The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-30
NIGHTS GLOWING PAGEANT
4 MARINE DISPLAY sUCH As THE CITY
HAS MEYER SEEN BEFORE.

Were Fairy Land of Colorcd Light,
in which II Rained Red, white and
Blue-Crowds mt tho Battery and on
Riverside Drive wild, with Delight
Thousands Out Ahoat and Ashore.
The day OF Dewey celebration on the water
ended In roaring. popping. banging blaze OF
glory last night. Fireworks displays lit up the
east side, the west side and all around the
town. Not only did great boats loaded down
with fireworks sweep down all the waterways
and circle about tho lower Bay. but In the park Q
throughout the middle OF the city the sky was
painted red. white and blue and all tho other
shades OF color known to the pyrotechnlc art.
The East River celebration was brought to an
untlmely but tremendously effective close by
the burning up OF the two floats bear
ing the main supply OF fireworks for
the parade In that waterway. This
happened of the foot OF Fiity-ninth street,
and the city for blocks and blocks around was
a. light as day for fifteen or twenty minutes.
while the impromptu explosions and flashes OF
colored fire lit up the melodramatic work OF
three police tugs In rescuing the panlc-stricken
fireworks men on the floats The only damage
done by the accident was the entire destruc-
ton OF one OF the floats and the 6isappont-
ment Of people who waited to see display
between Fifty ninth street and the Bridge.
Tho succession OF little showers that came
mp ae the fireworks exhibition at the Battery
was being brought 10 close did not Interfere
at all with Its success, for the men who were
handling the display promptly made up their
minds that the best way to keep their powder
from getting wet was TO set It all Off Mt once.
and the result was such as to mako
the boys and girls from ak to sixty.
who witnessed 1t. erase from their minds
all thought OF all Fourth OF July
celebrations that they ever saw or ever hoped
to see The fireworks all over the city were
Witnessed by tremendous crowds. Not oil OF the
people in the city were able to leave their
homes and their affairs to see the dayligN' pa
rade but last light every bod except the Ia bies
and the grandmothers who stayed home to ia Ike
care ofthem. seemed to be out along the water
front or in the parks. where the beautiful
sights were to be seen. In great many cases.
moreover. the grandmothers and the babies
came along.
The biggest crowds and the biggest displays
OF fireworks were off the Battery. on floats and
on Governors. Bedoe's and Ellis Islands. At
8 80 o'clock Inspector Harley had posted men
along the Battery's sea wall from the Iron
Steamboat pier around to the Barge ONCE.
five feet apart. They were there none too
soon. for long before o'clock crowd three
deep lined the sea wall. 1t was still light then.
The vessels In the harbor had not lighted their
lanterns. and only the faint slow OF
rev electTlc lamps uIOHR inc Jersey
shore gave token OF the illumination
to come. But down in the Elevated station at
South Ferry and Battery Place and from the
termnuses Of the surface roads that run to the
southern end CT the borough steady streams OF
people were pouring into the Park. While it
was still light enough to distinguish the out
lines Of the tall buildings. human ng-
ures began to appear along tho edges
of the roofs OF the Army building. the
Standard Oil building. the Bowling Green
building. Cheseborough building. and all the
other skyscrapers that look out over the Battery
Park. The Barge ONCE and the Dock Depart
ment's pier were crowded full Col. Jones.
the Superintendent OF the Aquarium. made-hs
employees and their families happy by provid-
ing seats for them on the roof OF the Aquarium.
which by it's shape enabled those who sat
upon 1t to watch both the rivers and the upper
bay and the great crowd In the park at the
same time.
During every moment OF tho time. from dusk
until the last colored lights faded out and the
steamers stole away from of the face Of
the waters. 1t was wonderful sight that
they saw. First. rs tho light faded. tho big
steamers came putting down the North River.
driited across the bav from Governors Islandto
Brooklyn and pulled back again. As it became
darker the ships lights began shining out
OF the darker spots against the Jersey, Staten
Island and the Brooklyn shores. Out OF tho
darkest part Of the Jersey side. Just of Ellis
Island. without moments warning there
spranE into sight the jewelled outline
OF a great coastwise steamship. Strings
OF electric lights ran from her bow to
her masthead and thence to her stern. along
her rails and cross-yards. The crowd that
had gathered when this picture spranG out of
the dusk was a mighty one and 1t sent up a
mighty cheer that was taken IN by the whistles
o! the tugs and steamers that were crossing
and recrossing the bay. until the whole lower
part of the city thus made known its approval
OF the big ships decoration: Then another
point hali way Between Bedlos's Island I az and
Governors Island. displayed their outlines in
1hs same ram wSy SSms ,G them
OF them had no decorations above their
main decks, but had ropes and ropes OF mean
sides Those steamers were all Of them
excursion steamers which had people on boari
the committee suggestion OF taking position
in the Bay early and remaining there until it
was time to go home. so that accidents might
n Meantime s all ss tile dI shs TIE red
the yachts. appeared In rapid succession and
passed and ree,-passed one another AMI cir
psople Who lined the 's seea"wall AMI the ro
The general tendency was to leave
and az the lights worked away to the south
ward they formed an unbrokcn glowing band
from AZ far as one could see up the North
River clear around to the place where the big
searchlights on tho Bridge were beginning to
throw their beams up and down the choppy
waterways about Governors Island.
Now and then big aiing craft came dip
ping its way daintily among the steamers and
the lights fell upon its great sails for mo-
ment. 40 that 1t would appear as phantom
the light shifted. dis appear, as utterly as
though IL had never been. Slim. low yachts
came gliding quietly in under the Dock De;
back and forth, in long sinuous line. This
display In itself was enough TO occupy the
see it. There were some. indeed. VIII? grew
weary Of the long wait they had undertaken in |
order to get COOS PLACES. and who went home
play OF lights on the vessels and on tha build |
ings long the shore. perfectly satisfied and |
believi ing that they had seen enough to pay |
them for their trouble.
For the people who came late. and who piled |
up against Inspector Harvey's patient. good |
natured bulwark OF policemen. three and four |
hard one, for many Of them knew that |
they must wait for nearly two hours !
before seeing anything more than the hats Of |
Rl