by Laurel | June 17th, 2009
June 17, 1899
Detailed Plans for Reception and Big Parade — Personnel of the Party.
President William McKinley and his party left Washington last evening and will arrive in this city from the West this morning at 9.25 o’clock. The special train will probably make but one stop between Albany and this city—at Westfield, where it will arrive at 9 o’clock, and be boarded by the Holyoke committee. As soon as the train arrives in this city, it will be taken in charge by the Boston and Maine railroad and will proceed to Holyoke, where it is scheduled to arrive at 10 o’clock. This is Holyoke’s day, and Springfield can do little more today than see the president’s train pass through. The big parade this afternoon will be reviewed by the president and will attract many people to the Paper City.
Unless unexpected rain should come to mar the proposed festivities, Holyoke will turn out to a man—and to a woman—to welcome the chief magistrate of the nation. The order of the day is simple and can easily be remembered. At 10 o’clock the president is due to arrive: headed by the Holyoke military band and escorted by a platoon of police, the presidential party in six carriages and accompanying guard of honor of Holyoke men pass under the Lyman-street bridge and down Main street to Sargeant street and up to William Whiting’s house by the route already announced; shortly before 3 o’clock the president will pass to the reviewing stand and the procession of 5000 men in nine divisions will he reviewed by him. This is all that the public will probably see of President McKinley until Sunday morning. He will have Iunch at Mr. Whiting’s house probably shortly before 2 o’clock. and after the parade is over will rest quietly and receive no one. To-morrow morning the president will probably attend the Second Congregational church, and in the afternoon he is scheduled to go to South Hadley.
The route that the presidential party will pass over this morning is from the railroad station under the Lyman-street bridge, down Main to Sargeant, to High, to Lyman, to Maple, to Dwight, to Elm, to Appleton, to Mr. Whiting’s residence. In case of a storm, a signal will be given at 1 o’clock, which will mean that no parade will take place. In case of rain the morning march will be shortened and the carriages will be driven up Lyman street to High, to Dwight, to Elm, to Appleton streets. The presidential salute of 21 guns will he fired at 2 o’clock by the members of Co H, who will bring their Driggs-Schroeder gun. The artillery will be stationed at the corner of Elm and High streets. The gun will belch forth as soon as the president takes his place. This salute will also be the signal for the parade to form.
The route of the afternoon parade will be starting at the corner of Maple and Dwight streets, from Maple to Sargeant, to High, to Fountain, countermarch on High to Appleton, to Main, to Jackson, to Park, to Hamilton, to Main, to Dwight, to Hampden park, where the parade will be reviewed by the marshal and aids. It will be noted that the whole parade first passes by President McKinley, and thus is arranged. to weary him the least possible amount.
The details are being perfected even to the occupants of the carriages in the drive from the station to the home of Mr. Whiting this morning. In the first carriage will ride President McKinley, William Whiting. William Skinner; second carriage, Assist., Secretary of the Navy Allen, Acting Private Secretary Cortelyou, Mayor Chapin; third carriage, Abner McKinley, A. M. French, J. J. Curran; fourth carriage, George E. Morse, Rudolph, Foster, Pierce Bonvouloir; fifth carriage, Dr. Rixey, Senator G. N. Tyner, Edward Walther, J. J. Prew; sixth carriage, M. P. Conway, H. E. McElwain and others to be announced. Mrs. McKinley and Mrs. Allen a driven directly to the home of Mr. Whiting other women of the party going to the Hamilton hotel. Mr. Whiting’s personal guests, will he President and Mrs. McKinley, Secretary and Mrs. Allen, Dr. Rixey, and Private Secretary Cortelyou. On account the president’s health there will be no functions and no visitors.
The reviewing stand is near the corner of Essex and Maple streets on Athletic park and is built to accommodate 400 people. The members of the business men’s association and 200 others who have been invited by the association are to occupy this stand. In the center is a square which will be reserved for Mr. Whiting and his family and guests, who will include probably Congressman Gillett and Lawrence and others. Admission to Mr. Whiting’s reserved space will be by special ticket issued by Mr. Whiting. The reporters stand is a part of the reviewing stand and is arranged on the south side of the stand and has a separate entrance. Accommodations are to be afforded for 30 or more men. Admission will by ticket, as well as to the reviewing stand. No one will be admitted to the reviewing stand without a ticket, and the tickets do not admit but one. This does not include the wives of the ticket holders except President McKinley and party who will occupy the central part of the platform projecting slightly toward Essex street and being slightly raised above the rest of the platform. The stand will be handsomely draped and decorated and will afford a nice view of the big parade. The most striking feature of the decoration will be the white columns which support the panoply over the Whiting party.
Buchholz with his force of decorators worked till a late hour last night covering the city with bunting and flags. The man in charge stated that they had 30,000 square yards of bunting out of their own, besides that which was hung by other firms and private parties. A special feature of interest in the decorations is the president’s signal flag — the firm had to send to New York for it — which is to be swung independently from the other decorations in William Whiting’s lawn, probably from a flagpole. This is a signal flag of blue bunting with a white eagle sewed in the center, and will probably be swung up first when the president arrives. This was obtained at the request of Mr. Whiting, and is a flag of course that has never been seen in these parts before, being used only in honor of the president. There are over 300 flags out, and among the more handsomely decorated private buildings are, besides Mr. Whiting’s, those of Thomas Dillon, Judge E. W. Chapin, J. G. Mackintosh, C. C. Jenks, J. J. Fenton and W. H. Brooks.
Excerpt from the Springfield Republican.
