Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-03
FIREWORKS SOON OVER
Exhibition, Closing Carnival Week,
Only Lasts Is Minutes
VERY GOOD WHILE GOING ON,
The Programme Put on Very Rapidly
and Ends Quickly.
MANY PEOPLE DISAPPOINTED
Thousands Arrive After the Display
il Oyer-The Crowd Immense an"
the Car Lines Unable To Handle III
with Fromptncss.
NAVY PEOPLE DISAPPOINTED.
with Fromptncss.

The civic carnival came 70 an end last
night with a display of fireworks IN the
Lee monument field.
Many thousand people witnessed It;
thousands Of others who were eager TO
do so were disappointed, and that Tor
twofold reason.
In the first place, the street railway
companies. especially the Traction Com
nanv,s Broad-street line running directly
to the grounds, were unequal 70 the task
Of supplying the extraordinary demand
and in the second place, the display
which. it was frequently stated, would
last an hour and twenty minutes, occu-
pied less than one third of that time.
To be exact, the display lasted just
twenty-five minutes. The opening salute
was fired precisely at o'clock. Good
night was displayed at S:25. Perhaps one
fourth Of the great number OF people
who sought 10 witness the exhibition
had not reached the grounds at the lat
ter hour.
WERE FIRED IN A HURRY.
II was the consensus OF opinion. though
not by any means unanimous, that the
display. as far as it went, was very good
some regarded it as the best ever seen
here. Others did not. II Is undoubtedly
true that some Of the features were ex-
ceptionally fine. People were not dis
posed. as q rule TO quarrel about the
quality. There were, however, many
people. who, like Oliver Twist, expected
more and didn't get it.
The rapid hring of the works, the
grouped set pieces and the very COM
mendable snap with which the exhibition
was handled were, no doubt, largely re-
sponsible for this. There were no waits.
Piece succeeded piece, and the brief In
teryals were filled in with flights Of rock
cts. bombsheus, and torped0es
IL would have been possible 10 have
heightened the display considerably, oy
tho separation of the various features in
TWO, al least OF the set pieces and by
a less generous administration Of the
minor works.
The crowd began 10 pour out TO the
grounds before Z o'clock. Every car was
crowded from that time on for nearly
two hours. Nenturesome spirits stood on
the Tenders, and the roof of nearly every
car bore its quota OF passengers. The
Traction Company, and the Ciay-street
and Main-street liaes OF the Old COM
pany. were unequal 90 the task OF carry
ing the people. IL has been estimated
that nearly 5000 people must have been
on the grounds from first To last. There
may have been more. They went there
by car, in carriages. and wagons of every
description, and on bicycles. and great
numbers walked. There We're great
streams OF humanity moving with haste
toward the monument grounds. As the
cars passed crowds were left at every
corner.
The display began promptly at o'clock,
and twenty-five minutes later il was all
over. The street car companies were
taken by surprise, but the cars We're
was begun. The last carload was not
carried east from the grounds until after
10 o'clock.
SHIPS SHOWN IN BLAZE.
The display was, perhaps. the finest Of
the kind that has ever been seen here.
IL was not the largest by any manner OF
means, but it was the costliest, and its
features were of unfailing interest. It
served to show what an advance has been
made in pyrOtechny in recent years.
The whole design was to Illustrate the
progress made in building battleships
from 1871 TO 1900. There were twelve
tableaux and seven of these were set
pieces, the remainder illuminatOry Of
various descriptions.
The bust OF President Mckinley, with
the words "Our President beneath IT,
was the first set piece. 1t was greeted
with much applause.
The iron revenue cutter James X
Polk" built in 1917, was the first ship to
be presented. The Roanoke" ia 1855, and
tho Colorado" 1857, followed. The gall
liant Virginia Glerrimac), built in 1862
was received with a great demonstration,
as was also the modern battleship
Texas.
The largest set piece of all was the
group of members Of the Naval Board Of
CONSTRUCTION, headed By Secretary of-the
Navy Long. This picture was received
with q marked demonstration, but the
climax OF popular approval was reached
with the presentation of the "Shubrick"
and tho popular founder jof the Trigg
ship-yards Alr. William II. Trisg.
THE LESSER FEATURES.
There were bombshells ana beacon
lights, nights OF tbthttr, SAVWAHb 'ANIta ~
wonders. shooting stars. Jointed stream
ers. cOrnucOplae. cascades. dragons. and
willow trees. There were beacon-lisnts
and decorators, lance fire. coTnetic stars.
golden cloud. peacock plumes, hanging
chains, and everything that goes to make
an up-to-date fireworks exhibit.
Ii is claimed for the fire picture Of the
Secretary Of the Navy and the Naval
Board OF Construction that it is the
largest set piece ever exhibited Its Ill
mensiOns were 2 80 square feet.
The first set piece displayed the coat
of arms Of Virginia, the last, the usual
farewell saIuiation-"Good night The
latter came 90 quickly that its appear
ance caused great surprise.
The Citizens Band played patriotic airs
throughout the exhibition.
A GRANDsTAND ACCIDENT.
There vas an accident during the ex-
hibition. but fortunately, II was not at
tended with serious consequences. The
grandstand. hastily erected by private
ENTERPRISE and not entirely completed.
was so crowded that a small section coli
tapsed. Several people fell, and one or
two were slightly bruised, but none Oh
them seriously hurt.
GREAT RUSH FOR CARS.
How TO get the people out to the monu-
ment-grounds was a problem; how 10 get
the vast crowd back downtown within