The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-05
A FIERY FUSILLADE.

In the evening a certain block of land
on Waller street, between Clayton and
Belvedere, and only few blocks from the
Haight-street baseball grounds. was a
strong center of attraction.
There the fireworks committee of the
Fourth of July celebration had caused to
be erected large number of designs of
varied forms. and people collected by
thousands and gaZsd eXpectanty at the
mysterious black diamonds. wheels, crosses.
flags and a woman in flowing robes sill
houetted against the sky.
Behind them to the westward was going
on celestial manifestation of peculiar
splendor as the sun sank in sapphire be-
meath an old-rose GLOW which rapidly faded
into the tenderest apple green. But the
people did not notice it or only impatiently
wished that down upon the interfering
twilight the curtain Of darkness would fall.
At last the curtain fell. 1t was s 20 PM.
The corner of Waller and Belvedere streets
was crowded. Many persons had been
sitting for an hour and more on mprovised
tiers of seats contrived with planks resting
upon piles of bricks before some I'm finished
houses. Others stood further back. and
altogether the twelve police officers
on duty had a sinecure. Several peanut
merchants had driven up their wagons and
were doing a roaring trade. leaving little
for the popcorn and candymen.
Committeeman Cornyn and Newman
consulted. 1t was dark enough; there was
no fog; the band was in position with its
headlight lantern; the people. and above
all. the fireworks, were all ready.
LET her go!" they decided and the band
struck up Marching Through Georgia"
the fireworks man Volus and his assist
ants threw off their coats and in second
the ground was blazing with what the pro-
gramme called ''grand illumination of
Bengal fires" They were of all colors,
and hardly had they started when the
trouble began. "Whizz" went the aerial
bouquet of rockets; boom" Numbered the
union bombshells and the skies gared
with diamond cross-fres" and "fusi-
lade of meteoric stars"
1t was grand starter. soon to be fol-
lowed up with some more substantial WON
ders. Now it was Kaleidoscope with
double Catherine Wheels" "Florentine
cross" or pyramid of brillants."
Then might come a ''star and dia-
iuOuus VI d pIiSludtlc lOutLdiu, ouOWoi.
ing iridescent fire in beauty, or perhaps
another crOss-a Saxon one this time
with wonderful whirling wheels that threw
out all manner of coIored marvels.
But the steady delight Of the good
natured crowd were the giant rockets that
bissed toward the sea. describing parAb
ola Of flame and finally dropping their
picturesque freight Of colored globes.
These always gave pleasure. as did the
more silent upright rockets, which sped a
tiny Clio bule of fire straight up vertically
toward the stars and there allowed the
globule 10 burst and spread abroad magic
tassel of tinted fire. These were the
pieces that elected the involuntary, deep
drawn "Ohs" and Abs" as they APP
peared and disappeared.
Another great source of pleasure. or,
rather, of amusement, was the screaming
rocket and the singing she'll. To many
both of these features were entirely new,
and as the curious. shrill whistling was
heard happy laughter broke from the
mass of packed beholders.
"It sounds for all the world like a
flock of sea0ulls following in the wake of
passenger steamer" commented critically
one bronzed spectator. who looked as If
he might have crossed the ocean scores of
times.
"Why. schools out. for sure" half.
screamed delighted belle. as she thought