Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 July 1882 — INDEPENDENCE DAY. [ARTICLE]

INDEPENDENCE DAY.

Independence day was celebrated almost universally this year. Throughout the country the people were unusually profuse in their demonstrations of patriotic enthusiasm, and in the Old World, wherever a colony or knot of Americans was found, there was some observance of the great day. At'Chicago the principal objects of interest were the races, which drew out 16,000 people, the championship ball games, attended by 20,000, and the parade and picnic of the workingmen, in which about 12,000 participated. At Indianapolis an infantry drill attracted spectators estimated at 30,000. The Bain Zouaves, of St. Louis, were fiven the honors in the contest with the Lackey ouaves, of Chicago. Veteran soldiers of Vermont, to the number of 10,000, held a , reunion at Burlington, and were reviewed by Gov. Farnham and ox-Govs. Proctor and Barstow. There was a notable celebration at Woodstock, Ct., under the auspices of Henry C. Bowen. Senator Miller, of New York, was the chief orator. The New York Seventh regiment participated in the celebration at Buffalo. George W. Childs gave a dinner in Fairmount Park to 800 Philadelphia newsboys. Senator Logan addressed an assemblage of 3,500 people at Lake Bluff, 111. At Williams College, Dr. Mark Hopkins delivered a memorial address upon President Garfield. The assemblage contributed f 3,000 to the Garfield professorship fund, and the memorial window was formally presented. At New York and Washington the day was a quiet one, both cities being almost deserted. A grand reception in commemoration of the day was given at Westminster Palace Hotel, London, under the auspices of the American Exchange. Over a thousand persons were present. Marie Roze, Emma Thursby, and Minnie Hauk «ang national songs, and dancing was kept up all night The Duke and Duchess of Hutherland were among the guests, as also Edwin Booth. Consul Packard gave a banquet to American ship masters at Liverpool, and toaßted President Arthur. There was a celebration at Carlsbad, in which thirty Chicagoans participated. The day was attended, as usual, by a number of accidents in different parts of the country, the most serious of which occurred on the Ohio river. The steamer Scioto, loaded with excursionists from Weilsville, W. Va., collided with the towboat John Lomas, opposite Mingo Junction, swing to a misunderstanding as to signals. Within three minutes the steamer sank in fifteen feet of water, only the pilot house being visible. At first the loss of life was estimated as high as 250, but the later reports make it probable that not over twenty persons were drowned. The officers of the Lomas went instantly to the rescue, and rescued many of the imperiled. The explosion of a cannon at Ripon, Wis., killed George Page and injured Jack Kingsbury. A temporary stand for fireworks at Pekin, IIL, Mas' crushed by the weight of some reckless men and boys, and several persons beneath it wero badly injured. At Leadville, Col., Louis Poznancks was killed by the bursting of a gun. One child was burned to death in Chicago by an explosion of fireworks. Madame Adele made a a balloon ascension from Oswego, N. Y., and came down in Lake Ontario, seven miles froni shore, being rescued by a tug.