The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-28
CROWDS WALKED
TO VIEW THE
FIREWORKS.
Fair Grounds Throng-
ed With City Peo-
pie and Visitors, and
Not an Accident
Was ChronicIed.

Hundreds walked to the Fair
Grounds, last night and hundreds
walked back. The Savannah Electric
Company found. it impossible to handle
nearly 10000 people at one time and in
the neighborhood of 5000 did not leave
the city, although they had prepared
to make the trip.
1t was the largest crowd that has
assembled in Savannah in a long while.
if indeed a crowd of equal proportions
has ever been seen, here before at
any exhibition, outside of the parade
grounds. Before o'clock people were
moving in the direction of the Fair
Grounds and the rush kept up until
10 o'clock.
Even at that hour, half an hour
before Pains last piece had been light
ed, and while hundreds were making
for the half hundred cars that were
banked outside the enclosure, there was
a steady stream going through the
gates. They were belated excursion
lists for the most part, although there
was a sprinkling of Savannahians who
walked out
The cars that were waiting to carry
off the crowd were filed before the
exhibition was over and when the final
rush for the outside was made there
was not even room for one more. Men
and women were already clinging to
every part of the cars and many had
climbed on top.
On Top of Cars.
On several of the cars the roofs
threatened to give way and the detail
of patrolmen, who had been having a
rather easy time of it, were called
upon. Under the direction of Mounted
Sergeant Woods the tops of the cars
were cleared and one by one they were
started for the city.
For forty-fiVe minutes a car left
every minute.
Because of the crush many fares
were not collected and slow time was
made in getting into the city. 1t was
IL o'clock when the last car of the
| long string left the Fair Grounds. And
at that hour there were several hun
| dred people sitting on thel side of Dale
| avenue and upon the street railway
| company's platform, waiting for the
cars to deposit their loads in the city
| and return.
Those who were unable to secure
| passage on the trolley cars presented
an intensely interesting picture. Many
had figured out just what would hap
pen and had not depended upon the
cars. These folks made up a queer
caravan, at least a mile long. There
| were automobiles without number,
cabs galore, bicycles and buggies
drags and street wagons, butcher S
carts and grocery wagons-every con-
| ceivabe sort of onVeyance-close be-
! hind each other. Horses pranced al
| impatient automobiles, while negro
coachmen walked at their heads and
prevented them running upon the ner-
vous and waiting crowd. 1t was ar
unusual sight.
Crowded Into Cabs.
The cab drivers reaped a harvest
but there were not cabs enough to sup
ply the demand, and street wagons witt
rough boards extended from side tt
side made snug sums for their own
| ers. These people charged about Wha
they wanted and received what the!
asked without having to argue.
Six and seven were crowded into ont
cab, but even then there were no
enough vehicles on hand to accommo
date those who were in a hurry to re
turn to the city. These folks, hun
dreds of them, decided to walk, ant
Estill avenue and Waters avenue wer'
alive with people for an hour.
The crowd was one of the most or
derby ever seen here. Everybody ap
peared to be good naturcd, there wa
no drunkenness and not a disturbance
so far as is known. A squad of twent!
uniformed men we're on hand to pre-
serve order, but their services were no
required.
Chief of Police Garfunkel and De
tectives Stark, Murphy and Wall wer
also on the grounds and remained unit
II o'clock. Up to an early hour thi
morning there had not beer a report a
police headquarters of any thefts com
mitted during the display of fireworks