Pres. McKinley Procession to Inauguration
Pres. McKinley Procession to Inauguration
"President McKinley and escort going to the Capitol. " prior to McKinley's inauguration; filmed at the junction of Pennsylvania Avenue and Fifteenth Street. " The film begins by showing mounted police troop, then American cavalry riding down street toward cam and turning off rt. Next come soldiers marching then various civilian dignitaries walk in the procession and come marching along the route then more cavalry. Accompanied by escort (Troop A, of Cleveland, Ohio), horse-drawn carriages, the first containing President McKinley's party, come into view. Finally a brief shot of West Point cadets marching & executing left turn. Details from a contemporary Edison film company catalog (however the order of shots described here seems to be different from the footage we have; the film must be chopped up out of order): "The parade is headed by a platoon of mounted police; next comes the Grand Marshal, Major- General Francis V. Green, and staff, as follows: A. Noel Blakeman, Lieut. Col. John S. Johnson, Major-General N.E. Thompson, U.S.A., Brigadier-General U.S.W. Day, U.S.V., Lieut. Winfield S. Overton, U.S.A., all mounted on splendid horses. Next come the famous Troop A, of Cleveland, Ohio, who act as the personal escort of the President. They present a most striking appearance as they go down the incline on Fifteenth Street, Washington. Next comes President McKinley in his carriage drawn by four of his own horses, the pair of blacks in the lead and the favorite bays on the wheel. The President is seated in the right of the carriage with Senator Hanna on the left beside him, and facing them, with their backs to the driver, are seated Representatives Cannon and McRae. Owing to special permits granted us by the United States Government, we were able to have our camera within twenty feet of the President's carriage when it passed, and an absolutely perfect photograph was secured. The President's carriage is followed by Secretaries Hay and Gage. The third carriage contains Secretary Root, Attorney-General Griggs and the President's Private Secretary Cortelyou. The fourth carriage contains Secretaries Long, Wilson, Hitchcock and Postmaster-General Smith. The fifth carriage contains Lieutenant-General Miles and Admiral Dewey. We also present excellent pictures of the Admiral of the Navy and the General commanding the United States Army as they pass. This picture closes up by showing a detachment of Veterans of the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteers, followed closely by the West Point Cadets, who present a remarkable spectacle as they execute left wheel turning from Fifteenth Street into Pennsylvania Avenue.