The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-25
CROWD ALMOST WILD WITH
ENTHUSIAST.
Women Strew Old Here's Path With
Flowers.
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY CUBAN
WAR CELEBRATED.

Gomex Timed Hts Arrival for the Event
The Procession I'm His Honor Con.
q tained Over $4,000 People-Return-
ing Cuban Soldiers Allowed to Pa
r.de-Gomer Got All the Glory
Though.
Havana, February A.-The festivities
today in honor of the fourth anniversary
of the beginning Of the Cuban struggle
for independence. were most spontaneous
and wildly enthusiastic. Havana had
never seen anything like 1t before. The
entrance of General Gomez into the city,
was OF course the principal feature. The
whole town was decorated and the streets
were packed with people.
At half past twelve this afternoon.
General Gomez left Csrro. the suburb
from which the march WAS TO be made,
with procession In the following order
OF formation:
The band Of the seventh regular regi-
ment, mounted playing the Cuban hymn
and national airs; Co. l., Of the seventh
United States cavalry; tn. staff Of Gen.
Gomez with escort; General Mayia Rodri-
guez and staff; General Maxine Gomez,
upon whose right was Major General
Ludlow; the members of Major General
Ludlow's staff then q great number of
Cuban Generals and officers, some
mounted and some in carriages and
finally 1000 Cubans, cavalry and infantry.
As General Gomez passed, the crowds
went wild, hats were flung In the air and
women showered flowers on all sides.
General Gomez bowed and raised his hat
| necessarily as the crowds struggled TO get
near his horse and clung TO the animals
ides as long as possible.
| The procession stopped frequently,
| eventually fling into the main streets of
| the city, passing Central park and arriv-
| ing at the palace at half past two. The
Prado and other avenues were lined with
patr lotto clubs taking up various posi-
tions Of antage, and then joining tho
professions as 1t passed on from the
palace, from q balcony of which 1t was
reviewed by Gen. Gomez Once at the
palace, the Cuban commander In chief
| was welcomed by Senior Mora, the civil
| governor Mayor Perfecto La Coste, the
members of the city council, the Junta
Patriotica, the members Of the Assem- oily.
ard numerous patriotic clubs. Following
| the procession were many private car
riages, filed with women representing the
best society. The Cuban bands played
the Cuban national hymn, varying this
with Dixie, THE Star Spangled Ban
ner. - 1.-The Stars and Stripes Forever. ="
and popular American marches.
There were many ah5gorical floats, sx-
pressing the friendship between Cuba
and the United States. Two attracted
particular attention, each drawn by three
yoke of oxen. One represented the Cuba
| of yesterdsy-a woman standing with
manacled hands, a broken wheel barrow
and other signs OF desolation at her feet I;
| the other the Cuba of today-H woman
under q palm, smiling and surrounded
by many evidences Of prosperity. Still
another float represented Cuban woman
holding an Am erican flag, with the shat
tered crown of Spain at her feet.
Many Dominican flags were shown; and
there was one representative float in hon
or of the country of Gomez. Several fg-
ures dressed as North American Indians
were conspicuous. No fewer than 20 600
persons were in line, requiring three
hours to pass given point.
The horses of the Cuban cavalry are
scrawpy and i'll fed. and the cavalrymen
are clad i'll vague Cuban uniform. All
carried Remington carbines with non
Gescript bundles Of clothing and bedding.
They marched in line Of twos The in
fantry as they passed the palace presented
stuck in their rifles.
The enthusiasm of the crowd was di-
reoted to General Gomez and certain well
known commanders rather than to the
troops themselves. As compared with the
way the American populace welcomes
hack soldiers-the men who have done
most and suffered most-the Cuban troops
today seemed neglected.
After the review at the palace, General
Gomez and his staff proceeded to III
Vedado to visit Governor General Brooke.
This evening he attends the charity ball
at the Tacon theatre.
As the darkness approaches, the streets
are still crowded. fireworks are exploding
and the returning bands play over and
over again the national hymn. Ihe thea
tres tonight gave patriotic performances
and there will be fireworks and music in
Central Park. After the ball General
Gomez will go to Qui ia de Molinas. the
former residence of the Spanish Captains
General, where he will reside with his
staff and escort
The foreign consuls raised their respec-
tive flags in honor of the day. The
crowds throughout were orderly. Alto
gether the entry of Gomez was we'll
timed, his presence making the anniver- :
sary festivities doubly important and Civ
ing the enthusiastic people two-fold
opportunity to express their emotions.