The Portland daily press., 1900-08-08
Oi Magnificent Fireworks and IL
Elimination of Ships.
4 Marvellous Scene of Beauty in
the Harb0r Last Night.


mate the number of people who witnessed
the exhibition of Pains fireworks on the
Eastern promenade last night and the
magnificent illumination of the North
Atlantic squadron. There were all kinds
OF guesses as to the size of this crowd.
some making 1t as high as 1900 and
others as low as 30, 000 These are only
guesses at the size Of the crowd, but the
truth is that the entire slope of the
promenade and Of Fort Allen park. a
distance Of almost mile was literally
black with people, while there were 40
many carriages in the driveway that It
was almost impossible to move among
them.
At about six o'clock the crowds began
moving towards the promenade. Thou
sands walked but there we've also thou
sands who rode and the line of cars
which run up the hill seemed to be one
continuous and never ending procession.
These cars We're packed so fun of people
that 1t seemed impossible for another per-
son 60 get on board Of them. Men and
women were clinging on to the foot
boards and were standing between the
seats Of the open cars, while in the box
cars the people were crowded together
ike sardines in box.
It was not yet dark when the entire
length Of the promenade from Fort Allen
park TO Turner street and far below that
point was black with people. The stands
for the city's guests and for those who.
wished 70 pay FOR a seat from which to
via 4fta
Cleaves monument at the foot of Con-
gress street, along the edge of the prone
made towards Fort q d park and was
about three hundred feet in length. This
stand was some eight or nine feet high
and unfortunately IL cut of the view of
many people at this point. But there
were many thousands seated on the slope
of the hin IN front of 1t and away on each
side as far as the eye could reach. At
either end of the stand were band stands.
In one the American Cadet band gave a
concert and IN the other the Portland
band rendered a programme. In the CEN
ter OF the stand neither of these bands
could be heard so great was the noise OF
the crowd. The only thing distinguish
able about the band music was the beat
ing Of the bass drum and the hum OF
voices sounded like the buzzing of mil
lions of bees. This continued from early
evening until after the fire works exhibit
ton was at an end.
3 The display of fire works was given on
knoll some distance above the Grand
Trunk tracks towards the harbor and
just at the right OF the old house which
stands above the ship yard and the smeIt-
Ing works. There were at this point for
a distance of some two hundred feet
countless frame works which composed
the set pieces and the other displays.
Some of these frame works were thirty
and even forty feet in length and one
looked to be seventy-ave feet long or
more.
The contractor who obtained the privi-
lege of putting up these stands did a good
business and sold all the seats he had.
There wasn't a seat in the stands to be
had when the first bomb announced the
beginning of the display.
1t had been threatening rain all the af-
ternoon and as darkness fell the drops be-
gan to fall so rapidly that it seemed as If
a shower or a rain storm was inevitable.
At that time rain storm meant the
damaging Of the entire display which
was very costly and those who had the
matter in charge We're extremely uneasy
until the exhibition had progressed SO far
that 1t was seen the rain would do no
harm.
1t was by all odds the most beautiful
sf4-..f ry,r4
seen In Maine. 1t went Off without |
hitch or without a break. There wasn't
a moment when there was not some kind |
of n racket, or bomb or a set piece of
some description to engage the attention. |
And these rockets, and bombs and other
exhibits were by no means of an ordinary
character. They were Of kind never be-
fore given in Maine and some of them,
the inventions of Pain, the celebrated
pryotechinist, have never been given else
where.
The display began by he discharge Of |
several big thirteen inch bombs which |
exploded overhead setting free myriads
Of colored stars which changed to various
colors as they slowly doated downward. |
Then followed in rapid succession which |
released overhead chains of stars. Then |
came dozen of big bombs which re-
leased chains Of various colored stars and
then came a score or more Of fiery foun- |
tains which sent skyward rockets of all
sorts and descriptions. This was repeated
many times during the evening and was
always greeted with applause. Among
other features, it would be impossible to
mention all of the delightful 5hings the
crowd witnessed, was man upon hori-
zontal bar. This figure did the giant
swing and revolved around the bar with |