Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-12

unusual and pretentious exhibition of fire
works, which will be made south of the
White House and at the base of the Wash
irgton monument. If the plans of the en-
campment committee do not miScarry, and
that committee is made up of the most
sound and conservative business and pro-
fessional men in the city, this program of
pyrotechnics will surpass any similar dis
play ever seen here. There will be the IN
evitable prelude of bombs rockets and
colored balloons. This will be followed by
thousands of what old-f shioned folks call
flower pots but which are known today
as "pyrotechnical fountains" Fire por-
traits of the great figures who contributed
to the success of the Union forces will be
varied by similar pictures of those who led
the American army and navy during the
war with Spain.
AS eliminating number for each nights
program there will be a representation in
fireworks of the fall of Pekn- lake of
appropriate size will be constructed to rep
resent the river Pei Ho. Representations
of Chinese junks and other characteristic
Chinese river craft will be constructed to
make the view of Pekin as realistic as pos
sible. During the battle 800 young men
will impersonate the soldiers who scaled
the wall of the Chinese capital. and models
of gunboats will depict the attack made on
the city by the fleet of the allied forces.
Admission to the extended spaces about
the monument will be free, but the COM
mittee will provide several thousand re-
served chairs with boxes for the distin-
guished guests who are to view the display
the first night.
Many Special Features.
Two impressive dedicatory ceremonies
are to occur at the close of the encamp-
ment-the monument to Cen w. T. Sher-
man, for which Congress has erected a
pedestal at the south front of the treasury
building, and that to the late Dr. Benjamin
F. Stephenson, founder OF the Grand Army
of the Republic-Will both be unveiled. The
former Is pretentious work in bronze and
granite executed partly by Carl Rohl-
Smith, now deceased, and partly by Stephen
Snding, a Norwegian. and Lauritz Jensen,
q Dane The work is expected to prove one
of the most notable memorials in a city al
ready rich in such structures. The monu-
ment to DIR. Stephenson Is a gift to the
city by the G. A. r.
When these especial features are coupled
with the exceptionally low railroad rates
to Washington, the low-priced excursions
TO the battlefields of Maryland and Vir-
ginia, the charm of Washington in October.
when the late Senator Brice said, The
city Is more lovely than the Rivera, the
beautiful decorations which have been
planned by the cityS merchants and the
interest always manifested in Washington
as the nations capital, 1t Will be seen that
Gen. Terrence spoke moderately in saying
that the encampment was likely to prove
the most interesting in the history of the
Grand Army
To Attend for the Last Time.
Its special significance rests on the pa
thetic ground that most of the veterans who
are to be its central figures. and who made
it the center Of the worlds interest in 1860,
can probably never again come to WASH
ington on such mission. Few of them
are now less than sixty years old. Many
are much older than that. More than one
post has sent to encampment headquarters
circulars which indicate this reunion as
the last which our men can hope to at
tend as body" Accordingly, an'eXtra eff
fort Is being made to have many separate
associations well represented as pos
sible.
The local committee is informed that one
post in Cincinnati intends to pay the ex-
penses of such Of its members as could not
otherwise make the journey to Washington
and plans confidently to have its entire
membership answer to the roll call on the
first day of the encampment. Another.
from New England, has engaged an entire
hotel, and will expend the post funds to
make the encampment as enjoyable for all
it's members as any reunion of such mel
alcholy significance could be. This pur-
pose to make the attendance as large as
possible seems to have swept over the en-
tire body Of Union veterans, and local
Grand Army men, the officers of the ma
tional organization and the committeeman
who come here to reserve quarters speak
with the same confidence in saying that the
attendance will surpass all previous rec
ords.
These considerations seem to warrant the
conclusion of Gen. Terrence that the en-
campment will be the most memorable
which the Grand Army has ever known.
more so even than that which occurred III
Washington in 1877.
On that occasion large open-air shelters
were built in the parks. and many Of the
veterans given free quarters. The plan this
year is that men Of such advanced age shall
be saved from the risk of sleeping practical
ly in the open air. The sum of s12, 600 has
been given the executive committee of tire
G. A. r. for the rental Of accommodations
indoors, and every veteran who might be
precluded from attending the encampment
by lack of means is thus assured good,
agreeable and accessible quarters without
cost to himself. Three large tents. each as
huge as the largest circus canvas, viii be
provided for corps and other reunions and
for the receptions which are to be rendered
the delegates. Every hall in the city has
been listed by the committee for possible
use and several Of the churches have been
already pre-empted for meetings of the
auxiliary associations. The most notable
provision. however, Is that OF the new gov
eminent printing Office building. an -enor-
nous structure seven stories high. with
many thousand square feet of floor So. &C.
This will be made into temporary bar
rack and held as an overflow, should the
other accommodations for the veterans
prove to be insufficient.
Strong Reinforcements.
Mention has been made OF several AUX
lIiary associations's which are to convene
with the G. A r. These are the Union
Veteran Union. which will SWELL the at
tendance by about 25000 persons; the Sons
OF Veterans. who will add 10000 to the
crowd: the Association of Naval Veterans,
the ex-Prisoners OF War. the ,ldiers OF
the Battlefield. the Woman's Relief Corps,