The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-06
THB FIREWORKS DISPLAY
Bursting Bombs and Rockets Please
an Immense Crowd.

A brilliant Illumination on the
Grounds Adjacent to the washing
ton Monumcnt-Ralloon Ascension
| Not Given on Account of Wind.
The eagerly looked for pyrotechnical
display, postponed from Monday even
ing on account of the weather was given
| last night, and attracted perhaps one of
the largest crowds ever gathered on the
| White Lot. The exhibition was, with the
| exception of a few set pieces entirely an
aerial one. and the throngs which sought
the west front of the Capitol and other
commanding elevations from which to
| witness the brilliant showers of SPARKS
and gorgeously colored fire were enabled
to enjoy the show to as much advantage
| as those who flocked to the immediate
| vicinity OF the circle back OF the Exeeu
tive Mansion. in which the fireworks were
| shown.
From O'Clock until the lower part of
| the city was brilliantly illuminated by
| continuous shower of flaming stars
| bursting b10 feet above the tremendous
| crowds OF sightsears. while the whiz of
the rocket and The roar of the bombs
added increased zest to the occasion.
| No estimate of the crowds witnessing
1 the eAnlDlllOn COulO De maze, nut tnOse
actually on the grounds were numbered
by thousands, while many more saw
tho display from balconies along the Ave
| nue. and from house-tops in the extreme
northwest. a densely packed mass of
humanity filed every available space In
| the White Lot and overlooked into the
| Exec1tive Grounds between the Monu-
| ment aid the Treasury. The manage
4 ment of the exhibition was much better
| than that of the similar display of the
| Mystic Shriners. the fireworks being
| ignited from a large open space, from
| which the crowd was kept by a roped
| fence.
The most impressive feature was the
| manner in which the white shaft of the
| Washington Monument was thrown out
| in bold relief against the crimson illum-
ination of the electric suns" and the
packet fires" During that time the fin
| est print could have been read at any
point in the Monument Grounds To the
| north, the outlines of the Treasury and
the familiar design of the State, War, and
| Navy Department building were brought
| out sharply. Those who ridcule the pres
ent White House would have been forced
TO change their minds in regard to the
necessity for a new Executive Mansion
could they have seen the beautifully sim
pie lines of the building under the magic
of the carmine illumination.
AT $50 the first of the minute guns pro-
vided by the committee to announce the
| beginning of the display was fired. They
continued at short intervals until
O'Clock. The first feature to win the
plaCdits of the onlookers was electric
fountain of fire, terminating in crown
OF variegated flowers II was followed by
! glittering procession of aerial rockets
and flight OF mammoth bombshells
which burst in the air with loud reports
and produced a scintillating array OF to-
paz and emerald comets. Batteries OF
1eweled mines kept the heavens brilliant
for many minutes with flery-tailed wig
glers of fantastic shapes and gorgeous
hues. The pieces followed each other in
rapid succession, making the brilliancy of
the sky almost dazzling.
IA varied assortment of colored lights,
bursting bombs. falling stars, comets, and
meteors, all changing colors. blinded the
gazers when the first explosion came.
The new piece OF fireworks was invented
for this occasion. 1t was called the
Message from Mars, and it was suf
hciently impressive to have come from
that planet.
the air which burst into the national
colors and descended in shower of red,
white. and blue stars. The terrific bonn
bardmeDt by noisy bombs and screaming
"Whistling Jacks a pyrotechnic curios-
ity never before seen here, which exc
cuted the most astonishing capers 500 feet
| ABOVE the neaNS OF the closely packed
people. were probably the features which
were most enthusiastically received.
A peculiar shade was cast on the Mont
| ment by the electric star rockets, one
hundred of which were hurled simulta-
neously into the air. On bursting these
rockets released number of parachutes
from which was suspended a brilliant
white star, which lit up the heavens for
a great distance. While this number OF
the programme was being fired the dome
Of the Capitol was brightly illuminated
with beautiful effect.
The contract for the display was award
ed to Nordlinger & Charlton, Of New York
and the subcommittee OF the Inaugural
Committee were highly pleased with the
exhibition which the company gave. One
Of the exhibits which was TO have been
q feature the balloon ascension, was not
given because of the high winds.
At the close of the display the subcOm-
mittee visited the newspaper Offices and
passed resolutions of thanks for the
notices which had been printed. A large
part of the credit for the successful con-
duct of the entertainment is due to Chair
man Cuno II. Rudolph, and the Com
mittee on Fireworks.