New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-05
DAY OF STARS AND STRIPES.
PATRIOTISM AND SPoRTSMANSHIP RIVAL
EACH OTHER
LAVISH DISPLAY OF BUNTING-MANY ExcuN;
sIoNs TO THE COUNTRY AND SEASIDE
ATHLETIC GAMES, RACING
AND YACHTING.

ATHLETIC GAMES, RACING
AND YACHTING.
Patriotic America got up early yesterday morn
ing TO begin the celebration OF the day. From
the amount of noise that was kept up all night
most people Of sleeping tendencies were Of tho
opinion that large working majority OF the
younger element did not go to bed at ALL but 70
mained up through the night to insure being
awake in the morning in time TO begin the cele
bration with the sunrise. All night long in all
parts Of the city young men and old men whose
enthusiasm got beyond their control made tho
night more or less noisy with bursting bombs
and exploding crackers Of 000-calibre power
This made many grumbler wish either that tho
day had never been thought of or that its annual
coming would be remembered In some less nerve
destroying and sleep-breaking way.
No morning sun smiled on the flags and banner
which were raised at the time when the sun waa
booked to rise or greeted the early morning guns
with an old-fashioned Fourth of July welcome.
Usually on the Fourth the sun gets up with q
hot, uncomfortable look, threatening sunstroke
and unbearable heat, and later in the day hides
its face behind the clouds while the regular
Fourth-of-July Thunderstorm is raging. Yester-
day the order Of things was reversed. The morn
ing was dark, gloomy, heavy and rainy, and 1t
drew heavily OH Young Americas stock OF patriot
ism for hum to keep up under this combination
Of sctbacks to his enjoyment All the morning.
in fact, the clouds hung low and threatening, and
it was not until afternoon that the sun man
aged to find opening through them large
enough to shoot forth ray Of comfort and hope
for the rest Of the day. Little air stirred, and
the atmosphere was heavy with moisture. To-
ward evening there came thunder and lightning
with rain, and some of the celebrations had to
be postponed AS many as could deserted the
city early in the day. preferring the discomforN
of the country with its wet grass, snakes and
other equally enjoyable things to the boys and
noise of town. The early morning boats and
trains were crowded with those hurrying TO cooler
and perhaps less noisy places.
In and near the city all kinds OF sports In
which the American and boy delight had
many followers The horseracng, baseball.
yachting, cricket, lawn tennis, bicycling and
other amusements Of more or less prominence each
attracted large numbers Of friends and enthusi-
asts.
In the city the day was spent as all Fourth Of
Julys are when there is no specified plan Of cele-
bration. At sunrise the flag run up to the
head of the fagpOle at the Battery by G. K.
Forbes, who was assisted by Company G and
other members of the sth Regiment, who were
under the command Of Lieutenant Hanson Men,
bers of the Anderson Zouaves and the Robert T.
Lincoln Post, G.. A. r., No. Z, were present. After
the flag had been raised poem appropriate TO
the day. written by Professor W. Ii. Horner, was
read Then c. S. Riker and Lieutenant Hanson
made speeches. salute and cheers ended the
exercises here
According to his custom Of yearA Adjntant j.
Gould Warner was at the fort iE Central Park at
an early morning hour, and when the second
hand of his watch told the exact instant when
the sun should get up he pulled the Stars and
Stripes to the top of the fagpole there. BY this
time Young America had fairly gotten to work
and the air was full of bursting crackers. There
was liberal display of bunting throughout the
city, and bright cOlors made a welcome contrast
to the ead-colored skies above them. Thousands
of people who did not have poles from which to
fly their colors ran them out of windows fastened
to sticks, while pictures of Washington, OF Lin
coin, of Grant, also decorated with the National
colors were displayed in numberless windows.
AS regards accidents and fires, there was no
deviation from the general rule. The Aremen
were kept busy all day responding to calls to
little fires caused by carelessness. The rain no
doubt made the day much easier for them than
it usually is for the dampness prevented many
fires, which on dry day would surely have oc-
Cured The hospital surgeons and physicians in
general had more or less to do patching up burns
and wounds for which the bombs and crackers
were directly responsible.
While the air was the heaviest and the sky
most threatening the big and little braves OF
Tammany met in Tammany Hall TO listen to " big
talks" by various men of prominence who were
there to tell the Indians what good Indians they
really are
1t was not q joyful day for the starving.
striking cloakmakers. They intended to parade,
but owing to the troubles in Broadway on Thurs
day, wisely concluded to postpone it until some
day next week. Promptly at noon the guns on
Governors Island began to thunder out the Ma.
tiOnal salute, and a second later the throttle OF
every steam whistle on all the hag-trrmmed ships,
steamboats, and tugs in the harbor was pulled
wide open and deep and deafening roar lasted
until the last gun had been fired. Although all
the shipping in the harbOr was decorated pro-
fusely, none of the ships equalled the Umbria. Of
the Cunard Lime. 1t was the fftieth anniversary
of the opening of the ine and in London the COM
pany was having Joyous celebration.
Downtown had its customary holiday appear.
ance in its streets, practically deserted and ex.
cept for an occasional explosion of cracker>pet
of by lonely ceebrator there almost a Sun.
day quiet The Barge Office was the only Federal
building open, and there General O'Beirne and
immigrants who arrived on the Queen and the
Richmond Hill. 1t was great day for excur-
sions,, and they went In all directions Some
where with bands Of music, well-6led luncheon.
baskets and cool air, thousands passed happy
and comfortable day. Coney Island, Staten
Island and Glen Island attracted thousands, while
various favored spots along the Hudson and up
the Sound were equally well patroniDed. AZ
night the celebration was continued. and for
time the air was filed with skyrockets Roman
candles. hot-air balloons and other devices of
pyrotechnic display.
Visitors to the Navy Yard saw for the first
time the new American ensign, with its forty-two
stars flying from the pole in front OF the house Of
Rear-Admiral ID. l.. Braine, the commandant Of the
station. The new flags were also displayed az
the mastheads, and the Union Jacks. with the
forty-two stars, were broken out al & o'clock
on the STATS on the bows of the vessels In com.
mission, the salute Of twenty-one guns being fired