The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-01
THE CELEBRATION.
Midnight Carnival on the Streets of
CrOkersviIIe.


CrOkersviIIe.
NEW YORK Dec. 31.-The exit of the old
year and the Inauguration of Greater New
York were celebrated fittingly tonight.
One of the events that marked the occasion
was a grand parade conducted under the
auspices of the Journal and Advertiser The
scene in City Hall Park previous to the ar
rival there of the procession was spectacu-
lar and brilliant. Although the head of the
parade was not expected to reach that point
much before midnight, the park was crowd
ed as early as s o'clock. And the crowd
struggled and jostled for an hour or mere,
when, on the arrival of Police Captain
Cross in command of the small army of
officers, the park invaders were driven to
the street line. where they were held in
check by a Gordon of police. Only those
entitled to pass were allowed within the
park limits.
Old City Hall was brilliantly Illuminated
with strings of electric lights, beautifully
colored electrical shields and American
flags composed of revolving lights On the
dome of the Municipal building were placed
eight searchlights that flashed in all direc-
tions and cut across the lights that blazed
their rays from the roofs of the postoftice
and newspaper buildings. Many of the
buildings surrounding the park were deco
rated with handsome electric devices, while
several bands of music We'd with bear
ers of trumpets and tin horns to en-
tertain the populace. In front of the City
Hall main entrance a platform had been
erected for the accommodation of the
judges selected to award the various prizes.
1t was prettily decorated and surrounded
bv a myriad of electric lights.
Notwithstanding the warning elements
and the announcement made in the early
afternoon that the carnival and pa
rade would be postponed great
crowd of merry-makers maskers, wheel
men and members of various societies
with numberless floats, met at the rem
devious around Union square ready to
march through the rain and mud to honor
the old city and welcome the new. Colonel
George Moore Smith, Of the Sixty ninth
Regiment acted as marshal, and promptly
at 1915 o'clock the order to march was
given. The crowd at the starting point was
enormous. Following the police escort came
the marshal and his aids and they were
followed by Franciulls Band leading the
Chicago delegation, who were in five open
carriages. Next in line were several uni
formed bodies of men, consisting of the
Robert Anderson Battery, Veteran F'iremen,
Irish Volunteers and the Naval Battalion.
The German societies Joined in procession at
Fifteenth street. Following them was an
immense float representing the Brooklyn
bridge, with cables of evergreen, on which
the wedding of Father knickerbocker and
Miss Brooklyn was being celebrated in truly
German style amid much merriment. Then
float followed float in rapid succession.
Six divisions of wheelmen, consisting of
the marshaTs staff. military division
couriers, manufacturers divisions, the or
ganization and grotesques were in line and
in front and behind of these were repre-
sentatives of the volunteers in all depart
ments, soldiers, firemen and others.
Shortly after 10 O'Clock some hundreds of
solid-looking citizens carrying; Chinese lam
terms marched TO a position of vantage in
front of the City Hail. They represented
the singing societies of New York. and
William Sohmer and Bruno Oscar Klein
were escorted to the Platform. Mr.. Klein
was the judge of the choi al singing. The
Choral Society sang the German chorals in
turn but the immensity of the square and
the footing horns drowned the song Of
the singers before they reached the throng
the lawn gave the signal that the parade
was approaching, and one hour before mid
night the first or the procession turneo INTO
the park. A huge balloon with trailing
light was sent up, and as 1t swept across
the park blazing American flag fioated
down and remained burning until the ball
loon went out of sight. The drizzling rain
rad turned to snow, but the great crowds
remained surrounding the paraders who had
gathered in the park for the chief ceremony
of the night
the neighboring buildings were turned upon
the Flagstaff of the City Hall. As the hands
pointed the exact hour little white ball
was seen TO climb the staff slowly. The
MAYOR Of San Francisco had touched the
button. and the electrical current sent the
furled flag of the city Of New York 10 the
TON of the staff. Here it broke out
and swung into the breeze, Then bedlam
broke loose. Hundreds of bombs were
thrown into the 4ir sending down their
showers of blazing stars. and the salute Of