Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-06
Mardi Gras Revelry.
New Orleans Puts in a Week of
Merry Making.
SUPERB SPEOTAOLEs DISPLAYED.

SUPERB SPEOTAOLEs DISPLAYED.
tendance-The Arrival of Rex with His
Steamboat Procession-Two Resplendent
Pageants in One Day-DescriptiOns of
Some of the Floats-Momus and Proteus
Rule the City.
NEW ORLEANS, La. March 6-Y esterday
Mardi-Gras, the great fets day of New
Orleans, closed the carnival 1t was one Of
the most successful the city has ever known.
The weather was perfect, and the celebra-
ton was unmarried by a single accident.
Nearly the whole of the last week of the
carnival was given up to festivities of one
kind or another. The Knights of Momus,
one OF the great mystic societies of New
Orleans, opened Wednesday with their
tableaux of "The Culprit Fay" Sunday
was fireman's day, and the fire brigade
turned out some 1900 strong, with over
thirty companies and engines in line. Mon
day marked the entrance of Rex, the king of
the carnival, into the city, as usual, by river.
A fleet of twenty steamers, tugs and other
vessels decorated from end to end with flags
and bunting steamed up to the foot of
Canal street, where the party disembarked
amid the thunder of artillery. Escorted by
the militia, the king, accompanied by his
body guard, consisting of several hundred
knights clad in mail, the royal party,
marched out Canal to ST. Charles, thence to
the city hall, where Mayor Shakespeare
turned over the keys Of the city to the king
A reception followed in the Cotton palace.
Yesterday the streets were crowded with
people from all parts of the country, the
buildings were decorated, and the principal
thoroughfares were thronged with gay mask
ers, representing every conceivable animal,
bird, or reptile. At noon the carnival pro-
cession put in its appearance, the bout gras
or fstted OK, the largest animal to be found
In the country, leading it, with gilded horns
and hoofs, aud surrounded by butchers in
medieval costume. Rex was seated ia d
chariot, appearing in the character Of king
Of the under world, and surrounded by his
attendants, guards, and officers.
Tbeu followed nearly 100 vans or floats,
each presenting perfect tableau or picture
carried out to the minutest details.
The subject treated, The Treasures OF the
Earth" displayed the various stones and
gems taken from the earth or the bottom of
the sea- There was gold" showing a cave
in the center OF the earth with golden walls,
In which score of gnomes were sporting
silver" picture Of silver mine in full
blast, with it's lodes, galleries, etc, and the
miners at work extracting the precious
metal; and "iron,' illustrated by the work
shop of Vulcan, in which the celestial
smith was hammering the base but useful
metal into armor for the gods Then came
the precious stones in a series of tableaux of
dazzling splendor There was an African
diamond pit, the walls Of which seemed COW
cred with a myriad OF diamonds; Burmese
ruby mine filed with red light that fell
from the stones 1t contained, and other scenes
representing sspphires, emeralds, and other
precious stones Still another scene was a
marble quarry in the isle of Saros. whence
the men were taking the snowy stone, while
artists were modelling it into statues.
Two tableaux showed the bottom OF the
ocean. In one the sand was covered with
large open shells, fllsd with pearls; the other
| was a mermaid's cave OF coral and submarine
grasses and other products f'The Moons" fol-
lowed with number Of humorous and laugh
able tableaux, and the procession wound up
with the promiscuous masksrs in vehicles, on
foot, and on horseback The procession was
finally marshaled ON Canal street, reviewed
there by the king" and dismissed to make
way for the night display OF Proteus.
By S o'clock the streets were again crowded
and tue public buildings, newspaper offices
and leading stores brilliantly illuminated
There were hundreds of lamps and electric
lights OF every color. and Canal street was as
light as day. The procession appeared about
| $50, with some twenty vans illustrating the
"Hindoo heavens" and giving pictures OF In.
dian gods and scenes from Indian mythology.
The tableaux were carefully prepared and
| were perfect reproductions on a small scale
Of the famous temples OF Benares, Delhi
Agra and other Hindoostan towns. Proteus
| himself appeared as Brahma, the great
god. The other divinities were Dahara
goddess OF morning; Mohing, goddess Of
love; Surga, the sun; Suns, the moon; Ku.
| vera, the god of riches; Ybra, god Of hell
| Agni, god Of fire; Presne, goddess of water
Varuna, god of the ocean, and Ganesa, goo
| OF wisdom. Some OF the NEUROLOGICAL scenes
| represented were Engha, the boatman, ferry
| ing the souls Of the dead over the river Of
death; the battle between Durga tvirtusD anc
| Mehishasina vice., in which the former tri
umphs and kills vice, and the three paradise.
| of Brahna, Nida and silva the Hindoo trim
\ ity.
| At 10 p. IN. the procession reached the
French opera house, which had been con
verted in ball room for the occasion, anc
the maskers opened the ball.
Last night all New Orleans was given tc
dancing. There were over O score of ball ir
full blast, and their number was limited onl,
| by the available halls. Greatest among them
were the ball Of Proteus at the French oper,
house, at which there were between 8, 00O
| 5000 persons present, and that of Rex at tn
Washington artillery hall, with Is, 900 per
sons present. The latter hall, the largest il
the city, had besides the supper room and two
dancing halls a portion Of it set apart for tn
throne-roo and decorated to represent tn
center Of the earth. Through passages, REP
resenting gold and silver mines, the guest
were ushered into a central cavern, wher
the king and queen of the carnival, SUI
rounded by the maids Of honor, were seate
in state, and received the homage Of thei
Thousands Of guests. At night 100, 600 fee
were gayly dancing at the carnival
| Sold 81 900, 900 Worth Of Silks.
| Nrr- vnpu Mar,h -Eonrfaap hnDIro,