Middletown transcript., 1909-03-13
WASHINGTON LETTER


the new President, Thursday, when the
elements gathered themselves together
for the moet disagreeable day of the wintsl
and succeeded in MULTI, ing TO an almost
incredible degree the efforts that had been
made to have this Inauguration surpass
any that had preceded it. Wednesday,
the day before when the immense crowds
had gathered in anticipation Of the cers-
monies and celebration, dawned wet and
cold. Rain fell all day and toward night
there were lightning aud thunder and
heavy showers. Later the snow began
and continued to fall until the streets
were buried several inches deep. By
day light the city was cut OF from outside
communication, telegraph and telephone
wires were down and the wind had
brought down the poles and left loose
wires swinging in the streets. Never be-
lore bad there been such desolation on
Inauguration day. The seats in the grand
stands which had been erected all along
the line Of the march were banked with
snow. The decorations had either faded
ont in hideous blurs of red, white and
blue or they had fallen to the pavements
from their weight Of snow. The light
wooden pillars which had been stationed
along both sides Of Pennsylvania Avenue
lay in the streets with their decorations
of flags and wreaths buried in the snow.
The CUTTERS were Rlled with ice and slusli
and il was impossible to cross the streets
without going over ones shoe tops in the
icy flood. Comparatively few had the
courage to venture out III the gale and
storm 50 that when Mr.. Taft accompanied
by MF. Roosevelt was driven swiftly up
the Avenue to the Capitol there was only
small struggling shivering crowd to
greet them. Strangers in the city who
had shelter we're glad to stay in doors and
the resideists accussomed to the mild
Temperatures of this aegai,Sonthern eli
mate scarcely knew how Place blizzard
that seemed more suited to the Dakotas
or Canada. Thousands were without
adequate shelter. Ths troops recently
returned from Cuba we're assigned to can
vas tents near the river bank aud after
two years in a tropical climate found
themselves in subarctic temperature with
no other protection than these fiimsy
tents afforded. At the railroad station
all was confusion and chaos. Wires be.
ing down there was no communication
with incoming trains and these arrived
unheralded from three to thirty hours late.
Many OF the passengers arriving at night
did not venture out of the station to find
lodgings and fifteen hundred people spent
the night in the station. Hundreds OF
others did not arrive in time for the in
auguration at all but came in on the limp.
ing trains many hours late. Many others
reaching the city gave one glance at the
conditions and boarded the next train
out for home. Baltimore hotels were
crowded by the Inauguration visitors who
got as far as the Monumental city and
divining the conditions at the Capital
stopped off there. The West Point Cadets
did not get into the city until the next
day and suffered as many others from
lack OF food and accommodations on the
train which had not provided for such an
exigency. It would take columns to
express the disappointment and disgust
of the strangers who had come from great
distances to see the Inauguration and
Congress came in well for the righteous
indignation OF everyone for not having
long ago changed the inaugural date to a |
later season when better weather might
be counted on.
It was impossible for Mr.. Taft to make |
bis address ontside the Capitol aud the |
crowd that defied the weather to gather |
in anticipation OF hearing him shared the |
disappointment that seemed to attend all |
The plans for the day. Even the Senate
galleries which had been carefully reserv-
ID seat by seat for the families of the
had rows of vacant places
when Mr.. Taft took the oath Of Office.
The scene inside the Senate Chamber
when the inclemency outside was for
gotten was one likely 10 be long remem.
oered by those who we're present. Never
lad the retiring President appeared to
better advantage. His face was care
worm showing the strain of the last few
lays which had been filed with work
md worry, bat his boundless, restless
mercy never seemed so striking as when
ontrasted with the heavy placidity of his
uccessor. He seemed in a seriuus mood
,ut he moved briskly, almost electrically /
through his part in the ceremonies,
ave final embrace that came near being
bear like hug to the incoming President
nd bounded out and away to the station
,efore the cheering, enthnsisstic crowd
eemed to realize that be was gone. Then
or the first time the people gathered
here, many his close friends and many
more with whom he had come at various
imes in clamotous conflict realized that
he greatest man among them was TO be
moDg them 10 more. With his dis
appearance the animosities seemed to
ads and The expressions heard on all
ides with reference to him indicated
hat the softening process Of time by
which bis faults would be over looked and
lis transcendent work appreciated had
lready begun.
After taking the oath Of Office and
making his address Mr.. Taft accompanied
y his wife, (this being the tirst occasion
Vheu Presidents wife has appeared in
he carriage with him on his way to the
White House for the first time as PTesi-
Ient) drove up the Avenue along the line
ghicll was to have been tile route Of the
,arade. A few brave soldiers, q civic
lub or two from Ohio and q number of
tragRlers followed the Presidential car
iage and composed all there was of the
which thousands he'd come
niles TO see and for which many had