Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-03-12
TIE INAUGURATION.

William H. Taft, of Ohio. and James S.
Sherman. Of New York. were inaueurated
as President and Vice-President of the
United States, respectively, at Washington
on Thursday. March 4th. Although the
capital city was practically isolated from
the rest of the world by furious blizzard.
the occasion proved one of the most inter-
esting and brilliant in the history of the
nation.
Unable to speak to and make himself
heard by the multitude assembled outside
the Capitol, because Of the elements. the
new executive took the oath Of Office in
the chamber of the Senate.
This is but the second time in the histo-
ry of the nation that President has been
inaugurated in this chamber, the other &C.
casion being the second Inauguration Of
Andrew Jackson, rs years ago.
Between banks Of snow. but on a dry
pathway prepared for it by a hurculean
army Of workers. the magnificent inaugu-
raj procession swept its way. with cheering
music and waving banners. from Capitol
to White House.
Mrs Taft and Mrs. Sherman established
a precedent by riding with their husbands
at the head of the pageant, and almost as
soon as they reached the reviewing stand
ON the snow-draped Court of Honor. the
sun burst forth radiantly to illume the
closing-day scene of the nations great
quadrennial spectacle.
Just about this time Theodore Roosevelt.
the only living ex-President of the nation,
established another precedent by leaving
the city instead of accompanying his sue
cessor to the White House.
Among the unique features of the inau-
guration the following are of sufficient in
terest to merit special mention:
The parade moved without hitch. with
military precision. and for the first time on
record start and finish were absolutely on
time.
Armed regular soldiers guarded the
White House for the first time since the
Civil War.
Washington alone knew how, when and
where the Inauguration took place. For
the first time in the history of presidential
inaugurations the Capital was practically
isolated. All the wires were down. rail-
way traffic was at standstill. and many
trains were temporarily lost.
Sand was sprinkled on the Avenue. and
before the parade was over dust was flying
from the middle of the street over the
spectators, who stood ankle deep in the
slush on the sidewalks.
Ten inches OF snow fell between s
O'Clock Wednesday night and noon Thurs
day. Six thousand men with shovels clear
ed the snow off the route of the inaugural
procession from the Capitol to the White
House
The weight of the snow removed was es-
timated at 10000 tons.
Mr.. Taft's cabinet is composed of the
following gentlemen:
Philander c. Knox. of Pennsylvania,
Secretary Of State.
Franklin McVeagh, of Illinois. Secretary
of the Treasury.
Jacob M. Dickinson. of Tennessee, Sec
rotary of War.
George,W. Wickersham. Of New York.
Attorney General.
Frank H. Hitchcock. Massachusetts. Post
master General.
George Won L. Meyer. of Massachusetts.
Secretary of the Navy.
Richard A. Ballineer, of Washington,
Secretary of the Interior.
James Wilson. of Iowa. Secretary of Ae-
riculture
Charles Naeel. of Missouri. Secretary of
Commerce and Labor
One Of the first official acts Of President
Taft. after taking his seat in the White
House, was to call an extra session of Con-
gress, to meet March 18th, for the purpose
of revising the tariff in accordance with
the pledge of his party made in the last
campaign.