The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-05
Magnificent and Unique Elec-
trical Effects.
Water Parade Witnessed by Thou
sands of Sightseers.
New York Yacht Club In Stronger Force
Than Ever Before-The Rae.

Magnificent as was the daylight spec
tacle at Newport yesterday. that of last
night eclipsed 1t in every respect The
crowd that went from this city to the
summer capital to witness the gorgeous
fete was limited only by the capacity of
the steamers of the Providence, Fall
River and Newport Steam boat Company.
Indeed, 1t is probable that had transpor-
tation facilities been doubled they would
no moro than have met the demand OF
those who desired to 60 down to the City
by the Sea.
The arrival Of the New York Yacht
Club fleet at Newport late yesterday after
noon completed al the preliminaries for
the grand illumination.
Darkness had hardly settled down be-
fore the blaze of light was kindled.
Ashore. colored lanterns and lights
appeared on the honses and in the
streets. now choked with curious surging
throngs, electrial designs original and
brilliant. glared forth
Words of welcome to the yachtsmen,
the navy and visitors generally appeared
in letters Of fire everywhere, and Thamts
street. from end to end, was illuminated
with thousands OF lamps that produced
day sun.
THE WATER DISPLAY.
But elaborate and surprising as were
the land scenes, they were outdone on the
water. The graceful lines OF many yachts
were shown by scores of electric lamps,
lanterns depended from the rigging and
colored fires burned all about. Tho gov
ernment warships made magnificent
display. Lights beamed out all over the
nj nd hntr fYht
swept the sky and glared into every nook
and corner of the city and harbor.
The cruisers New York and Brooklyn
and the battleship Maine made an espec-
tally good showing, and the Massachu-
setts Indiana and Iowa were also lavish
was attractively embellished with electric
lights. The Fall River line boats Pilgrim
and City OF Taunton showed expensive
electrical designs, and both were covered
from stem to stern with lamps. The
Priscilla stopped over on her trip to New
York until IL O'Clock and Joined in the
fete.
An immense star and crescent OF cleo
trio lights surmuunted the torpedo sta
tion building on Goat Island, and each Of
the officers houses showed q flaming star
on its ridgepole.
OUTLINED IN FIRE.
Fort Adams was outlined in fire and
myriads of lights on the training ship
Constellation, the training station and
the Old Colony pier
The boats entered for the Venetian
parade began to form In order at 1880,
and soon after they moved amid the
barking of yacht cannon and the detona-
tion of bombs ashore
From the end of Goat Island 10 Gettys-
burg bombshells spoke out, from all the
wharves and piers rockets went up and
hal M
AS the procession continued the din was
kept up on every side and the principal
fireworks display on the end OF Goat
Island increased in beauty.
Water fireworks. displays Of Japane7e
rockets, aerial bouquets of fire. streams OF
colored stars and surprising combinations
of fire rapidly succeeded each other and
divided honofs with the procession Of
boats.
The latter included many novelties. the
electrical figures taking many varied
forms. from sea serpents TO shields and
flags.
PARADE AROUND GOAT ISLAND.
Slowly, like huge snake. the line Of
boats wound round Goat Island while the
fireworks continued without cessation,
surprise following surprise for ever two
hours
Some OF these designs were most novel
aud showed considerable cleverness on the
part of those who constructed them. Per-
haps the most unique was that OF the
large grotesque and fierce-lookiDg saa
serpent, which was tho creation ana con-
tribution from the battleship Iowa
1t was mounted upon a gig and yawl,
and as 1t moved along in tortuous ana
snnkeliKe way, 10 add to its realism,
weird sounds protruded from It's ghastly
head, with now and then the hearty yell
Of tho Iowa boys On the side OF tho SER
pont. in letters OF fire was the inscription;
h.Iust Tell Them That You Saw Me- J."
This captured the first prize In the cut
tors display and n brig rugged cutter. at
tached to whose yards and inasts were
strings OF inoandescont lights. carried
home secondary honors to the cruiser New
York.
OTHER PRIZES AWARDED
In the small sailing boat tclBsses there
was only one entry. The design was
sfx-pointed evolving star William