rotunda of the Capitol. The occasion of
the funeral cortege moving from the Off
Cial home of the President to the historic
building on Capitol Hill, where his great
reputation for craftsmanship was made,
was most impressive. The funeral services
were held in the presence of distinguished
company and the viewing, of the remains
continued until after the close of the day,
when they We're removed TO the funeral car
at 10 USyr K-ss1ia H.-v.nr ha
Canton for interment.
The Inauguration
The Inauguration of President Mckinley
was an important event of the year in
Washington. For weeks in advance COM
nittees were busy arranging for the proper
observance of the day. On January : the
souvenir for the purchaser of each ticket
10 the iEaugIr ball was decided upon.
On January IL Representative Bell of Colo
TadO. in the House delivered speech criti-
cising the proposed cost of the inaugural
tiOn. The Inauguration, on March T. was
one of the greatest demonstrations of the
kind in the history of the country. During
the year there was an agitation begun in
favor of . later date for inaugurations
but IL has not borne fruit.
The Public Parks.
The Senate early in the year directed its
Committee on the District of Columbia to
consider the subject and report plans for
entire park system of the District Messrs.
Daniel II. Burnham chairman: Frederick
Law Olmsted, jr.. and Chas. F. McKim
were appointed members of a commission
TO devise d general system of parks Tor
the District of Columbia. with a plan Tor
the location of public buildings that may
be erected in the future. Early in May
the commission had adopted a general ten
tatiye plan for the park improvement. The
commission sailed from New York June l3
for Europe for the purpose of studying
park development in the cities abroad and
returned in August, the members express
ing themselves as well pleased with the
results of their trip. Chairman Burnham
declared that he was in favor of the use of
aqueducts and fountains. The 22d of Oc-
tober the commission conferred with the
officials of the engineers office of the War
Department and other representatives of
the government. Senator Mcmillan made
the prediction that the foundation legisla-
tion Will be enacted during the present ses-
ing Washington the most beautiful city in
the world.
Steps were fnaugurated by a number of
interested parties to induce Congress 10
take action that viii result in the preserya-
zion of the site of Fort Stevens near
Brlghtwood, where engagements occurred
in July, 1864. that saved the city from can
eCre by General Early. Ii was suggested
that boulevard be constructed along the
bne held by the confederate troops and
that a national military park be establish
ed on the battlefield of Fort Stevens
1t was reported by Col. Allen, in charge
Of the river improvements that the Land
areas of the reclaimed Potomac flats
amount to 621 acres. while the areas of the
constructed tidal reservoirs aggregate llS
Geres- Col. Allen declared in his report