The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-31
RAIN SP0|LS THE
MEMORIAL PROGRAM
DowNPoUR COMES JUST As AT
TENuATED PARADE ARRIVES AT
HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY.
PLANS ARE ABANDONED
DEFYING ELEMENTS. SOLDIERS
FIRE yOLLEYS AND LADIES DE-
CoRATE GRAVES OF DEAD, BUT
BALANCE is CANCELLED.

For the first time in ten years in
clement weather yesterday practically
Cancelled the program arranged by
the Richmond Confederate organiza-
tons and the Hollywood Memorial as
ISOLATION in memory of the heroes of
the lost cause.
The parade, which was composed
only of the Richmond Light Infantry
Blues battalion, in command of Lieu
tenant r. w. Hicks, and the Bene-
dictine cadets, formed at Fifth and
Franklin and managed to reach Holly
wood about the time the storm broke,
and. undaunted by the downpour,
carried out their part of the program
by firing the customary volleys over
the graves OF the dead, while the I'M
terrified women of the .Confederacy
monument and then all sought shelter.
Program Abandoned.
For an hour the rain fell in tor
rents, necessitating the abandonment
of the program and when the hope
lessness of the case was realized the
bedraggled soldiers, an hour before
spick and span. marched back through
the rain to their armories- The storm
caught few spectators at thecemetery,
for lowering clouds for hours before
the time announced for the memorial
ceremonies had presaged its coming.
The fact that the Howitzers and many
Of the veterans are in attendance up
on the annual reunion at Chatta-
nooga. was responsible for the at
tentuated parade .----
Judge John T. Crump, of the Cor
poration court of Fredericksburg, who
was to have been orator OF the day,
came all the way from Chattanooga in
order to be present on the occasion
and the elements denied the as
senhlage the. pleasure and privilege
of hearing him.
The Phil, kearney Post, G.. A. R.,
which held its memorial services in
the morning over the graves of the
federal soldiers buried in the Nation
al cemetery at Seven Pines, had bet
ter luck and the interesting program
arranged for the occasion was car
ried out in detail. Frederick G..
Davis was the orator of the occasion.
The ceremonies were opened and
closed with bugle calls and the
soldiers graves profusely decorated
with beautiful flowers.
The day was generally observed as
a holiday all over the city, all OF the
State and city offices and most Of the
stores being closed for all or por-
ton OF the day and the schools taking
half holiday.
According to the records of the
local weather bureau only three me-
mortal days In the past ten years have
been marked by Indictment weather
In 1905 rain fell to the extent OF SO
Of an inch. but it did not materially
interfere with the program. and on
Memorial Day. 1905, there was a
downpour which registered 80 of an
inch that seriously Interrupted the
ceremonies Yesterdays rainfall
capped the climax with I.02 inches in
twelve hours, which not only broke
records for Memorial Day, but other
records an well. and made up much of
the deficiency in precipitation due
this section. The only consolation the
.dc$ueevl fUaiiowvT8- Uf g1f6 lost cause
had was that the moisture from. the
heavens was = Gpd-send to the
farmers