The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-10-26
OF
CONGRESS HALL
IN PHILADELPHIA WHERE CON-
GRESS MET FROM 1880 to 1eoo'
CEREMONIES.

Philadelphia, OCT. z9'-OullSIe99
Hall in Independence Gquare, the
building where congress met from 1890
to 1900. was rededicated today after
having undergone restorations to al
most its original appearance. The
president of the United States, the
vice president, the chief justice ana
associate justices of the supreme
court of the United States; members
of the senate and house of represen-
tatives: ambassadors from foreign
lands; governors of the original thir'
teen states, and leading citizens OF
Pennsylvania and Philadelphia particl-
pated in the ceremonies.
Philadelphia, as it has on many oc-
casions when patriotic ceremonies
were held at the historic square, prac-
tically took a holiday. The spectac-
ular feature of the celebration was
big parade in which was represent
ed the two arms of the national mill
tary service, the Pennsylvania nation
al guard and patriotic societies whose
members are descendants of those who
helped either on the field of battle or
in legislative halls to found the Amer
| lean government.
The exercises included an address
bv President Wilson, and the orator
of the day was Champ Clark, the
sneaker of the national house of rep
resentatives.
President Wilson arrived here in the
early afternoon and was officially wei
coined by a large reception commit
tee composed of some of the leading
men of the city. With the president
came Vice President Marshall, speak
er Clark, Chief Justice White and sew
eral associate justices, senators from
the thirteen original states, and mem
bers sitting in congress in the latter
part of 1893, and the beginning of
1900. Ambassadors and ministers OF
European and South American coun-
tries who had accepted invitations
we're in the Washington party, as
were also the chaplains of the SEN
ate and house.
Luncheon was served at the Belle
vue-Straford Hotel at which were pres
ent the President and Vice-President,
all the other invited guests from Wash
ington, the governors of number Of
states. and the several committees hay-
ing charge of the ceremonies.
After the luncehon came the parade
with President Wilson near the head
of the line. In the procession were
all the sailors and marines stationed
at the Philadelphia navy yard; four
companies of coast artillery from Fort
du Pont and Fort Mott on the Della
ware River; a provisional brigade OF
the Pennsylvania national guard the
Philadelphia cavalry commands at
tached to the state militia and the pa
triotic societies. The parade wound
its way through the business section
of the city to Independence Square
whence President Wilson was escort
ed to Congress Hall. He was attend
ed by the first troop, Philadelphia City
cavalry, which has escorted every
President who has visited Philade!
phia since the time of George Wash
ington.
As the president approached the
historic hall chorus of one hundred
, voices greeted the nations chief eX
, ecutive with a patriotic song. Brass
bands blared forth stirring music
and the great crowd of people masseC
in and about the square cheered.
, The old building is small, having
width of fifty feet and a depth o
about seventy-five feet For this rea
son only $50 persons could he crowd
+ ed on the first floor where the lowe
! house of congress met. The senate
held its sessions on the second floor
During the exercises today Presiden
Wilson sat in the chair occupied o,
Z John Hancock when he presided Oy