Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1892 — GAY TIMES IN GOTHAM. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GAY TIMES IN GOTHAM.

GRANDEST CELEBRATION EVER SEEN IN THIS COUNTRY. Thousands of Kntbasisstlo Visitors Bloek the Streets of the Eastern MetropolisImposing Parade o r School Children— Great Spectacular Pageant—Gorgeous Fireworks, Etc. In Colombo.' Honor. The city of New York did the handsome thing by the memory of Columbus, and did it right well. The Jews inaugurated the celebration on Saturday. their Sabbath, with song and sermon in their synagogues, of both which the subject-matter was Columbus and the discovery of America. On Sunday Protestants and Catholics followed it up in their churches and cathedrals with religious services, interspersed with the singing and playing of National hymns —and where can the “Star Spangled Banner" be heard more appropriately than in the church. Monday was the schools* day, and school children of the public, private, and parochial schools marched by thousands through the gayly decorated streets. In the evening Mr. S. G. Pratt’s innocent cantata, “The Triumph of Columbus,” was song at one hall. There were concerts in other halls, a loan exhibition, and a display of fireworks at the East River bridge. Tuesday the great naval parade took place, in which American, French, Spanish, and Italian war vessels, the naval militia of the State of New York, municipal

boats, yachts, steamboats, ferryboats, tugs, and revenue cutters all took part, proceeding from the lower bay up through the narrows amid the salutes of the forts, and thence up the North River to a point opposite Gen. Grant’s tomb. In the evening there was a parade of the Roman Catholic societies, the German singing societies gave a concert, the Catholic societies had memorial celebration, and there were displays of fireworks on Ihe grepklyn bridge and in the parks. Wednesday was the culmination of the pageant. In the morning there was a military parade with 20,C00 men in line, including troops of the regular army, the naval brigade, State guards, the Grand Army of the Republic, volunteer firemen, German-American societies, and Italian military organizations. In the afternoon the Columbus monument, of which an illustration is given, was dedicated and in the evening there was an historical parade, during which the city was splendidly illuminated. Thursday the ceremonies closed with a banquet at the Lenox Lyceum, at which the orators did their part towards the apotheosis of Christopher Columbus, notwithstanding the declaration of Mr. Ward McAllister, arbiter of New York “sassiety,” that Christopher was not a gentleman because he did not wear a swal-low-tail coat, play polo, go coaching, chase the anise-seed bag, ipnd guzzle champagne. The Eastern metropolis rose to the

occasion. The arrangements seem to have been perfect. The decorations of the city were magnificent and the crowds in attendance immense. It is estimated by the press that not less than 500,000 strangers were in the city during the three days of actual celebration. This is a hint to Chicago of the number it may be called to provide for at the actual opening of the Columbian Exposition. Parade of School Children. The great parade of school children in which, according to telegraphic reports, nearly 20,000 participated, served to demonstrate the patriotism of the rising generation. As an object lesson showing the tremendous interest centered in the schools it was a phenomenal success. From the wee tot in his first knickerbockers who came first to the college student in mortar board and gown who closed the spectacle, it was a series of climaxes driving home the value of the schools to the city, the State, and the nation. The Catholic pupils alone, with their significant banner, “The Defender of the Faith and the Constitution;” the Indian students from Carlisle, Pa., magnificently disciplined and drilled; colored pupils touching elbows with white boys; Italians, Japanese, Chinese, Irish —all marched shoulder to shoulder in the enormous educational columns, and all marched under the stars and stripes. In the minds of the beholders the impressiveness of the occasion centered upon the union of these diverse forces in the one patriotic purpose—honor to Columbus and the Goverment his discovery made possible. The column took more than three hours to pass a given point While the line of march of the parade was banked on either side by crowded masses from the starting point to the disbanding point, the greatest numbers congregated in Madison square, Union square and Washington square. The west side of Fifth avenue at Madison square was occupied by an immense stand with 3,200 seats. Of these 200 seats were reserved for reporters and each seat was furnished with a writing d sk. Opposite was a stand that seated 6,000 persons. Among those seated there were Vice President Morton, Secretary of the Treasury Foster, Gov. B. P. Flower and his staff, Gov. Tillman, of South Carolina, United Marshal Jacobus and many local officials. The Naval Duplay. New York has had three big naval parades in recent years, b«t neither one of these as a maritime demonstration could compare in splendor and magnifl-

ceaoe with the great pageant which took place in the harbor in connection with the Columbian exercises. From dawn the waters of the harbor, the bay and the broad channel of the Hudson were literally alive with craft of all sorts and sites, from the small yachts trimmed and draped with gay flags and bunting, forming ever-changing pictures as they darted to and fro in confusing maze, to the big steamers with their gorgeous

decorations of flags and steamers that slowly threaded their way among the swarms of little boats that surrounded them on all sides. Commodore Erben gave the signal to start. A stir of preparation followed in the squadron, a puff of smoke came from Fort Hamilton, then a crash and the firing began. Boom! Boom! Boom! The peaceful bombardment sounded like a naval combat, with all creation as contestants. The Italian, French and Spanish vessels joined in the fun. The dynamite cruiser Vesuvius added its crashing detonation; even the revenue cutters with their toy cannons took a hand. Steaming steadily up-stream the myriad fleet came in view of the Battery. If the people ashore were surprised at the size of the naval demonstration, the voyagers of the fleet were astounded at the multitudes gathered along the water’s edge. The park at the Battery, Brooklyn bridge, the housetops, business blocks, even the very steeples, were black with spectators. Moving up the stream the same feature presented itself. Every pier had its swarm of sight-seers; every warehouse roof was a vantage point. Cross-trees of vessels at their moorings. telegraph poles, ferryboats, drays, abandoned hulks, ail were pressed into the public st rvlce. Incredible as it may seem in the statement, not less than a million people ■must have seen the parade from both shores between its start at the forts and the grand review at Riverside. Old New-Yorkers declared that no such popular interest in any demonstration has ever been seen in the history of the city. When the squadron of the naval reserve formed in line about the Grant tomb it was a signal for the final review. The flag-ship dropped her anchor and

swung round in the tide. Her followers did likewise, and the merchant fleet steamed past in review up the river, saluting with dipped flags. Forming in parallel lines the parade then dropped down the stream, the battleships pealed forth a farewell salute, while a regiment of regulars ashore answered with a land battery and the national hymn was played by a regiment band. The last shot marked the close of the parade. The greatest naval spectacle of the great city had ended and the journey home begau. Tugs whistled, steamers joined in, railroad whistles answered from the shore and the orderly lines broke up, making for the piers down the river. Vice President Morton, Chauncy M. Depew, ex-President Hayes, Governor Flower, Mayor Grant, and other notables, were cn the Howard Carroll, which led the way. Ex-President Cleveland and his wisp were the guests of E. C. Benedict on his private yacht, the Corsair. Fine Display of Firework*. The fireworks display on the Brooklyn Bridge began at 10:30 and lasted until midnight. The display was gorgeous! There were illuminations from the towers in the shape of Chinese suns six feet in circumference, and of an illumnating power which enabled them to be seen at a distance Of twenty-five miles. There were groups of bouquets and thousands of rockets fired simultaneously from the towers, crossing and intersecting in their flight Millions of

magnesium stars of the spreading variety and of the largest ca'iber were fired skyward from mortars a distance •of 800 feet. Hundreds of thousands of men and women were out to see the wonders. The celebration culminated in the night pageant, which was the spectacular event of the week. Eighteen thousand people, costumed to represent the various types to be illustrated, were in line. The boats shown in this parade were the finest ever seen, and altogether the affair was the greatest of the kind ever attempted in this country.

NEW YORK’S COLUMBUS MONUMENT.

THE PREHISTORIC CAB.

TBS MEMORIAL ARCH.

CAR OF LIBERTY.

TOLTEC SUN WORSHIPERS.