The San Francisco call., 1896-04-05
Dwellings and Business Blocks
to Be Hidden by Buds and
Blossoms.
FEATURES OF THE PAGEANT.
Unique and Handsome Floats Will Be
in Line-Field Sports and Cycling
Races.

SAN JOSE, CAL, April 4-The carnival
of roses to be held in this city May g. T. s
and will be a grand affair and promises
to surpass all former floral fetes on this
coast in magnificence and extent. Acres
of flowers have been planted for the carni-
val and the whole valley will be sea of
bloom Wien the floral fete opens. I'M
mense arches will be erected across the
principal streets and the town will be
decorated with vari-colored bunting and
flowers. The electric light tower, over 200
feet high, will be covered with vines and
bunting and be a feature of the decora-
tions. The thousands of visitors to this
city during the fete will witness sight OF
grandeur and magnifcence.
The exercises at the big pavilion at Ag-
rlcultural Park will be of highly enter
tanning and novel character. On Wednes-
day afternoon, III the presence OF Governor
Budd and staff, the pavilion will be for
mally dedicated with President David
Starr Jordan of Stanford University as
president of the day and orator. In the
evening there will be q concert by band
of forty pieces. the music being illustrated
with stereo opticon views.
On Thursday there will be a polo game
between Riverside and Burlingame in the
park and in the evening a grand dress
ball in the pavilion and musical selections
by the La Favorlta Mandolin Club of fifty
pieces. Friday will be Stanford day and
the entertainment will be varied, While the
fun will be as fast and furious as thou
sand students can make it. There will be
bicycle races on Saturday, and in the
evening the carnival will close with a
masquerade fete. including a grotesoue
parade ending at the pavilion, where dane
ing will follow.
A striking feature of the fete will be the
vast display of flowers of unlimited va
riety and varied hue. The principal deco
rations will be flowers, and the floats, the
vehicles in the parade, the buildings and
the streets will ali be resplendent with the
choicest blossoms of nature. and the effect
upon the visitor to this spot of perpetual
spring will be amazing.
The city will take on gala attire. The
buildings viii be handsomely decorated.
and stringers bearing American flags and
carnival colors will be thrown across the
streets. The red. white and blue will be
floating everywhere. An official carnival
flag to be of immense size is being de-
signed. 1t will contain the colors with a
great rose and the word Welcome" and
will be displayed by all the prominent
business houses.
A number of arches will be erected at
various points in the city that will rival in
size and grandeur anything of the kind
ever before attempted on the coast. The
"Arch of the Carnival" will be erected on
the Alameda, just east of the narrow
gauge depot. This will span that wide
thoroughfare and the pavements and leave
three openings. The design will be ap-
propriate to the mammoth proportions of
the arch. Especial pains will be taken to
make the arches at the railway depots
effective in appearance, SO that visitors
from abroad will receive a good impress
sion on their arrival in the city. That
across First street, opposite Bassett. will
be imposing in appearance. 1t will be
called the "Ladies' Arch of Welcome"
The background will be white, surmounted
by a beautiful female figure. The arch
will be decorated elaborately with floral
wreaths contributed by the ladies of San
Jose. 1t is certain that a very novel and
beautiful effect will be produced. There
will be other arches on Third and Santa
Clara, San Antonio and First streets, in the
business center of the city. There is to be a
pleasing variety in the forms and decora-
tions of the arches. Each will have diff
1erent design, and the line of march will
be so arranged as TO pass under all of
them. Besides the floral decorations they
will be made brilliant with the ca rnivaI
colors, flags and lanterns. 1t is the design
TO make the arches the important features
that they should be in the decoration of
the city for the great fete.
The carnival will open on May with q
grand floral parade over two miles long.
There will be over fifty floats in line, rep
resenting every feature of the county-its
industries, its schools and its natural re-
sources. The parade will consist of five
divisions, each headed by band, and. in
addition, most of the DELEGATIONS from the
surrounding towns will have musical or
ganizations with them. A feature of the
parade will be two troops of floral lancers,
the horses and riders being covered with
floral trappings.
Each rider will carry floral lance. A
large number of beautifully decorated
T-carts, dogcarts, coaches and other fancy
rigs driven by prominent ladies and gem
tlemen of the city will be in line. A num-
Der of the ladies' are already enthusiastic
cally at work. The horses as well as the
vehicles will be covered with floral orna-