Taft Dedicates McKinley Memorial Organ Impressive Scenes in Metropolitan Temple, New York. Andrew Carnegie Speaks Also.  Many Famous Men Were Present.

There have been few occasions in the history of this country when a President of the United States or a President-elect ha dedicated a new church organ. One of them took place at the Metropolitan Temple, Seventh avenue and Fourteenth street, New York, Sunday, when President-elect Taft was the principal speaker at the dedicatory exercises of the new McKinley Memorial Organ.  This instrument was built by the Estey Organ Co. It costs $8000, and Andrew Carnegie contributed largely to the fund for the purchase of the instrument. A picture of the interior of the church, showing the organ, President-elect Taft  and other celebrities present, is shown on this page.   Long before 8 o'clock, the hour scheduled for the exercises to begin, the temple was filled to capacity, and camp stools had to be brought in to accomodate those who could not find room in the pews.  On the outside of the church a crowd that at one time numbered at least 2,000 begged in vain to get in.  A squad of police was kept busy from 6 o'clock until the exercises were ended, at 10 o'clock P.M., keeping those on the outside away from the doors.   Mr. Taft arrived at the church about ten minutes past the opening hour in the automobile of his brother, Henry W. Taft. With them was a third brother, Hoarce D. Taft, who conducts a school for bos at Waterbur, Conn.  None of the guests of honor ascended the platform until after the arrival of the President-elect. Some of those guests were Col. John J. Cook, Elbridge H. Gary, Louis Klopsch, Melville E. Stone, Col. H.O.S. Heistand, Ex-Secretary Lyman J. Gage, Robert Watchorn, John M. Cornell, George J. Jackson and Samuel Bowne, who presided at the ceremonies.   After the invocation by Bishop David A. Goodsell, a choir song, and prayer by the Red. Dr. James A. Buckley, Mr. Bowne introduced Mr. Carnegie as the first of the speakers.

"I will speak very briefly," Mr. Carnegie said, "for there is with you to-night the man of all men in this world who can speak of the martyred President, who was his lifelong friend and chief--our next President."   "We are here to dedicate to President McKinley's memory the noblest and the most heavenly of all instruments, the organ. When I think of President McKinley the picture that presents itself to me is that of his extreme gentleness. I cannot recall when he ever betrayed the slightest impatience, and I do not believe there is record of his ever having spoken a word that gave offense.  As for quarreling, that with him was impossible.  Mr. McKinley's fame will increase with the years."   Mr. Taft remorked that it was extremely fitting the organ should be in memory of President McKinley, whose whole life was in harmony. "Nothing suggests so fully the character and the harmony of McKinley in his relations with his family, his countrymen, his country and his religion." He said the outlines of McKinley's face suggested those of Napoleon, but that the characters of the men were absolutely different.  The organ occupies a space of 30 feet in wirth and 28 feet in height. The base below the pipes is 13 feet high, of quartered oak, and the highly burnished pipes rise above for an additional 15 feet.  Suitable spaces have been provided for either a bronze tablet or a statue to the late President's memory, to be placed later. The great organ consists of 488 pipes, the swell 842 and the pedal 90, which, together with the other pipes, make a total of 2000. The coplers are ample, consisting of six, with six pedal movements and eleven mechanical accessories. -The Music Trades, December 19, 1908