New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-25

the hundred no trouble People with tickets began
arriving at early hour. Shortly afterward tne
willy spectator appeared with his " Buy yer tcket'
Buy yer ticket Give me 80 cents By noon inc
crowds had become dense in the streets anu 'le
park and the price offered for tickets by the
speculators rose to 81. They were sold alter
ward for So A few minutes past II o'clock the
police slowly forced back the throngs OF people
into Chatham, Centre, Frankfort and Nassau
SIS and Park row, and cleared the piazza
before the City Hall. Then the trouble began tor
the police street vendors, streetcar drivers ana
people with tickets and people without tickets to
the Bridge. The crowds which filled every loot OF
available space about the park with black
hatted swaying mass of humanity were for the
most part g0od-natured. The venders of gum drops
bananas and pictures of the Bridge had all they
could o o cry their and prevent their GUS
toners from upsetting their stands. The polce
were nearly exhausted by keeping back tho stream
of people which broke into the cleared space alter
each street-car that forced a passage.
Men and women, with blue white tickets
cuchcd cODvusivey in their hands, were con
stantly trottng out from the crowd or getting out
of the crowded strcct-cars. and steady stream
flowed through tho gates on each side of the GEN.
tral entrance TO the bridge. Now and then man
would walk confidently up to the gatekeepers ana
carelessly flip last weeks pass at them all In Vain
Then party of SIX would start to walk straight
through with the lappeIs of their coars thrown
back aud their chins elevated in an astonishingly
important manner. When gruliy asked to show
their tickets they would look disdainfully at the
gatekeepers, then gaze at them reproachfully for
moment and 90 down into thor coat pockets with
a flourish. After fishing up haf-dozen of the
large invitations to the Bridge opening and being
gently but firmly refused admttanco they would
turn away with looks which bctokened an apprc-
cIation of the utter hoowness OF all things earthly
and seek the nearest liquor shop to drown their
sorrows IN a -ccnt glass 0i beer In some cases one
man would get party Ot friends through on one
ticket by handing 1t back through the gate TO each
one IN turn.
When the procession entered the New-York
approach to the Bridge the crowds which filled tine
wildly. The Bridge did not seem ~ all crow led at
any point while the procession WAS crossing.
The people were scattered over the
whole length of the structure nearly
every ore heIng on the west side They walked
eIsurev along or stopped TO watch ppIng ana
sentatlycs lag III the river Tar below. Every one
10 pass stale Jokes the American Navy as It's repre-
forgot the procession aud crowded 10 wdtch the
military salute. he effect of the firing as scen
from the centre of the Bridgc was magnificent. ne
lightning flash of every gun that rent the cloud oi
smoke drifting slowly toward the east cou.d be
distinctly seen and the echoes ol lhe sound waved
and rumbled and hn1llv dled away a. iheN were
tossed back and forth bct wccn he Two cues.
As soon as the procession had crossed TO the
Brooklyn side of The river the police lett
the Bridge and Their places were taken 10y National
Guardsmen. The 7th Regiment guarded the western
roadway and the iOOtpath. while the 23l took
chaIg' of the eastern roadway. All tAr afternoon
thiougs Oi men and women passed back and lOrth
across the Budge, stopping now aud Then 10
exchange greetings with friends on ncighhOllug
hOusctOps a few feet away or 10 gaze curiouSlY
down The gaping smOkcstdcKaO Oi crowded excursion
steamers which foAtcd slowly under the BtidEe
tn the OutgOng tic. The roofs OF the hnu - dli
the way along the approach 10 the Bri ige
were converted INTO SUNNI r gardens where ihpu-
sands OF people spent the afternoon IN dfuhlhg
beer and listening TO the sweet strains OF brokrn-
windrl brass bands. the tubudtons ni the police
at the entrance did not cease With the cross
ing OF the procession. The great masses
OF people all through CITY Hall Square dad NOT
diminished at time IN the afternoon he NUM-
her of seed looking persons vino were MdNols or
Aldermen or Deputy Shcrilts of >wIutnm. or lung
town. or kIttiw!ckctt Comfy, ami VINO
thought that their high official position
entitled thom to adnitfance without the Td
tape Of getting ticket, increased ~ the afternoon
shadows lcug hcned aud The beer flowed more
freely Enough people were just too la;e TO start
with the regular procession to make column of
fours stretching from the Battery - llIgh Bridge.
None of thcm got upon the Brdgc, however.