New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-04

partment. Tho Commissioners celebration peSah
al o o'clock on the nights OF Morningside Park'
with the lighting Of SO large bonfres OF WOOD ana Tar
borrela The number of bcnfres typifed the present
rbor of States in the Union The nights of Morn
;ncside Parl; have Revolutionary history, but OF
defeat rather than success. Washington was COM
PEELED TO Withdraw his army from them III 100 ana
there Col. Knowlton was killed.
The scene at Union-square as the head OF 'l'c
torcblight procession entered the plaza hoh
Eorrtb-ave was one of great splendor. The mpos-
ing buildings forming the boundaries OF the 'qu'ie
plowcd with thousands of bright-colored lanterns
and Gas cts arranged TO indicate some natiohai SYM
mol or motto. Thousands of lanterns shone under
trc res of the park and the plaza was radiant win
rho LIGHT of rows of coored ga3lamps and OF the APP
rroochiDq torches which threw glare on the idceS
nj fine ,nassed thousands of spectators, kept Dy the
noJicc 70 the confines of the outer curpstoheS auo
filling every street leading to the square loi '"o anu
three blocks away.
Tho four stands for the discharge Of fireworks were
iuclosed by board structures and were piacod AT c
;n,orsocfnrs of Seyentecnth-St with Fourtii-aVe'
and. broadway and near the Lincoln ana W aSp'iH
ton monuments on FOurtecnth-st. isaac Edso anu
his son had charge Of the display at the TWO upper
stations and j. W. Hatfield and Joseph IT, Eusc ..
tho t,vo lower stations. When the procession hrst
q discharge of twopouud rockets from the 1oui
e,o,ds and this was repeated until the entire pro-
.,,sior was mossed IN the square These rockets
o.ceudca high IN air and exploding shed conStela-
t;ou of diferent-colored stars, the crowd making
,nurmurinV noise Of delight after each discharge
The SINGING societies took their positions on the
n,,tforD, in front of the Everett House, ana tue
united bands under the leadership OF A. Dod"'i'h'
we're collected in front of them. The procession
r,assed slowly and in good order INTO the piazza a'"
after that was filled slowed itself away III soma mass
under the trees. When tho last division had en-
tered tho park the police officers on tho '"u,"
side gradually moved forward INTO INC PnN'
and thousands of spectators following ai'c'
prrsentcd the spectacle of one vast and dense h''S
Of humanity. merry and laughing and in many IN
stances crowding and gazing curionsiy AT the people
on the housctops and III the windows of adjoining
hotels and houses who had paid cxorbitant prices
for their vantage ground, and whose faces Shohc
with the reflected light Of lanterns ana t"r'he'
Thousands Of curling wreaths OF smoke aS'eha'u
from the mass Of nickerng torches, ana driini8
her, and there under the influence OF the breeze
continually added variety 10 the spectacle a" VIII
messed from different points.
SHORTLY before II o'clock there was iull oi the
murmuring and cessation of the rockets "li'o 'he
crowd waited cxpcctanty for the boom oil the can
non that should announce tho birth OF Ne"
Century for the United States OF America
While the l0-inch co!ummad on ron
Columbus Governors Island, was Doom
ing the signal for all the forts ana 'h'P'
in tbe barbor and Tor all the bells and chmeS-a
signal that was repeated westward to the racine
coost-Foreman Flanagan, who has charge OF the
Iovcr city parks. graspcd the bell rope TO the non
hell which had been suspended IN The rear balcony
of tLc Parks lodge aud rang vigorously the signal
for the opening services. This Old non Dcl
,yo, usrd while the work on Central Park was IN
prorcss and for the purpose of calling the workincn
% their task.
with the first stroke Of the bell the united bands
sfritck up Hail Columbia" with great wave Oh
musical sounds. the crowd chcerci, and from the
four stations in the Park there strcamcd sheet oil
0ame-rockcts bombs, parachutes, batteries. Wheels
and volcanoes the discharge Of which was KEPT up
f,r n minutes without intermlssion-and for 'he
FIRST four minutes additional batteries ana hie-
crackers were fired from , small stations III di'r
cnt parts Of the ParS. AZ the main stands loo
rockets were discharged at time. About nan oi
tl p.ro,cchncs were sent into mid-air in the first
IL minutes
10 those who were within hearing Of the great
choir ~ II sang Tie Heaven, ar" Telling from
beethoven the effect was grand During the sung
inc Illuminating fires were burned at the foui sta
tinps. now rcd now green, now gold OF bide VI
purplc. giving The square aud the people sn'cc'-
sion Of transformation scenes The Gentleman
Sacngcr-Ncrband then sang " llail the Atlah-
lis" by T. Laclncr. after which two hgnr,-pr'eS
were burned nj the northwest and southwest S'''
lions. The Grs; was tie Rock OF Liberty wash
i,cton between pillars oi fire and surrounded by
an eagle. The second was Liberty and Justice
temple piece composed Of three arches III the center
a figure Of Washington, on either sides hgnro oil
Liberty and Justice. the whole srrmountcd 10y Tue
American Eagle and underneath the motto " Lab
crfy and Justice Universal
When the star Spangicd Banner had been sung
with great effect by tho choir and the people t"o
additional fgurc-pi"ces were displayed, one called
the "Mayhower- Landing Of the Pilgrims and the
other Washington Addressing Ills Soldi"rs' Both
were very effective and excited loud applause. HE
celebration closed with a medley of national airs
fran the band and another grand discharge OF lire
works.