The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-17
MAD0NNAS SHRINE.
LITTLE ITILT SHOWERS GIFTS ON
orr LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL,

,t the Harlem Church. BRINGING Candiea.
lew els. and Banners Piasterea with mn.
Prayers in Church-subiiatiou Outside.
More than 10000 people prayed yesterday at
the feet OF an image Of tho Virgin in tho Church
NJ Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 115th street,
They came, O thousand at n time, bearing gifts
N the Virgin. In humility many Of them walked
through the streets bsrofooted. Thoy foil on
tboir knees before tho image. Some Of them
stripped the jewolryf from their persons, and be-
fore night the image was robed In such contri-
buttons and hadliterally q frock of gold. II wns
the great Toast day-the feast of Our Lady Of
Mount Carmel. Tho first streaks of sunlight were
showing In the cost when in q hundred places
in Little Italy thero sounded the craokle Of ex- |
ploding firecrackers.and tho boom Of guns and ]
small cannon. This was the beginning of the feast
day, Out from the houses In the district there |
poured into tho street bronzed men and women
and children, the women in clothes of every color
OF the rainbow, such combination Of color as
only an Italian woman can put together. Tho
whole district was alive, and in less time than
1t takes to write 1t the thousands were making
their way. laughing and jostling each other, |
toward the stops Of the church. Little Italy II
that part Of New York city between 10th ane
Tooth streets, and Second avenue and the East
River. Moro than two-thirds Of the whole
Italian population Of tho city lives In the dis |
trict.
The Church Of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel is
In ll5th street, east of First avenue, and as all
tho Italians are Catholics they all attend that
church. The Virgin, the patroness of the
church, tho Italians say has brought untold
blessings to the district and to them, SO when
her feast day, July 10, comes around they start
at dawn laden with gifts for her. Religious
festivals ordinarily lack the novelty necessary
to make the report of their celebration Of more
than passing interest This ono was notable
.or the undisguised enthusiasm of the celebrants
and their devotion. in tho quantity and the
value OF their offerings. and above all 1t was
they left on the Image Of the Madonna or at her
feet was as great in amount a. 1t has been on
previous year, nSd ,,r, There sna n were watches aSh s,. and
The priests said that in former years such gifts
had ,5epresented an outlay by The donors Of
dom realize more than $1,000 or $1,000 from
Little Italy was covered with cheap dccora-
tons when the fireworks began. Every, penny
that could be spared outside OF that laid by
been spent for bunting, and there was hardly .
window that did not show some color. 1t was
only a little tn,, ai Ifs. %ia at n , when wagons tgo Sh began
They were laden with eatables and with candles
Of all sizes the candle being the popular gift Of
drivers went to sieep on their loads.
annoS Wasa the break Of day that the ins p pssGSass
gan assembling and trade woke up. At 8 O'clock
Were alive. and It was hardly possible to hear
yourself think for the shouts Of the vendors and
t Sae,s shes r.. Of b the Ps0 sMoo %sS w Down out aD to c sSs
candle wagon drst. Women with babies in
their arms and children taesins at their dFesses
Italian. These candles ranged In length from
six inches to twenty feet, and in diameter from
e eorss sa ig' deS GO nssfiy nth 8 i Siis ci Fass s MsFs With til
pictures In blue Of the Madonna or tho cruel.
tie ones and adult hands clutched dollars for the
big ones. There were some that cost as much as
forty dollars, and curiously enough they were
Jagged In selling. 1' N
The church doors were not open at this time.
and women and children clamored for admis-
sion. There were long candles and short CAN
dies in the crowd, thin ones and fat ones. They
had all been new within an hour, but when the
church doors opened the heat had softened
There was q rush and a crush to be tho first
stood IN the basement which was decorated
with blue and red and gilt. Not an inch of tho
R9Ss 0f Is abe about Ta siss fssif his q s sfah one nee arm lns *.
tended holding the Bambino, stood at the
f sna Of 1t III t.. fG fset % Sa 9 P @a I figures on Of th hu Plas,
and nom the platform dangled clutches. These
the year prayed TO the Virgin that they might
be cured Of infrmitiesS and whose prayers
with the face or scalp. The legs were from
SBe ors or w hSd; !Ra sare 3 fr Saa so aas disease ihsal ie q.
fecting the legs. The arms and the eyes.
had learned to walk. The first rush was led by
women with babies in their arms: They
and calling on the Virgin to bless them. Some
of them dropped on their knees and prayed aloud
SHs t asge T after 4 then, ' TSsS n sendsr IN The her Fu 81.
them and piled them inside the railing; Re;
turning from the altar, those who could found
with eyes upTurned toward the Virgin. praying
Gradually this continued excitement worked
on the minds Of the people and something like
was then that the OFFERINGS OF jewelry began.
Here q woman took of her gold earrings and
On the flowing robe on the image. Near heI
another stripped the rings from her fingers and
P EsseS f t6sn his Hp sb aaa and q P landed Tlth Il he oys COOK AM m.
neck and fairly hurled It at the image, a mo
lion. The blessings, il the offerings were a sign,
came fast, and all the while there was The
tered prayers. The church was packed. Other
doors had been opened for the crowd to pass out
leave the altar. Now and then a man who wore
no jewelry would tear on his coat IN bis enthu-
'lT To the hsd ris Gnu, o. the the MadonaSa WI WAS the Pieta.
Tho hand OF the figure of Jesus In this group
vas opened 80 that coin could be, dropped In
Of that. 1t was filled with coin In q short time,
4 basket was put under it to catch the over,
Z vacant space, some ono OF the crowd would
fall %nn,G on bis pr her knees, and and i bending LEY loE
remain kneeline only a moment.
,h The as crowd swept then %o on in en-. Efforts s.t to touch ouch
watching their opportunity to push in and press
the yong ones faces to the figure, mutterinG
prnyurs a. they did II.
The body OF the church kept full. The crowd
at the door pressed on ,endlessly. Some had
more than one of the decorated candles. In
the crowd outside were many men and womer
N their bare feet. 1t was a ~selt-imposed pen
brought to their minds the weight Of sin anC
the need for humility and 30 they had com.
barefoot. disdainipg the sidewalks and by pref
erence using the hot and rough pavement OF thu
f9adway. Here was a woman with a rich dres
carried her shoes In her hands. THE Sur re
porter fell in behind her and followed her int
the church She had haAn Ulacid enough out