The sun., 1896-10-25
Our Marines Mighty Protest
Against Reputation.
COMMERCE Halls M'KlNLEY.
The River an Ever-varying Blaze
of Light from Shore to Shore.

Sniiormen and Shipowners Join the
Cheering Thousands on tho Water Front
In Showing 10y atty TO the Nations Cause
fireworks All Along the Line, with
n Grand Finai Display or tho Battery.
When the unoloudsd sun had disappeared be-
hind the blue hills OF New Jersey and the red
glare had faded away, leaving the outline of the
great metropolis to show at first black and
rugged and then misty and indefinite 10
the gathering shades of night. there were
few indications about the harbor Of New
York OF any display other than that which
may be seen on any Saturday night the
year round. A few big floats, such
as ordinarily carry railroad cars from pier to
pier, were at anchor of the Battery. Here and
there could be seen group Of tugs lying at
piers where they are rarely seen on q Saturday
night, and some OF these showed an unusual
number Of lights. There were floats and derrcks
and lighters anchored at places along the North
River where no one had ever seem them before.
and as the glow Of the electric and gas lampe
began to make the towering downtown struc-
tures of the city family luminous q pier head
here and there on tho New York shore shone
forth with an arch OF lamps to mark its form.
THE RIVER LIGHTS UP.
Then as the night deepened the shadowy
forms OF tugs that had been passing to and fro
became outlined in the darkness by rows Of
lamps that were hung along the edges of deck
and pilot houses. The tall masts at the bows Of
the lighters and the shrouds and guy ropes as
we'll were pencillod In red and white and green
lights, while over on the Jersey shore u tall pile
driver became a pyramid of light remarkable to
behold.
Ry 6k o'clock the illuminated tugs were seen
heading from many downtown piers away to
the north. and n number Of excursion steamers
that in summer carry their Thousands of pleas
ure seekers came along in tho wake OF the tugs
AS long as the Illuminated feet was
, among the hurrylrg hosts of ferry boats
below Twenty-third street 1t occupied but small
space in the wide picture OF the har Dor. but once
the ferries were left behind the spectacle they
made became one to brighten the hopes Of those
who were throngng to tho water front In expec-
tation of what had been promised in tho way of
marine parade for political effect But
It WAS not until the fleet was gathering
at the starting point of the parade. opposite the
tomb of Grant, that the spectators began TO
realize what bad been provided to show the en-
thusiasm OF he harbor sailors in the fight for
the honor of the republic.
ILLUMISATIoNs AT THE STARTING POINT.
Floats and lighters had been anchored to
mark the starting place. and to these came the
fleet that was to form the procession. Tho arst
u arrive tHeTo iouHu tHe ioTTy nOuno ~ EuRo-
water arched over with electric lights that
seemed to form one long flame. -
club house the New York shore was
framed with colored lamps. A great fountain
OF colored flames spurted continuously from
the site of old Fort Lee in New Jersey. A
mile away to the south. on the crest Of the Pal.
i,ades some patriot had made o huge bank Of
colored ires-s bed OF blazing roses OF many
colors on the slopng crest, 1t seemed. Else
J. ~nI ht.rN tN NIA h1A4kr
forest that grew on the face OF the Palisades.
while on the flats at Edwater the enthusiasts
had built q bonfire with flames that at one time
rose higher than the ferry house.
Yet brilliant as was the shore display, It was
nothing beside tnat aaoat Beginning with
q dozen more tugs at o'clock, the feet
grew rapidly as time passed-a feet such az
never was seen in this harbor before, for 1t was
made up OF vessels that glowed with colored
fires on every form and line.
RAINBows OF LIGHT.
There were the huge excursion steamers with
decks. pilot houses and stanchions. and smoke
stacks pencilled in red against the dark back
ground OF the shore. There were the lighters
that raised huge arches Of lamps as
u man-o'-war raises arches of flags when
ordered to dress ship. There were tugs
in seemingly countless numbers that were
covered over with rows OF colored lamps and
Chinese lanterns below and with other rows de-
pending from hagstans that rose from the
sterns Ihere were steamers win trahspar-
encies that represented reddish goid coin
iaoeieo ihe "hge E"rnere Dotiar' Ahers
were steamers with patriotic notices and
transparencles that represented the nag lhere
was the poiice ooat f@trol, Win ner searon
iEht nashihg eVery"here lhere were lots OF
steam from uncounteo steam tuhneis-letS that
rose INTO 'he coloreu hRuts anu ""'oa Aoou'
IKE piumee OF nre'
IL "ns eoo ''us .heh' anu do tne neet Ka.hereu
49,, Sr,,,.1 ard ,o-r.d .h.ad .nd a,,r,.a
'neh o,''ou ""' io'seu "Ho"t ""u uitt'u
again, there was a turmoil or lights and shad-
ows that enchanted the spectatora Over all
.ho,o ,ha so,t u,h, -, ,h. wanin, ,,oon ,h.,
o'o4o ''' ' VI 'Do "a"S ".ooA' '"as
spread u dlmpled path OF white peIoro every
eye that was lifted upward.
At,ar ,ina the stsamers mass.d tbams,lv.,
n"t ''tt.o 'No '''~e'' '-"s'0
on the two shores TO escape the force or tho tide
Tho scene then reminded tho old yachtsmen of
. fl,at inNna han ha nAaI ms aaIf