Evening star., 1949-05-21
AnnapoIisP|ans
1ercentendry
Gala Tonight
Cost of 800 Hopes
Roin Won't Mar
Open-Air Pageant
BY w. n. shippen, Jr
Stcy StoH coyrssoeodsnt

Stof SfoV ~of@sPOHoeH
ANNAPOLIS, May 81. This
fiag-decked capital was in a gay
! but anxious mood today with one
eye on tonight's gala opening OF
! Its 300th birthday celebration and
the other on the weather.
Unsettled skies threatened last
nights dress rehearsal of an open
air pageant which is scheduled
to have its premiere tonight with
a cast of almost 800. A light rain
just before tonight's opening at
$3.50 O'Clock could spoil many cos
tunes.
The Weather Bureau forecast
that Annapolis would be cloudy
and cool today and tonight. No
rain Is predicted until tomorrow
Student Is Princess.
Perhaps the most anxious of all
was charming Princess Anne, "
the 1S-year-old University Of
Maryland freshman who is to pre-
side over the week-long festival.
She is Miss Patricia Anne West
of Lothian. a member OF a dis
tinguished Maryland family re-
lated to John Marshall on one
side. although the Virginia con-
nections of the family is not over
emphasized around here.
Princess Anne got a round of
applause when she and her ladies'
tn-waiting led the cast Of Indians,
early settlers, landed aristocrats
and the like through the dress
rehearsal.
Everybody seemed to be enjoy
ing themselves despite lowering
skies. the fact that the costumes
had got lost in transit and arrived
"a hours late and the frantic ef-
forts Of carpenters and electricians
to complete the installations while
several thousand people surged
around them.
Enough could be seen of the
preview, however, to warrant the
prediction that the Song of the
Severn" pageant will draw capac-
1ty crowds. 1t has color, dramatic
force and a story to tell.
The pageant traces Annapolis
life from the time band of Puri-
tans fled here from Virginia until
the Naval Academy was estab-
lished In 1845.
The spectacle is to be at the
Annapolis High School athletic
field.
Big Stage Complete.
The framework for a 200-foot
stage was being completed late
yesterday, and last night work.
men were erecting the final
bleacher and box seats to accom-
naodate 4,500 spectators. w
The spectacle will include 23
horse cavalry charge and a mos
torized scale model of an 1853
Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad loco
motive and coaches. A corps OF
drum majorettes add a springhtly
touch.
Before today's opening of the
tercentenary, an exhibit pertaining
to the history and present-day
activities of Annapolis was placed
on display in the State Armory.
This included wax figures draped
in the finery of Colonial bellies and
dowagers. The costumes come
from the trunks and storage places
of Annapolis families tracing their
ancestry to the pioneers.
In the display were dolls. toys
and playhouses of children grown
old before the Revolution and
antique baby carriages of long past
generations.
Antiques Collected.
Women spectators collected
about the fine dresses and antique
furniture. while many men tried
to estimate the mechanical worth
of an ancient fire engine dated
from 1855. This was the man
drawn pump cart Victory" de-
signed with such skill that it re-
manned in use at Annapolis until
1888.
Volunteers pulled the victory tc
the scene of fires and swung the
pumphandles to gentrate enough
pressure to throw water over the
roof of a two-story building-pro-
vided, of course, that the bucket
line to the nearest water source
kept the small tank filled. The
ancient leather buckets also were
on display.
Homecoming day. tomorrow, will
be featured by mass religious
exercises in Thompson Stadium
the Navy football field.
Gov. Lane and other notables
will speak.
Post Office officials said 450,00C
special tercentenary stamps will
be processed by the time the
special issue goes on sale Monday
To make sure the revelry il
not interrupted. the police de.
partment announced that ap-
proach roads will be blocked from
4 to 6 PM, Tuesday and Wednes.
day. Those are days OF the stree,
parades.
Many citizens today were DON
ming the costumes Of past genera.
tions to join the festival.
Plenty old-timers could outfit
themselves from their own attics
Airport Asks Injunction
Against Drive-In 1heafer