The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-09-22
sos GRANT. b.
AT LAST HE ARRIVES,
YNh 80 r----4-- 3Jl1 J3t
And Receives an Ovation that Reads
LlksaStory Of the Arabian
Nights.
ItLays over any Reception Ever Seer
r inthls Country Before,
And May Start an Immense Prssi
| dental Boom. ,,

tap OF the bell and hoisting OF the flag o
the Merchants Exchange, announcing th
approach ofthe City OF Toxic. startled th
city from the spell Of suspense that ha
I prevailed for the last three days, and trani
formed the idle throngs that were lounl
ing about the streets into excited and hui
trying crowds. The bells arc ringing
steam whistles screaming, and the thur
der Of Cannonreverberating over the hill
and hatbor. Thousands Of men, womeI
and children on foot, in carriages and o.
horseback are pouring out in thedirectio
Of Presidio Heights, Point Lobas, Tels
. graph Hiltand every other eminence i
the vicinity, eager 10 catch the fin
glimpse Of the incoming ship bearing tn
guest for whose reception such great pre-
parations have been made, and whose ar
rival has been Soaanxiously 80 anticipated
Crowds are hurryingtowards the wharves
where the steamers and yachts that will
take part in the nautical pageant are lying
The Reception Committees tug, Miller
GrlHA will leave at once from the Pacif,
Mail Dock 10 intercept the City OF Tokit
outdde, and 80 arrange her arrival In thi
harbot Is TO conform with the prepara
tons for the reception in accordance Will
the preconcerted plans. The reception L
not likely to. take place to-day, the hOul
being SO late, andth Executive Commit
tee Is now in session 10 determine whether
1t shall come off tomorrow or be delayed
Until Monday. T.s',I -
1 AT the moment the alarm giving notice
OF the approach oil the City OF Toxic wa.
struck, the Executive Committee having
charge Of the demonstration we're in ses
sion atthe Palace Hotel, warmly discuss
ing the question Of carrying ont the pro
gramme tomorrow, in case Of the stcam'
er's arrival in time, or deierring 1t until
Monday. The Grst stroke OF the bell ended
the discussion. 1t was three-quatters Of
I an hour later than the limit that had been
previously determined on I bhE L was a
once resolved to carry 1.-THE demonstra,
ton Immediately.
I A Reception Committee OF five hastened
To- tho Mail Dock, and put out seaward
}, without delay, to expedite the movements
| OF the City OF Toxic, while various other
committee and guests betook themselves
tolther posts on Bhipboard or at the land.
ling. In view Of the lateness of the hour
all preconCerted limits OF time will be con.
tracted. EArfottilai of steamers and Yachts
will leave the city. front at a quarter past
and It is expected that landing will be
effected by half.past Q or Z. The line oil
march will then be taken up, and gen.
era illumination will compensate for the
The steamer City Of Toxic is telegraph.
ed thirty miles outside the Heads.
7 1t seemed as though the whole popula-
ton Of the city, men, women and children,
had sought positions from which a view
Of the naval pageant could be obtained.
Every eminence commanding the chan.
mel vas BLACK with the assembled thous.
anas. Telegraph Hill was q living mass
Of human hoaiesj the heights beyond,
Presidio, Clay Street Hill, the sea wall at
North Point, and every pier.head were GOV.
Eered with spectators. The sun was dc.
scending in the west as steamers and
yachts, gay with bunting, moved down
the channel. Low clouds hung along the
thorizon; Mount Tamaulipas and distant
mountains north OF the bay. were ,yeiled
lin mist, and Mission Hill eldithe seayafCi
\ heights oil the peninsula were shroldad
in fog; but the channel was unobstructed,
and the bold ,outlinesot the Golden Gate
rose sharply ylagainst the sky, while the bay
itself, with Islands, the shores Of Alamelh
and, Contra Costa; bathed in sunlight,
| tfen evety flagstaff in the city flags were
! flying, and the shipping along the city
front was brilliantly decEed with eIsiSns,
festoonel flags and streamers. 4 7. ~ /
The impatient crowds that covered the
hill tops stood stralning their eyes to
catch the first glimpse OF the Toxic. A
hundred times the cry was raised, "There
she comes" as chance arrivals came in
view between the Heads, 1t was half.
past FIVE O'Clock when q puff Of white
smoke from seaward, from of the earth.
works back oi and above Fort Point and
1.-THE booming Of 9 heavy cannon announced
that the steamer was near at hand. An.
iqther and another followed in rapid sue.
eeSsioD Fort Point next Joined in can.
nonade firing, with both caSemat9 and
barbette guns, and the battery at Lime
Point added its thunders to the voice Of
welcome. 10 l.AlN. tlS..I
In few moments the entrance to the
hal Dor was yelled in wreaths Of smoke
| and as the batteries of Angel Island, Black
Point and Alcatraz, opened fire in success
sion, the whole channel was soon shroud.
din clouds from their rapid discharges,
For some l4e the position Of the ap,
proaching ships could not be discerned
but shortly before six o'clock the outlines
Of the huge hull Of the City of Toxic loom,
ed through the obscurity OF smoke and
rapidly approaching shades OF evening, Iii
up by flashes Of guns, and in few mo
ments she glided into full view, surround
ed by fleet OF steamers and tugs, CAV
with flags, and crowded with guests, while
the yacht squadron brought up the rear
iestooned from deck to truck with brillian
bunting. 80
q. Cheer after cheer burst from the as
sembled thousands as the vessels SLOWLY
rounded Telegraph Hill, and were 'takeI
up blythe crowd on the wharyes, rolled
around the city front. Hats and hand
keIchieis were waved in the air.
The q, s. steamer Monterey, living II
tho stream, added the roar Of her guns 4
the general welcome, and the screaminI
Of hundreds OF steam whistles announced
that the City, Of Toxic had reached he
anchorage. THE crowds that had as
sembled on the hill and along the city
now with common impulse began TO po1
, along towards the ferry landing, at thI
foot Of Market street. where the Genera
was to land. Thesidewalks were blockeS
with hurryipg pedestrians, and the street
with carriages conveying the committees
Steamers and,yaehts made haste to loal
a their passengers, and In . atewminutes th
vicinity oi tho ferry landing was literall,
iammed with people, extending for block
along Market street and the water front
q In the meantime General Grant and hi
party on the Toxic, together with the Re
: eeption Committee, General Mcdowell
!. and staff, and etbeEs, bad been .ransiel