The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-05

The locomotive engineers had a full
sized locomotive in line, which was gayly
decorated. About fifty mem berS of the or
ganization preceded the float.
A full-grOwn forest on wheels was thlckly
populated with Woodworking Woodmen of
the World. They were using axes and
saws to advantage. One of the brothers
| hapjaclls on n small stove. The Star OF
Bethlehem, presented by the same order,
was one of the smallest but most taStefully
decorated floats in the procession.
The Swedish-American Independent Po-
litical Club, X. E. Hanson commanding,
presented the float Monitor. The Acme
! Athletic Club showed an ideal gymnasium
with full list of athletes at work. Some
of the boxing bouts were real to the ex-
treme Their float was escorted by about
fifty bicyclists with beautifully decorated
wheels.
The float representing the signing of the
Declaration of Independence brought real
memories of the day: The float was an ex-
hibit of the Young Mems Institute.
A detail of 100 warriors from the Saliva
ton Army now camped at Busbrod Park
headed by their famous charioteer band
was the subject OF a great deal of comment
Only the male members participated. They
presented a fine appearance in two long
single-file columns.
Inc JOuTUCNneH DuUCNoTS ITOleCGlVe
Association was well represented. About
a hundred of the knights of the cleaver
marched in the rear of float on which
was real livestock. The Exempt Firemen'
with their old 'masheen," Phoenix No. l.
preceded the Oakland Fire Department,
all of whose engines were prettily decor
ated. A mounted cavalcade, marshaled
by F. j. Keller, brought up the rear, with
the exception of couple of floats repre-
senting industries.
Just as the Fire Department was passing
the CALL office an alarm of fire was turned
in from box 6. The engines wildly dashed
through the dense crowds, tearing away
their impeding decorations and getting up
steam as they went. The alarm proved to
be only for a chimney fire on the corner of
Tenth and Broadway. In a somewhat dis
mantled condition the engines relolned the
procession.
The visiting knights of Pythias were en-
tertained at an elegant banquet given by
the Rathbone Sisters after the parade.
Fully 10000 people, many of them from
San Francisco, and thousands from the
country districts, were assembled on the
shores of Lake Merritt when the fireworks
began last evening, and the vast audience
was treated to more magnificent display
of Dyrotechnics than was ever before seen
in Oakland.
The threatened rain of the afternoon had
passed away. and the water was calm and
placid as a mill pond not breath of air
ripping its surface or bringing into activity
the many sailboats which drifted about
with sails Tapping idly against the masts
The gentle slopes which lead up from
the edge of the water were everywhere
crowded with SightSeers. while the dam
was solid mass of humanity. The grand
stand was flied to its utmost extent.
A number of the floats in the parade
were arranged on pontoons and anchored
in the center of the lake near where sew
eral fountains threw their spray into the
air. The many rowboats that glided about
were tricked out with lanterns, producing
very pretty effect.
The entire scene was lighted up, and the
floating emblems thrown into bold relief
by the rays of powerful search light,
which was placed on the roof of the boat
house, and shot its binding beams across
the back waters during the intervals be-
tween the different discharges of fireworks.
The pyrotechnics were set off from floats
anchored in the center of the lake, one
near the boathouse and the second nearer
the north end of the lake.
The display of rockets was particularly
fine, many new skyscrapers being shown
which have not before been seen by local
people. The mines and other features were
also very fine. Among the novelties were
sea-serpents and divers that went through
maneuvers strange in the water.
The display came to a close with grand
discharge of rockets in various colors,
which was down on the programme as the
Oakland bouquet. 1t brought forth storms
of applause from the viewing thousands,
in Oakland, as they wendell their way
homeward with the strains of Home,
Sweet Home" floating gently across the
water.