The Washington times., 1905-03-05
NIGHT ILLUMINATED
WITH FIREWORKS
Brilliant PyrotecIlnie Dis
plas on White Lot.
PROGRAM WITHOUT A HITCH
Great Throng Views Splendid Exhihi-
tien and Shouts It's Approval.
Some of the Features.
PROGRAM WITHOUT a HITCH


With briiIiancy and beauty that has
never been equaled at a similar oeea-
sion in Washington. within the view Of
q multitude of people and without 3
single accident OF nishap to mar the
pleasure Of the evening the pyroteeh-
nieal display on the White House elIipse
last night brought to a close the quad
reanEaI gala day Of the American re-
public
The exhibition OF fireworks. the crown
ing feature of the days program. lasted
| for one nour and during that time there
was not a single aggravating delay but
one continuous blaze of fiery spiendor
that illuminated all of Washington south
of the White House and that could be
seen for miles away. Each successive
fash Of light that pierced the darkness
revealed the upttiTned faces Of at least
1ao. 600 men. women and children sur
rounding the rim OF the eiliDse and leav-#
ing a circular space in the center
quarter OF a mile in diameter The pub
lie was prevented from approaching to
danger distance by ropes around the
roadway. but back of the repes the
crowds formed thirty, forty and fifty
deep.
Good Humored Crowd.
! It was a good-natured crowd. and
everyone went away happier than they
came. The program furnished by Gl4aa
II. Rudolph and his fireworks commit
tee was all that it promised 10 be.
Three thousand dollars went up in
smoke last night on the old White Lot
but the illumination. Judging from the
supreme content with which everyone
watched it, was worth the contract
price
T 4rrf7rs no xIx.-
vised the program. came all the way
from Berlin to undertake the job To
James J. Graham. the represent
Of the company who has managed the
preliminary arrangements. belongs a
great deal of the credit. Unlike most
exhibitions of this character. all Of the
set pieces last night We're made in New
York ard brought to this city TO be in
stalled. a force of forty men conduct
ed the discharge Of the fireworks last
night
Portrait of Roosevelt.
The most expensive feature of the
everiag was the colossal fire portrait of
President Roosevelt The entire piece,
including the American arms and the
list of The colonial territories-Porto
Rico. the Philippines. Guam. etc. was
go feet Ieng and % feet high, and was
k1oScQ nGEflIfg Dut ETS&QTES-2
solid mass Of blaze and brilIiancy
But from an artistic point of view the
piece wfica mcst delighted the crowds
vas the bouquet Of American Beauty
roses. which slowly changed to Dor-
trait of Mrs. Roosevelt. Both these fea-
lures caused ringing cheer from every
point in the vast esiipse. as did the
splendid portrait OF George Washington
and the hts American banner. sus-
pended from E.alloon. But, aside from
these, there was a continual outbIrst
of light and color. red, white, and bli,e
stars, fountains of fire. showers Of gold
and pearls. and an immense fire wheel
that has never been equaled in size ex-
cept at the St. Louis Exposition.
Flashing Searchlights.
During the whole hour between s and
3 o.eIeek se:archligfts played on the
White House and the Monument and
hundreds of red and white lights Hum
med the Monument grounds, while the
continual roar of the bombs and the ex-
plosion of the surhursts. and shower
batteries reminded veterans OF the pop
ping OF mussketry and the roar OF
cannon. AMI throughout it all the
flashes of light that rent the sky and
rebounded upon the earth made night
like day. and it seemed as If Phaetou
had returned to set the world anre
There was one miscalculation. The
sparks from 4 dispIay OF star candles
set the Good Night sign on fire and
when the program was nnIsked there
was no way of advising the crowd ex-
eept by the sudden darkness But
quickly the I'll ousands began 10 move
Ii was a move toward d common center,
the nearest approach to PennsyIvania
With one acc ord the elIipSe poured its
multitude into Fifteenth street and
through. that narrow gateway into the
Avenue. with the result that the crush
was fearful one and the absence OF
injuries a marvel.