The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-19
DON'T MIND THE RAIN
YsxCURSIONIsTS MADE THE BEST
OF BAD WEATHER.
a MOST ORDERLY CROWD.
POUND PLACES OF AMUSEMENT
BEFORE RAIN FELL.

Tybee Mecca for VisitOrs-Surf
Bathing and Dancing Were the
Order of the Dny-Vaudeville Per-
fOrmances at ThunderbOIt Drew
Large CrOwds-Rifie Range Was
Also an Attractive Point of Inter-
est-FOme Going VIII Commence
To-day.
The steady downpour of rain yester-
day afternoon put few restrictions on
the going and coming of the four or
Ave thousand strangers within Savan-
nah'F gates. Early in the morning.
when the day promised to be a perfect
one. the streets were alive with them,
and long before the first challenging
drops had fallen the various resorts
had received their quota of the visit
ors, and when the clouds finally turned
loose their batteries and old Pluvius
marshaled his forces for continued at
tack, all of the visitors were in easy
reach of places of protection.
Tybee, where summer breezes blow
and the casino bands drone dreamy
waltz music to the deep diapason of
the rolling surf, was the Mecca for the
visitors. The first trains down carried
hundreds and hundreds of pleasure
seekers, all ready to take conditions
as they were providentially ordered
Rain or shine they were determined
to make the best of the trip to the
seashore. and they did. AS early as .
o'clock, the beach was lined with bath
ers in scant attire and the timid ones
more conventionally CARRIED, who were
content to extract their enjoyment at
safe distance from the belligerent
waters.
Looked After at the Hotels.
Hosts Graham, at the Hotel Tybee,
and Bohan, at South End had their
hands full in looking after the wants
of their patrons. AS soon as the rain
commenced falling after dinner the or
chestras took their places in the dane
ing paNlions and all was as merry
as if there was no such thing as dis
agreeable weather outside. Many OF
the visitors spent the night down at
the seashore.
Thunderbolt, whose attractions have
was also a scene af activity. The
vaudeville performance, at both matt
nee and evening, were largely attend
ed, and many enjoyed the novelty of
the chutes in the bathing pavilion.
The Isle of Hope was not neglected,
and Manager Barbee fed and enter
tanned many of the strangers.
While the weather has interfered
with the enjoyment of the visitors, few
complaints were heard yesterday and
all seemdi determined to stay the
limits of their tickets. which is to-
morrow at midnight.
The railroads have made arrange
ments to take them to their homes
as fast as they want to go and to-
day extra coaches will be added to
all regular trains to accommodate those
who may desire to leave for their
homes before time. The first home
going special will leave the city to-
night, probably, but the ma jority of
the visitors will wait for the five spe-
cial trains that will be run out of the
city tomorrow.
Many at Rifle Range.
popular place for the visitors dur
ing the afternoon was the rifle range,
where they found many friends and
enjoyed the interesting and amusing
features of camp life. The militia
DOyS Ielt ike real soldiers as they in
itiated the visitors into the mysteries
of army technique. Many shared their
mess with friends from home.
Considering the size of the crowd
that invests the city il has been one
of the most orderly that has ever visit
ed here. The police have had rracti-
cally no trouble with rowdy charac-
ters.
Many amusing stories have been re-
lated at the expense of the visitors.
A prominent business man was over
heard telling a friend how his wife
woke him up early with the startling
announcement, There's burglar
trying to get in, Ben" A noise at the
window seemed to confirm his wife's
suspicious and after carefully loading
the chambers of his revolver, he raised
the window and shouted, Who's
there?" Please,-hic--tell me the way
to the-hic-depot," came the response.
1t was only an excursionist.
All are well pleased with the city
and want to come again and midnight
tomorrow will find many loath to
leave. For the retail stores and re-
sorts of the city the excursion has
been one of the most profitable sources
they have ever experienced and all will
welcome another crowd of this charac-