Evening star., 1928-06-03
WEALTH Of COLOR
MARKS CANAL FETE
Crowd of 1000 Witnesses
Centenary Pageant Re-
Enacting Opening.

/ Inc ceIeDratlGn TO marx the cen"
| tenary of the starting of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal were unfolded yester-
day in all its wealth of beauty and color
and vividly recalled the memorable be-
ginning of the inland waterway on
July 4, 1928.
| The colorful program, with the par
| ticipantS clad in the wigs and costumes
of 1929, began at $3.50 o'clock, when
| President John Quincy Adams, imper-
sonated by Rev. Earle Wiley, pastor OF
| the Vermont Avenue Christian Church,
and his escort embarked at the foot OF
Wisconsin avenue in three Navy
launches. From then on, 1t was col
orful procession up the Potomac River
to Fletcher's Boat House, where the
participants were transferred to the
canal boats.
Above Chain Bridge, near the Dis
trict line. on the canal banks, with the
new Dalecarlia waterworks towering
back on the heights, the main ceremony
was held, with President Adams" turn
ing the first sodful of earth. Dances,
an airplane display, a fireworks eX-
hibit. an outdoor picnic on the grass,
a Marine Band concert and at O'Clock,
a large community chorus OF colored
people, rendering old songs at the old
Aqueduct Bridge in Georgetown, formed
the program of the historic celeoation.
2,o00 Watch Event.
About 1000 persons witnessed the
ceremony above Chain Bridge and for
getful of the historical incident mat
President Adams struck submerged
root in his endeavors to sink the golden
spade into the earth and had to throw
of his coat to turn the first sodful
OF earth that marked the starting OF
the canal, thought that DR.. Wiley, in
faithfully following historical precedent,
was a poor spokesman himself. Like
their forebearers of 1928, the crowd
raised a cheer when the 1928 PreSi-
dent Adams peeled of his coat TO bet
ter turn up a good spadeful.
The beginning of the celebration pre-
sented strange anachronism, with
figures In early day costume alighting
from the latest model automobiles.
Commissioner Proctor L. Dougherty.
who witnessed the ceremonies, took a
seat In the District Police Department
boat that accompanied the Navy
launches to Fletcher'S boat house. IN
the first Navy boat was the Palisades
Chorus. organized by Miss Mary Lazen-
by. chairman Of recreation Of the Pro-
rressiye Citizens Association OF George
town, which sponsored the centennial
celebration. In the second boat were
president Adams" the mayors and
dignitaries and in the third naval craft
were the respectable citizens" as the
writers Of 1923 termed these partici-
pants.
In the original party there were no
women. but the power OF the nineteenth
amendment showed its force in yester-
days celebration. for there were women
in plenty, some in the costumes OF their
grandnlothers.
As the Navy craft in the lead nosed
up the Potomac the Palisades Chorus
could be heard singing.
Eariy-Day Tow Boy.
At this point William Earnest Grim
shaw, 63, Of 1923 North Capitol street,
who in his youth served as canal
boy On the waterway, took UP his stand
with the mules, as the official tow boy
for the pageant. he claimed lions
share Of the onlookeTS' interest, but
attention was also focused on Richard
Riedel, young man some 6 feet in
height. wearing tall black silk hat
ana impersonating Henry Clay, then
Secretary OF State.
Delay came when a Navy boat got
stranded IN the Potomac River as 1t
was about 70 make q landing Then
shortly after the second canal boat,
bearing some Of the celebrities that
participated in the pageant. had left
The boat house one Of the Army mules
from Fort Myer proved his proyerbIal
stubbosness and jumped into the canal.
dragging his mate with him. This
F1Af&eNffu4e4 4r1rx4Gw of al s@Aav-sA <sS~
the second barge TO the first.
As the planes Ekimmed BY, the crowd
cnecred the aviators. the aircraft re-
heefed n1omentaTily in the water Of the
centuTy-old canal
The canal boat bearing the particle
pants IN the pageant, which was
directed by Mrs. Marie Moore Forrest,
chairman Cf the executive committee.
came into sight after q DELAYED half
hour trip from Fietcher's Boat House
and landed about $50 oiciock-an hour
behind schedule. The Palisades Chorus.
conducted by HRS. Ruth McCloekey.
sang The Star Spangled Banner" ana
immediately following, the Marine Band
struck up The Stars and Stripes For
eSeT. Then the chorus sang Moore's
melody, The Meeting Of the Waters, .
aS vas Gone a century ago.
&1E DSEi GE8EUIDBT OF LNFMtEG the
god" was performed with tne Mayer OF
GeoFgetogn In the person OF Leslie j.
Letper. presenting the gold spade TO
Gen. Mercer, president Of the canal
company, impergonated By John Pranz.
leg, who In turn presented ii 10 presi.
dent Adams. Later, Mr, Grinshaw. as
the historic canal boy, was presented
70 President Adams.
Fireworks Display.
Following this ceremony. the chorus
rendered "EeiieYe Me II Ali Those E9.
ceafSng Young Charms" and Drink to
BE Only With Thine Eyes" Tnen
from wooded hillside broke forth a
report and the fireworks display was
In progress, with an American flag re-
ieasec from ore Of the protectiiee.
Assisting Army men in keeping order
% tne grounds vas Boy Scout Troop
no. ea of ef, johns Episcopal Church.
Atss judy Lyeth, In charge Of the
NE0i1g from the East WaGkfyg1ffYs rsona :