Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-19
Anniversary of Surrender Of
CORVALLIS at Yorktown
CELEBRATED BY PATRIOTS
Address by President Moore Of
Waterways Commission.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETS
School Children of York and Sur
rounding Counties in Parade.
Other Features.

! OLler teaCufeS.
YORKTOWN, Va, October 19-On
the historic ground where Lord Corn
wallis sealed the doom of Britain's
rule. over what are now part Of .he
United States on this date. 1913 years
ago. patriotic Americans are gathered
together here today to celebrate the
anniversary of that famous surrender
which put an end TO the revolutionary
war. Ihe exercises are being held
under the auspices of the descendants
or the signers of the Declaration of
independence, the Yorktown Historical
society Of the United States and the
citizens Of York county
Representative Moore's Address.
Representative ]. Hampton Moore of
pennsylvania, president of the Atlantic
Deeper Waterways Association, deliver
ed the principal address,
Declaring that while with good roads
and improved waterways in the United
states the revolutionary war could no.
nave lasted eight years. Mr. Moore
showed that Gen. Washington had IN
intercourse between the Atlantic sea
board and the amazing territory to
the westward of us was the best, If
not the only. cement" that could bind
tme coion1ai states upon permanent
basis. Washington and his compa-
trlots, Mr.. Moore pointed out. counted
upon international trade to assist in
building up the colonies and to popu-
,a.e and develop the vast country over
which the grasp of England had been
released.
Improved Roads and Waterways.
Modern advocates of improved roads
and water courses" said Mr.. Moore,
can In no wise claim priority as pro-
motors of what we believe today to be
essential aid to our country progress
Through numerous other letters and
papers Washington's keen interest in this
form of national development may be
readily traced continued Mr. Moore
This important problem. therefore, re-
vived in the public mind as it recently
has been by the creation of many asso-
cations and by growing interest in
congress and among the state legisla-
lures. Is not new. Why. then, after the
lapse of more than a hundred years are
the minds of the people again turned to
the problems which confronted their fore
fathers? The answer is clear. Our an
cestors, charged with the perMous task Of
organizing country which had been
woefully retarded by an eight-year war
were compelled to depend upon the river
or the canal or the numbering coach for
the transportation of themselves and their
commodities. They never knew of the
railroad and it's manifold advantages, nor
had the steamboat yet come to aid the
shipper or the merchant"
Railway Development.
Citing the wonderful railroad develop
ment in the United States as reason for
temporarily detracting from the useful
ness Of the water courses and diverting
. the attention Of the people from them,
Mr.. Moore insisted that today there was
an awakening not only along the At
lantic coast, but along the Father of the
waters and on the Pacific slope in be-
half of the same doctrine in which Wash
tngton and our fOrefatherS believed
1T is" he said the cry of commerce
and labor, of capital and industry, de-
manding again that the waterways Of the
United States, its harbors and ap-
proaches, be developed now, even as
Washington and his compeers hoped for
; their development. 1t is not that the
railroad is failing to give the best it can
AFFORD; 1t is not that marvellous benefits
uniting states and sections. oceans, lakes
and CULTS. have not ensued since the iron
horse began its civilization of the wilder
ness: 1t Is simply that the population Of
the country has grown more rapidly In
proportion than has the ability Of the
railroad to comply with the requirements
of modern transportation"
Attendance Not Large.
The inaccessibility of the place more
than lack of interest in the event made
the attendance comparatively small Sit
uated on the York river more than ten
miles from any railroad, Yorktown is
practically without direct connection
with the outside world save for an occa-
siOnal steamer from points down the
river: Today every automobile within
radius of thirty miles was pressed into
service to bring the patriots to the cele-
bration, and excursion steamers from
Norfolk, Newport News and Old Point
Comfort took care of the overflow. Many
of the schools in the vicinity gave a holi-
day In order to allow the children to do
honor to the OCCASION.
Four companies of coast artillery from
Fortress Monroe and detachment from
the Atlantic torpedo fotilla participated
begun before the exercises opened with
the marking of fifteen historical spots
by special committee from the York
town Historical Society. The places
marked included the old Nelson house.
the custom house. which was the first
in the United States. the old Grace Epis-
copal Church. the third Of that denomina-
ton to be erected in the country; the
grave of Nelson, the Office of Thomas
Nelson, the progenitOr Of the Nelson fam
lily in Virginia: the Yorktown Inn, the
British Notifications, the redoubts cap
tured by the American and French forces
the night Of October II, 1881.
Meeting Of Board Of Governors.
This task completed. a meeting of the
board of governors of the descendants
of the signers was held. followed by
meeting Of the Yorktown Historical So
ciety.
The principal event of the morning was
q parade of the school children Of York
and surrounding counties. Forming on
the banks of the river just before noon,
the children marched to the courthouse
thence down Main street, one of the few
thoroughfares in the village: the crum-
bling custom house. thence to the rear
of the great monument erected at York
town on the occasion of the centennial
There flowers were strewn on the graves
of the soldiers who fell at Yorktown
and that of Thomas Nelson, jr The
parade then moved to the grandstand at
the Nelson house, where the exercises
OF the day were concluded
Miss Kuhlman the Only Eligible.
AS the result Of a competitive exam