The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-11-06
TAFT WELCOMED
TO CHARLESTON
Sonth Carolina City in Gala
Dress.
THE PRESIDENT AT BANQUET
Recalls His Happy Day IN
Savannah.
Made . Record Dash In An Autome-
bile snd Saw Two Men In
jured--Aususta In
Next On the
List.
HE PRESIDENT AT BANQUET


/
here at dusk this evening. President
Taft had one of the most picturesque
receptions OF his trip.
AT the head OF procession of auto
mobiles and escorted bv an imposing
array OF military organizations. he
passed through the principal business
streets Of the city. under arches OF
electric lights that gave an illumina-
tion almost equal to day. The side
walks held throng that at places
overlooked into the street 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 il no stranger to Charles
ton. He has been here 1--WE times in
recent years and said today in Savan-
nah that he was going "home to
Charleston
| His reception tonight was repeti-
tion Of the cordial welcomes the Pres
ident had received elsewhere through
out the South. and which have made
his stay in this section OF the country
one of the pleasantest features OF the
long Presidential trip.
Tonight the President was the guest
OF honor at q banquet rendered to him
by the city of Charleston at the
Charleston Hotel. It was arranged
with especial regard to the Presidents
comfort and the only set speeches
were the introduction OF the President
by Mayor Rhctt and the response by
4 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 o'clock for Columbia.
s. c.. and with reeach Augusta tomor-
row night for stay Of two days.
Asset and T1llnnn.
| Governor Ansel. Senator's Tilimau
and Smith. arrived IN Charieston this
AFTERNOON TO assist IN the welcome to
| the President and were among the
4 guests OF honor at the banquet to-
night. This lis the first Presidential
reception in which Senator TiIiman has
| participated In = good many years.
Until Mr.. Taft was inaugurated. Mr..
Tillman had not even been q caller at
the White House for a long. long time.
The Presidents train reached
| Charleston at $50 .. M. and he was
escorted to Citadel Green. the old pa
rade grounds of the South Carolina
Military Academy. where the major
portion OF the military escort was
drawn up The President stopped for
ia few minutes at the Charleston Or
| phans' Home and then proceeded to
Mayor Rhett's residence. where he held
4 an informal reception before proceed
ing at o'clock to the banquet.
President Taft spent a busy day In
Savannah, before leavisg there at $3.50
D. m for this city. During sail down
| the river to Fort Screven during the
| morning, he witnessed an accident in
which 1t was thought at frst two men
had been killed. AS matters turned
out. one man. Cornelius Hamilton, a
negro, lost his arm. and another.
Charles Hanzen. a white man. lost his
i eye The two men were firing sa-
lutte to the President from 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 can
non 1.-The President saw man flying
through the air. The man fell into
the river. The ramrod which he had
held. shot across the bow of the rev.
enue cutter Yamacraw on the deck
where the President was standing.
Mr.. Taft called attention to the acct
dent at once. The man struggling In
the water was rescued. however. and
when the President landed and made
inquiries as to the result Of the acci-
dent, he was relieved to ind there
had been no loss of life.
i spins Over Savannah.
The river trip ended. 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 then went for fast spin over
the automobile course over which the
grand prize race OF 400 miles was run
last fall.
In many ways It was the most spec
tacular ride the President has ever
had, veteran autoist that he is. The
average speed for the twenty-five
miles was forty miles an hour. and on
the straightaway stretches the speed
of the Presidents car was held up to
forty -eight miles an hour. Returning
TO his train from luncheon at tho
Thunderbolt Casino, the President
made q short dash at the rate of fifty
| two miles an hour He made this
speed over that portion of the course,
| however. where the grand prize cars
averaged more than 100 miles an hour.
The record for the 400 miles of that
race was e5.5 miles an hour. which
stands as the American road record.
The President was accompanied by
| Governor Joseph M. Brown. Mayor
Tiedeman Of Savannah. and Captain
| Butt, and with his gray automobile
and his cap pulled down over HIS face,
he seemed to enjoy the ride immense
| ly. The chauffeur reduced speed but
1
| turns.
The automobile ride was interrupt
ed TO permit the President to stop a
| few minutes at the Bethesda orphan
Home, where he made a little speech
TO the boys. telling them there was no
reason why any one of them should
NOT become President OF the United
states. The President also stopped
once to address a body of students
from a negro school. and returning 20
the city. he passed In review of all the
public school children OF the city. 1t
was with their enthusiastic. shrlll lit
tie cheers ringing in his ears that he
boarded his train and left for Charles
| ton. -.
Almost every sentence ot Mr.. .Tafts
/ speech at the banquet given In MS
honor here tonight was interrupted
/ with applause His remarks were
| hlled with local illusions.
He reminded the banquetters that