Evening star., 1953-04-10
100000 Await
ChoiceofFiesta
Queen Tonight
Prospect Of Better
Weather Tomorrow
Cheers Visitors

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Cheers Visitors
Half million visitors surged
through Washington today as
the National Cherry Blossom
Festival moved toward its high
points.
The tourist crowd, estimated
at a record 100000 by the
10000 Woteh Festival Porode Despite
Chill Air. Poee A-l9.
Week End to Bring Coy DspIoy Of
Blossoms Here. Pooe A-l9.
Greater National Capital Com
mittee, filled virtually all avail
able space in hotels and tourist
lodges and many others were
being housed in private homes.
Festival excitement rose as So
princesseS, representing the
States, the Territories and the
District. awaited the turn of q
wheel tonight to determine which
of their number would become
1853 queen.
Meanwhile. they went through
with plans for sightseeing in and
around the Capital, although the
Weather Bureau issued a gloomy
forecast.
Showers Predicted Today.
There were showers this morn
ing and the prediction today was
for considerable cloudineSs,
much wind and more. showers
and thunderstorms. The maxi
mum temperature was expected
to be IS degrees.
The forecast for tonight was
for clear skies and a low
of A degrees. Tomorrow is ex-
pected to be windy and cooler
than today. with a high tenn
perature of SIS. The five-day
forecast makes no mention Of
rain after today, however.
The visitors were pleased that
rain did not mar last nights il
Illuminated parade along K street.
And they were encouraged by
the prediction of no rain tomor-
row for the first performance Of
the festival pageant at the JEFF
ferSon Memorial.
Mrs. Eisenhower will appear
then to crown the queen to be
chosen at an invitation ball to-
night at the Shoreham Hotel.
Gloria De Haven, the motion
picture star. will crown the
queen at the second pageant per-
formance Sunday. The produce
ton is scheduled to begin at
2 pm. both days.
BrOwnell to Spin Wheel.
The fateful wheel of for
tune will be spun by Attorney
General Brownell. On it will be
written the names of all the
States and territories. The point
at which the wheel stops will
designate the State or territory.
and accordingly it's correspond
ing princess, who then will be-
come the queen.
Miss Iris Anne Fitch, the cur
rent Miss Washington, will be
hostess for the occasion in her
role as the Districts princess.
The fact that there are q
number of blank spaces on the
wheel might serve to heighten
the excitement, according to
John A. Logan, chairman of the
ball.
Its happened before" he ex-
planned. 1--WE all hold our breath
while that wheel is spinning, and
you can cut the tension with a
knife. If the wheel stops on a
blank, there's a big 'whoosh' as
everybody relaxes.
Then the wheel is spun
again. The tension increases, and
before long everybody is ap-
plauding the new Cherry Bios
som Queen-who at this moment
thinks she will die of excite
ment."
Miss Elizabeth Ann Meyer Of
Erie. Pa. was last years princess.
Music for the ball will be pro-
vided by two orchestras, one
under direction of Barnee of the
Shoreham Hotel and the other.
a relief band, supplying continu-
GUS dance music. The music will
be furnished through courtesy Of
Local 161. District Federation of
Musicians. through a grant from
the Music Performance Trust
Fund.
There still are a few seats in
the reserved area available at 81
for either performance of the
pageant at the Tidal Basin to-
morrow and Sunday, Chairman
Frank E. Weakley said. Only
1000 such seats have been set
aside, he declared. the other
$4,000 being free on a first
ome-f1rSt-served basis.
Tickets are on sale at the
Greater National Capital COM
mittee. 204 Star Building, l101
Pennsylvania avenue NV; the
American Automobile Associa-
ton and Woodward & Lothrop's
Alexandria and Bethesda Chevy
Chase stores.