Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-07-14
Of magic and romance seemed possible in
that wild, blazing night.
.rrIr ppncRssInN

OF magic ana romance seemed possible IN
that wild, blazing night.
TIE PROCESSION.
1t was soft and splendid evening. per-
feet moon rode high, as ITO mark the
splendor beloF,, a llFssl fFeszs blew up from
the bay, and throash tkArssiIsl q speopie
miles on miles uptown went the toFehRght
procession, first the city troops, in full uni
form, in column, by company gallant
sight. The finest of all-not the aristo-
cratic Seventh Regiment or the petted
Twenty-second, but the old Seventy-ninth
Highlanders, disbanded, who had begged
permission to come out with the other
troops. From Maior-General Ward. who
stood at the head of the Third Bridgade.
the beau-ideal of a soldier, high, coura-
geous, impassive from sword-hilt to chap
eau, every one of those eagle-faced black
Scotch who marched kiited isnd plumea
behind him with dagger in his garter
they were the very make of soldiers, and
men for any commander to covet. The
German troops were fine, solid-looking
soldiers, and, in their spiked helments and
close blOuses, looked as if they still owned
allegiance to King William. The Cuban
societies made a fine impression for sosmal
body Of men, their dress and bearing un-
mistakably that Of gentlemen, and it was
pathetic to see their beautiful colors-an-
other red, white and blue-carried in hon
or Of country which celebrated the in
dependence they were struggling to achieve.
The dark, proud, handsome faces that
marched in the shadow of its folds were lit
up with the spirit of the hour, as they
flashed back the gayest repartee to the
cheers and jests of the crowd.
MIDNIGHT
there was such noise by the crowd, that
the Ginning of the bells lost its effect, and
the singing of the eight hundred members
Of the German choral societies was un-
heard. People stood packed round the
four sides of the squares, which were filed
IN the centre with military; and from the
fouF angles q bombardment of fireworks
was kept up for an hour that made the
place little less than hell to the sight There
were the aceompaniments of women faint
ing and pickets making organized rushes
to drive people into corners where they
could work them better, while the cannon
rockets, which seem the favorite pyrotech-
mic this year, dulled the boom of ordnance
from the North and East rivers. One
wondered how the children stood it, for
there were hundreds of babies in arms
whose mothers could not stay at home and
lose the sight. Next day, Broadway was
qpieter than it.eyer was of a Sunday, for
sil were tired out. At evening, beauti-
fql sight from the Battery finished the day,
with a stroke Of natural glory. Heavy
clouds gathered in the west, betokening a
storm, but as the first gun was fired at sun
set, the light broke through, and the arch
Of cloud shone an arch of glory, under
which rolled the smoke and thunder of sa-
lutte from forts and ships down the harbor
and up river, answering and echoing-ft-
tlng close OF such day, and fitting honor
to the memories it celebrated. .... =.
The casualty list was very small, con-
sidering the vast number on the streets,
and everywhere else, engaged in the ex-
ploding Of combustibles. Occasionally a
boy would get bullet in his pistol, and
that bullet would kill or main somebody;
,oceasiOnsIly " ie girl 5 clothes would take fire
omsparks. and she would burn to death;
few buildings were burned, and an oc-
casional pyrotechnist was blown up with
bis own dynamite. But, after all, the ac-
eidents, were comparatively few, and the
city has reason to congratulate itself. The
day, or days rather, passed off comforts
bly,, all things considered.