Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-04
THOUSANDS STORM
CAPITOL HILL PLAZA
Throng Mills About Avenue
Along Line of March to
Witness Parade.

The broad expanse of the east plaza
of the Capitol where Herbert Hoover
took oath as the Nations new chief
tain became the Mecca this morning
for the vanguard of the inaugural
crowds.
The gray mist of the somber morning
had not lifted when the trek began to
Capitol Hill BY II o'clock, a seething
mass of humanity surged and milled
over the entire area. Conservative esti-
majors surveyed the throng at this hour
and reported between 10000 and $4,000
with an urending procession marching
on the Capitol grotnds from all direc-
tions.
With camp stools. blankets and lunch
kits they came. The more cautious
brought umbrellas or carried gay-col-
ored Slickers on their arms.
The Union Station continued to pour
forth hundreds of visitors, augmenting
Of them, it seemed, went directly to
the Capitol plaza to view the first event
in the quadrennial drama.
Gather Early Along Avenue.
Along Pennsylvania avenue, where the
great military pageant was to pass In
review, the crowds also began to gather
early and adjusted themselves for the
long wait before the procession started
on its way from Capitol Hill. Most
of the early corners sought places against
the taut cables stretched along the
curbs, but there were a few who had
found advantageous positions in shop
windows along the line Of march and
in inaugural stands.
1t was nearly IL o'clock before the
first unit in the inaugural parade
marched into the area Of formation
east of the Capitol grounds, but the
others followed in quick succession. and
to fall into line. The Maryland Ma
tional Guard, several hundred strong,
led the other organizations to the for
nation point and stopped at its as
signed location, at Third and c streets
southeast.
Scores Banked on Sides.
Aside from the Capital grounds, Penn
sylvania avenue between Sixth and
Twelfth streets, seemed to be the most
attractive locations for those who did
not hold tickets for seats in the wooden
reviewing stands. There were scores
banked three and four deep along this
section of the avenue before the opening
events in the inaugural pageant.
Throngs Line Avenue.
BY noon the crowd had grown ire
mendouSly and solid mass of humanity
pressed against the cable barricade all
the way from Eleventh street east to
Peace Monument, the section least lib
orally provided with wooden stands.
Large crowds also had gathered along
the westerly end of the Avenue where
the reviewing stands had monopolized
most Of the sidewalk space.
The cold. raw wind apparently caused
some discomfort and those who had
gathered on hotel balconies or low
rooted buildings wrapped themselves in
blankets. Others were using newspapers
for protection.
There were numerous traffic delays
on virtually all streets leading north
or south to the Avenue, but the worst
tie-up was reported In the vicinity OF
the Capitol grounds. A jam also de-
veloped along Pennsylvania avenue near
Third street when some Of the cars
Of the Pennsylvania delegation got
mixed up in their directions on the
way to the Capitol to take their place
in the parade. Traffic policemen, bor-
rowed from Baltimore by the WASH
ington Police Department, Strengthened
them out, however.
Crowds did not begin to assemble in
large numbers In the vicinity of the
Treasury until after 10 O'Clock, but by
noon, it was estimated that more than
5000 had damned their way as closely
as possible to the tightly stretched bar
ricades. Ticket holders to the stands in
this vicinity also were slow to gather,
but the seats began to I'LL rapidly after
noon.
At the other end of the avenue, In the
Peace Monument area, there was an
other picture, however, as the crowd had
begun to gather early. A number of
persons found choice places against the
cabled barricade. but those who were
unable to get near the curb roved back
and forth restlessly. Peace Monument
stood out in this picture like an oasis in
barren desert. One lone civilian guard
with q special police badge conspicuous
ly displayed on his overcoat was the only
person at the base of the monument,
while the curbs on either side of the
avenue nearby were fringed with spec
tators.
Crowd Grows Impatient.
At 1890, with the Senate exercises
still in progress the enormoils crnwd