Evening star., 1902-07-30
FORMALLY RENDERED
Commissioners Invite G.. A.
R. to Meet Here
AS THE CITY'S GUESTS
IMPORTANT STEP IN PREPARA-
TIoNs FOR ENcAMPMENT.
Site for New Municipal Building to Be
Placed at Disposal Of the
Organization.

| Chairman B. H. Warner of the citizens
| executive committee on the 1902 encamp-
| ment of the G.. A. r. received information
| this morning that the Commissioners of the
| District of Columbia had prepared and
| would shortly issue a formal invitation to
| members of the G. A. r. to meet and en-
I camp in the national capital as the city s
| guests in October next. This statement
| was manifestly of the greatest possible in
| terest to the officers of the encampment
| committee and the entire staff at head
quarters. The invitation, when issued, will
| be telegraphed at once to every city in the
| country and circulated as widely pos
| sible.
Such a forma1ity on the part of the city 8
| governing officers is regarded at head
| quarters as the last important step in the
| preparations for the encampment. 1t be-
| speaks for the entire city the most active
| and enthusiastic interest in the forthcom-
| ing gathering of Union veterans and most
general desire to make the visitors welcome
when they come. From various reliable
| sources the committee has been informed
| that veterans all over the country were
| wondering why the government of the Dis
| trict had not united with the Business
| Mems Association in inviting the G. A, r.
| This objection is now removed. The eX-
| ecutive committee will be correspondinsly
| encouraged.
| As an adjunct to this invitation the ex-
| ecutive committee is informed also that
| the site for the new District and municipal
| building will be placed at the disposal of
| the G. A. r. during encampment week.
| This means, said Secretary Bulkley this
| morning, that the unsightly chimney which
now disfigures the open block at the corner
of 1872 and E streets will be speedily re-
| moved. the space cleared of all debris and
| the whole plot made available for the con-
| struction of tents or other purposes. 1t is
| possible the model hospital to be donated
to the encampment by the War Department
| may be located there.
Plans for Illuminating City.
Chairman w. s. Knox of the committee
on illuminations returned to the city today
| from Bedford Springs, Pa. The mail which
had accumulated during his brief absence
| contained several important letters on the
| subject of Illuminating the city during the
encampment. OF these the following, which
was addressed to Elliott Woods, superin
tendent of the Capitol building and
grounds, by Secretary Moody, seems to put
the committee to the necessity of either
borrowing or hiring searchlights for iHum-
mating the Capitol at night:
Replying to your letter of the 9th In
slant, in which you request on behalf of
the committee on illumination in connec-
llOn WITH lNe lI a IT, GllCdIllpileHl 10 Dc
held in this city next October to be fur
nished with from ten to fifteen search
lights, the same TO be turned over to your
care and personal responsibility, for use in
the illumination of the Capitol / have to
inform you that the chief of the bureau of
equipment, to whom your letter was re-
ferred, reports as follows:
1t is possible for this bureau to supply
ten or fifteen searchlights, requested. 1t
is not. however, recommended.
" These searchlights are very expensive.
and require expert handling; they are in
danger of being injured during tranSporta-
tion. The lenses of searchlights are made
abroad and require much time to procure.
Frequently the cost of searchlights does
not represent in this country their value,
owing to the time required to replace
them
I'm view of the above report the depart
ment regrets that it is unable to comply
| with your request.
subcommittee Appointed.
| subcommittee were appointed last night
| at a meeting of the 9Th Corps Reunion AS
| sociation, as follows:
Committee on speakers and programs for
corps reunion-WilEam P. Corsa, Col. H B.
| Mexican, Joseph Trainor, Harrison Ding
| man and H. B. Norton.
Badges-Captain A. B. Jameson, Captain
H. B. Cobough. ]. H. L. Eager, James
Baird, and n. H. Camp.
ReceDtlOn-Al the members t0e dSSO-
citation.
Ways and means-Major William Howard
Mills D. E Buckingham, George B.
French, w. ]. Johnston and G. F. Noske.
This committee will meet again Friday,
| August ~.
subcommittee on reunion of the Army
of the Potomac also met at headquarters
| last night. An organization was effected as
| follows: Col. w. w. Dudley, chairman;
Captain Abram Hart, vice chairman, H. NJ
Gilman, secretary. Chairman and vice chair
man from corps committees were present
as follows:
First Corps, Major E. A. Halstead; Sd
Corps, Major A H. G. Richardson; 9TH
Corps, William Howard Gibson, George E.
Corson and Captain H L. Prince; 9th Corps
H. NJ Gilman and c. V. Petty; 11th Corps,
Captain Abram Hart.
The committee voted in favor OF holding a
reunion of the Army of the Potomac during
the encampment, but did not fix date.
Secretary Of Ambulance Committee.
DR.. Gibson has announced the appoint
ment of DR.. Robert Scott Lamb as secre-
tary of the committee on ambulances, sub
ordinate to the general medical committee
and of the following physicians members
o. that committee: Drs. Charles NJ. Bell,
J. Lee Adams, Robert s. Beale Mab.e P
Barnes, j. B. Custis, l.. ]. Battle, Charles
Caiver. Z. G. Copeland, c. De Weese, Thos
Bowling. Francis ]. Doyle, Lewellyn FL
lott, Samuel H. Greene, jr., Thomas S. De
Grasty. William G. Gwynn, James Gill, Ho-
mer Medford. Harry c. Matotee, E. l.. Ma
son, j. r. hewitt, w. D. Owen D. w.
Prentiss, ]. c. Riggles. W. P Reeves, John
A Stoutenburgh, George r. farrell and w.
c. Williams.
Variety of Subjects Considered
Chairman A. Hart of the committee on
badges, has added to his committee the
names of Fred G. Calvert. Thomas H. Mar
tin, William Hunter Myers and Gilbert
Hart
Secretary Bulkley received this morn
ing letters from Mr. David H. Mercer and
o. o. Howard accepting appointments upon
the committee on reception for the en-