The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-07-17
PROM OUR TRAVELLING CORES.
PONDEET.
San Francisco's Fourth.
SAY FEASCIsco. July 9th. 1876

Ed. INTELLlGEScER:-If you have
not already been surfei'ed al HGu@aaa.
With accounts of the Centennial fourth
/ will ada 10 your no doubt otherwise
foil accounts, my sights and impress
siOns Of that mos: memorable occasion.
a. seen III this city.
Your readers arc no doubt aware that
there was TO be grand naval display
aud bonn bs rdment in the harbor Of san
Francisco, by forts Alcatrsz ard Point,
and the battery on Angel Islsnd, to-
gethsr with the goverrpaents vessels.
and that the iombardineDt should. in
part. psrtske of~tbe sense of reality,
for Il was 10 be with shot a, d she'll. and
everybody here expected that particu-
lar smithereens WAS Ia be knocked out
of everything at which the dogs of war
were TO be let loose.
Well, early in the morning of the 81.
for that WAS the day fixed fo- the bonn
barfment), the thousands that flock d
from the city by every avenue Of CON-
munics.ion. 10 the localities overlook
ing the scene of action. evidenced the
iufnraS. fol. in tho ncca.ian The BAN
brdmert was 10 be NJ a target on Lime
Point, nearly opposite to Fort Point,
aud distant about ,, 100 yards from the
latter place, and from Alca,raz, some
thing over 5000 yards. The target
fixed for the firing from the men, of
war, to-wit: the Portsmouth, the Pen
sacola, and jamestown, was a turreted
scow. anchored near Bird rock, and dis
tant from the ships about 800 yards
The firing commenced at 1l.30 A. NJ,
by gun and she'll from Fort Point.
which struck the target fairly and en-
ploded at the moment of striking. with
terrific violence The action soon be-
came general. and the scene was truly
a grand one. The firing from the forts
was fair, but that from the ships was
wild, very wild. and the bombardment
is generally noted blk. but everybody
is happy, notwithstanding.
But whatever may he said of the ma
val display of the Sd. nothing but
praise is heard from every quarter. for
the grand display and procession of the
18th. the great natal day Of the nation.
San Francisco fairly revelcd in adorn-
ment. She had put on her white robes,
figuratively speaking. and the Queen
Of Sheba" in her best. was fairly out
rivalled. 1t would be impossible for me
10 particularize, and shall not attempt
it. will only say that the people OF
| San Francisco, who never do anything
by the halves, did their level best. and
not one has cause to be ashamed Of the
effort
BY ter o'clock the streets were litei-
ally packed with men, women and
children. thronging the side walks, and
sitting on the curbstones, in fact in every
available position, while all the win
d9as. porches, and balconies along the
route of the procession was filled with
fair ladies whose expectant eyes OUT
shone the glittering rays of the
god Of day" overhead. Enthusiasm
and patriotism bubbled over, and a
Mark Twain would say, "Slushed
around lively" Probably noisey and
demonstrative as it was the feeling Of
the people WAS never truer.
The procession was just two hours in
passing the corner of Bush street or
Montgomery. and was estimated to lie
five miles i'll length. The Alta says
that ten thousand people marched in
the procession, which estimate l think
likely To be correct. At the Mechanics
Pavilion there were imposing and
appropriate exercises, and in the even
ing grand carnival ball The Grafton
by the Hon. Horatio Stebbins was a
noble. patriotic tribute to orr country.
On the bay there was regatta un-
DIR the auspices of the Master Mariners
Benevolent Association. The race
twe.ty miles was won by the schooner
Electra. in two hours, nineteen minutes
and thirth-three seconds. The prize
was silver vase. The exempt fire.
men, aud seamen, Americans, had each
q torchlight procession. the latter CONS
psny making the midnight air resound
with popular national airs vocalized AS
only the Germans know how to do.
The pyrotechnical display was more
general than concentrated. Everybody
burned fire crackers and blue lights,
and exploded bombs and every other
mentionable article Of like ik OH his own
hook and to his heart content The
city was particularly orderly and quiet
so far as DRINKS and misdemaenors are
concerned. very few arrests being made
by the police at all.
Through the State generally the day
was celebrated with becoming regard to
the epoch of time which it commemo-
rated Long will the day be rememb ered
rs the first centennial mile stone in the
nations history and the future page of
the historian which recounts the glories
Ut this day; its pomp, its display, its
honor, will be eagerly sought aud cen
suited by millions yet unborn.
l.. b. A.