New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-25
THOUSANDS AT THE ARCH.
CROWDS IN MADISON SQUARE WATCH
ARTISANS AT WORK.

DECORATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY,
ADORNMENT OF FIFTH-AvE. FROM
THIRTY-FOURTH-s TO THE ARCH
That idiotic slang verb ito rubberneck' was
illustrated in all its moods and lenses yester-
day in and about Madison Square by thousands
Of persons who had come from every borough
In the city and from the neighboring towns 70
see the Dewey trlumphal arch. AS artisans and
sculptors were busy at work upon 1t all day.
there was plenty to hold the spectators atten-
ton. and the animated one. 30
great were the crowds In the afternoon that It
was almost impossible TO stand long In any one
spot to inspect the arch because the weight OF
those behind pressing forward for nearer
view. strong that all were forced re-
luctanty along and half the crowd were all tho
time looking at the arch over their shoulders
and twisting their necks around In a way to
make herd Of glraffes Jealous.
The arch is certainly assuming an imposing
appearance Looked at from the south. the
figure of Victory on the top, surrounded by sea
horses is a credit to the skilled hand that
wrought II, under such pressure as to time 80
are all the other figures no doubt but the stage
Of completion which the arch had reached
yesterday did not display any Of them to tho
same advantage as 1t did J. Q. A. Wards
quadriga. Tribune reporter circulating In the
throng OF admiring citizens who Jammed Broad
way and Fifth-ave. at their intersection heard
many remarks warmly approving the plan to
make the arch a permanent decoration OF the
city by reproducing 1t in marble at some locality
where 1t would not be so much crowded by ads
jacent buildings as It Is where II now stands
NEAR TO A PANIC.
At one time there came near being panic IN
the crowd While the workmen were using
derrick to raise the figure of a sailor to tts
pedestal on one Of the colonnade columns, car
No. 1,34S, of the Twenty-third-st croestown
line, struck Of the guy ropes. and the derrick
and the figure fell with crash on top OF the
car. No one was hurt. and fortunately, the ng-
ure was only slightly damaged by the accident,
but women shrieked and men. thinking some
one was hurt. added to the disorder by pressing
forward to see what had happened. A panic
seemed imminent, but there were plenty Of
policemen on hand. and they soon restored quiet.
There seems to be no doubt now that the arch
will be finished In time
The work of the mural painters. who are dec
Grating Fifth-ave. from Thirty -fourth-st. down
to the arch begins to show signs Of progress.
White hagpoles have been erected along either
curb. four to the block from Thirty-third to
Twenty -sixth-st. few Of these already have
the gilded eagles perched on top. and the blue
bands Of bunting twined around them. Some
Of the bases for the columns of Victory" are
also in position When the figures Of victory
are on the pedestals, the columns Will be con-
nected with great laurel festoons, and these to.
gether with the other decorative effects minutely
described yesterday in The Tribunes great
Dewey Supplement will form an approach OF
striking beauty to the arch itself.
PUTTING on HOLIDAY GARB.
The city is beginning to put on a holiday ap-
pearance in many other spots Fifth-ave. from
Fifty-ninth-st clear down to the Washington
Arch is Uttered with lumber that Is being
worked into grandstands, and from the num-
Der Of signs ITO Let" and Sold" which appear
in the windows one might think that real es-
tate agents were enjoying boom in real estate
transfers; but these signs refer only to the win
dows. and not to the freehold The sombrs
stone fronts Of the buildings also blossom
Ing out here and there with flags. and before
Dewey arrives the whole avenue will doubtless
look like lane in a fair
GRANDSTANDS AT CLUBHOUSES.
Nearly every clubhouse in the avenue before
which the parade will pass has a grandstand
lacking in similar enterprise The Waldorf
Astoria, for instance, has an extremely high
stand extending along its entire Fifth-ave.
front Wherever a vacant building occurs Il
has generally beea leased entire for the occasion
by some speculator who hopes by sub-letting
the windows and filing In the area front with
stand to reap a handsome profit. And II the
weather is fine there is little doubt that he WILL
"Barkers" were industriously selling tickets
before many Of these stands yesterday. and the
general price asked was So a seat Seats at
windows the inside are dearer.
The regular Sunday parade Of we'll dressed
people In Fifth-ave. was largely augmented BY
sghtseers who had come from far and near to
see the decorations. and betrayed their unac-
customed presence by staring at the buildings
instead OF at the clothes Of those who passed
them The tops Of the stages which run up
and down the avenue were filled all day, and
every kind Of vehicle which could be pressed
into service added to the stream Of life In tho
middle OF the road which Wed with that upon
the sidewalks.
That part Of Fifty -ninth-st between Fifth
ave. and Central Park West along which the
parade will pass Is also preparing The New
York Athletic Club is erecting a commodious
stand for its members, and two large municipal
stands are being built on the north side OF tho
street, resting on the park wall.
Central Park West from Fifty-ninth-st up to
Seventy -second-st is particularly we'll situated
for stands because many vacant lots occupy
the western side OF the street. The stands being
erected along there are long and deep. and will
seat a great multitude.
Much of the same kind OF active work is going
on in Seventy -second-st. and in Riverside Drive
almost up to Grants Tomb.
BROADWAY GETTING GAY.
Broadway. especially the lower part OF 1t. 10
getting gay also. Even brown old ST. Paurs Is
puttine on streamers. The decorators on the
City Hail. while rot yet quite finished with their
work. have done enough to show what their