The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-25

time decrease the number of his fingers
with bombs and shells and torpedoes
which were not dreamed of before the
conflict in which your Uncle Sam came
out on top Fire crackers of Chinese
make. will be. In the Market but. they
will take back seat before the Dewey
bomb. Toy pistols. will not rbe nearly so
poplar as Shafter shells,aand Schley tor
pedoes will give the Dld-fashioned Ro-
man candle a hot chase for favor, says
the Chicago Chrenicle.s sfs
Ever since American warships began
making junk cut OF Spanish crtusiers and
battleships n and American bullets re-
duced the pride of the naughty Don the
men who. spend the midsummer holidays
inventing new pieces in fireworks have
been hard at it getting the names and
faces of the new-made heroes of the
American people into explosives Of -vari-
Gus sorts, warranted to gierify the gal
liant deeds of generals, admirals and en-
listed man and to delight the purchasers
and spectators on the great day when
the nation spends a few million dollars
for noise and smoke The military spirit
which was so thoroughly reused by the
outbreak of the war last year will find
its expression in warlike and high-sound-
ing explosives, which it is expected will
easily have the call over the puny pin
wheels and rockets which have for 80
many years signalized the recurrence of
the Fourth of July.
BATTLE OF SAN JUAN
To begin with, the greatest event Of
this years celebration will be the repro
duction of the battle of San Juan hill by
the First Illinois volunteers, at Wash
ington park race track. This promises to
be a stupendous affair and will no doubt
be a great success. A mound will be
built in the race track inclosure to rep
resent the famous hill up which the
rough riders charged, and at it's summit
will be built a block house, surrounded
to a certain interval by barb-wire fences.
In the block house will be stationed a
number of soldiers, who will have to play
the thankless part Of the Spaniards and
get licked. They will, of course be armed
and supplied with many rounds Of blank
cartridges, with which they will pour a
whitening fire of paper wads on the
Americans charging up the hill. At the
base Of the hill the First regiment will
form, exactly as 1t has often done, for
what Is known as extended-order skir-
mish drill, that being the. formation for
the modern battle line and the troops
will require no drilling or rehearsnig for
their part in the spectacle. They will be-
supplied with new Springfie1ds and blank
cartridges, and at the word of command.
will charge up the hill, firing upon the
blockhouse as they run. Back of the
firing line will be the reserve and the.
support, and they will come into action.
in regular order, while an imaginary bat
IN ~ ootn
will pour rain of fireworks shells on.
the blockhouse and add much to the
spectacle. While the pseudo-S paniards
in the blockhouse will resist bravely
they will, of course, be eventually driven
out, and the Stars and Stripes win be
raised on the blockhouse by the victo-
rious Americans, while squad of news
paper correspondents will be seen charg-
ing desperately to the rear to reach a
telegraph Office and file story of the
fight. The soldiers will be assisted in
the show by local fireworks firm,
which has given many similar spectacles
in the past, and the whole affair will be
given to raise money toward reducing
the debt uou the arnory of the regiment.
1t is expected that the great grand stand
of the race track1will be filled on the oc-,
casions of the fight, as 1t will be repeated
more than once. :.
WHEN WATER IS NECESSARY.
But those who will be unable or indis-
posed to watch the reproduction OF the
famous battle5Ican turn their thoughts
toward Shafter and Wheeler and Hob
son and Dewey and the rest of the big
guns by the purchase and Judicious ex-
plosion Of thenbombs and torpedoes and
things that have Ibeen carefully assi1ni-
lated and named nfor the men who did
great things In the war last year. For
instance the fireworks man has put forth
the Schley torpedo. which is warranted
to give a correct imitation of the White
head article which the admiral used to
fire through pneumatic tubes at the hated
foe. To observe the action Of the Schley
torpedo. however, sizabe body of water
is necessary. and the park ponds will
come in handy for this purpose. When
the thing is lighted and tossed into the
water it will shoot around rather aimless-
ly for a time, giving off ascloud Of sparks
as though looking for a battleshtp. Hav-