Daily Republican., 1889-04-30
THE CENTENNIAL.
OPENING OF THE THREE
DAYS. CELEBRATION.
The Landing and Reception In New
fork-The Splendid Centennial
Ball at Nighttime Hand
Shaking.

Ball at Nighttime Hand
Shaking.
NEW YoHK, April 29.-There can he
no doubt oil the success of New York's
great Centennial festival which began to-
day, but 1t is a success In spito of some
mismanaeement and arrangement OF
programme. No one could fai to be I'm,
pressed with to'day's panorama of marine
and street pageautry. The crowds are so
big, The decorations of the buildings 80
varied and picturesque, aud the enthu-
siasin 80 Intense, that one cannot move a
block without seeing something 20 charm
the eye or Interest the mind. The naval
pageant, In the most spacious and beauti-
iui harbor OF America, was like great
marine picture set in a splendid frame.
lhe reception to the President, In the
Equitable Building, was an exhibition OF
the wealth, the energy and commercial
enterprise of the city as represented by it's
foremost meu OF business, The reception
at the City Hall Illustrated the com
monalty OF the metropolis, and wss no
Iess oppressive in It's way Than the more
exclusive affair ut the Equitable. Aud
a. ball, the last and crowning event OF
the day, was dazzling spectacle of New
York society,
To-day was the preliminary DAY of the
celebration. II was Intended to symbol
lZe the arrival Of Washington u hundred
years ago.
Pie.iIent Harrison came by way of
hlizaOethport just as Washington did, ,
and was landed at the foot 81 Wall
street, where Washington landed, being
rowed TO the dock by members OF the
Marine Society, Just MS Washington was
rowtd hundred years ago by members
OF tho same society. The city was SO
small then that the frat President pre-
iered to walk to his residence, but his
successor, ol to-day was driven In a
splendid coach to a palatial building and
partOok of lunch that would have daz
zled the eyes ol the princes in the
arabian Nights."
New York has never held 70 many dis
tingushed men as to-day. The Govern
nent oil Washington appears to have
emptied Itself into the city. The Presi.
dent and most OF his Cabinet, the Judge 8
OF the Supreme Court, Senators and Rep
rescntatiyes, heads Of bureaus and for
eign ambassadors are all here, but swal-
lowed up In the tremendous multitude
that fills the city. Harrisburg and AL
bany and the capitals of other States are
emptled of their lawmakers to take part
In The glories Of the day.
High officials pass and repass and are
scarcely noticed. There are cheers for
tie President, and waiting crowds IL
the street 10 see him pass: but even he
is, to degree, lost in the Inner slty oi
the celebration.
THE NAVAL PARADE.
The naval parade will generally be vot.
ed big success. The miles on miles oil
fhips, gaily decorated with flags and
bunting and heavily loaded with pRssen-
gers, formtd spectacle which, In its
general effect, has seldom If ever been
surpassed, and which called forth the
warm commendation Of the hundreds o
thousands who witnessed It, The wholt
hay was ablaze with color, and New
York sunshine never before lrradlated sC
many acres OF brilliant blues and d0zz
ling reds as, floating from hundreds o
masts and festooned on thousands o.
decks, made every ship patriotically gay.
RECEPTION AT EQUITABLE DUILDING.
| The reception at the Equitable Build
ing and the City Hall mark the end OF
the Handwriting era in Presidential re-
Ceptl; ne. The President has wisely re-
vlyed the custom Of Washington ia re-
ceiving his callers without the shaking OF
hands. The country has grown too big
to subject the President to this torture.
At the Equitable the President and Gov
ernor Hill simply stood and bowed to the
gentlemen that passed in II line before
then. They would occasionally speak a
lew words to those in the crowd whom
| a. k,,N al -
hands.
The gem of the Equitable reception
WAS the mch given to the President In a
private dining room OF the Lawyers
Club. Cnly sixty persona we're served in
this room, which was tightly closed
against the fifteen hundred other gentle
men who took part in the reception. The
pIesident's table was magnificent Moth
ing more gorgeous In it's way has proba.
bly, ever been seen In this country. The
decorations at the bail this evening were
on a large scale, but In richness of de-
sign aud completeness of execution moth.
ing could excel this Presidential lunch
The table was A feet long by IA iee'
wide In It's decorations thousands o.
n ses, which are selling at 20 cents each
here to-day, were used. Ore hids without
number and of Infinite variety were
spread protusey about the table. A
Roman border of rosts connected every
plate. A century plant, ll8 years old
from the Conservatory at Washington
filed the centre. Little iuOandescenl
electric llghta, with globes OF pink and
blue, lighted TIE table.
TIE CENTESSIAL BALL.
60 much has been written in advance o
= the Cent, nnial ba that IL seems almos
an act OF supererogAtion to describe th'
actual scene, even II tho lateness Of thu
t,ur permitted. 1t was a spectacle o
Oriental splcudor. 1t WAS the only feat
ure Of the celebration in which the womer
took the leading part.
The scene was bewildefing beyond de
scription In Its brilllancy. Such an as
semblage Of mtn and women In full dresi
wac never seen In New York before. Tht
guests numbered nearly ull OF the otilcia
personages, including the diplomats, th'
Chief Justice and justices OF the Supreme
Court, the Senators, the Governors anl
the long list of notables. In the Presi
dents box sat the President and Mrs
\ Harrison, Mr.. and Mira Russell Harri
son, Vice President and Mrs Morton
and Mr.. Elijah Haliord. The President
arrived at 10. 80 p. M. At that hour th'
house was filed aud all in a state OF OK
pectatlon.
The Second Battery of Artillery wa
drawn up in TWO columns along the en-