The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-07-06
TIE Centennial Fourth was ushered

The Centennial Fourth was ushered
in with pomp and glory, in city, town
and village, throughout the land
Cities were brilliant with flags, illumina.
tions, psgeants and fireworks. Vii.
lsges put on their holiday attire and at.
tested their patriotism with sound and
show.
New York led of with q magnificent
procession of 25,OOO nien bearing $1,000
flaming torches, with illuminated mot
toes and banners. Fifty bands Of muslc'
and an almost continuous discharge Of
pyrotecnics, added interest. The great
buildings throughout the city were liter
ally jrsped with flags, and all brilliant
ly illuminated. The World opens its sc-
count:
"When IN the course Of human events
il becomes necessary for quiet, orderly,
dignitied city to spread u pair of red
white and blue wings and soar from the
everyday commercial level into the lurid
atmosphere, the rocket-streaked, flaming,
gorgeous atmosphere OF Centennial In
dependence day let it be known 10 all
men, in all !uture LINES, that New York
il ,,u hand.
Alter describing IN glowing words
the dongs OF the I'd, the Worid says: {:
Indeed it was not till night that the
full chorus of rejoicing WAS heard. The
sky WAS absolutely cloudless, and the
rockets shot up with dimmed lustre. To
rival the light of the moon, then, became
the task OF the celebration, and mani
fest attempt was made. Twenty-Five
thousand torches flaming IN the wind
were marshaled IN grand army OF
light, and flooded the main streets and
avenues of the city, in an illuminated
procession, the equal of which has never
been known in this country High
up on the tops of lofty buildings, and in
the spires of churches, among the
branches of trees, from solid walls of
windows, stretching blocks and miles,
thousands upon thousands of lamps and
lanterns burned many colored, and the
light of the moon was forgotten.
Indeed everything was forgotten but
the approach Of midnight. The entire
population of the city was out of doors
waiting for that supreme mo.
ment. Broadway, Fifth avenue, the
Bowery, and every street through which
the procession was to pass, teemed with
Il solid mass of exciting humanity. Car
risge loads of people drove hlther and
uncertain where 1t WAS best to be
ut the hour, anxious to be everywhere
anxious to see the procession, which
was walled. from their view by
the thousands on the sidewalks;
anxious to see the decorations and
of all the main buildings
of the city, and blocked and Kindred |
by crowds, through which |
there was no passing. And while yet
the procession WAS struggling to take pos
session OF Union square, from the specta-
tors who filled every inch of it, and
%aa9 %sa % ysfh fhe sfs poins G"f q greatest
Lhe hour arrived. A thousand rockets
blended and intertwisted on high; 1t was
The signal for the csnnonading and the
cheers, the bell ringing and
the steam blasts, and was
to by all. Ten thousand de-
mons upon each river seemed to have at
tackled the city and provoked the guns
of sll the ports. For fifteen minutes the
battle lasted, while all the town scream
cd and cheered By the glare of splen-
did red lights, men, women and children
could be seen dancing in wild excitement
upon the corners, cheering the flags over
their heads, and answering back with
mighty yells the roar OF the cannon and
the Ginning of the bells which ushered
in the hundredth anniversary of the ma
tional freedom"
Philadelphia was scarcely second to
New York, in the msgnihcence and
grandeur with which she welcomed the
hundredth return of the National birth.
day.
1t was the same everywhere, in pro-
portion to the size of the place and the
ability OF the people. Every village and
hamlet paid devotion at the shrine oi
libert,. ON its own hook-no one sus-
pending on account OF the greater prePa-
rstions of a bigger neighbor.
In this vicinity, Steubenville, Martins
Ferry, st. Clairsville, Bellsire, Mounds
ville Fsirmont, all and every one gavea
joyous and boistrous welcome To the Gen.
tennisl Fourth.