Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-09
It's Arrival at the Capital
City This Morning.
OFFICIALLY WELCOMED
ADDRESS BY COMMISSIONER MAC
FARLAND.
School Children Visit the Historic
Relic and Bank the Car
With Flowers.

iS dI-IdlHtu sIiDeIts btii, tlic ~ hiboA
of American freedom, arrived in Washing
ton this morning at $40 o'clock and has
been rendered throughout the day recep-
ton second to none ever accorded the
precious old relic of the revolution. This
afternoon the $4,000 school children Of the
national capital are greeting the old bell
and fairly inundating the car upon which
It rests with flowers. The bell itself was
bedded in flowers by the early morning
visitors.
The District Comm ssIoners and a recep-
ton committee of local residents formally
welcomed the bell at 10 o'clock, after which
time the public was permitted to pass by
the bell. The little children were tenderly
lifted to the car platform by the Iour giant
Philadelphia policemen who accompany the
bell and We're permitted to touch the his
toric bronze. The United States Marine
Band, under the direction Of Lieut.. w. H.
Santeimann, was present during the morn
ing. From II to o clock the cavalry band
from Fort Myer was present and from to
o'clock this afternoon the engineer band
from the Washington barracks is assigned
to furnish music for the visitors. Commits
sioner mcfarland made the address of well
come on behalf of the District of Columbia,
and a brief response was made by Mr.. Will
son II. Brown, chairman of the joint Spe-
ciaI committee of the councils of the city
of Philadelphia, in charge of the Liberty
Bell.
Arrival in the City.
1t was just twenty minutes to Q o'clock
this morning when the fiat car of the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad bearing the bell was
backed into position the side track at
the 9th street depot. A Gordon Of police
men was present. under Lieut.. Moore of
the metropolitan force, to help protect the
relic and to direct the crowds that were to
view it during the day. The council COM
NIT of PhiIadplDhia ACCOMMODATING the
bell is travelling in Pullman cars. The fiat
car with the bell on board is fitted with an
iron railing, and at each corner there fut-
tered an American flag. When the bell first
arrived it was devoid of decorations, but
it was only few minutes before some tiny
children arrived on the scene, bringing
with them bouquets of daisies and other
blossoms.
AS the crowds gathered the old bell was
looked upon with veneration and respect
and the multitude was unusually quiet
During the ceremonies of welcome, how
ever, when the praises of the bronze were
told there were enthusiastic outburstS of
applause. The handclapping was especial
ly vigorous when the Philadelphia chair
man said the committee was both sur
prsed and delighted with the beautiful re-
ception of the national capital.
The great crack in the side of the bell at
tracted the greatest amount of attention
1t is not generally known, but the crack as
1t appears at present was bored out. The
bell split when tOlling the death of John
Marshall. the last of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence in 1895. The
tiny crack which then appeared brought
the fear that it might extend all through
the bronze and rift the bell asunder. 1t
was deemed wise to bore out a portion of
the crack, in order that the crystallizing
process might have room in which to work
without endangering the whole bell. Dur
ing the morning the crack was filled with
roses brought by children.
Next in interest to the bell itself were
hot nlIr stclyy pnii hn Stnp
the platform of the car. They are the flow
er of the Quaker city force and were Sc
lected for the sacred duty of guarding the
bell only after much deliberation. They ac-
companied the relic to Charleston last jan
uary and remained with 1t throughout the
South Carolina Interstate and West Indian
exposition there. The policemen are truly
giants in stature. The talest one is John
J. Robinson, who measures feet inches
Next come William Farrell and Gilbert
Forsyth, both of whom register feet 3
inches, and the fourth Is William Bruce
who is 6 feet / inch in height These big
fellows looked after the little tots in fine
fashion, lifting them to the car platform
and telling them to touch the old bell. The
children appeared delighted with these at
tentions from the mammoth brass buttoned
Philadelphians.
Official Exercises Of Welcome.
The official exercises of r-elcome were
simple and dignif1ed. The local committee,
composed OF MeSSrS. ArcnlDalQ HOPKINS,
president of the District of Columbia So
ciety of the Sons of the Revolution; Noble
d. Larner, president of the District Of CO.
lumbia Society of the Sons of the American
Revolution; Thomas w. Smith, president of
the Board of Trade; Mitchell Dyrenforth
president of the Business Mems Association;
Rudolph Kaufman, Scott c. Bone and W.
w. Richardson. met at the District build
ing and proceeded at 10 o'clock to the sixth
street station. The committee was accom-
panied by Commissioners Macfarland and
Ross and Captain H. c. Newcomer, the act
ing Engineer Commissioner. Arriving at
the car the members of the local committee
were introduced to the Philadelphia coun-
ellis committee accompanying the bell,
which is as follows: Common eoun-
ell, Wilson H. Brown. chairman;
Gorge McCurdy, president; Lawson c.
Funk, Harry d. Beaston, Basil H. Brown,
Alexander NJ. DeHaven, John S. Hammond,
August Hohl, Herman Loeb, Albert Moore,
Thomas j. Norton M. D., George w. Ruch
Samuel w. Salus, DIR. E. B. Gleason; select
council. James L. Miles, president; Henry
Clay, George D'Autrechy, Joseph H. KLEIN
mer. George w. Kucker, William McCoach,
Edward w. Patton. Charles Seger, Henry
K. Shoch. Samuel K. Singer, George w.
Sunderland, Samuel p Town, Watson D.
upperman; secretary, George w. Kochers-
perger: sergeant-at-arms, Charles B. Hail.
Commissioner Macfarland's Remarks
Mr.. Archibald Hopkins, chairman Of the