The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-01-04

Ushered I'm with Religious Ceremonies,
Electric Displays and Fireworks.

Washington. December 31.-In ac-
Pope Leo the closing of the Nineteenth
and the beginning of the Twentieth
century was observed with solemn
high mass in all the Catholic churches
lof the city. the services beginning at
midnight At St. Patrick church Mon
Isignor Mantinelli. the papal delegate,
celebrated pontdfical high mass.
Chicago. December 3l.-Thousands Of
people throughout the city tonight
celebrated the dawn of the new CEN
ltury. Watch meetings We're held IN
1.-THE churches. n in b business dis
ltrict crowds OF men n boys marched
iup and down the streets, blowing horns
and cheering while every steam whis-
ltle in the city was turned loose on
the stroke of twelve. 1t was the noisi-
est greeting ever extended TO a new
year in Chicago. The great watch
injecting OF the night was under the
Auspices of the Red Cross Society and
held in the coliseum. which was pack
led TO the doors
An oration on the new century
was delivered by General John C.
BLACK. Greetings from the rulers of
different countries addressed to the
Red Cross Society were read. At 1855
O'Clock the audience rose and began
singing "Old Hundred" and as the
song was finished the members of the
Illinois naval militia fired a salute OF
twenty-one guns to the dawn Of the
new century.
Philadelphia, December 31.-The
passing of the Nineteenth century was
f1tt1ngly observed in this city by a
spectacular municipal celebration,
which included military parade and
lpyrotechnic and electrical displays.
The great city hall and the historic
state house MArA the centers of the
celebrations and great crowds gather
ed in the vicinity of each of these
buildings. Twenty thousand incandes-
lcent lights were used on the exterior of
the city hall. In the state house
twenty tallow candles were placed on
leach window sill which added to the
iquaintness of the old hall.
AT 11:55 p. m. all lights went out,
and the multitude waited in the gloom
las the last five minutes of the century
were tucked off. On the stroke of
midnight. all the lights were again
turned on. and simultaneously a gorge
louS display of fireworks burst forth
from every point of the great build
ling.
The observance at independence hall
was simple, with a t;nge of solemnity
about it. The deep toned bell pealed
out twenty strokes, ONE for each cen
fury; then 125 strokes. symbolical of
the years of independence Of the coun-
try, then nineteen strokes, a pause and
Ia single stroke for 1901.
Charlotte. N. c.. December 31.-The
greater portion of the population of
this city remained I'D until after IL
O'Clock tonight to celebrate the advent
|of the new century. At the stroke of
IL O'Clock all the bells in the city were
lrung n the whistles of the cotton
factories were blown. There We're
Iw~atch-night services at some of the
lchurches.
Savannah. Ga, December 31.-The
end Of the old century and the begin
ming of the new was celebrated by
Ia pontifcal high mass in the cathedral
LOT ST. John the Baptist, with Bishop
Kelley officiating; by chimes on the
bells of St Johns church. by fireworks
Ibonfires, steam whistles and paraders
with tin horns