Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-12

as high as 5000 Most of them were gath
cred in that part of the station where
brass band was playing, but the band
leader had not calculated his distance
correctly, for the train halted quite dis
tance down the track. When the train
stopped people pushed and struggled to
get near the rear car, but the successful
ones found that their efforts were futile,
for Mr.. Bryan had been conducted to
day-coaeh in front to enable his car to
be shifted. When it became known that
he was forward back went the people,
rushing over each other.
Chairman Hubbell of the Harrisburg
Bimetallic league presented Mr.. Bryan.
Cheers followed the announcement and
great cry for a speech went up. But
Mr.. Bryan pointed to his throat and
shook his head. Just in the middle of the
fast and furious handshaking and just
as Mr.. Bland had started a speech, the
car was shifted again. Fighting, shout
ing, pushing with might and main, the
people in the throng around the day car
sought to regain their advantageous po-
sitions Hundreds of them were strug-
Cling on the track between the car in
which Mr.. Bryan was and the rest of the
train. AS they saw the coach bearing
down upon them almost panic ensued
in the endeavor to get out of harms way.
But nobody was hurt. Mr.. Bryan stood
on the steps of the car and reached out
both hands to be grasped by hundreds
of extended fists. His white hat had been
displaced by a black skull cap that gave
him a priestly appearance. While he
shook hands Mr. Bland tried to talk
about the great issues of the campaign,
but his voice was lost in the shouts OF
those around the car. At last the train
moved away and Mr.. Bryan with re-
lieved look went back to his drawing
room.
Barring the shifting process, the Bryan
reception al Lancaster was quite as Wild
ly interesting. The station was crowded
with people to the number of 1900. Mr..
Bryan stood on the rear platform of his
car, which had been returned to its orig
inal position at the end of the train. Thd
crowd shouted all the time, and there
was a constant struggle to get near the
nominee. Mr.. Bland's speech was again
lost The only people who did not ap-
pear anxious to join in the grand rush
for the Nebraska mans swollen hands
were the women standing at the other
end of the platform and the members OF
the brass band who had been engaged to
play patriotic airs and were fulfilling
their contract without intermission. The
yelling audience which, while constant
had not been united, concentrated itself
into one last hurrah as the train moved
away. No further stop was made until
Philadelphia was reached.
At Philadelphia there was a crowd of
5000 pushing, surging, perspiring people
gathered behind the iron gates barring
the entrance to the trains in the PENN
sylvania railroad station. A noticeable
feature of the crowd was it's makeup.
1t was essentially a crowd of the play
people, the working man, the mechanic
and the laborer. The pressure became so
strong that men and women were caught
in the crush and were in danger of being
trampled under foot, and the railroad Off
cia1s, to relieve the pressure, threw open
the gates and let the people through upon
the platform. With wild rush the crowd
poured through, and, reckless of con-
stantly shifting trains, risked life and
limb upon the tracks.
The democratic city committee, headed
by Chairman Curley, were in waiting to
welcome Mr.. Bryan upon his arrival. but
as the train pulled into the station at
$50 the crowd with cheer made Wild
rush, and the committee was swamped
in the human tide and swept away. Be-
fore the train stopped the crowd was
surging up to the side of the last car and
those in the front swung upon the steps
at the risk of their lives Cheer after
cheer went up as Mr.. Bryan appeared on
the back platform, and the crush was
stood beside her husband, and bowed and
smiled as some enthusiast in the crowd
held up to her a bouquet of roses. Mr..
Bryan leaned over the rail of the plat
form and shook all the outstretched
hands in reach To cries for a speech the
and raise protesting hand.
In the meantime the city committee
had succeeded in forcing its way into the
car, and none too soon, as, after stop of
nine minutes, the train pulled out for
New York amid the cheers of the sur
mob Chairman Curley then
greeted Mr.. Bryan and wished him sue
cess and expressed regret that his stay In
was so brief, as otherwise
the committe would have arranged for
fitting reception. Mr.. Bryan responded
briefly, and then sank wearily into a seat.
Mrs. Bryan was presented with beau
tiful bunch of roses, the Gift of the super
intendents of the sub-postoffices of Phil
adelphia.
Mr.. Bryan had requested that the
train not stop at Trenton, as he was COM
pletely worn out, but as the train was
regular and was scheduled, the railroad
company could not grant the request.
1t did the next best thing, however, and
kept the platform clear of all but cou-
pie of hundred people, who In some way
got through the gates.
The train stopped only two minutes at
Trenton, but in this time Mr.. Bryan
shook hands with all those in waiting.
The trip from Trenton to New York
was made without special incident ex-
cept at Newark, where 200 or 800 people
ed speech, but the candidate excused
himself on the plea that his voice was
weak
Eliza beth turned out several hundred,
who cheered during the half minute the
train stopped there. When Newark was
reached 1000 or more pressed into the en-
closure between the train and the guard
rail. Those behind pushed and showed
until those In front broke into run out
of sheer self protection, and In rapid
trot nlen and boys. ten deep, went past
the platform where Mr.. Bryan was
standing. making vain endeavors In the
quick progress to grasp his hand, Mr..
Rryan kept both hands working con-
stantIy
Skyrockets and Roman candles were
fir I'd and red lights burned, and altogeth-
er the scene was one of the widest ex-
citement and enthusiasm.
Arrived in New York.
New York. Aug 11.--Candidate William
J. Bryan arrived in this city tonight. He
reached Jersey City over the Pennsylva-
mia railroad at $40 o'clock and was driv-