Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-03-12
NEWS FROM
WASHINGTON


auguration Of She new President on
March ath when the elements gath.
cred themselves together for the
most dieagreeable dsy Of the winter
and succeeded in nuliifying TO an al.
most Incredible degree the efforts
that bad been made TO have this in
auguration surpass, any that had
proceeded it. The day before when
the immense crowds had gathered in
anticipation Of the ceremonies and
celebration, dawned wet and cold.
Rain fell.all day and toward night
there was lightning aud thunder and
heavy showers. Later the snow be.
gan and continued to fall until the
streets were huried several inches
deep. By dayIight,the city was cut
of from outside communication, tel
egrapb and telephone v Tres were
down and the wind had brot down
the poles and left loose wires swing
ing in the streets. Never before had
there been such desolation on inaug.
uration day. The seats in the
grand stands which had been erected
all along the line Of the march we're
bat ksd with snow. The decorations
bad either faded out in bideous blurs
of red, white and blue or they had
fallen to the pavements from their
weight of snow. The light wooden
pillars which had been stationed
along both sides of Pennsylvania
Avenue lay IN the streets with their
decorations of flags and wreaths bur
led in the snow. The cutters were
filed with ice and slush and it was
impossible TO cross the streets with
out going over ones shoe tops in the
icy. food. Comparatively few had
the courage TO venture out in the
gale and storm so that when Mr. Taft
Q 'companied by Mr.. Roosevelt was
driven swiftly up the Avenue to- the
Capitol there was only q small stray
Cling shivering crowd to greet them.
Strangers in the city who had shelt-
er were glad to stay in doors and the
residents accustomed to the mild
temperatures Of this semi Southern
climate scarcely knew how to face a
blizzard that seemed more suited TO
the Dakotas or Canada. Thousands
were without adequate shelter. The
troops recently returned from Cuba
were assigned to canvas tents near
she river bank and after two years
In a tropical climate found them.
selves in a subartic temperature with
no other protection than these flimsy
tents afforded. At the railroad sta.
ton ell vas confusion and chaos
Wires being down there was no
communication with incoming trains
and these arrived unheralded from
three TO thirty hours late. Many of
the passengers arriving at night did
not venture out OF the station 10 find
lodgings and fifteen hundred people
spent the night in the station. Hun
dreds of others did not arrive in time
for the inauguration at all but came
in ON the Empipg trains many hours
late. Many others reaching the city
gave one glance at the conditions and
boarded the next train out for home.
Baltimore hotels were crowded by
the Inauguration visitors who got as
fares the Monumental city and div.
lining the conditions at the Capitol
stopped off there. The West Poin;
Cadets, did not get into the city until
the next day and suffered as many
Others from lack of food and accom-.
medations on the train which had
not provided for such an exigency
1t would take columns to express the
disappointment and disgust of the
strangers who had come from great
distances to see the Inauguration
and Congress came in we'll for the
righteous indignation of everyone
for not having long ago changed the
! laugural date to a later season
when better weather might be
counted on.
II was impossible for Mr.. Taft to
make his address outside the Capitol
and the crowd that defied the wealth
er to gather in anticipation of hear
ing him shared the disappointment
that seemed to attend all the plans
for the day. Even the Senate CALLER
les which had been carefully reserved
seat by seat for ths families of the
Congressman had rows Of vacant
places when Mr.. Taft took the oath
of office.
The scene inside the Senate Cham
ber when the inclemency outside
was forgotten was one likely to be
long remembered by those who were
present. Never had the retiring
President appeared to better advan-
tage. His face was care worn show.
ing the strain Of the last few days
which had been filed with work and
worry but his boundless, restless en-.
ergy never seemed so striking as