New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-05
WATCHING TIE BULLETINS.

UNUSUAL SCENES FOR FOURTH OF JULY-ALTER-
NATE HOPE AND FEAR n THE CROWDS.
The mercury of public feeling which had been
forced down low in the bulb by the dscouraging re-
ports received Sunday night from Washington con-
firmcd by the latest postScrps of yesterday morn
ing's newspapers, was sent upward with joyous
throb by the first bulletin posted in Printing House
Square. Under ordinary circumstances there would
have been few persons there to note the goings-on
in the square, for though it is the of bust
ling activity that is seldom suppressed on
Independence Day it is usually little else
than thoroughfare during few hours Of the fore
noon and evening for parties of peasure-seekcrs on
their to and from the steamboat piers
Yesterday however, even the almost tot al suspen-
sion of business did not keep away hundreds who
filed its corners from early hour till long after
nightiall. Hardly had the newspapers been read
before the crowds began 10 gather to wait anx-
iously, fcarfuly, hopefully, for later intelligence
The first instalinent came early; it revived hope
ana struck subducd tone OF JOY which was sounded
again and again throughout the day. The peonIe
were not demonstrativc. They talked little: less,
than on Sunday, when the reaction from the
first shock OF sorrow gave voice to the de-
tcstation and horror inspired by the decd
and the deep anger toward tho spirit
which partially, Mt least had been it's mott We
In the interim between the arrival Of the dispatches
hundreds of men sat upon the benches in the City
Hail Park or walked where they coull keep the
bulletin boards in view So soon rs II new disn,tcl
was posted there would be hurried concentration
and in a few inmates the crowd would dispcr.c.
walking leisurely from one newspaper office to the
other, I" see if. hapy the various reports were i'm
harmony. The dispatches came ut intervals of an
hour more they were the most satisfactor,, of
amy since the commission of the crimc-full clear
ineligible, based usually upon the authority of
the surgeons in Attendance on the wounded Pros
Ipr1t md tii..: If
Afternoon, when one bulletin announced:
The President worsc-. belief that he has only few
hours to lye-ioeS revived only to be dashed by an
recovery. e''' Nv ''''o" - nope i"r
This was dated . p. H.. though posted much later
and 1t was the one bulletin of the afternoon which
checked the tide OF hopefuness which had been
strauiiy rlang since early morning. 1t afforded an
opportunity To note one Pecnlinri'y in the behavior
other oihccs mp to this time had held the largest
number Il readers throughout the day, no sooner
vas thls one OF gloomy poitcnt put upon the board
than hundred lacn gathered in front of il. and
there he crowd remained for hours. Bad news
seemed 10 hold them with fascination that the
most cheering intelligence could not exert. '
Once IN the day the joyful spirit burst into load
expression lt was about O'Clock when insui,iug
words came directly from him for whom all hi, M
dated I'D p. IN. and read:
The President agokc from sleep few 1ninutea o,
and said to i)r Bliss who stood by his bedside 7
wounded" ' ' ''noo
There was no depressing the cNuborant ioy which
such words ava tched, and cheers of which no ONE
Gouli question the sincerity, came from the crowd
j. was 50 Spontaneous and unusual an ,xprcssio nm
tat u heightened the feeling greatly ana Tor linn,
there was more life and energy exhibited Inv thc
people than at any time in the day. ~ ~
Inc ram winch came shortly after o'clock
seemed to show how intense was The anxiety Of thn
people to learn the condition OF the snhcring Pres
dent. The stations in front of the bulletins vera
heid al through the pEemonitory rumbngs of thun
ger ana the hrst ram by hundreds. Not until the
hG2vGns were opened IN earnest and the floods came
ana they desert their posts. At one Office n buctn
was posted before the rain ceased, and in a mimi n
an umblollaless hundred had silurried urrnss H.
street, popping out Of the Post once, The ASH
House, ana shecrng doors, hardly stopping 10 nick
a way through tbs puddlcs, To read the latest onn
pt nr