Middletown transcript., 1893-09-02

4
that pressed about the governor was as
strong as the rocks of Gibraltar. There
was no place to move. Finally, however,
the ranks thinned and the crowd passed
around and out There was representa-
ton from every county in the state and
from every town and county from Cairo to
the Wisconsin line.
In hollow square formed by thousands
of Spectators and before crowd that hlled
| every avenue leading to the administration
plaza the West Point cadets gave review
drill before Gen. Nelson A. Miles and
staff in the afternoon. The spectators
climbed to the windows and ledges of the
administration and machinery buildings
and let their feet hang over, they sat upon
the ratings and made vari-colored fringes
extending beyond the angles of vision, and
climbed poles or perched themselves upon
wagons that were stationed close to the
ropes of the inclosure. As far away as
the mines and electricity buildings anx-
ious sight seers filled the balconies above
the arches and the upper windows COM
manding view of the terminal-station
plaza. 1t was a generously appreciative
crowd and each difficult or picturesque
movement by the cadets was applauded
from every side.
Over in the plaisance the concessionaires
discovered to their joy that the Illinois
visitors came to spend money and see every
show along the avenue of shows. They
swarmed into the menagerie until the doors
had to be guarded to prevent blockade;
they drank coffee and tea, rode the camels,
looked at the strange dances, hung their
legs on the donkeys' backs, made fun OF
the Africans, marveed at the Chinese or
chestra and took things in generally
From Lady Abedeen's Irish village to
the encampment at the far end all the box
offices reported the biggest days business
of the exposition.
As for estimating numbers. there might
have been 10O 900 or. So far as the bewil
dered eve could judge, a full 1,O000O
watching the fireworks in the evening.
Some persons said there were 100000 in
sight of the exploding pyrotechnics. This
was not large estimate Along the beach
by the large building the crowd was larger
than it was on the Fourth of July. On the
Fourth of July the multitude was held
we'll back from the water by stout ropes
Thursday evening all the displays were
on floats on the water and the spectators
ventured to the very ripple of breakers
Fifty boys pulled off their shoes and
stockings and waded out where they could
get elbow room As the thousands crowd
ed in about o'clock, coming from both
directions, the mass of people repeatedly
surged uneasily and the men i'll front were
sexeral times crowded into the water.
The bombs which was thrown up burst
into the golden rain and sparks of all
colors. Men in boats lighted the Roman
and Greek fires and set them floating on
the waves. Drifting fountains and water
devils, batteries of bombs and novel wheel
devices fixed one offer another. and al
intervals the set pieces at the end OF the
peristyle reused the great crowd to cheers.
The L ncoln monument and the old flag
were applauded, but the loudest shout
arose when the Illinois building showed in
fire outline, sixty by forty feet i'll size
The climax was the Columbian bouquet, 9
simultaneous fight of 900 rockets.
Then the multitude, which hal been
thinning away at the ends for ha'f hou",
moved as whole and the great parade &c
the gates was begun. This parade must
always be one of the imposing sigh;s of the
exposition. A steady current of people
had set in down by the manufactures
electricity and mining buildings as early
/ as $50 O'Clock. Before that it had been
an irregular and broken movement. To-
ward o'clock it was like a resistless
| freshet If it had formed in military order
they would have made column fifty a
| breast. Without halting or hesitating fol
a moment it drifted along one side Of the
court of honor, filling every gap and area
For half hour it continued. At the
end of an hour it seemed to be broadening
1t was still pouring around the distant
corner of the manufactures building. Il
was still disappearing through the ext
gates near the railroad stations. The fac
| that the huge column never halted, thai
| the current never backed water, showed
that tie transportation companies were
doing wonders. At 10 O'Clock the march
had narrowed down to struggling process
sion. At 10 80 o'clock the lake front was
deserted except for stalking guards and g
few lingering couples on the benches.
Friday was colored peoples day. Ex'
ercises were in Festival Hall, $50 p; m.
oration by the Hon. Frederick Douglass
followed by concert and recitation.
The boom has struck the fair at last, and
and visitors are now fiocking to Chicago in
| immense numbers.