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

Fast Rivers was watched with interest by
multitude. J.Q. A. Wards statue of Washing
ton ON the steps of the SubTreasury building
was unveiled in the afternoon by Governor
Cleveland, and President Arthur accepted IL III
behalf of the Government. George "lillalh
Curtis delivered an eloquent Grafton. Ill
the evening the Chamber OF Commerce Gu
loved commemorative banquet at DelmonlcOs'
ot which toasts were responded to by President
Arthur Joseph H. Choate, Governor Butler,
Henry Ward Beecher, and Others.
THE PARADE AND OTHER FEATURES OF
THE CELEBRATION.
MARCHING THROUGH MUD AND RAIN IN BRoAD"Af
AND FIFTH-AVE.
TWAS miracle that yesterdays popular demon
stration did not quite run away in water. Had not
Nev-York's patriotism been of the rain-proof pat
torn II snrely would have done Such weather
for an out-of-doors celebrationl RAIN drzzle, drip
from 10 o'clock in the forenoon till far into the
night. Rain, drizzle, drip while the divisions OF
the parade waited till they received marching or
ders Rain drzze, drip and splash as l5,oOo SOL
ders and twice the number of civilians marched on
the route laid out for the procession had
the line of march been through the helds OF ceh-
+urv ago it could hardly have been been more trying
y,
ment of Broadway Oozy, Shiny, slippery mud
covered the surface of the granite blocks. Tens
of thousands of feet tossed it in air
10 fall upon once spOtess trousers or missing these
TO drop again into the mill that ground 1t more
slippery than before. Above, about and all around
was the rain /; not whoe-hearted, honest-mlnded
down-pour, but an nsinuatng, insidious, aggrav-
sting. binding drizzle, against which
umbrellas were little better than
mOckery. The plumes upon the omceIs
hats. that had fondly hoped to dance in
time with rhythmicai steps of the marching col
umns-how rain-debauched limp and bedragged
they looked as they drained themselves down the
straight backs of their wearers And then the set
faces of the men; the grim look of determination
that shOne through the mists.
Many fances had doubtless played with the PIC
ture of One-hundTed years ago when war-worh'
little army of occupation came marching down the
Bowery with flashing eyes, with steps
quickened by patriotic ardor and nlppmg
and eager air that challenged an lhVs-
Grating movement Could the citizen soldiers
the guard of the Nation the Others had won, emu
late that step and those eyes They thought so,
doubtless there was, at least, an inspiring IN
fuence in the memory. But proud, martial bear
ing was barren ideality under such leaky skies !
and above such treacherOus pavements. IL
was difficult to maintain any sort OF presence
TO say nothing of gallant presence Yet In spite /
of all the drawbacks it q spectacle TO see, and
one that was, perhaps all the worthier Of admira-
ton since, though the disappointing weather had |
made the spectators number tens where under fair
skies they would have numbered hundreds of thou
sands the display was not curtalled OF single one
of its Predetermined features
oMINoUs OPENING OF THE DAY.
The day had an omenOus opening. Gusts of cold !
wind tossed the storm signals of the Meteorological
Bureau aud when the sun arose he could hardly
look through the veil that clung about the city. |
The smoke that poured out Of the chimneys and the
vapory clouds that came kissing from the steam
pines refused to rise or be dissipated, but
wrapped themselves around the houses. and flew
ftfuIy before the wind The city did not wake to
business but to pleasure, and the early hours were
free from the ordinary noises of commerce and traf
fc. Some sounds were exaggeratcd the air was
filled with gloom and vapor that seemed to hold and
magnify. the roarings of the Elevated Railway
They were bringing the crowds down from the
upper part of the island to the principal scenes OF
the celebration. Then stirring and
hurrying and bustling broke out all over
the city. Forty thousand men were to get into
line by 8 o'clock four hundred thousand men,
women and children were TO find positions from
which the pageant might be seen. Incoming raiI-
way trains were crowded for time then the air
became IDlCh Wltn DldChOl "'N N4'~ -
Hux of strangers began to fall oil.
II was an herculean task to order the parade ana
move the masses so as to avoid confusion and deiay
Old soldiers appreciated the fact Six large divisions
were 10 be turned from side streets into a common
thoroughfare Some smiled and said three
hours delay would be no surprising oc-
currence. For a wonder, the delay was less
than an hour Shortly before 10 o'clock
the head of the column began TO move AT the same
time the rain began to fall. Flags grew heavy and
clung about the staffs plumes became limp and
hstrcless rigid shoulders relaxed; dulnesS came
over the music. But the army was started, ana III
moved on to the occupation of the territory allotted
tOit.
trMPREssIONs OF TIE PARADE.
Given bright sunlight and blue sky, the process
sion would have surpassed in brillance any demon
etration i'm the annals of decades at least AS II
was, the comparisons made touching its extent
and appearance were with the most memOra-
bic in the history of the city. There were
bright dashes of color in the line that deiied the
effect of the rain The glittering array of steam fire
engines drawn by magnificent horses had pct
uresqueness quite as unique, though not as vivid,
as that of the old Volunteer Department. 1t will
be long, however, before "the machine"
will be mentioned without a thrill in
the popular heart and longer still before
memories like those called up by the sight OF the
red shirts, glazed hats, and the sound OF hoarse
shouts through Aaring trumDets, and the iangllng
of the machines" bells, will be felt
without q swelling emotion. The people
have accepted the methods of modern
science, but they have not forgotten the