Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-30
TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION
President Bows Grateful Ac-
acknowledgement to Multitudes.
CITY ALTERED IN GALA ARRAY
Special Train Reaches ottumwa at 8
O'clock, Shaw and Cummings Ac-
companyins the President-The Pa
rade-Presidentia Party and Guests
From Wednesdays Daily

From Wednesdays Daily.
Never before in the history of Of
tumwa was such an assemblage gather
ed in the city as that which swarmed
and crowded the streets last evening
to do honor to the nations chief eX-
ecutive. Fully 10000 people were
packed along the line of march of the
parade, which formed at the depot i'm
Kediately after the arrival of the
Presidents train, and amid the cheer
ing of the multitude moved through the
vast throng, the President standing in
his carriage bowling in acknowledge
ment of the hearty applause which
greeted his appearance. From the time
the nations chief left the car until he
entered the tent to address the thous-
ands assembled, there was continuous,
cheering and no reception SO hearty,
SO spontaneous, so grand, was ever be-
fore rendered to a guest of the city.
Crowds Await Trains.
AS early as o'clock the vast crowds
which had thronged the streets since
early morning surged toward the I'm
/ ion depot to await the arrival of the
| President and Governors trains, and
an hour before the specials arrived the
| platform was seething mass of hui
manity. The police department, which
was reinforced by number of extra
officers, soon had ropes stretched, and
4 the crowd was kept without the bounds
| of the space reserved for the recep--
! ton committee.
Arrival of Trains.
The trains had been delayed in the
trip through Iowa and We're forty-five
minutes laie arriving in Ottumwa. The
4 first special to arrive was the pilot
train, which steamed into the depot at
7:15 O'Clock. and on which were Gen
! eral Manager F, A. Delano, and H. G.
/ Mutt, superintendent OF the Iowa d.
4 vison of the Burlington. This was
i followed twenty minutes later by the
i governors special, on which was q
number of state officials, and promptly
: at o'clock the Presidents specia
, train arrived. The appearance of the
train was the signal for an enthusiastic
!, outburst and when President Roose-
welt stepped down from the platform
! with Mayor Picker, a mighty cheer
! went up from the Sawaiting throng
: With the President were Secretary
Shaw and Governor Cummins. The
: members of the parey We're escorted by
the reception committee through the
| ladies' waiting room of the depot t.
; the north side of the building, where
+ the carriages were entered and the pa
/ rade through the business districts o
3 the city was started.
t Crowds Cheer President.
1t would be impossible to adequate
> ly describe the magnificence of thu
: parade The cheers of the multitud,
greeted the entrance of the Presiden
to his carriage and these were echoed
y by the vast numbers stationed at 9th
S er points along the route. Cheer afte
e cheer went up as the carriage of tn
j. nations executive was driven aloni
e the line of march. The news that tn
r President had arrived was the sigma
S for a general uproar the whistles i
i nearly all the factories of the cit
d were blown while the parade was i
d progress and the din did not suhsid
q until the parade was over and tn
g chief executive of the nation had ell
v tered the tent to deliver his address!
ri The Decorations.
It The decorations all over the roul
D. travelled in. the parade were magnii
e cent, and the effect of the myriads
electric lights was dazzling. tn
most lavish decorations had bee
made by the merchants of the city an
every window was brilliantly lighte
IL in manner to set off to best adYal
tage the beautiful hangings OF flag
i. and bunting. Strings of incandescel
q lights and Japanese lanterns stretche
q across the streets at nearly every co
n ner enhanced the magnificent effect.
!. President Guarded.
n, The utmost steps were taken
III guard the safety of the Presiden
g. During the parade secret servit
in man walked on either side of his ca
se1riage. one sat in the seat with IL
driver, while the fourth occupied
carriage directly in the rear of ii
Presidents carriage. These are Il
usual measures adopted to guard Il
first man of the nation.
The Parade.
The parade formed at the foot
S Washington street, after the guests
!, honor had entered their carriages. II
, column was headed by Captain D.
4 Emery, chief marshal, and j. F. II
|, foot, assistant chief marshal, DO
- mounted. Four horsemen, Sheriff ].
u Cremer, Deputy Sheriff j. D. Stepher
If Captain f. w. Eckers and q. III. ID
cry, followed, after which came t
Fifty-fourth Iowa regimental band
n the head of company G, Fifty-four
regiment, I. N. G. Schwabkey's uni
band came next and was at the he
4. of the following line of carriages: