The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-26
MERRY CHRISTMAS TINE.
THE DAY CELEBRATED IN ALL
SORTS OF WAYS.

oOH4o Or w -
Fire works and Bonflres Keep the
City Lively 80 The Fireworks Dis
plays the Largest Ever Known
at Christmas Time - The Streets
Thronged With People-The Day in
Churches and at the Asylums and
Homes-The Races at Thunderbolt.
Xmas Among the Police-The Cele-
brations in the Park Extension and
in the Squares.
Pop, fzE, bang, s-s-s-h--.
Savannah never had a merrier Christmas
than it had yesterday. The weather was
as near perfect as it could be, and Savan-
nahians to the last one made the most of It.
The streets were thronged with people
The retail stores and the market were open
until noon. After that the only places that
were open were the barrooms and the fruit
stands and the toy shops, where fireworks
were sold. 1t was the biggest Christmas for
fireworks that has ever been known The
firecracker aud the ''giant" pepper. with
now and then a toy cannon and an occa-
sional Chinese bomb, had the day all to
themselves, aud by night the sidewalks and
paved streets vera CO cred with busted
peppers and burnt paper.
As soon as it was dark the bonhres were
lighted in the squares and in the park ex-
tension, and the air was filed with Roman
candles and rockets. The displays Of fire.
works all over the city were finer than have
ever been seen at Christmas time. ''Savan-
nah burnt more powder to-day than it ever
has in twenty Fourth of Julys," said a fire.
works dealer last night
A BLAZE OF FIREWORKS.
The entire city was In blaze from dark
until II o'clock, and some of the bonfires
burned until midnight. Empty barrels
were piled up by the hundreds in the
squares and in the park ex-
tension. Pyramids of rostn barrels
eight and ten high were lighted and sent
up towers Of flame and clouds Of thick,
black smoke { "a settled on the city like
fog. A hundred bonf1res were lighted in
the park extension, and when the supply of
barrels ran low the fires were repenished
from piles that had been held in reserve in
yards and stables. Over 200 barrels were
burned in one bonfire on the southern edge
of the extension. There was no end to
peppers and Roman candles. The extern
sion was thronged with people, aud every
one had an armful of Roman can lies and
rockets, and pockets full Of Crackers" By
o'clock 1t was alIn st impossible TO see
across the open ground for the smoke, and
the fire balls and rockets shot through it
like cloud.
A CHRISTMAS TO BE REMEMBERED.
Young Ameri a had a day and night
that nobody will have to think twlcs to re-
member. In all Of the squares south of
Liberty street, except in Madison square,
where there was no demonstration on &C
count of the illness of the little son Of Ed
ward M. Green, bcnhres were lighted as
soon as 1t was dark, and were kept
burning until nearly midnight. Pu-
laskl and Chatham squares, and Lafay-
cite. Troup, and Calhoun SO lares were
rival squares, and each sought to
make better display than the other. There
was little disorder aud very few accidents
with all the celebrating. Half dozen
barrel raids resulted in as ma y bruised
moses and black eyes, but beyond that there
was no disturbance in the squares.
The ordinance prohibiting the discharge
of fireworks north Of Liberty street was
openly violated. A gentleman notified
Alderman Haines that he had witnessed the
most fragrant violations of the ordinance in
the presence of the chief of police, who took
no steps to arrest the offenders. The gem
tleman said that he will make a formal
charge of the dereliction of duty to the
proper authorities.
TOO MUCH CHRISTMAS.
Had all the drunken and disorderiy per-
sons Teen arrested during tue day and last
night. the barracks would not have con-
tanned them. Only the graver offenses
were taken cogniZance of by the police, and
patrol double the siZs of tine present
force would have been inadequate 70
suppress the open violations OF the city ordi-
nances. Pistols were fired indlscriminately
IN the HOIlfharn VVnSfarn and aaStarn eac-
tons of the city. Bonflres were burned In
the streets, and fireworks were recklessly
set off in localities where. had fire started,
the gravest results might have followed.
The bright side of the holiday is of course
the events in the home circle. Nearly every
home had its Christmas tree. and as bust
ness was almost wholly suspended there
were many happy family reunions.
THE DAY OUT OF THE CITY.
Many people were out of the city, More
than 1000 were at Thunderbolt, the races
being the attraction. Tybee attracted
Others, who were given a free oyster
roast on the island, and many with guas
and dogs spent the day in the country
at Montgomery ana Isle of Hope,
escaping the nerve-shocking noises Of the
city.
Masqueraders promenaded the streets
during the day and last night in fantastic
dominoes, and there was all sorts of music.
except music that accorded.
The street cars did a rushing business.
and one street car conductor said last night
he had hauled 700 passengers. In fact, the
street car or carriage was the only safe wav
for lady to be out and escape the danger
OF having her clothing set on fire blythe pop
pers. which were thrown recklessly under
the feet Of pedestrians