The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-18
CROWD OF ABOUT 10000
INDIANAPOLIS DAY RROKE ALL REC
ORDs IN STATE FAIR HISTORY.
StTeet-Car Service Inadequate to Han
die the Immense Jam-Restau-
rants Busy TIL Midnight.

the ngure at about 5000. Treasurer j.. j.
Robson says that there were nearly 5000
tickets sold. The complimentary tickets is
sued brings the total attendance up to the
figure mentioned This is probably the lar
gest crowd that ever attended state fair.
In other years, once when President Hayes
was here, for instance, it was estimated
that the crowd was near 10000 but those
figures were doubtless exaggerated Any
one who was there yesterday will say that
10000 is fair estimate.
The race course was the Mecca Of all Wis
itors in the afternoon and the various other
attractions were sadly neglected. So inn
mense was the crowd that it was beyond
control at times and police officers were
unable to keep men and boys from climbing
over the fences and swarming upon the
track Inside the paddock were scores Of
carriages and buggies, the ladies who occu-
pied them giving an air of brightness to the
scene There were thousands Of people who
could not get within hailing distance of the
grand stand and those lined up against the
frail fence around the track, both outside
and within the paddock. The steps leading
to the grand stand were crowded with an
eager, jostling crowd. Every seat that had
been reserved at 81 was taken long before
and hundreds more could have been sold,
so eager were the people to see the much
mooted Star Pointer-Joe Patchen event,
which after all was a disappointment. 1t
was known that the most desirable seats
had been reserved and that there would be
a demand for the remainder that would
far exceed the supply. Early in the day
people secured seats in the grand stand in
order TO have places. BY noon there were
scarcely any left. Spectators sat six hours
to see the racing event. They were disap-
pointed when it was reached a little before
shutdown, and after the first heat the
throng began to melt away. Men who had
stood on the narrow edge of a rail all after
noon were too tired to see the race out
Beside, an impression was somewhat gem
erai that there was to be but one heat.
A CAR BLOCKADE.
Although thousands hurried to the little
street-car gatehouse, hoping to get down
town early, the great bulk of the crowd
waited to witness the remaining racing
events, but there were enough started home
to longest the street-car traffic in less than
half an hour. After the programme was
finished the struggle of tired and hungry
multitudes to get home to supper began.
Around the narrow gates leading to the
street-car station there was a surging
crowd that filled the open space about the
gates and extended down the road for a
long way. Men tried to climb the high wire
fence around the loop, but were kept back
by officers. After waiting some time many
grew tired of trying TO get through the en-
trance and started down the track. A num-
Der climbed under the barbed wire at the
top of the fence, and after a time an open
ing was broken down and people made no
further efforts 10 get street-car tickets but
went through the opening. They hurried
down the track ana clambered into the out
going cars, so that they were loaded down
long before they turned the loop on the
way back 10 town. AT first cars were run
with much regularity at intervals of about
a minute, but it was not long until all the
trains that were waiting for the fair to
close were filled, and then came long and
tiresome waits. AT one time an overloaded
motor with two trailers behind it refused to
go farther when the old stopping place just
outside the grounds was reached, and the
motor stopped on curve. There it re-
manned half hour, other trains behind it
also coming to a standstill. There was no
one TO direct the crews OF the cars, and for
some time it looked as ii the cars would re-
main there all night. Frantic motormen
and conductors tried to induce the passen-
gers, many of whom stood on the footrails
with scarcely any foothold at all, to alight
in order that the turn might be made. The
passengers had all paid their fares. Then
they saw hundreds of others waiting for
the slightest chance to get aboard, and they
would not bulge. Police Sergeant Corrigan
happened along after half hours wait
with a squad of officers. On his suggestion
the motor was uncoupled from the trailerS
and moved ahead, while the trailers
were pushed after it by the motor on the
next train behind. When the train finally
got under way for town about forty other
trains were behind it, each packed to the
utmost capacity with passengers.
Afterwards further delays were occa-
stoned when the axles of two cars broke be-
meath the great loads they were carrying.
1t was said that no person was seriously
hurt. although good many were bruised
by being thrown forward and good many
women were badly frightened: The disabled
cars were ditched, and after the tracks were
clear traffic was resumed.
Seeing that it would be hours before there
would be an opportunity to get down town,
many people took to the roads and walked
to other lines but this was but little pet
ter as all the available cars were used in
the fair ground traffic and those running
over other lines were few and far between
Waiting at the Broad Ripple line a mile
west of the fair ground. These people had
walked there hoping to get down town
When a headlight finally came in sight
there was but one car behind it and that
already crowded. AS many as could scram-
bled aboard and the others continued their
weary march toward town.
RESTAURANTS AT MIDNIGHT.
At O'Clock last night the crowds were
still coming down town from the fair
ground In a little while they overran the
restaurants and up till midnight most of
the eating places in the center Of the city
were taxed to their utmost to provide food
for the half -famished sightseers. To add
to the discomfort of out-of-town visitors
trains for home found that they were too
late when they got to the Union Station
after spending two or three hours in trying
Railroad failed to get any great part of
the business il might have had AT irregu-
lar intervals trains were run to the Union
Station. The train of seven coaches that
left at o'clock could not have hauled an
other passenger. There was not even stand
ing room left on the steps and platforms
and half hundred men and boys rode on
the tender.
laughed at the delays and inadequacy of
transportation facilities, but after a time
its patience was exhausted and ii began
finding fault with other features of the
day. Not little dissatisfaction was eX-
pressed at the way in which the Patchen-
Pointer race had been pulled off. AT least
half of those who were attracted to the
race course were interested only in the one
event and there was considerable criticism
because the first heat was put off until so
late in the day. Many of those who saw
the first heat declared that il looked more
like a hippOdrome event than a genuine
race for points. 1t seemed TO be the belief
OF many in the crowd that this event was
used for an advertising dodge especially
when it was known that the last heat was
postponed until to-day. Numerous uncom-