Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-07-03
Sun Searching Hot and Many
Succumb before Reach
ing Camp.
NO COMPLAINING, HOWEVER
Men of North and South Seem
Ashamed to Acknowledge
That Heat Can Stop
Them.

Gettysburg, Pa, June 29.-GettyshurE
stepped so years backward to-day into
the halo OF history and looked again up
on an army of blue and an army Of
gray, meeting at her doorstep to join IN
the seml-centennial celebration of the
greatest battle of the war between the
States. and to show the world that scars
are not so deep as the feeling Of Amerl-
can brotherhood. From early morning
until long after shutdown the veterans r.
blue and gray trooped into the little
town which has slept so peacefully
among its hills since Lee and Meade
turned their leEions southwark so long
ngo.
From the station OF the two railroads
that come into the village is long mile
to the camp Of 5000 tents where tn,
veterans are housed. Many of them made
the trip by automobile or by carrag!
but thousands shouldered their suit ,ases
and walked The sun was scorchinc hot
and many succumbed before they found
their tents There was no complaining
however and the veterans seemed
ashamed to acknowledge that thing
like heat could stop them.
Although the regular army and the
Gettysburg commission of the state could
not cope with the heat, every possible
ARRANGEMENT for the comsor, Of the
united armies had been made The camp
of tents Is under the direction e officers
of the regular army. Tn streets "
Gettysburg are under the scrutiny of
the Pennsylvania constahllarv and lor
the care of the sick, the army, the state
and the Red Cross have all made eX-
tensive preparations.
The tents fall westward with the slope
OF the ground from the Emmitsburg road
to the point on Seminary ridge, where
the immortal charge of Pickett started on
the third day of the fight They cover
the peach orchard" and the wheat
field" where thousands of men were lost
and part of the ground over which Pick
EFT charged, but they do not reach to
the "bloody angle" or the base Of Gene
terry ridge from whose heights Meade s
artillery poured out it's mcrciless rain
of grape and canister and cut to pieces
the lcgions Of Pickett.
The formal exercises will be held in
a big tent near the Emmitsburg road, bu,
they Will last only two hours each day
and the rest of the time the veterans
VIII Sltnu as lntN IltdSt
On the skirts of the camp ground and
in the village itself there Is the air of a
circus day. Clustering close up to the
limits of the camp are the gaudy posters
of the showmen, telling Of the marvellous
feats of the beasts that "eat EN- alive"
or of the titanic size Of the fat ladies'
In the village itself thousands of sight
seers are quartered. Every room that is
available was taken days ago, and the
veteran without credentials and the civil
ian who had not enough foresight to make
arrangements are sleeping tonight II
any bed that they can find.
The news that President Wilson is
coming to make a speech July caused
n stir to-day. The President will stay
here about two hours.
The first serious accident Of the cele
hration came to-day when two trolley
cars on the Gettysburg railway com
panys line, which runs over the battle
field, met nj head collision near the
Devils Den, one of the historic spots
Six passengers were slightly injured
but none seriously.
John Collins of 420 Standish street
Elnira, n. Y, a member Of Edga,
Fitch Post, G. A. r., Of that city, wal
knocked down by a buggy near the in
ersection of Washington and Cham
bersburr streets in Gettysburg. At thu
PENNSYLVANIA State hospital the sur
geons had ont determined whether h
is suffering from a fractured skull, bu
said that his injuries are serious. Their
were many heat prostrations durini
the day, but most of the sufferers re
hpo
August d. Brown of LivernoIe Falls
Me, was the first veteran to die on tn
field. He was taken suddenly i'll lat
to-day and died just as an army sur
geon reached his side. The heat proba
bly, FASTENED his death.
INVENTIVE FIVE THOUSAND COME.
col j. NJ. Schoonmaker. chairman {
the Pennsylvania State commission, sal
tonight that close 10 5000 veterans cam
into Gettysburg to-day.
"We expected Gc0O to-day but we foun
tonight that W. had about 25,oco to feed,
said Colonel Schoonmaker
although We We're not looking for sue
number we were able to give ever
veteran something to eat before he wer
to bed Tomorrow we will better hand
the situation and every man will get flu
rations"
The first formal ceremony in tn
big tent on the battlefield will b
held tomorrow afternoon when sur
viyors Of Buford's union cavalry an
Whcclor's confederate cavalry Wi
tender a reception to the citizens q
Gettysburg. This is designed as
return of the courtesy extern ied t
the cavalrymen when they rode int
town 30 years ago.
John II. Reynolds of Port Cheste
n " union veteran. died suddenl
In camp tonight making the secon
death among the old soldiers no.
here