New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-27
GREAT CROWDS IN THE CITY

for reference.
GREAT CROWDS IN THE CITY.
The city IL in readiness for the vast demon
stration that is to be made here to-day I'm honor
OF the dead General The preparations have been
upon such large scale that their management
has extended over period Of many months, and
has entailed grea. labor on the part Of the men
who have so willingly performed the task
Everything has been done to contribute to the
success of the ceremonies. time, thought and
money have been freely expended, and as re-
suit there seems to be no doubt that the demon
stration will 20 down In history the most i'm
posing one of the kind that the Western Hem-
sphere has seen.
The streets Of the city from the Battery to
Harlem were full to overfowing last evening
and all through the day with the tens of thou
sands who have been focking TO the metropolis
for the last few days. All over town the crowds
were uberaily sprinkled with uniforms. and
the CLINT of gold lace and the simmer of chev
rons were omnipresent. The corridors Of the
hotels the elevated and surface cars hansoms
and cabs all had their uniformed strangers;
while strangers. not uniformed. but just as
manifestly strangers. were even more numerous
The city is -bathed again in the red. white and
blue as It the day Of the magnificent
Sound Money parade last October. Even the
streets of the downtown business section of the
city through which the parade is not 10 pass
and which will be nearly deserted to-day. are
bright with bunting and the National colors.
stranger. who had heard nothing OF the dedica-
ton Of the Grant tomb and who had just
dropped in from the ends OF the earth yesterday.
could hardly have set foot in the city without
knowing that some gr,a: celebration was imni-
nent. Indeed, he would have known it long be-
fore he reached the city. for every train was
loaded TO its utmost capacity with pilgrims,
whose dress and whose talk told OF today's
events.
OFFICIAL GUESTS ARRIVE
President Mckinley. Vice President Hobart
and many OF the official guests OF the city ar
rived here yesterday afternoon from Washing
ton By two special trains over the Pennsylvania
and the Baltimore and OHIO railroads. big
crowd had assembled at the Twenty -third-st.
ferry to welcome them. and there was much en-
thusiasm. Other guests of the city were ar
rivng all day over every avenue OF travel. and
the hotels OF the city were full Of prominent
men last night Many Of the military and civic
organization, that to appear in the big pa
radc this morning did not arrive until yesterday
afternoon and evening Some Of them did not
arrive until early this morning, most OF the New
England troops delaying their arrival until the
last moment, but last evening nearly all OF the
marching organizations and the visitors were III
tho citv The rain that fell In the evening kept
the streets more quiet than they would other-
wise have been but for all that the Tenderioin
was lively place last night
4, the tomb and along Riverside Drive. the
Boulevard and the other avenues through whch
tho narada is TO pass he preparations are COM
I'll I'd no las
everything is now ready About the tomb the
three official grandstands rise and stretch ava!
like fields around a solitary oak. The vast ex-
panse was empty and bare yesteId day. but not
long after these lines read it will re black
with distinguished humanity that has flowed
thither from all parts of the country. and even
from the Old World. The triumphal arch under
which the parade will pass was the last thing
to be completed bur the finishing touches were
put upon it last evening at Z o'clock.
THE COMBINED FLEET
Awav below, the tomb In the Hudson River
the men war lay yesterday in readiness for
the part thoy are to play to-day. The North At
lantic Squadron. in command Of Rear Admiral
Bunce. came up the river from Its anchorage
off Tompkinsvle on Sunday morning, and the
foreign warshps followed yesterday morning to
their positions IN tne iifl" It lllcH-o ht
two columns the New-York heading the column
next the New-York shore. and behind her lying
the foreigners I'm the following order: The British
cruiser Talbot. the Spanish cruiser Maria
Teresa the Spanish cruiser Infanta Isabella. and
the French gunboat Fulton. In the western
column off the Jersey shore " the vessels OF the
North Atlantic Squadron. excepting the flagship
New York headed by the battle-shp Maine.
The erandstands that line the route of the
land parade have all bean inspected by the
building Department and pronounced ut. There
was no scarcity OF seats up TO yesterday. az the
nuhl,c did not seem inclined To pay the prices
that the spectators who had built the stands
demanded Consequently the specuators be-
came frightened lest they should be unable to
dIspose Of their accommodations, ard prices
went down Yesterday the lower prices brought
many customers. and the prospects last night
seemed TO indicate that the stands, many as
they are would all be filled to their utmost ca
ra.ities this morning. while at the same time the
nuhlic would not be obliged To pay extortionate
prices
The great demonstration begins promptly at
900 o'clock when the President the Nice-Presi-
-