The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-08-01
A WATER CARNIVAL.
Newport's Marine F'ete At
tended by Thousands.
A GRAND ILLUMINATION At NIGHT.
Hnrhor Gny with Flags of wnrships
and Yachts - 4 Land Parade,
which Was Led by Gencr-
al Joseph Wheeler.

NEWPORT. *. l., July 31.-With her
streets resplcndent in gorgeous drapcrics,
her harbor completely filled with flag
covered yachts, three massive warships
In her roadstead and n host of strangers
in the city. Newport yesterday plunged
into gayeties of summer fcte and
emerged at night fully satisfied with the
days frolic. From the firing of the sun
rise gun until the last incandescent lamp
shut its small bright eye the sport never
tagged, nor was there n hitch i'll the al
most continuous performance.
Numerous harbor sports were the at
fractions of the forenoon. a land parade
from the warships and also by the Rhode
Island militia occupied the afternoon,
while in the evening day was made to
almost dawn again through the brilliant
illumination of every vessel ailoat and cv-
cry building on shore. Although the sky
was overcast during the early morning
and thick fog obscurcd part of the
fleet, no rain fell to dampen the ardor of
the crowd or disarrange the carefully
planned programme.
Shortly after o'clock, as soon as the
morning routine of "colors' was finished,
Commodore Ledyard of the New York
Yacht club gave orders to dress ship
and soon every yacht in the harbor was
fcstooned with signal flags.
Rowing races for local crews and also
crews from the three warships followed
the Father Mathew crew winning from
the crews of the naval reserve and the
Old Colony machine shop, while the Mas
sachusetts cutter defeated those of the
Kcarsarge and Alabama.
Unfortunately the weather was too
thick for the submarine boat, and, much
to the disappointment of large crowd
along the water front, this feature of the
day had to be omitted.
The land parade was formed at l 80
o'clock and. with Major General Joseph
Wheeler as chief marshal. accompanied
by brilliant staff, began to move half
an hour after. a company of the coast
artillery from Forts Adams, Greble and
Wctherell under command of Captain
Joseph Wheeler, Jr., headed the main
section of the parade.
Following came the sailors and ma
rines, this division being commanded by
Captain w. II. Brownson of the Ala
bama, while just behind came the com
punies of the state militia and two COM
panies of the naval reserve.
Although the evening was given up to
one vast illumination, it had as special
feature Venetian fete parade of all
kinds of small boats, steam and naphtha
launches and boats, which, strung out
for half n mile, wound through the fleet
like the tail of fiery dragon. Prizes
were awarded TO the best dressed boats
During this parade the sky was filled
with kissing rockets and bursting bombs
from many of the yachts and also from
points on shore.
The electrical display on the three war
ships and ON some of the larger yachts
was particularly brilliant. All three of
the battleships had their great hulls out
lined in bright lights, while flaming over
head was the name of each boat in glow
ing letters which could be read distinct
ly miles away.
On the smaller boats in the harbor the
incandoscent bulbs We're more varied in
hue. long strings of different colored
globes being hung in swinging festoons
from mast to deck. Nearly all the yachts
burned colored fire and the green, red
and green coston signal of the New
Work Yacht club