The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-05
DAY AT THE CASINO
THE LARGEST CROWD THAT HAS
EVER VISITED THUNDERBOLT.
BALLOON WOULDN'T GO UP.
But MUSIC, VAUDEVILLE AND Ply
ROTECHNICS FURNISHED PLENTY
OF AMUSEMENT.

Rockets and Bombs Sent Up
From Barge in River, and Grounds
ITIuInfned by Many-CoIored Mines.
Tub Race Attracted Many Specta-
tors and SO Did Moving Pictures.
Balloon Is Considered n HOOdOO
But Another One VIII Be Secured
and an Ascent Made-CrOwds Well
Company.
Probably the largest crowd that has
ever visited the Thunderbolt Casino
was there yesterday. drawn by a pro-
gramme of excellent attractions which
was begun in the early afternoon and
lasted until nearly midnight. The crowd
began arriving early and each car that
left the city after o'clock not only
had every seat filled, but passengers
hung on to the running boards. The
travel reached its hight about O'clock,
when every car besides being filled it
self, carried one or more trailers that
also were filled to their seating ca
pacity.
The entertainment consisted of the
programme published in yesterdays
Morning News with the exception of
the balloon ascension. The balloon has
been a hoodoo to the Casino: not only
has every effort to make an ascension
failed most signaly, often most ludi-
crously, but by some peculiar coinci-
dence whenever the thing is slated to
go up it's malignant influence seems po-
tent enough to spoil everything else
on the programme.
Its behavior yesterday was in keep
ing with that of former occasions.
hot air got to work shortly before
o'clock. He had his chief assistant feed
the furnace with old barrel slaves and
douches of kerosene, and the remain
der of his cohort, about twenty per-
spring negroes sat on the tail end of
the big bag to keep the hot air from
escaping.
The negroes had been told that it
would be but half an hours work, and
were promised a quarter a piece for
the job.
They stuck to the work for an hour
and half, each minute becoming hot
ter and blacker than before, and then
some of them tried to collect their pay'
and quit or finish the job at an in
creased salary, but neither proposition
went and they were forced either to
give up all hopes of the quarter or
continue to sit on the balloon They
did the latter until in a desperate en-
deavor to finish up the job before dark
and get enough hot air in the balloon
TO take it up, the flame inside the bag
was so increased that a hole was
burned in the side of the balloon and
ii collapsed for good and all.
Manager Nagle of the Savannah
Electric Company has come to regard
the balloon with anything but favor
and so it is hardly likely that another
attempt to send it up will be made,
but MIR. Maggie is equally determined
that having so often promised the pa
irons of the Casino an ascension they
shall have one and a first-class one at
that and so he will take steps to get
first-class balloon here, one that not
only can go up but will go up.
The other events of the programme. l
all of which were carried out accord
ing to schedule, consisted of an aft
ernoon and an evening concert by the
First Regiment Band, a matinee and
an evening performance of vaudeville,
of which the excellent singing of
Pierce and Rosyln was 20 feature, a
tub race in which were eight entries,
moving pictures, and fireworks.
The fireworks were set off from a
barge on the river, and the effect on
the water added much to their beauty.
This part of the entertainment was
concluded with a splendid illumination
of the whole of the Casino grounds;
mines. brilliant and vari-colored, being
placed around the lake to the rear of
the Casino, along the bluff and on all
of the elevation in the grounds, and all
set off at the same time, making an
illumination that for brilliancy and
beauty has rarely. If ever, been aqual-
led in this vicinity.
Despite the heavy tax that was put
upon the street car lines because of
the heavy travel to all the resorts.
the service was excellent, and except
for the general rush at the end of
the evening. the crowd was handled
quickly and in comfort both coming
and going.