Evening star., 1943-09-19
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star
Fifty years ago the thoughts Of |
washington turned back to q hundred |

CopitoI date when George wash
Centennial ington laid the founda-
ton stone Of the Capitol.
Centennial celebrations were numerous
and colorful. Most of the front page,
and many other pages, of The Star of
September 10, 1893 were devoted to 1t, as
extracts show: THE day was ushered in
by the ringing of centennial chimes.
Following as closely as possible the pro-
gram Of the original ceremonies the pro-
cession was chiefly confined to civic
bodies, under the marshalship OF Gen.
Ordway, commanding the District Ma
tional Guard. At the head Of the
procession - rode the President of the
United States and his cabinet officers in
an open barouche attended by Mr..
Beriah wilkins, chairman Of the Recep-
tion Committee and escorted by squad
ron OF United States cavalry. - Every
window Of the Capitol overlooking the
east was crowded with people before
II o'clock. The east porticoes of the
House and Senate, which were free to
the public, were like pyramids crowded
with gazers. - BY o'clock nearly all
the immense space in the grounds of the
Capitol at the eastern front were occu-
pied by thousands of spectators" There
were prayers and a speech by william
Writ Henry, lineal descendent of Patrick
Henry, and much space was devoted in
The Star to pictures and description Of
the great building.
Washingtons underground trolley sys-
tenn did not exist half century ago, but
had been proposed. Ac-
Mooern'z'n9 cording to The Star Of
Trons;t September 10, 1898: "It
is thought that the House
District Committee will probably take
early action upon the bill authorizing the
Metropolitan Railway Co. to place the
underground electric system on their
Ninth street line. = The railroad men
were told that Congress will require the
company to give a guarantee that the
system will be a practical one. Congress
will not, 1t Is said, extend the time for
the change of motive power de, from
horses) In order to permit the railway
company to conduct any more expert
ments." The company agreed, presum-
ably tired of public and congressional i'll
will engendered by the prolonged use Of
horses, necessarily slow and unreliable,
while 1t tried, unsuccessfully, to perfect
a transit system in which each streetcar
carried its own power in the form of
great storage batteries instead of tapping
current from power station by wire.
Yellow fever, later to cause so much
trouble in the war with Spain, appeared
on the Atlantic seaboard,
Yellow Fever to the alarm of medical
Endemic men, who at that time
knew nothing of it's cause
and very little of its proper treatment.
The Star of September 49, 1898, said:
Surg. Gen. Wyman has received tele-
gram from Surg. Murray at Brunswick,
Ga, dated last night, stating that there
were 20 cases of yellow fever under treat
ment. - - The fever pervades the entire
city and siege of six weeks appears to
be the most favorable outlook. - The
people of the city do not appear to be
nervous over the situation and there are
no evidences Of panic"
i
For a time it seemed that Rome, the
Eternal City, might not continue to be
the eternal seat OF Catho-
Vot'con licism. There had been fric-
Threot tion between the Holy See
and the troops In Rome, and
dispatch from that city, printed In The
Star of September 18, 1893, said In
view of the increasing symptoms of hos
tility displayed by the government,
which are attributed to the Pope's
friendship toward France, the Vatican
is again considering arrangements in re-
gard to the Pope's exile from Rome. 1t
has already applied to Spain on the sub
ject. 1t may be remembered that when
the question Of the Pope's leaving Rome
was agitated some time ago, efforts were
made to procure his approval to a prof.
oct looking to the establishment OF the
Holy See In Spain"