New-York tribune., 1905-07-05
WHEW! 1T WAS A BIG DAY!
4 RECORD CELEBRATION.
Little Noise bit Big Enthusiasm an
Nesc-YOrk's Fourth.

| until the actual day. the average New-Yorker,
| man or boy, had small cause to complain of the
| auspices of yesterdays Glorious Fourth" AS
one result. from midnight to midnight and after,
| the metropolis re-echoed to the rattle of fire.
works and musketry until the alien avowed
the city must be in state Of siege.
The customary quota of deaths and injuries
were the crop. Another result the record
breaking exodus from town. the transportation
| lines of all descriptions being taxed to the ut
most and more than not responding to the
demand.
While the more thoughtful found especial
cause for congratulaton in the peace and pros
porous progression of the country, as well in
the amity of its international relations their fe
licitatfons tempered by single glace at the
national flags haIfmasted in honor of the dis
tinguished statesman who lies dead in
Cleveland.
This, perhaps, the greatest irony of the
day. with Americans declaring freely that
Bunker Hill and Yorktown harked back to
Marston Moor, and Anglo American celebra-
tons taking place in the heart of London. The
letter of the day seemed largely lost in its
spirit For the Norwegian longshoreman the
day had a double significance, and Russians in
this city hinted hopefully of an anniversary
some day of their own.
The manner in which the day was regarded
generally depended largely on the point of view.
For instance, it was not easy for the harried
but omnipresent young ambulance surgeon to
appreciate the glory of the day he admin
istered antitoxn, extracted cotton wads from
wounds bound up with neatness and dispatch
poor little mutilated fingers meditating the
while on the manning OF boy for life as the
unequal price of single hours amusement.
Equally hard too, was it for the ubiquitous
fireman as, grimed with dirt and suffocating
81
dollars of damage wrought maybe by a single
ten-a-penny firecracker Only less hard for
the vaudeville performers, playing double bills
single fee.
Policemen. fremen, surgeons and actors alike.
however. seemed to accept with good humored
resignation what to them merely crowded
hours. least enjoying the day vicariousiy. The
10Th anniversary of the signing of the Declara-
tion of independence falling Tuesday COM
pleted what virtually four days holiday
many of the stores having closed from early
last Saturday until to-day.
The opportunity improved by all who pos
sibly able to leave town, which outwardly
seemed surrendered to the Tammany Hall cele-
bration and the small boy with his noise. Ex-
cept as a clearing house way station for out
side travel New-York seemed a city of the dead
the gri1Iing pavements given over largely TO
spent red cracker shells
Contrasted with the Fourth last year, yester-
day was considerably cooler Last year at
a. m. the thermometer registered so degrees,
while yesterday at the same time it recorded 40
degrees. At noon, however the mercury crept
up to 50 degrees. The early morning was excep-
tionally clear, with a mild and cool southerly
wind blowing
The humidity much less than is custom
AIRY the Fourth. In the morning it regis
| tered 64 per cent. the average percentage for
July. The showers predicted by the Weather
Bureau are expected in the midnight hours.
An immense stream of humanity crossed the
| Brooklyn Bridge from the Manhattan side in
| the forenoon The traffic was such that a rush
| hour service maintained until and
surface and eev ated trains trailed each
other closely. all loaded 10 their utmost capacity.
The bulk OF the passengers bound for
days outing at Coney Island and other beaches.
Women and children in the majority, and
| the bridge police had their hands full guarding
the youngsters from mishap as they crossed the
various loops.
The greatest traffic was by way of Coney
Island and Bath Beach surface cars operated on
track No. o. To reach these mothers with
their children were required to pass over four
| other tracks before they reached loop No s.
The failure of the bridge management in not
putting the cars carrying the greatest number
OF passengers on track No. / the subject of
much criticism.
To the crush and confusion at the bridge en-
trance hawkers of torpedoes added by exploding
samples of the noise makers on sale. The police
were too busy to interfere with the pedlers
and there were no members of the combustible
corps about.
To protect the excursionists from pickpockets
two Central once detectives were on duty at
the bridge. II was estimated that 100000
people crossed on the cars up to noon.
Although New orlIers passed the day mostly
out of town, the city not altogether without
its celebrations in addition TO that of Tammany
Hall. At the Hebrew Orphan Asylum in the
morning there was parade of some six hun
dred cadets. a reading OF the Declaration and a
presentation Of bars and medals. The afternoon
saw a baseball match between the asylum and
the Young Mems Hebrew Association of New
ark, and last night there fireworks. sing
ing OF patriotic songs and recitations by the
children
The New-York letter carriers held a celebra-
ton at SchuetZen Park Union Hil y. j.. the
proceeds OF which went 10 the sick and death
benefit fund. The festivities included concert
by the letter carriers band and exhibition by
the drum, fife and bugle corps. There prize
bowling, athletic contests. dancing and a display
of fireworks.
Exercises were held at Mckinley Square East
l69th-st. The Bronx, by the Mckinley Square
Liberty Pole and Flag Association. The flag
pole was dedicated on Decoration Day
The Grafton delivered by j. M. Wall.
Borough President Haffen made short address
of introduction. and Senator Joseph p Hennessy
also spoke briefly Music furnished by the
Catholic Protectory Band and by the children of
Public Schools Nos. 2, 4. 10, 90 and % and the
Morris High School.
There parade before the exercises at the
square. in which veteran and cadet organiZa-
tions took part
were raised at sunrise the old blockhOuse at
the north end of Central Park. The ensign was
hoisted by Thomas Davis, a Civil War veteran
employed Iy the Park Department. Representa-
~ If