The Washington times., 1909-05-20
Explosion of Electric Light
Near President Causes
a Panic.
GREAT CELEBRATION
COMES TO CLOSE
Whole of Southern City En- Fete
in Honor of Day and DiStin-
gu;Shed Visitor.

CHARLOTTE, N. C., May 2o.-A
cloudburst occurred in the middle of
the parade in honor of President Taft
at 1880 p. m, and a panic resulted in
the crowd surrounding the stand.
One of the electric light wires in the
street in front of the stand was broken
by the passage of a float and a loud
explosion, accompanied by a binding
flash, within 100 feet of the President,
added 30 the excitement.
Water poured through the canopy
over Mr.. Taft in sheets and his silk hat
and coat were drenched in spite of eff
forts made by his aid, Captain Butts,
to protect him with an umbrella.
The parade had to be abandoned.
Thousands Of new dresses were ruined
by the down pour and hundreds of UNI
brellas raised by the crowd, were turn
ed inside out by the wind.
A scramble was made by the crowd
outside to get into shelter Of the Presi-
dents stand, and for time it looked
smashed by the weight
The police succeeded in getting is
crowd back before tho dreaded damage
occurred The President laughed
through the excitement and kept up &
Sood-natured conversation with those
around bin willie water ran IN rivulets
of his mustache and chm. AS soon as
the worst Of the storm was over ne was
hustled into a closed automobile and
II -. CrT.u Te.aa
CHARLOTTE, n c., May 2O.-The
President is in the hands OF the sons
of the Signers." He arEived here at
1910 O'Clock this morning TO be the CEN
tral figure in the celebration Of the f24th
anniversary of the signing OF the Neck
ienburg Declaration Of Independence
against Great Britain in the year l775.
on date unknown.
This afternoon at 4 O'Clock he will
make speech on Courthouse Square.
he spent this morning reviewing
parade and shaking hands with recep-
tiOD committees. There are more re-
ception committees in Charlotte today
than there are in any other state in the
Union. When Mr. Taft stepped of his
train he was escorted to the Selwyn Ho-
tel by a reception committee. After he
mad drawn breath he was greeted in
the lobby of the hotel by the Real Re
ceptton Committee" Immediately after
that he had the pleasure OF shaking
hands with members OF the central re-
ceptfOn committee, and following this
greeted BY a committee OF Confederate
veterans. Then ne wound up by shak-
ing hands with lot Of other commit
ices which were important. but not so
impressive as the others.
Rain Mars Day.
II was raining when the President
arrived. but there is a tradition in this
town that the "sons OF the signers"
have always gotten everything they
wanted except money They wanted
Il TO clear up and BY II o'clock the rain
had stopped.
Charlotte and the county Of Mecklen-
burg are celebrating the fact that 124
years ago the citizens here got together
and declared themselves free and indie
pendent. and added postscript to the
document telling King George to chase
himself. Unfortunately however. no
one knows exactly when this militant
but bloodles deed was done. Some s4y
IL was on May %. 1175. and others saw
IS was on May %, 1775. ANYWAY every
body agrees Il was one year ahead Of
the document drawn up by Thomas JEFF
ferson and signed in philadelphia
Sad TO say, again. however, nobody
knows what vas in this declaration
Soon after 70 was written. the house in
which It had been put for safe keeping
inconsiderately burned TO the ground
a second meeting was held, and the
author of the original document was
asked 10 reWrtte II. He did so, but sad
~ admitted that he had not been able
70 remember exactly what he had said
u lis first effort.
Regardless OF the fact that nobody
knows when The paper was drawn M
OF what was in IL. the celebration to-
day marks p great event. There were
no apparent results from this declara-
ticn. George would not chase himself
and there was no clamor of war
Eeither YVES there a river Of blood
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