Evening journal., 1890-07-05
LAST EDITION
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.
a NOISY 6UT ORDERLY cELEsRA-
TloN IN THIS CITY.

The Day Was All That Could be Desired.
Crowds Seek the Woods and ttend
Base Ball---Few Accidents and Ar
rests.
The Fourth of July was celebrated by
everybody yesterday. The celebration
began on the evening of the third and
continued until midnight last night.
The explosion of fireworks was allowed
and it was very much like an oldtime
Fourth Although few restrictions were
made on the noisy observance of the day,
few accidents, incidental to the Fourth,
were reported
Rain fell on Thursday night and the
cloudy sky indicated more rain. The day
opened inauspiciously, but at $50
O'Clock the sun sent its rays through the
clouds and swept them towards the hori-
zon They banked up several times aud
were especially heavy last night, but the
rain did not come.
AS soon as clear weather was
assured hundreds of people hurried
into the cool woods and parks
near the city and there spent a delight
full day. The traffic on the steam cars
and street railways was extremely large
The Wilmington and Northern railroad
took 1900 persons to Birmingham Park
en- the Brownson Library Association ex-
cursion. The Baltimore and Ohio rail
road carried 500 persons from this city to
Brandywine Springs besides many from
Philadelphia. The Wilmington Steam
boat Company's steamers City Of
Chester and Brandywine carried
between 1000 and s, 600 passengers up
the Delaware river. The steamer Chris
tina of the Wilmington and New Jersey
Ferry Company, was forced to suspend
freight traffic because passenger travel
was so great An officer of the Will
mington City Railway Company stated
this morning that he could give no esti-
mate of the number of passengers carried
by the street cars. They were unable to
cope with the base ball crowds, and hun
dreds who wanted to ride had to walk.
Those who stayed in the city all day
exploded FIRE crackers and made a great
deal of noise, so that the horses had a
hard time of it. No serious runaways
are reported The fool who threw
crackers under spirited horses was pres
ent and was disappointed at the slight
success of his smartness. Malicious
persons shot holes through awnings and
pointed squizzers towards women. No
one was hurt by any Of these methods of
enjoyment.
Brandywine Park had cool breeze for
every member of the scores of picnic
parties which thus spent the Fourth.
Parties were on each side of the Brandy
wine creek, and all manner of ga ) es
were played and all kinds of picnic
lunch were eaten. A big delegation from
Philadelphia came here on morning
hnaf aud hr IN, rrnE4 -
Woods. 1t was the gayest crowd in
Wilmington.
Many men took their annual fishing
trips but found luck poor on account Of
the previous heavy rain. Some caught
fair 'messes" of perch and catfish.
The saloons did big business, but the
police had very few disorders to quell
Rumors Of fights were frequent, but they
did not always hold on investigation
The coast" was quiet and no disturb
ances were created. Officer Hershock
was assaulted at Eighth and Scott
streets.
In the evening the display of fireworks
was fine, and the many colored candles,
rockets and crackers lighted up the
street until midnight The small boy
who had restrained his impatience ana
saved his FIRE works, now LEI himself
loose, and from o'clock until 10 o'clock
it seemed from the incessant din of can
non crackers, pistols and bombs that the
city had been turned into a pandemo-
mum.
As soon as it became dark the fire.
works were set off, and the intense
blackness of the clouds over the city
made the display all the more beautiful.
There was no public display this year,
but the various public spirited, patriotic
citizens made up for the lacking public
enthusiasm by making their private dis
plays larger and more beautiful than
ever.
at some Of the least important streets
huge bonhres had been kindled and red
fire was burned with promiscuous pro
fusion.
Rockets were sent which after going
up for about 400 feet burst into large
ball from which numerous other balls
emsnated each falling in a beautiful par
abolic curve, giving the appear
ance of huge fiery umbrella.
Other rockets showed the figures of vari-
ous animals, which slowly loated from
view. Whistling bombs, which when
lit, gave a wild, unearthly shrek and
then burst with a deafening report ap
peared to be the favorite specimen Of
fireworks.
As the evening advanced the fireworks
improved the beauty until about II
O'Clock, when most Of them had been ex-
hausted, and but once in few minutes
the noise Of the fire. crackers and bombs
broke the stiffness. At 12 o'clock the
departing Fourth was saluted with the
noise of cannons, crackers, guns and
pistols