The evening Republican., 1902-07-05
THE HEAVENS
WERE AGL0RE

tA"J A'o~ 'AIA o.
down in history as the greatest in
this section for fireworks display.
Room was secured on the trolley
cars by strategy alone last evening
when thousands hocked from the
city to see the display by the E. l.
dupont de Memoirs & Company at
the grounds of the Country Club.
For mile within the reach of the
grounds one good natured body of
people stood and gazed.
A conservative estimate puts the
attendance within the grounds and
in the immediate vicinity at twelve
or fifteen thousand. Besides this
number crowds of spectators stood
on hills overlooking the grounds,
their presence being family reveal
ed at intervals by the glare of a
rocket.
The club house was ablaze with
illuminations and the guests occu-
pied seats on the veranda facing the
grounds. On the hill running
around the fields next to the Club
House sat solid mass of spectators
while others occupied improvised
seats under the trees.
Groups had gathered on eleva.
tions as far as the eye could reach
A party composed Of members of
the water board and their guests
viewed the display from the top OF
the Rockford tower. A crowd apart
from the main one had gathered on
the hill about the tower and it is
estimated that fully one thousand
persons were congregated in that
vicinity alone.
The display of pyrotechnics,
which began about $50 o'clock,
was the most elaborate ever witness
cd in this state, and will be long re-
membered by those who witnessed
the grand sight.
The display opened with the fir
ing of bombs, and as the pieces ex-
ploded far up in the heavens, with
sharp reports the distant Ihills and
woods rang with the reverberations
A beautiful effect was produced by
the lighting OF illumination fires
far out in the grounds. The fires
were red. grsen and white and
lighted up the section roundabout
for a vast area, plainly revealing
the multitude encircling the grounds
and throwing into bold relief the
woods and hills. At intervals the
/ heavens above the grounds would
be filled with a myriad of shoot
ing stars while the next moment
a brilliant shower of golden sparks
would greet the eye, bringing APP
plause from the throngs on the
hills overlooking the grounds
The Wilmington Heights AssocIa.
ticn, gsye display o! fireworks at
Fourth and Broome, that was wit
messed by at least $4,000,
The display could be seen in var
ious parts OF the city, and thousands
were out of doors twenty squares
away. Ia the neishbnrhood, the sur
rounding porches and upper stories
of buildings as we'll as the stand
alongside of Ollvct Presbyterian
Church, which had been erected for
the ! spectators. Each street car
which arrived out Fourth street car
ried more people to the scene, and it
was with difficulty tn al the cars
were gotten through th e crowds on
Fourth street from Franklin to
Searles The crowd whi ch witnessed
this display was the most orderly
ever seen in Wilmington, There was
absolutely no pushing or iostling
and men, women and children moved
about good naturedly.
There Is no doubt that the dis
play which was made possible at
Fourth and Broome streets last
night was Qhe finest ever attempted
within the city limits. The detailed
programme has been printed, and it
was followed to the letter. There
was not break and the entire dis.
play was made continuous by the
clever manner in which the pieces
were set of.
From the time that the aerial
bombs marked The opening OF the
exhibition.
TIE display ended shortly before
10 O'Clock with an explosion Of fifty
rockets which lighted up the grounds
anG adjacent section to such an ex-
tent that objects were plainly viSi-
bic half mile distant.
When the last piece had been set
off there was rnsh BY the vast
crowd for the electric cars, which
were crowded in few mo ments after
they came to a standstill, Officials OF
City Railway Company including
G. Il. VanTrump,
were on the scene directing the run
ming OF the cars. Many preferred to
walk rather than wait for caro-, and
mass of humanity and vehi.
Gle clogged Kennel turnpike for a
considerable distant.
A large number Of especial guests
OF the dupont family viewed the dis
play last evening. These included
officers Of powder firms from New
York and Philadelphia and represen.
tatives Of the army and navy from
Washington.
Among the visitors at the picnic
during the afternoon and the fire.
works last night we're William S.
Calvin, presidedt Of the Hazard Pow
der Company OF New York, William
McBlair, general agent Of the du.
Pont Company at ST. Louis; H. 2.
agent at Baltimore; Il. J.
an agent at Cincinnati.
until the last piece was given, the
crowd was delighted, and expressed
its approval by exclaiming "rhat is
beautiful, that is the finest ever
saw" and similar expressions and the
crowd was right.