Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-07
GUEST OF CHARLESTON
Gioen Unique Reception at MstrOpO-
lis Of South Carolina.
REVIEWS SCHOOL CHILDREN
Two Men Badly Injured ny Premature
Discharge Of Cannon while Fir
ing Presidents salute
at Savannah.


CHARLESTON, s. c., Nov. s.-Arriving
here at dusk this evening, President Taft
had one Of the most picturesque receptions
Of his trip. At the head OF a procession
Of automobiles and escorted by an impos-
ing array Of militia organizations he
passed through the principal streets Of the
city. under arches Of electric lights that
gave an illumination almost equal to day
light. The sidewalks held a lErge throng
and the presidents progress from the
Union station to the home Of Mayor Rhett,
where he is spending the night, was
marked by cheers.
Mr.. Taft is no stranger in Charleston.
He has been here five times In recent
years, and said today in Savannah. that
he w9s going home to Charleston" His
reception tonight was a repetition OF the
cordial welcome the president had received
elsewhere throughout the south and which
has made has stay IN this section OF the
country one Of the ~pleasantest features OF
his trip.
Guest of the City.
Tonight the president was the guest OF
honor at a banquet rendered to him by
the city of Charleston at the Charleston
hotel. II was arranged with especial re-
gard to the presidents comfort, and the
only set speeches we're the introduction Of
the president by Mayor Rhett and the re-
Spouse by Mr.. Taft, in which he expressed
his qualification at being in Charleston and
his regret that he could not make a longer
stay. The president leaves tomorrow
morning at s o'clock for Columbia. S. c.,
and will reach Augusta tomorrow night
for a stay Of two days.
Governor Ansel and Senators TillmAn and
Smith arrived In Charleston this afternoon
to assist in the welcome to the president
and were among the guests of honor at the
banquet tonight. This is the first presi-
Dental reception in which Senator Tllman
has participated in a good many years.
Until Mr.. Taft was i~naugurated, Mr.. TIL
man mad not even been a caller at the
White House for a long time.
The presidents train reached Charleston
at $3.50 p. m. Mr.. Taft stopped for a few
minutes at the Charleston orphans home.
At Mayor Rhett's residence he held an in
formal reception before the banquet.
Busy Day I'm Savannah.
President Taft had a busy day in Savan-
nah before leaving there at $50 p. m. for
this city, During a sail down the river to
Fort Scriven during the morning he wit
messed an accident in which 1t was thought
at first two men had been killed. AS mat
ters turned out, one man, q negro, lost his
arm and another his eye. The two men
were firing a salute to the president from
a small cannon drawn up at the water
front A premature explosion occurred as
the negro was ramming home a charge OF
powder and in the cloud of smoke which
followed the report Of the cannon, the pres
ident saw a man flying through the air.
The man fell into the river. The ramrcd,
which he held, shot across the bow OF
the revenue cutter Yamacraw on the deck
where the president was standing. MI
Taft called attention to the accident al
once. The man struggling in the water
was rescued, however. and when the presi'
dent anded and made inquiries about this
accident he was relieved to find there had
been no loss of life.
Reviews school children.
The president participated In a parade
through the streets and parks Of Savannah
during which he must have been greeted
by practically the entire population OF the
city. He went then for a fast spin owe
the automobile course, over which the
grand prize race of 400 miles was run las
fall.
The m ride was interrupted L
permit the president to stop for a few
minutes at the Bethesda Orphan home
where he made a little speech to the boys
telling them there was no reason VIII!
any one Of them should not become presi
dent of the United States. The presiden
stopped once, too, to address a body o
students from a negro school. and, return
ing to the city, he passed In review OF al
the public school children Of the city
1t was with their enthusiastic little cheer
ringing in his ears that he boarded hi
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