Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-21
Imposing Ceremonies at Site
Of Army War College.
PROGRAM IN DETAIL
Addresses by the President, Secretary
Root, Gen. Young and Others
Troops In Line.

In the presence Of the President OF the
United States. the members OF his cabinet,
the commanding general OF the army, the
admiral of the navy and the diplomatic
representatives Of almos. every nation on
earth. the corner stone of the Army War
College was laid this afternoon st 12:45
O'Clock with solemn ceremony, by the
grand master of the Grand Lodge, F. A. A.
NJ. Of the District of Columbia. The GER
emony signalized the beginning of the work
that Is to be carried on for the beterment
OF the army and the thorough instruction
OF its officers. The President. the Secretary
OF War and the president of the board that
will manage the affairs Of the institution
spoke OF the work that Is to be done In the
army and of the proud position the army
has reached. -.
establishment OF an army war college Is
no new thought, but that for generations
the men who have held the reins of govern
ment over the fighting forces OF the country
have urged the establishment of Just such
an institution and have done all they could
to bring about Its organization.
Close to the speakers as the praises of
the army were being sung were the
representatives OF the highest legisla-
tive bodies In tho land and the acered-
tied ministers Of foreign powers. The mill
tary ceremonies preceding and following
the laying OF the corner stone were impress
sive in the extreme and the program that
had been arranged was carried out with
clock1ike precision. $50
The state OF the weather was the only
thing that was inauspicious throughout the
threatened to pour forth deluge OF rain
at every moment. A chill wind blew IN
from the river and set the occupants Of the
grand stands shivering. -z-,.--. la ~
The constant drip, drip of the wafer
which poured from the roofs Of surround
ing buildings and fell over the grand stand
on the stone paving below furnished the
only dismal sound that disturbed the cere-
mony. The men who participated In the
exercises were too much impressed with
the Importance of the occasion to pay at
tentfon to these matters, however, and the
state of the weather lent even a more i'm
pressive air to the various functions that
form the conventional ritual Of q corner
stone laying.
Z Where Stone Ia Laid.
The corner stone of the Army War Col
lege was laid in an obscure portion of the
southeast corner of the reservation.
It Is within two hundred yards Of the
river, and Is at present hidden from view
by group Of old buildings. which served
as storehouses and stables for the artillery
forces which garrisoned the post for many
years and which are now being used as
storehouses and offices by the engineer
Is reached by a narrow alley way from the
main road. running along the east side of
the reservation. Two stands were built.
One, smaller than the other, waa con-
structed around the corner stone. and on
this the President and distinguished guests
sat The other was L shaped, and closed
in the two sides of the open space between
the end Of one building. and the side OF an
other. surrounding two sides Of the Presi-
dents stand ;s, -es.-st.--.~ -. =: 80
Those on the Presidents stand were the
President. Secretary Root, Secretary Moody,
Secretary Hay. Secretary Wilson, Attorney
General Knox, Secretary Hitchcock. Secre-
tary Shaw. Secretary CorteIyou, Admiral
Dewey. Lieut.. Gen. Miles, Major Gen. 8, NJ
B. Young, president OF the War College;
Assistant Secretary Sanger, Senator Haw-
ley. chairman of the Senate committee on
military affairs: Representative ]. A. T.
Hull OF Iowa; chairman OF the House com
chairman of the Senate committee on ap-
propriations; Representative Cannon. chair
man Of the House committee on approprla-
tions; Senator Frye. president pro tempore
of the Senate, Speaker Henderson Of the
House of Representatives, Senator Cock
rell. Senator Wetmore, Senator Aldrich.
Adjutant General Corbin, Major. General
Adna R. Chaffee. commander of the depart
rnent of the east: General Bliss. General
Carter, Captain Cowles. u. 8. N; Colonel
Thee. A. Bingham. Major Abbott, Major
Green, Major Beach. Captain Patrick. Mr..
George w. Walker. grand master Of the
Grand Lodge, F. A. A NJ. Of the District
of Columbia: Messrs. Mead and McKim.
the architects Of the building. Right Rev.
Henry Y. Satterlee, bishop of Washington.
and Brigadier General Geo. l. Gillespie. in
charge of the exercises. On the other stand
were the invited guests. including MEM
bers Of the House and Senate. the Grand
Lodge of the District OF Columbia F. A. A.
NJ, the personal guests OF the President.
the officers Of the army. the commanding
general and staff Of the District OF Column
bia militia. and the architects and the
press.
The Diplomatic Corps.
The members Of the diplomatic corps,
headed by the new French ambassador. oc-
cupied portion Of the larger stand. facing
the President, where were also seated the
care Of Civil Service Commissioner Proctor.
To the right OF them were the District
Commissioners and the Justices Of the Dis
trfct of Columbia Supreme Court Behind
the Commissioners were the heads OF the
staff department of the army and the sub
ordinate officers of the various departments.
The corner stone was suspended by heavy
cable in the center of the Presidents stand.
weighed six tons. It came from the quar-
ries Of Norcross & Bros, the contractors
who erected the addition to the White
House. - ,.se-- -.
During the ceremonies that preceded the
actual laying Of the corner stone the MEM
bers of the Grand Lodge of the Masonic
order of the District remained standing in
front of the Presidents stand The stands
were covered with white bunting and drap-
ed with American flags. 80. y,&-.
The guests began to arrive as early as
II O'Clock and gathered slowly about the
far corner of the reservation where the
ceremonies were to take place. The 9Th
Field Battery commanded by Capt Foote,
was drawn up in battery front on the plat
to the left of the entrance to the reserva-
In the parade ground was provisional
regiment including the engineer battalion.
a company of signal corps, company OF
the sth Infantry. the 106th Company OF
Coast Artillery. detachment of the ord
nance department and detachment OF the
Hospital Corps. the whole being command
ed by Maj. VIM. Black Of the Engineer
Corps. After the military had been formed
the Masonic bodies arrived and passed in