Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1883-05-25

was thronged. large number of pickpock
| cts were arrested this afternoon while plying
their trade among the crowds at both end
of the bridge. During the ceremonies
Roundsman Oennell, of the New York police
fell from the platform to the roadway of the
bridge and was seriously injured.
Before the dinner at Mayor Lows residence
the Presidential party drove to the residence
of Colonel Roebling and paid their respects
to the invalid constructor OF the great work.
The house was fairly lurid with its wealth OF
flowers and blaze of iIluminations The dis
tinguished guests were received by Colonel
Roebling and his wife, but after the depar-
ture of the President the engineer retired
overcome with exhaustion. The reception
was continued by Colonel Roebling's brother
and the ladies of the family, and nearly every
citizen of prominence in Brooklyn attended.
| In large tent in the garden refresh.
| ments were served and q band played
during the reception. Mayor Lows house
was richly and beautifully decorated. The
At the head of the table sat President Ar
thur on the right of Mrs. Low, who was
the only lady present. Mayor Low sat be-
tween Governor Cleveland and Mayor Edison.
The other guests were Lieutenant Governor
Hill, Abram s. Hewitt, j. o. Low, Speaker
Chaplin, Comptrollers Campbell and Brinck-
| erhof, j. S. Stranahan, Bishop Littlejohn,
| William @. Kingsley, DR.. Storrs, Admiral
Cooper, Commodore Upshur and z. II. r.
| Lyman. The convention was general
| and no formal speeches were made.
| When the party emerged from Mayor Lows
| residence cheers were given for the President
| by the large crowd assembled outside. The
guests reentered their carriages and were
driven to the Wall street ferry where boat
had been put at their disposal from the deck
Of which they witnessed the fireworks on the
bridge.
The pyrotechnic display began at O'Clock.
The bridge had been previously wet
down by fremen who had stretched
hose from both sides of the river
to protect the woodwork against injury.
There were no set pieces of fireworks, but
wreath of rockets Of all sorts, some of them
exceedingly beautiful. Enormous flower
pots, jets of serpentine squirmers and show
ers of colored fire called forth EXPLANATIONS
of rapt enthusiasm from the thousands who
witnessed the display from the wharves,
housetops and every vantage along the shore.
The display lasted just one hour. As the
Presidents boat returned from the river
it was hailed by general chorus of whistles
from the steamers with which the river was
crowded. The party at once started for the
Academy of Music with a large throng fol-
lowing the carriages and cheering. The
streets on the way and throughout the
Heights and the entire lower portion of
Brooklyn were gaily illuminated with Chinese
lanterns, gas jets and devices of col
ored light Fireworks flashed in every
direction. The display of flags, notices
and decorations was general and very effect
tive. The City Hall and most of the bust
ness buildings on Fulton street were taste
fully lighted. A huge representation of the
bridge flashed in tiny gas jets across the en-
trance to the Academy of Music. Montague
street and every adjoining thoroughfare
humanity. The crowd was 50 great in Full
ton street that to walk from the City
Hall to the ferry, ordinarily
a matter of ten minutes. occupied an hour
and was hard work at that. The street cars
were stopped or only ran very slowly at long
intervals. Across the ferry steady stream
of travel set all night without appreeiably
thinning the crowd on either side Long before |
the pyrotechnic display had ceased the Acade- |
my of Music was packed with expectant |
throng waiting the reception to the |
President and his party. Every seat in the |
galleries was occupied, and all the ticket
holders appeared to have needed the request |
of Mayor Low to come in evening dress. The |
effect was all that could be desired, and a
glance at the galleries reminded one of an |
italian opera or Philharmonic night. In |
every available part of the building |
many exotics lent from private con-
servatories, adding both color and fra |
GRANGE to the occasion. The auditorium |
was foored over and handsomely cRrpeted, |
and upon a raised dais opposite the private |
boxes stood the distinguished party in whose
honor the reception was given. There was
no Handwriting except in rare instances
where personal friends were recognized and
the ceremonies were ended in a little |
over an hour Two bands in OPP
posite galleries performed alternate /
selections of promenade music to
which the advancing and receding lines kept
step. At $40 the President made tour of |
the auditorium escorted by Mayor Low and
soon after left the building and was driven
to the Fifth Avenue Hotel accompanied by
double line of mounted policemen.
The big engine near the Brooklyn end of
the bridge, which will furnish the motive
power to operate the cable road, was
first set in motion by Kingsley L Martin, the
youngest son of Engineer Martin, this morn
ing. Colonel Payne, who has directed the |
building of this engine and has introduced
number of very fine improvements and was
greatly delighted and exclaimed, ''It works
as smoothly and easily as we'll oiled sewing
machine"
very remarkable optical illusion is to be
seen on the bridge. AS anyone walks up the
steps from either anchorage to the suspend
ed portion of the bridge, when his eye gets
on level with the wooden flooring, it ap
pears as though anyone approaching him
was walking through about two inches of wa
ter.
Quite an excitement was caused this after
noon among the thousands of spectators who
were watching the display from the New
York side of the river. At about half-past 3
o'clock smoke was seen coming out of the
upper windows of a warehouse on Dover
street. between Water and Front streets, and
just under the New York land span of the
great bridge. A moment later flames burst
from the windows and the whole upper story
of the warehouse was seen to be ablaze.
The spectators could not help recalling the
threats that had been made of blowing up
the bridge because it was to be opened on
the Queens birthday. and for time the
thought of dynamite conspiracies and Irish
malevolence was in many minds. The New
York firemen had evidently been prepared,
however, for any occurrence which might
menace the bridge, and in an incredibly short
Time their apparatus was on the spot and
they we're swerming over, under and all
around the structure. The fire was quickly
and the damage to the bridge
was trifing, but it is believed that had the
Ere gained much Roadway there would have
been serious danger from the twisting and
possibly breaking of some of the cables.