Then a real contretemps occurred, trying enough to shake the strongest nerves. In those days, either moving orchestras was more difficult, or the Philadelphia Orchestra was still too inexperienced a traveler to do so efficiently. When the hour for rehearsal in Symphony Hall arrived, there was no music and there were no instruments. They had been lost en route. The explanation arrived at after much telegraphing was that these valuable possessions had been placed in a car too high to pass under the bridges on the regular route, so it had been re-routed and would probably not arrive until evening. This was a predicament for a young orchestra, none too easy in its mind at the prospect of playing in the city of the Boston Symphony Orchestra; and now deprived of rehearsal in a hall new to the conductor, as well as to every player. The day passed, evening came, the audience assembled, and still no instruments. Twenty minutes after the concert hour, heavy teams were heard outside. The day was saved, the instruments were hurriedly put in place, the men went on, and the symphony, Brahms’ No. 2, began. The Philadelphians present say that the orchestra never played so well, and at the end of the symphony Scheel was recalled six times. Mr. Elson, a most friendly critic, who had given a dinner for our conductor the night before, rushed behind, saying, “Scheel, you have conquered Boston.” At a reception given for the two conductors after the concert, Mr. Philip Hale said of Scheel: “He has the right arm of Thomas and the left arm of Nikisch.” _Boston Herald_, March 8th, 1904 (Philip Hale): “The performance of the orchestra under Mr. Scheel was admirable.... Here is a conductor to be respected for many qualities, for his mastery of mechanism and for his genuine and poetic feeling.... There is no doubt that Mr. Scheel is an accomplished drill master. His patience and intelligence in rehearsal were shown by the fine performance of the supple orchestra under his direction.” _Boston Evening Transcript_: “Mr. Scheel is unquestionably a conductor of parts, whom one would gladly know better.... The wonderful beauties in the scoring of Liszt’s symphony were all made the most of, and under the hands of Mr. Scheel the dull passages became less hopeless than usual. Of the dramatic points Mr. Scheel took full advantage and with the advent of the Gretchen theme in the third movement he made an electrifying effect.” _Boston Daily Advertiser_ (Louis C. Elson): “Musical Boston was waked up last night! Those who braved the elements were rewarded by a concert which for novelty, for excitement and for educational value has seldom been equaled even in our symphonic city. “The Philadelphia Orchestra proved itself to be the best that has visited Boston since Theodore Thomas brought his band here.