Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-05
Was Unveiled To-Day at Bay
view Park, New Haven
RAIN SPOILED THE PARADE

RAIN SPOILED THE PARADE
The dwelling Took Place According to
Plans Mapped Out-Eercises Were
| Held in the Armory Instead of the
Open Air-Mayor Studley's Speech of
Acceptance.
New Haven, Aug 5.-In rain and
wind and under the gloomiest of skies,
the monument which is to stand as
memorial to the heroes of the old Ninth
connecticut Volunteers of the civil war
was unveiled at IL o'clock to-day at
bay View park, in one of the citys
SUBURBS. Plans for an elaborate cele-
DraIlon or this event were shattered by
rhe storm and shortly before the hour
| SET Tor the formal exercises it was de-
cded Dy the committee in charge to
abandon the parade and to hold the
dedicatory exercises In the Second regi-
| ment armory. The monument, how
ever, was formally unveiled by about
| nifty survivors Of the regiment, who
went to the park in carriages, returning
to the armery and occupying q reserved
| section OF seats. A more dispiriting
| day for the celebration OF an event OF
| such public interest could not have
been realized and it caused intense dis
| appointment not only to the thousands
| OF militia men and members of civilian
organizations who We're to participate
| In the parade, but to the many hun
dreds Of visitors who came here yester-
day in anticipation Of the event and
thousands of prospective visitors AS
| far as was practicable under the cir
cumstances. the original program was
carried out in the earmory, Governor
Abiram Chamberlain being among the
guests and the Rev w. J. Slocum Of
| the church Of the Immaculate COncep-
4 ton church of Waterbury being the
/ orator.
number of organizations arrived
by train early and were met by mem
| bers Of the Ninth regiments committee
/ of arrangements but the uncertainty
1 of the plans Of the day led to more
or less scattering of these bodies for
the time being. Governor Chamberlain
and his staff arrived shortly after 8
] O'Clock and We're taken to the Tontine
! hotel. Soon after announcement was
made of the indefinite postpon ement of
the parade Colonel John G. Healy,
president of the Ninth Connecticut Vet
eran association, then said that it was
4 the desire Of the veterans to unveH the
monument in their presence as ar
ranged, and accordingly about fifty Of
his comrades were taken in carriages
to Bay View park. Here with the sur
viyors clustered about the granite
shaft, which is surmounted by a figure
of a soldier, the Rev James =. Gleeson
of Willimantic offered prayer, and the
cords which held the swathing Of the
monument were pulled by Miss Kath-
leen O'Keefe, granddaughter of Lieu
tenant O'Keefe of the regiment and
Master Thomas Cahill Marshall Egan.
grandson Of the first commaner of the
regiment, under whose leadership the
body went to the front Then for the
first time the veterans saw the memo
rial. A few minutes later the veterans
re-entered their carriages and were
taken to the armory
In the meantime the arrangements
for the armory exercises had been
planned out and shortly before IL
O'Clock the Governors Footguards, Sec
Eond company, Major J. NJ. Johnson
commanding, and the First division Of
| the naval militia, had marched to the
| Hotel Tontine to act AS escort to Gov
ernor Chamb erlain. To this escort was
added the Admiral Foote post, G. A. r.
The line of parade was taken up and a
number of other bodies fell into col
umn formation and under the lively
music of several bands a highly cred
liable sishowing was made, the side
walks of the streets over which the
i men marched being crowded with spec
1 tators. The eNdriving rain Of the night
had ,bedraggled the extensive decora-
ton of buildings. but there was not a
little of the holiday aspect to the bust
ness sections Of the city.
1 The exercises in the armory were
carried out as planned for the scene OF
the monument. Rev w. J. Slocum Of
Waterbury was the orator of the day
and Colonel Healey of the Ninth regi-
ment presided. A brief address was
made by Governor Chamberlain In
which he dwelt upon the bravery of
the men of the regiment. In closing
he called for and led three cheers for
the Gallant Old Ninth"
Father Slocum's GRAFTON was an elo-
quent and a mastery one. He par
ticularly described the character of the
men who made up the regiment and
their services in the war. He also paid
tribute to the war governor of the
state William Clay Buckingham, who
in 1851 accepted the services. of the
4 "Old Ninth He said he hoped that
some day Connecticut would erect a
memorial to the war governors mem
ory.
The monument was turned over to
the city by Colonel Richard Fitzgib-
bons. and was accepted by Mayor
Studley, who dn turn passed it, over to
4 the park commissioners. Depart
ment Commander Morgan G. Bulkeley
of the G. A. R. spoke briefly and the
exercises closed with the singing of
"The Star Spangled Banner" by the
school children.
Mayor Stud1ey's address of accept
| ance was as follows:
''In behalf of the city of New Haven