The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-07-04
THE FOURTH.

THE FOURTH.
ton and vicinity--The Tragedy OF
Saturday Dampcns the ArtlOr Of Ex-
cursionists.
The calamity of Saturday brought such
u sudden shock to this community that all
thoughts were driven away from plans OF
business or pleasure, leaving the people
too dazed to remember what they planned
or hoped, and they paused suddenly
yesterday, stunned by the news of the at
tempted assassination that made the story
of Independence Day and its celebration
seem almost mOckery. 1t was not certain
last night whether Grape or bunting would
be draped upon the houses to-day. Yet the
preparations for celebrating had been made,
and by many 1t was observed as festive
occasion, even though the news from the
White House was probable to prove bad.
To-day business was generally suspended
and flags were displayed from the public
buildings and other points, and it was a
qualification to note that they were not
floating Mt half-mast.
1t was remarked yesterday that the noise
of explosive fireworks, usually prevalent on
the day preceding the Fourth of July, was
not so deafening. While this was doubtless
due to the fact that it was the holy Sab
bath, it is more probably owing to the fact
that President Garfield lay in the peril of
death. To certain extent, how
ever, the fashion of beginning the
noise the day before the Fourth was
followed, and all over the city there was
more or less destruction of gunpowder go
ing on all day. 1t was kept up to-day also,
but not in the vicinity of the White House.
The police received stringent orders to keep
the shOotists away from that section, and
the order was strictly obeyed. Some of the
casualties and results of tO-day's celebration
are given as follows:
Fines for Firing Pistols. &c.
A small boy named Philip Hammond was
fined 50 by Judge Smell this morning for
firing shooting-cracker in the street.
Three white men were fined So each for
firing pistols in the streets.
Accident.
A twelve-year old boy named Charles
French is reported to have been badly
burned by firecracker exploding in his
hands ut Seventeenth and l. streets north
west, and was carried to his home.
A twO-horse carriage belonging to Mr..
George Williams was standing on Penn
sylvania avenue, near Sixteenth street, this
morning, when the horses were scared by
the explosion of a irecracker and ran away
and into a trce-box by the Corcoran Art
Gallery, breaking the carriage tongue and
doing other injury estimated at about $50.
Departure Of ExcursiOnists.
The wharves to-day were unexpectedly
gay, as the quiet of the city offered q poor
field for enjoyment on this greatest of holt
days. The steamers that made trips to-day
were gaily festOoned with bunting and flags,
and lively music sounded from the upper
decks. r.i e
The Seventh-street cars began quite early
in the day to bring crowded carloads Of
people to the steamboat wharves, and by o
o'clock the summer or open cars were filed
to suffOcation, and many of them decorated
with flags.
The steamers Mary Washington, Excel
siOr, w. w. COrcoran and George Leary
were all well filed with excursionists and
started soon after their appointed hours for
their various points, Occoquan Falls Mount
Vernon, Piney Point, etc. The excursion
boats, although not as well patronized as on
some former years. were all well filed and
successful
The Oldest Inhabitants.
The usual Fourth of July celebration by
the Society of the Oldest Inhabitants was
held at Tallmadge Hall this morning, Mr..
Jenkin Thomas presiding lin the absence of
DR.. Jno. b. Blake, who was unavoidably de-
tanned elsewherc), and Mr.. Nicholas Cal
Ian, secretary. 1t had been determined
that the annual poem and Grafton should
be delivered on this occasion, but the
sad shooting Of the President disar-
ranged all the plans. There was II
large attendance of our oldest cti-
zens-mon connected either by name or
business with the earliest history of the
city After the reading Of the minutes of
the last meeting, Mr.. Jcnkin Thomas Of
fered series of resolutions to the effect that
the society felt constrained to adjourn with
out going through their usual annual exer-
cises on the glorious Fourth because of the
critical condition of the President of the
Nation. While the resolutions were being
read the assembly stood up, and after unan-
imously adopting them, quietly dispersed