Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1910 — UNCLE SAM TO STAGE BIG SHOW [ARTICLE]

UNCLE SAM TO STAGE BIG SHOW

GIGANTIC MILITARY TOURNAMENT TO TAKE PLACE IN CHICAGO, OPENING WITH THE SANE FOURTH CELEBRATION. Thousands of Regular Troops Comprising Every Branch of the Service to Camp on Lake Front Park and Give Daily Exhibitions in the Aerena.

Chicago’s coming Sa)ie Fourth Celebration and United States Military Tournament has lately assumed proportions that command national interest. Aside from being the inaugural celebration whose purpose is to turn the flood of patriotic excitement on our national birthday into rational channels, the Military Tournament is attracting almost e?jual attention since it now develops that it will be far and away the largest ever staged by Uncle' Sam for any city and will comprise a comprehensive exhibition of every branch of the regular army in action.

pani.es and machine gun platoon from Fort Sheridan, 111. Twenty-eighth Infantry, headquarters, Band, twelve companies and machine gun platoon from Fort Snelling, Minneapolis, Minn. Fourth Calvary, band and four troops from Fort Meade, S. D. Sixth Calvary, headquarters, band, twelve troops, machine gun platoon from Fort Des Moines la.

Fifteenth Calvary, Third Squardron, four troops from Fort Sheridan. 111. Battery C, Fourth Field Artillery (mountain) from Fort. D. A. Russell, Wyoming. Battery F and band, Fifth Artillery from Fort Sheridan, 111. Battery A. Sixth Field Artillery from Fort Riley, Kansas. Company A. Signal Corps from Fort Leavenworth. Kansas. Detachment of Signal Corps with army aeroplane from Washington. D. G. Companies L and K. Engineer Corps with pontoon train, bridge building materials, field searchlight, engine and generator from Fort Leavenworth. Kan.

Independence Day in Chicago will be inaugurated by a monster historical and partiotic pageant in the morning. Numerous floats will be shown illustrating momentous events in our history and also the various race elements which have become a part and portion of our nation. This pageant or parade will in all probability be the largest and most elaborate given in any citv. and many of the floats will require weeks of w;prk in construction. Men and women appropriately costumed will ride on the floats and evervMetail will be historically correct so that the parade will be a remarkable history lesson in itself.

Company C, Hospital Corps from Fort Niagara. N. Y. Detachment of cooks and bakers from the school at Fort Riley. Some idea of the size of the encampment may be gained from this list. Iff the center of the camp will be erected an enormous arena 600 by 400 feet in which the two daily exhibitions will be given. Grand stands and bleachers sufficient to accomodate 40.000 people will surround the arena. Of these seats, 30.000 will be free to the public and the remaining IO.QOO will be reserved for an admission charge. The enormous size of this arena which will permit a body of calvary to charge at full gallop, will greatly enhance the exhibitions. I

In the afternoon the crowds will wend their way \to. the lake front, where on a wide strip of ground fronting on the lake the opening exhibition of the military tournament will be given at 2 :lj. For weeks before the Fourth, soldiers will be pouring into Chicago from all parts of the I nited States and will immediately go into camp at Grant Park, the locale of the Tournament. By the Fourth several thousand soldiers will be encamped at Camp Dickinson (this is to be the name of the encampment in honor of the Secretarv of War) and there will be a representation of each branch, infantry. cavalry, artillery., signal corps, engineers, hospital corps and aviators. The orders issued from the War Department provide" for the assembling of the following troops at the Camp:— » Tenth Infantry, headquarters, band, twelve companies and machine gun platoon, from Fort | Benjamin Harrison. Indianapolis, Ind.'

The Tournament will last ten days and two exhibitions will be (given daily one in the afternoon and one in the evening. A monster system of electric lightingwill make the arena as bright as during the day at the evening performances. General Frederick D. Grant will personally command the encampment and Tournament and review the troops from his box. The entertainment offered at the Tournament will be far more interesting than any circus or theatrical performance. Sham battles will, of course, be a feature and 'indigently 55,000 worth of blank ammunition will be used so t’ at the .small boy will be well recompensed for the loss of his firecrackers and cap pisto] in

i’ Twenty-sixth Infantry, head•quarters, band, eight companies .and machine gun platoon from Fort Wayne. Detroit. Mich.: four companies ' from Fort Bradv. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. T wenty-seventh ; Infantry, headquarters, band, twelve com-

point of noise and excitement. Field artillery in action will be an interesting sight and the speed and celerity with which the men get into action with machine guns will doubtless be - the cause of much amazement. Perhaps the one feature which will interest the public more than anything else will be the feats of the Enginee Corps, particularly in the building of tresle and pontoon bridges. Daily a pontoon bridge of the sort used in warfare will be erected stretching

from the shore to the breakwater and the famous tresle bridge will also be erected and then the engineer will demonstrate their action in the event of being pursued by calvary, blowing up the bridge to make their escape gbod. The famous “Monkey Drill" of the Calvary which excels in darii g and skill anything ever seen in a circus ring will be shown and the manner in which a corps of Signal Men erect telegraph and wireless stations on the field will be demonstrated. The functions of the hospital corps will ’ also be of (considerable interest. The infantry will contribute their share of exhibition work with a musical rifle drill which is executed without command and resembles the familiar gymnasium wand drill with the exception that rifles are used in lieu of wands. A good idea of the exhibition is afforded by the following program for Julv 4. the opening dav:— Afternoon. L Infantry Drill: Butts' Manual. 27th Infantry. 2. Cavalry. Drill. Troop I. sth Cavalry. 3. (a) Shelter ten: extended order and wall scaling drills, 2d Battalion. 27th Infantry" (b) Care of wounded. Company A Hospital Corps. 4. Field Artillery Drill, Batterv F. sth Field Artillerv. 5. Cavalry Drill ; School of the Trooper (bareback), Troop* L and M. 15th Cavalrv ‘ 6. Mounted Fencing. Teaiiis 6th Cavalry. 7. Construction and Destruction Jo S,e Bridge ’ Go mpany L. 3d Battalion of Engineers 8. Retreat Parade. 27th Infantn\ ■ ’

Evening. % 1- Field Artillery Drill. Batterv o £ Field Artillery. -Music Bayonet Exercise. 10th . Infantry. 3- Cavalry' Drill; School of the Trooper (bareback), Troops F and G. 6th Cavalry 4. Exhibition Drill, Company A, Signal Corps. • ‘ • Mounted Wrestling, 6th Cavalry’ vs. 15th Cavalry ♦ 6 ’ She , Tent ’ Extended order and Wall Scaling Drills 2d _ Battalion. 10th Infantry A Cav^rv Rid< Tr °° P F ' 6th 8. Escort of the Color. 10th Infantry.