New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-27

passed the Barge office on the return, MANY LII
cered on shore until the last of the eet had steamc9
past the Battery and witnessed an embafkation OF
the Engineer Corps for Willis Point and the Ma
rne Corps and regular artillery Tor brooklyn or
Governors Island
THE CROWDS WHO GAZgD FROM THE BRIDGE.
"Wot time does the goon-bot race COON along"
was the query addressed TO a Bridge policeman late
In the forenoon by seedy-looking old man, who
led by the hand wet and MISUNDERSTANDING little
girl who ought to have been in the house. The
question, though not exactly In that form, was on
the lips Of all who crossed the Bridge after III
o'clock, but it seldom uttered, because most
people had about all they wanted to do to keep their
umbrellas from turning wrong side ont, and
to prevent their hats from blowing away.
Occasionally an ostrich feather or a derby would
go sailing out in the wind or rain-an involuntary
offering to the great American eagle which was
supposed to be soaring proudly over the city.
Evacuation Dayp cried one Disguised man who,
having begun the walk across the Bridge, was per-
force unable to t9rn back 70 Id don't wonder the
bred years ago was, anything like thisp
This unpatriotic sentiment voiced the feel,
ing S of those within tho sarShS rtsh and
quitting the town was commended on all sides. A
more smal-looking lot Of pcdestrians than those
was seldom II ever seen. Throughout the forenoon
all Brooklyn and the inhabitants of the rest of the
island seemed to be pouring. over the Bridge. Ar
officials were much disappointed that the day was
not pleasant. For they were anxious to test the
capacity Of the structure T and the temper OF
of being able to handle the crowds that
were expected. In the early hours of the forenoon
only the passenger promenade was used, as ninety
nine out of hundred of the people were bound for
New-York. The few that were going to Brooklyn
had no difficulty in getting there 6y me same way
meut and the Sd Battery, which marched over
about $50 m. Three-quarters OF an hour earlier
the current report was that they bore banner on
which was inscribed 1.-The Early Bird Catches the
Worm" Many, however. thought that the prompt
ness Of this body in getting in motion was COM
mendable and was not O proper subject for Jest.
The only other organization that crossed the Bridge
on its way to the rendezvous was the st. Patricks
It was not until quarter to 10 that the south
roadway was thrown open topeople going from this
| city to Brooklyn, teams from both cities being
| turned into the north roadway. The crowd, how.
| ever, was bound to New-York, and the promenade
was filed for hours with thrOng of eager, hurrying
people. The Bridge policemen, of whom there were
ninety-Gve. were scattered along the promenade
and the south roadway, but they had little
guarded by fifteen members of the Brooklyn police
force, and they too had sinecures; There were ten
| New-York policemen who kept the crowd in check
in front of the Chatham-st entrance, and about the
same number of Brooklyn policemen at the entrance
in that city, The orders given to the Bridge officers
were TO keep their tempers and TO keep people
People however did not seem TO be in great need
pleasant place on which to saunter yesterday. Tho
rain beat in sheets against ones umbrella after 10
Portable 1 task. Many Of those who started from
| Brooklyn were anxious TO turn back when they
reached the tower and found how strong the wind
was, but they, were obliged to keep on, some
| Of them hatless and with umbrellas that
| were wrecked Toward noon the number Of pc
destrians decreased although there were thousands
walking to NewYork. The cars were 4" doubled
up" aud run on two or two and half minutes
Ivf han nltr hnt aaf fla fhnt
were crowded on the way to this city and
brought back few passengers. Late IN the the
opposite direction, though the cars were not 50
! crowded as they were earlier In the day. There
was apparently no trouble with the grips aud the
engineers were congratulatiny themselves on tho
easy, rapid manner in which people were trans
ported. One of the passengers, William Cornwall.
accident while descending the stairs from the
| ut the New-York end of the Bridge: He WAS carry
ing his child in his arms aud lost his foothold; He
injured his kneepan by the fall aud was taken homo
| in q carriage accompanied by his wife. The child
escaped injury. There were II few other accidents
of minor Importance caused by the slippery walks.a
The boats that formed the vanguard of the river
| parade seen of the Battery at about 1890.
At this time there were not one-twentieth the mum,
Der of people on the Bridge that could have found
room. melancholy procession of wet.
sick-looking people were vending their way from
the opposite direction. There was not much dispo-
sitiOn shown TO lnger the Bridge and look ut the
boats The shoes OF most of the people were full Of
| p
| So the Sam Sloan and the boats that followed il
excited only a langud interest The procession at
first Rugged the New.York shore. but after
| of the river. The ferryboats had no trouble in
making their way across the river during the pro
gress of the parade, but those who were on the
bridge had good deal of trouble in hearing them
selves think. Some of the captains of the tugs and
steamers seemed to have tied the whistle rope down
for the whole trip, The shov had the charm Of
novelty, but could hardly be called picturesque.
Occasionally the noise would be increased by
the firing of cannon on the Sam Sloan and this
| American steamship lying ut pier No. 80. When
the head of the nautical procession was of C0rIears
| Hook. what seemed to be the Navy-fard guns be-
gan to boom and the sound was borne to the Bridge
| through the roin. The boats were nearly an hour
and huff in passing beneath the Bridge.
LAST LOOK AT THE SHOW.
When the marine parade had turned sonth
again. and had reached the river beneath the
| bridge, It was nearly 2 O'clock. All that time
the tugs and steamers. lighters and ferryboats
wero struggling along without any pretence
at an organized succession. The only matter in
which they seemed TO DO thoroughly united was
| in n common desire To make all the noise possible.
| The steam whistles footed and shrieked in various
KEYS, and with Interestingly varied degrees of in
! tensty The misty air disturbed with
| limitations of tattoo, on the drum or
rudciy cleft with single outbursts of concentrated
| shrilIness. Dozens of steam stacks belched forth
volumes of smoke, which. failing TO struggle up
ward fingered abont the neither atmosphere IN the
form OF CLOUDS ana asSlsteu iog W scn tuo
parade from the eyes of passengers on the Bridge.
The structure then but sparsely populated, and
the policemen scattered along its length did not
find It necessary TO ask any ono to keep moving.
The rain came down in torrents and the water not
| finding a ready escape from the promenade. the
| flooring was covered TO the depth of o
Quarter Of an inch. The pathway was
strewn with the debris of umbrellas; and
| ribbons, handkerchief and even gloves,
were chased by the wind and found refuge IN odd
| lean INTO the water below. Under these circum-
stances the river parade received but little aten:
| tion, and by haf-past 1t had struggled and
| footed and smoked out Of sight.
About this time the people began to return to
N tha nfh sib haA