The San Francisco call., 1899-08-25
BIG CARNIVAL
ON THE WATER
Grand PyrotechniC Dis
play a Great Success.
BrillianCy of the DemOnStra-
ton Slightly Marred
by Fog.

Countless thousands gathered along the
water front last night to witness the
grand illumination and pyrotechnic dis
plav in honor of the return of California s
brave heroes. The haze, which hung like
d gauzy curtain over the surface of the
water partially obscured the view of the
crowds of spectators VINO thronged the
piers or hung like monkeys from the rig
ging of the ships lying alongside; but it
could not dampen their enthusiasm nor
smother the brilliaucy of the scene en-
acted before their eyes They saw enough
to satisfy them that the gallant Volun-
teers who have battlcd so nobly in their
CoUntry's cause were being rendered q
reception betitting their worth so Tar as
climatic conditions would permit, and they
voiced their appreciation with a spon-
,aneous energy that thrilled the blood and
proved conclusively that the footing OF
whistles and the shrie king of sirens was
lut an incident and not an essential part
Of the big celebration.
The booming of cannon with which the
arrival Of the sherman off the Golden
Gate had been sigralcd and to the ac-
compartment Of which the big white
transport had made her triumphant
entry into til. harbor, gave place to the
whirr of hundreds OF skyrOckets and the
reports of bursting bombs.
il was a magnificent demonstration of
patriotic love for the soldier, but un-
fortunately its magnihCence was marred,
or rather hidden. from the sight OF many
by the untimely presence of the fog.
But in the immediate vicinity OF the
Sherman, which was AL aglOW with light
from hundreds of electric bulbs, the
scene was one of almost unparalleled
spleador and as The transport was the
CCGtcr of attraction. the target for the
bombs and skyrockets, it mattered little
If the great beacons on Mount Tamalpais
across the bay We're invisible. Tamal-
pals ana its boRhres We're a secondary
consideration. and would have merited
bur a passing glance had they been
visible when considered in connection
with the greater show.
The illumination started a little ahead
OF time, but not too early for the crowd,
which completely filled the docks and lit
erally covered the freight sheds and ship
ping along the front The throng included
great secthing mass of humanity,
stretching clear across East street, leay-
ing Market, Mission Howard and Folsom
hopoicssly barred even from a sight of the
water
The bay in the vicinity of the transport
was fairly alive with water craft, from
the big Tugs and river steamers to the
little naphtha launches and roWboatS, all
crowded with sightseers brimming with
joyful anticipation Of what was TO come.
The great battleship Iowa had been
brought up from her anchorage off the
I niOu Iron Works and she had taken a
of the Sherman. She loomed up through
the mist like great watchdog guarding
Il GLlu from possible i9IlQ.
suddenly the great tower on the ferry
building cleaned forth through the murky
atmosphere in all the dazzling brilliancy
of its elaborate electrical decorations. The
effect was grand, almost sublime The
big structure. outlined in fire against The
background of fog. seemed like a blazing
shaft rising abruptly from the deep,
murky waters OF the bay. Almost stimuli
tancousiy with this unexpected spectacle
ii seemed as though the cord attached to
every whistle afioat and ashore was pulled
and tied down. while a half-dozen search
lights flashed toward the tower. render
ing the water and the piers for great
distance as light as day despite the pres
ence of the haze.
These searchlights played a not unim-
portant part in the water Carnival The
four on the Iowa were kept continual
moving, crossing and reCrossing and oc-
casionally focusing their rays on a crowd
mans searchlights also contributed 10 the
misty brilliancy of the scene. and another
located on the roof Of a downtown buSi-
ness house flashed it's rays Internationally
in the direction of the transport
A few minutes after the illumination of
the ferry tower a great shower of
bombs and skyrockets were sent up from
a barge anchored well out in the stream.
A similar shower was set off from rhe
end of the Government pier at the same
moment and the two bursting together al
most directly over the Iowa, descended in
a cloud of brilliantly colored sparks which
can be likened 10 a rain of gems of the
rarest value. That was the initial feature
of the pyrotechnic display but, brilliant
though It was, it was far from being the
grandest. From that moment until taps
was sounded at 10 o'clock the haze was
continually rent by streaming rockets and
bursting shells from both ship and shore.