Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-27
,OnfusiOn Was So Great that Mr.. Roosevelt
Gould Not Finish His Speech.
GREAT DEMONSTRATION At LUNCHEON
Presidents Reference to Heroic Fight
Against Fever Provokss Frantic Cheers.
RETURN TRIP ON ARHoREO CRUISER
West virginia, the Fasteat vessel sn
the Navy, wiII Garry the
Party TO Hampton
Roads.

NEW ORLEANS Oct. 26.-At the end OF
nine strenuous hours Of varied entertain
Heht IN New Orleans which brought his
exceptionally pleasant trip through the
south to close. President Roosevelt at
$50 o'clock tonight boarded the lighthouse
tender Magnolia and began the FIRST stage
OF ms return journey the the national
capital The newspaper representatives
accompanied him and he will he out OF
touch with the world throughout the night
but daylight tomorrow is expected to bring
news of his successful transfer 10 the
armored cruiser West Virginia, which lies
at anchor on the mouth OF the river TO
receive him and of the beginning OF the
second stage of tho journey. For four days
he viii be absent from American soil
which never heretofore happened to a presi-
dent during his incuubency but through
the means Of wireless telegraphy It is
promised that he will be seldom out OF
communication with the shore.
Demonstration e. Magnificent.
The presidents reception in New Orleans
was a signal testimonial of popular esteem
and of grateful recognition of the service
which he has rendered the city in Its period
| of stress. New Orleans today remembered
| not only that the president had acted with
| characteristic promptness when asked to
the fever struggle, but throughout the fight
had sustained the people of the stricken
city with expressions of unfailing sym
pathy and when a large share Of the public
opinion of the country opposed his ventur-
ing into New Orleans with the fever stin
raging he refused to consider the element
of personal danger and declared his pur-
pose to keep his promise made when he
accepted the original invitation TO come.
/ The densely crowded streets the elaborate
decorations. the wild applause which
greeted him along the whole route of the
procession, the reception Of his address to
| the people in Lafayette Square, and the
demonstration in his honor at the luncheon
were manifestations of the spirit In which
the people welcomed him.
speech Is Abandoned.
Probably for the flrst time IL. hta public
career the president was compelled to
abandon a public address before he had
got well started on It. 1t was contem-
plated that the military and civic parade
should pass in review before the president
at the city hall. but the crowd which
gathered at this point was so tremendous
that neither the police nor the troops were
able to move IL, and the president foresee-
ing a possible catastrophe in the event of
panic, finally gave up the attempt to speak
and left the platform.
The crowd jammed streets from the
property line to the property line all the
way from Poydras to Ninth streets and It
spread over Lafayette Square almost from
St Charles to Camp streets. Probably
100000 people were gathered in and around
the stand from which the president was
TO have delivered the address. When the
president decided to abandon his effort he
shouted to the throng to go home and be
good citizens, and then disappeared into
the mayors parlors, well nigh exhausted.
To those about him he expressed himself
as immensely pleased with the demonstra-
ton in his honor. which was far beyond his
expectations or the expectations of the
members of his party. and said that the
reception was the greatest that he had
, seen since he started on his trip.
Demonstration at Luncheon.
The demonstration at the luncheon was
scarcely less exuberant. When the presi-
dent entered the gaily decorated dining
room the 625 banqueters rose one man
and gave way TO frantic cheers. Every
thought he uttered was the signal for an
, extraordinary exhibition OF enthusiasm,
. and his speech dealt almost entirely with
Z local subjects and had special reference to
the fight against yellow fever. The banquet
developed into an increasing ovation. An
, immense crowd packed GravieT and et.
Charles streets as the dinner ended and the
appearance Of the president on hts way to
> the river provoked thunderous applause.
AS the Magnolia left the landing a presi-
dental salute was fired and the indeserib-
able din OF the whistles Of the factories
and river craft mingled with the Justify
! cheering throng Of people who had collected
on the wharf.
; No where did the president see evidence
Of the slightest remnants of the fever. He
. saw on every hand immense gatherings OF
. | apparently happy and contented people
and Il may reasonably be believed that he
carried away with him the impression that
a however serious the visitation OF diseGs'
u may have been II is now little more than q