The Saint Paul globe., 1904-08-30
THOUSANDS VIEW
THE FIREWORKS
All Sorts of Shows Anus e
Crowds in Grand Stand Be.
tween the Acts

The fair crowd filled the grand
stand to it's full seating capacity last
night and hundreds were obliged to
to see the big show that was enacted
in the infield of the track. The vaude-
vile programme of the afternoon was
repeated in part and some additional
turns were put on to the apparent en-
joyment of the crowd. During this part
of the entertainment two horse races
were pulled off, one a haf-mile dash
and one a mile.
All of the turns, especially those of
the japanese jugglers, were applauded,
but the crowd had come to see the
fireworks, and it apparently did so.
The destruction of st. Pierre by
Mont Pelee was the feature of the
evening and was shown with a lavish
destruction of powder and bombs. The
exhibition is arranged in the infield of
the race track and shows the water
front of the ill fated city, with the
town itself in the foreground and the
heights of the volcano back on the sky
line.
Along the quays several hundred
young men and women are arranged in
picturesque groups, and when the
mountain begins to show signs of ac-
tivity they run right and left and dis
appear around the corners of the can
vas cliffs. 1t was chilly last night, and
across the little pond the members of
the company could be seen to shiver in
their light clothing.
Finally the top of the mountain
(.rlV = 1f gx,,
chasers'' completes the scene of desc
lation.
After the city has been destroyed
there is fine pyrotechnic exhibition.
Hundreds of rockets and triple action
bombs are fired into the air. This part
of the programme was perhaps as fine
as anything of the kind shown at the
state fair. The bombs were discharged
with exact precision and the effect of
dozen of rockets and bombs exploding
simultaneously was splendid.
Scene Made Brilliant
At the time of the eruption of the
volcano it is said that French cruiser
was lying at st. Pierre, and her Off
GERS were being entertained by the
people of the town. Whether this was
taken from the history of the disaster
or was an idea of the proprietor of the
spectacle is not certain, but at any rate
it gave an opportunity to people the
quays with graceful crowds of bright
ly dressed women and thus lent inter-
est to the show.
The attendance yesterday was ap-
proximately 10000, paid admissions.
This is the largest attendance ever
noted for opening day, with the single
exception of last year, when Dan Patch
was such great attraction that $4,000
paid to see him go an exhibition mile.
The difference between yesterdays
receipts and those of last year was
something .over $4,000, but Secretary
Randall says that the attendance is
perfectly satisfactory, inasmuch as the
receipts yesterday were greater than
they were two years ago opening day.
TT would not be fair said he, ito
compare this opening day with last
year, because this year we had no spe-
ciaf headliner attraction like Dan
Patch. Last year he drew nearly
$1,000 of business that probably would
not have been done if he had not been
on the card. We will not lose all of
that. however, because the crowds are
larger this year than they were in 1902,
with which exposition fairer COM
parison may be made"
The officers of the fair say that with
good weather the attendance during
the week will foot up even or better
than it has ever been before.
There were a few minor accidents