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

the old fremen might have been followed by
blind man listening to the shouts that rolled
like great wave along the double line of sight
seers The military men, too, came in for
great share Of the popular enthusiasm, and oc-
! casionally veteran soldier could be heard
expressing his delight at the bearing of some crack
regiment Right gallant was their appearance
from the waist up. Below they were wofully
muddy.
THE PEOPLE WHO WATCHED 1T.
The line of march had various borderngs The
house-fronts were bedecked with flags and tri-
colored festoons. They smiled through the gloom.
The sidewalks covered with sight-seers. From
a height the procession seemed to march
between endless parallel lines of umbrellas,
sticking mp above a wilderness of legs. Other
spectators-a much-envied class-lined the route
in perpendicular tiers. They were the occupants
of house and shop windows. Groups on the house
tops were not so numerous as they have been on
other great occasions of the kind Pretty spccacles
were visible along Fifth-ave., where bright chill
drens faces peered through the ample panes-
lovely faces, with wide-Open, astOnished
eyes, and golden halos of clustering curls. As for
the street crowds, thickest about the reviewing
stands, they stood like ramparts against which the
waves of mud could not prevail.
Naturally the disagreeable weather while it could
not Quench the patrlOtlc aTuOr OF the spectators,
could check their enthusiasm of expression. Thsit
did in a measure, and instead of continued muir
of admiration there long intervals of
silence, interrupted by the outbursts caused by
particularly handsome show, or speci-
ally interesting episode. The long line of
carriages carrying the political dignitares
who graced the occasion (which would
have had fascinating interest if the tops
had been down and their inmates in full view of
the spectators was q sorry sight with rain
splashed windows shutting the President
Cabinet officers, Governors, Mayors and
others from view. Governor Buffers face
seemed to be more conspicuous than any other, and
il was noticeable that it most frequently ap-
plauded. Lest this should appear TO indicate a
universal appreciation of his political character,
however, it ought to be recorded that sometimes
the cheers were mingled with misses.
THE EXHIBITION on THE RIVERS.
The street parade was the chief feature of the
celebration. The next i'll spectacular interest was
the marine exhibition. So far as the spectators on
the house tops and along the waterfront were able
tOjudge, this part of the demonstration was not
as successfully carried ont as the mill
tary and civic procession. Imagination
had painted stately procession of water craft,
bedizened with thousands of flags and streamers,
moving regularly and smoothly over the route kind
cOnsOrted with kind, relations strictly maintained,
all seemingly and in fact Obeying the com
mands of a single officer. The reality,
though q stirring picture, was somewhat different
from this ideal. Stately steamboats, there
were in plenty but at the outset at least the
procession seemed To stragglc and the saucy little
tugboats impetuous and intractable as they always
seem went dashing hither and thithcr in utter
defiance of the rules of dignihed and decor
tied. and on both sides of the island
the shipping presented the gaycst kind of an APP
pearance For steamboat to keep quiet while on
lark with boiler full of eager steam is Of course,
not to be expected and much the most sustained
and penetrating note of jubilatiOn heard all
day was that which burst upon the air
at noon. Hundreds of steam whistles were set
agoing Some had deep abysSmal roar like the
sound of a monstrous organ-plpc All the tones and
semi-tones from these notes TO the top most
one of a scTeeching calOpe were repre-
sented in the great dissonancc that rested
on the bass. Over the pedal point some patent
whistles of ingenious construction played a sliding
melody that mOaned and sighed like the soughing
of gale through forest The sound took posses
sion of the city. Trnty's chimes became inaudible
and the oratOry at the Sub-Treasury was heard
by only scores of the thousands gathered
the cannon doomed their salutes the steam and
smoke in the rivers and bay wreathed the city |
with semi-crcc of white vapOr.
These were the celebrations of the masses !
Two OF three thousand persons witnessed the un-
yelling of the Washington statue in Wall-st. 1t |
was an episode that suffered more from the |
rain than the great spectacular demonstrations, |
for the stress lay there upon what the ear could |
hear rather than upon what the eye could see.
Still there was warmth enough in the glowing |
periods of the Grafton to drive the chill out of all
who were near enough to hear the speaker. And |
the veil fell without hitch and disclosed mas
slve figure that will stand, perhaps, for many CEN
tennial celebrations of the day.
In the evening there indoor celebrations |
which the wet could not spoil great conlmcmor-
ative banquet at Delmonco's by the Chamber of |
Commerce. and a great military reception in the !
finest armory in the world.
An episode which filled small place in the varied |
programme of the day, but which is |
worthy of mention, was theatrical
performance in the Thalia Theatre German come
dians performed play on the site of the Bulls
Head Tavern where the civil authorities assembled !
century before to form their line in the procession
which celebrated the glad event that New-York
yesterday.
II is all but impossible to estimate the number of
persous who participated in the citys festival. In
the parade there were probably 10000
persons; along the streets an incalcu-
liable host Tens of thousands came from the coun-
try round about the city hundreds of thousands
would have come had not the rain prevented. The
rain was a grievous disappointment it sent thoa-
sands TO their homes before the exercises fair
ly begun.
THE GATHERING OF THE CROWDS.
al hn1,
the people who came to the show yeste rday
morning. Rain, hail, lightning snow might be
to those who had to march down Fifth
ave. and Broadway, but they would have 10 march