New-York tribune., 1876-07-04
rF.TT,Rrs OF THE CELEBRATION.

brilliant eNplOSlOLS OI uICMOllS ONNh SNNH ~ VIZ
city.
FEATURES OF THE CELEBRATION.
THE WHOLE CITY BRILLIANT WITH DECORATIONS
spESpoR OF The HIUMINATION AT NIGHT
TwrNTY-FlVF THOUSAND MEN IL THE GREAT
Observation-Disclosures EXERCISES AT UNION
soUARR-THE PEALS WHICH WELCOMED THE
FoURrH-ENORMoUs CROWDS IN THE STREETS
There was no need to issue prOcamations to insure
y General observance Of ther3d Of July as h0hday
Everybody who could do SO accepted 1t as duty 10
be idle The chief 'asiness houses were closed III
every part of the 81 only the smaller retail estaD
Iebnents the daurants, cieaT-stands, bar-roomS
and. as matter of course, the innumerable mpro-
yised shops for the sale of fireworks were opened
The stages ran as usual i'll Broadway, but had
il not been for these and the Ice ana
hatchery end bakers carts the city would
have worn a thoroughly holiday aspect The
weather was favorable the air remarkably clear, and
though the temperature was warm, a strong south
west breeze prevailed, making the day endurable
and the night delightful The day was not given,
as the Fourth usually is TO noisy explosions OF fire
crackers and bombs and this annoying feature
of our annual celebration was missing yesterday.
AT night these demonstrations became more gen
eral but as they added to the general effect OF the
to,chlight procession, they were enjoyed by the
people Everybody on the streets uutll ldte ho'T
was in the highest spirits and the best temper there
was very little drunkenness and the police had an
easy, pleasant time OF II.
The decoration of the city began rs early as last
Friday, and continued, up TO sunset yesterday.
There were few houses in any quarter that dld not
display the national colOrs in some form or another
but it is a singular fact that the poorer quarters
were the most deliberately decorated, and, 1t must
be added though reluctantly, that the foreign pop
ulation particularly the Germans seemed the most
enthusiastic and active in the celebration
Pbe East Side, from the Bowery to East
River put Broadway and all the western
half of the city, not excepting Fifth-ave, to shame
in this regard. The explanation must be left to the
philosophers, though the suggestion that the East
Side is more densely populated than the West with
race of more ardent temperament than the American
viii probably 90 far toward correct solution of the
problem The fact also that Americans are being
rapidIy educated to the need of a more sensible
method of celebrating the day most memorable to
their nation will help to the conclusion that mder-
ence is not at the root of the matter.
There was very little ingenuity shown in the
methods of decoration. As general thing the or
binary patriot content to unfurl flags from his
windows or dFape streamers Of red, white and blue
bunting from window TO window, or from windows
TO posts on the sidewalk. In some sections, more
especially on the East Sde portraits Of Washington
paintings of Revolutionary scenes, or pictures en-
bematlcal in design, were placed in front OF buhd
ings, the frames being dTaped in the ma
tional colors. Few notices OF sentiments were
shown. The display of bunting was con-
fined to the flags of one nationality; those OF all
nations were frequently displayed from the same
house. The British and American flags were to be
seen on the same roof; and in the German quarter
the faC of France was repeatedly found kissing that
of Germany as they huttered in the breeze In the
French quarter the German flag was not so often
found. But flags of some sort were everywhere
seen, not only on houses, but decorating wagons,
stages and most Of all serving in mnia-
ture forms for plumes in the heads Of
horses in all manner of vehicles. In some
OF the show windows efforts ut ingenious designs
were observable, more especially in those OF the
mOdises who draped their lay figures IN trlc0iors
and displayed ostrich feathers i'll groups OF red
White and blue. One of the most beautiful effects
Of the general decoration with large flags was visible
on Broadway. The wind blew directly across the
street, and the flags thus blown outward seemed as
looked the length Of the street. to form arch
of banners above IT,
The multitudes on the streets yesterday and last
evening formed one Of the most interesting features
OF the occasion, Inc Sidewalks even III the Dcat Oh
midday, were thronged with people who were appa-
renty going nowhere, rather anywhere their eyes
IN search of the beautiful carried them. The oyer
loaded stages carried parties Of six or eight ac-
Quaintances from the adjoining cities or moro dis
tant suburban towns, who had come solely 10 look
Oh and enjoy themselves. Later in the afternoon
the drives to the Park were throngcd as On Satur
day afternoon when the Coaching Club is out; and
at night the main thoroughfares were well nigh i'm
passable. All along the line of the torchlight pro-
cesson the sidewalks were packed as they have not
lsscn since the funerals of Lincoln and Horace Gree
ley.
The illumination at night began at an hour earlier
than that set in the official programme but this was
To be expected from inpatient populace under
the excitement Of the OCCASION Many lanterns we're
lighted by half-past o'clock, and the explosion of
fireworks began even earlier. BY the hour
set for the moving of the procession.
Tue Bowery was stream Of light, and,
as the procession moved north through Broad
way, the effect, as seen from O distance, was
most picturesque and beautiful The swinging Ian
terms In front Of the houses and tho waving torches
Ia the ranks seemed to be long streamer of flame
nutterng, as it worc in the wind At the same time
largo bonfres at various points aud the constant ex
posion OF Romancandes and rockets along the route
made the street almost as light as day and revealed