The New York herald., 1879-08-01
THE ARION FESTIVAL.

WEST pEiuaroN REACH INVADED By A MULTI
rcDE OF JOLLY oEGMANs--coNEy ISLAND
ApLAzE WITH FIREWORKS AND ILLUMINA-
TIoss
Coney Island never saw greater crowd than that
which prom,naded its moonlit beach last night.
Drawn there by the Arion announcement of fire.
works on the sea, gorgeous illuminations the
land. dual concert the West Brighton
esplanade and midsummer festival in
Bauer's superb pavilion. the multitude literally in
vaded the island took possession of it's hacks. its
hotels its restaurants and piers and poured thou
sands of dollars into its already swollen Golfers The
special centre of attraction the West Brighton
Beach Hotel. in front of which the fireworks were
to be displayed and in whose spacious am
pltude the dancing was to be. Its decora-
tions were unique typical ana characteristic
of the society and the occasion. Music and the
coGnate arts were pictured allegorically ana sym
politically. Arion flashed forth in jets of gas. his
dolphin and sea horses followed snit and Neptune
god OF the sea, blazoned from = dozen points.
New York has such esplansde as West
Brighton Beach Preparatory to the display
of fireworks the American District Police
cleared the crowd away from the plat
forms OF the hotel, but $4,000 men, women and chill
dren massed themselves on the sun baked sand and
stood like lambs waiting for the show 1t was pic
ture beautifully framed. The dark, black waters
hecked here and there by white caps. lay be-
meath a msckerel sky which shone IN Sec
tions by the light of well developed
NOON the steamer Columbia. blazing with
electric fire dashed past and back; Bauer's pavilion
with 10000 parti-coorpd lights cleaned like NIL
lion frohcs; the long length of pier. black with
men, stretched its red. blue and white fires far out
into the sea- and on the shore stoo d an army of
people. now tinted with rockets glare. now white
with the piercing OF calcium's rays now black as
ink AZ moon and rocket disappeared.
FESTIVAL.
That the Germans OF our country enjoy them
solves with peculiar zest in matters OF this kind
goes without ing. This festival was u crush and
a crowd great gathering of jolly people who. in
ordinary costume. assembled in an admirably ar
feet ,alna. pt OF fun and irolic. First came
the fireworks. which. like all other demonstra-
ereat deal IN ore than they furnished. However they
entertained an Immense number of people from
eight till after ten o'clock. at which time the pro.
started in Grotesque Mtidnge, and on arrival
greeted with stentorian cheers by the round
faced men and maidens. who managed to extract an
immensely ot pleasure from very meagre fount.
The place fairly bristled with bands. In Bauer's
vast pavilion the Red Hussars diseoursed with
accustomed skill. Outside, where the famous COW
ordinarily stands and delivers, q second pand
and accompanying the procession was third while
far out ON the piazza another band INDUCED
Earlier in the day the Red Hussars. Lei
bredts band, an Arion orchestra of eighty
under the direction of Dr. Leopold Damrosch. enter
tanned immense audience in the large hall Of the
West Brighton Hotel with concert of exceptional
merit in which choice selections from
Weber. Wagner, Schumann.s Meyerbecr and
Kuecken. 1t superhuous to say that
this music delightfully."- rendered aud en-
Enthusiastically appauded. great deal Of money
was spent III preparing the hall for the occasion.
Two large platforms we're elevated from the floor
and divided into private supper rooms. The entire
place bright with Chinese lanterns and other
devices for shedding light The exterior blaze
shone like corruscating diamond.
GREAT SUCCESS.
The festival proper. howcvor, was not fully under
way until eleven O'Clock, at which time the hall
thronged and dancing was at its zenith. 1t was
really an immense affair in the popular sense. but
crowd is n crowd and great assem-
blage of dancing men and women is simply
a huge hall. this exaggerated Arion ball,
transplanted from the cramped spaces OF the Acad-
emy to the spacious amplitudes of Paul Bauer's
pavilion. There a great deal of jolitude. but
disorder; vast amount of run, but rudeuess:
an immense degree of enjoyment, but no occasion
for the police In other words, it was great, sue
cessful German festival.