The sun., 1896-10-25

ohserved that on several large excursion boats
there were young people who would have been
glad to dance only that the boats were too well
filied. SO to pass tho time they sang and an
swered the whats-the-matter-m man with pro-
dipious enthusiasm whenever he propounded
his questions.
IL was a cheerful throng. and the time be-
tween the arrival OF the first steamers and the
siRnal for the start was as nothing To those
afoat II ono could judge by the shouts and
laughter that came out over the water II was as
nothing to those on shore: and. what Is OF
moro Importance. the crowds both afoat
and ashore were shouting and applauding In
overwhelming masse. iiu sentiments that were
display ed on the trans parencIes and banners of
the shipping. Had telephone line stretched
from the two crowds To Canton, every sound
that passed over IT would have Allied that city's
best-known citizen with pride and pleasure.
THE START IN A BLAZE or GLORY
At q O'Clock. while the crowd was having its
greatest fun. e vine OF dusty yellowsh light grew
out from an anchored float. and then with n
squirt shot high in the mir and bossomed into
bell shaped droopnE flower so beautiful that
Thousands OF spectators exclaimed In wonder. as
with one voice.
A moment later the anchored floats seemed to
DO covered With great masses OF red. white. and
blue flames, while bombs and rockets and
roman candles and jumping fires OF indescrib-
able sorts illumned the whole river.
A jingling OF bells in the holds OF the steamer
feet followed, and then toot here and there
WAS heard as the vessels swung around to head
away down the river In the fret great night
marine parade the town had ever seen.
An effort was made by experienced reporters
to count the vessels as they headed away. but no
two counts agreed. One report made the num-
Der 2pO, and there were counts that exceeded
this. The following is a list Of those partioi-
pating, as prepared by one of the officers of the
feet, but 1t does not include all that wero
present
VESSELS IN LINE.
Flag Boats-Tugs 0lympic. ". Norman. Cap
Flying Squadror-TuRs P. H. Wise. P. ]. Cut
Captain; Restless, James Ellis. Captain; X. j.
aS5an asosss Foaaso n aSasn ap Jas sr
E. Demming. Captain; George H. Garlick, war
Special Firework Boats-Derriok Monarch.
Gen: slosam, Hunsns.on. Mary ,o, E; dSTdop; ,oe;
6sSson, Gallon; Joanna, Alfred & Edwin, Bes-
stsae. STOW ''sR% cSsnpIan, nes'G " bsyas T.
steamsrs George Starr William Fletcher. James
MSore Esps EI;s steam Lighter Msnhasa9
Ss'MSa saSs Mutual, sar' Edw. q i % Tm1ins GoSernor
Ariosa. J. @. Stevens. r. S. Garter. Fred 3: Dali
5 kaymHnd e. e. h s%:
Palver. Z. n; Miliard.. e; N. KinGsland. Z: 6.
Burgess. Edith Beard, William II. Beard. Ex-
colsior, William Z. Ferguson.
AND STILL THE LINE STRETCHED OUT.
Third Division boat Castleton. steamer
CLARKE; 10; II; No; ie; No. is. steam LIGHTERS
tugs @ James % VAT T Reed, 'sts' steam HG: Eh'sf
Fourth Div!sion-steamere Elberon. Pleasure
Bay. F. w; Boyer; steam lighters Clare. Cli.
P. Fowler. s. l.. Crosby. Ira NJ. Hedges. Edwin
Terry; the Reindeer; J: 6 Hart, g; G;W;Wash burn.
john. v. J. McCadtn. McCaldrin Bros, Garfield.
Walter J. Tice. Charles e. Soper, r. H. Will
Nso fsdy bennH H
e. H: Noster; Howard Carroll. Pc veau1 Powell.
Hercules.
Up to the moment the rocket signalled that
the hour for starting had arrived only a small
display Of freworks was made on the ves-
sels. Admiral Miller. in command. had
ordered that no display whatever be
made. but here and there over -ent h husiastic
shouter had grabbed Roman candle from tho
abundant supply. and. jammtng tho stub Of o
burning cigar against the fuse. had waved tho
while the crowd laughed and invited him to
"Let 'er CO."
BLAZE FROM SHORE TO SHORE.
But tho moment the feet started the fireworks
were free on about every craft afoat, and with
in ten minutes 1t seemed as II the river were
to be set on fire. And when to the
ordinary aerial displays were added tho
floating pots of flame that were dropped over
the sterns of some of the vessels and left to bob
about In the trembling wake. the effect of q
river afire was complete.
Large as the feet had appeared when gathered
about the anchorage. the size of 1t seemed to
grow after the parade began. The huge masses
of liRhts that had marked the position OF the
divided feet while awaiting the signal to start
hardly seemed to decrease even when half their
number had gone. for tho vessels still at the
shores were spread apart somewhat and the
play of the fireworks filled IN the spaces be.
tween SO that the departing vessels were hardly
missed. So when the eye was turned down
the river to watch the lenRtheninC line. the
feeling grew that the supply of vessels to fill tho
river was inexhaustible
sKrPPERs LET LOOSE THEIR ENTHUSIASM.
The order of the parade had been carefully
planned 20 that the feet should proceed in d.
visions. each with its leader. and all arranged
In man-'o-war order. But as in every parade
Of this harbor. the sporting blood of the
crack skippers was found too strong for
any order that did hot have solid shot beh nd IT,
Each skipper knew that he was In command of
the smartest vessel of her inches afioat. and
when tho skipper of any other vessel of those
inches had the assurance to suppose that his
old tub was In the same class why there
was nothing TO do but expose the error, go the
bell in the engine room jingled. or word was
sent down through speaking tube by the en-.
thusiastic skipper In command to grease her
mp trihe That measy so-and- so is along
side" 30 each engineer gave her q bit more
atram. and there were such q lot of scrub
races and such mixing of divisions and SQUAD
rons AS brought JOY to the blooded skippers.
though 1t would have proved the des pair uf any
real Admiral
Until the head of tho feet had reached the
giant elevators which stand above six,ieth
street on the New York shore the parade was
chiefly spectacular. 1t was ienethen maze.of
both twinkling and flaming effects and of many
colorod lights But as the frat pnrvenua I'm IN ,n