The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-04
Special from United Press.)

(Sp0Cldl lTOIil lill1lSo IiSSS-l
 Washington, Mar. 4.-PreSi6ent Will
 siam Howard Taft of Ohio and Vice
 President James S. Sherman of New
 York, formlly assumed the reins of
 government of the United States at
 noon to-day. The new administration
 was born amidst scenes of turmoil so
 far as the elements are concerned, that
 have never been equaNed in the his-
 tory of the Republic. But it was
 launched with an enthusiasm, so far as
 the people themselves are concerned,
 that eclipsed any demonstration here
 tofore held on the fourth of March.
 The rain and high wind were defied
 by thousands of patriots who cared little about pneumonia or anything
 else, as long they could have a part in welcoming the twenty-Seventh
 President in a fitting manner
 There were many necessary changes in the elaborate program that had been arranged. The formal swearing in of the President which in nearly every instance has been conducted in the east. front of the capitol. in the shadow statue of Liberty, was transferred to the luxurious shelter of the Senate chamber and the chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States administered the oath on the rostrum usually occupied by the Vice-President. Tfis cerenoniouS forAality was wit messed by a chosen few who crowded every available inch of space and who by virtue of political influence or diplo- matfc prominence or off1ce-holding pre- ferment were furnished the necessary ticket of admittance. This was the first time in many years that the pub the President take the oath but there was no grumbling on the part of the people who had def1ed the elements to sec if not to hear
 ~ Sv, ofr +nn fI,aix fv, ming out in cheering for the outgoing and the in-corning Presidents. whats the matter with Taft, He's all right,
 boomed out, interposed with 'fHurrah for Roosevelt, He's all right The signal for the first real cheering of the day was sounded from a ten-inch gun in the navy yard a mile away in res ponse from a message flashed from the dome of the capital conveying the information that the President had been sworn in. The boom of the gun was taken up by every noise produc- ing instrument in the District of Co., deep tones of steam whistles, shriek of tin horns, the whirl of rattles and the yip-yip-yip of cheering thousands created a pandemonium that while ear splitting, was at least outward evil dence that the Taft administration was welcome to all.
 The day was the worst in the mem- ory of the oldest inhabitants. The storm which began in rain, had chang ed to sleet nd then to snow during the night and when day dawned the snow that filled the streets WIS being whirl- ed thither and yon by seventy mile an hour gale that carried away deco rations, blew down poorly constructed reviewing stands, blocked trains and surface railways and generally tore things up.
 All trains were late and hardly a wheel was turning on the trolley cars As a matter of fact, fifteen hundred incoming strangers had spent the night in the big Union Station and when day broke they were still far away from their lodgings. Many per 1 sons were reported to have been in jured by being struck by limbs of trees that had been blown into the streets or | by slipping and falling on the icy | pavements.
 AS the morning went on the snow began and it was not until | after Il o'clock that there was break in the gloomy overhanging sky. At 1O:45 President Roosevelt and Presi- dent-elect Taft left the White House in the executive carriage Two secret service men sat on the box and the windows were all up so that one was able to catch a glimpse of the oc- rupants. They were driven rapidly to | the capitol and were hurried at once to the Presidents room in the rear of the II Senate Chamber where President Roosevelt got down to the last work of his administration, signing number of bills they were brought over from Congress
 In the meanwhile those who had tickets admitting them to the capitol building were being ushereu to the places reserved for them. V1ce-Presl- dent James S. Sherman was early on the ground. accompanied by the mem bers Of his family. He went into the House first and later went across to the senate and took refuge from the curiosity seekers in the V1ce-Presl- dents room where he remained until noon Inasmuch as the Vice-Pres1dent was the first to take the oath. the crowd Who had tickets permitting them to see the show. packed the galleries and the space set aside for them. In order that there would be plenty of room for all entitled to be present on he floor. the Senators were grouped m the right of the center aisle of the { chamber.
 At II :45 the chief participants. jus ices of the Supreme Court in their $ black robes and headed by Chief Jus l ice Fuller filed in and were seated l f They were quickly followed by the f members of the diplomatic corps and z