Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-05
Pageant, Musical Program
and Fireworks Scheduled
for Tonight's Spectacle.
BUSINESS HALTS AS CITY
HOLDS BIG CELEBRATION
Series of Community Affairs Being
Staged Throughout Day-Safety
and Sanity Hold Sway.

Undampened in spirit by threaten
ing skies, Washington own Sesqui
centennial observance of the declara-
ton of American independence wen;
forward today in a series of com
munity celebrations toward the grand
climax tonight, when the fanfare of
pageantry and the blaze of pyro-
technics will mark the official close of
independence week.
The business of the nation and o.
its individuals continued to mark time
while the citizens of the National
Capital. in common with those of the
country at large, paid tribute to the
ideals of '76 in speech. in patriotic
song and in ways considerably more
spectacular. according to taste.
Washington's participation was uf
the safer and saner sort. but whole
hearted and pretentieus nevertheless
Fight Weather Doggedly.
Bidding defiance to the occasiona
showers from the beclouded firma
ment. those in charge of the half I;
dozen or so community programs emu
lated the determination of their fore
fathers and refused to give in to the
elements, and at the same time an
nouncement came forth from the com
mittee supervising the big municipal
celebration tonight that no postpone
ment will be considered unless 1t is
actually raining at the time for start
ing the ceremonies.
The pan-community observance -
scheduled to be the most ambitious
undertaking here in several years
was to feature two major events, a
colorful panorama of history on the
light-flooded east steps of the Capitol,
and a brilliant fireworks display on
the Monument grounds Immediately
thereafter.
The evenings program was to begin
promptly at 7:45 o'clock with a massed
band concert by the Marine and Army
bands at the east front of the Capitol.
II! !. Prizes 70 BE Awarded 'sfs.
At Sis. there will be an award of
prizes by, Engineer Commissioners j.
Franklin Bell to winners in the Dec
laration of Independence essay con-
test, and then will come the principal
address of the occasion. delivered by
Representative Henry r. Rathbone of
Illinois. >stt .&
The pageant, presenting THE Stor,
of America" will follow the appear
ance Of large chorus from the Wash
ington Federation of Colored Church
ChoirS. The spectacle, conceived and
directed by Marie Moore Forrest, will
start at 9 o'clock. More than a thou.
sand persons will be required to pre-
sent the three episodes into which
the pageant has been divided. Edgar
G. Snyder, chairman of the committee
on arrangements for the entire pro.
gram, will preside.
The pageant is timed to close early
enough to give the spectators an op-
portunity to adjourn to the Monu-
ment grounds TO witness the fire
works. f.rs
Fireworks and Music.
A magnificent display of bombs
bursting in air" is promised by the
citizens committee. Stirring music
will be interspersed by the Navy Band
playing from the Sylvan .Theater at
the foot of the monument
The principal community celebra.
tions of the day took place in Takoma
Park, Michigan Park, Petworth,
Wesley Heights and District. Heights,
while civic exercises also were held
by the Association of Oldest In
habitants.
Hundreds of other citizens celebrated
the day after their own whims, many
families spending the week end and
the holiday in divers places out-of
town, from seashore to woodland
camp. Among those who left the
city today to observe the occasion
elsewhere was President Coolidge
who attended the Sesquicentennial
ceremonies in Philadelphia.
MI De-
of holding an all-day program, be-
ginning with a parade this morning.
Parade in Michigan Park.
The Michigan Park Citizens AS
sociation sponsored a parade this
in which prizes were given
for costumes. followed by flag-rais-
ing exercises at the community ath-
letic field. Robert r. Faulkner, presi-
dent of the association. was to speak
Prize athletic contests were to be
held this afternoon.
Petworth citizens raised a flag with
appropriate ceremonies in Sherman
Circle, following q motor parade. and
were to stage athletic contests in the
afternoon. Wesley Heights also held
a flag ceremony this morning, to be
followed by program of sports, and
District Heights staged parade.
band concert and athletic events.
The Association of Oldest Inhabi-
tants met in the parish hall Of the
Church of the Epiphany for it's custo-
mary Independence Day celebration.
which included the reading of an orig
inal poem by John Clagett Proctor.
The observance followed a business
meeting at IL o'clock this morning.
Yesterdays observance was center.
ed in churches where sermons of ap.
propriately patriotic tone were the
rule. Special joint patriotic services
were held by the city's Lutheran n
churches at the Georgetown Lutheran
Church, itself 157 years old yesterday.