The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-05
Small Arms and Thunder
In Unison.
WERE NO CASUALTIES
Storm In the Afternoon Blew Down
Several Trees. The Intense, Pene-
trating Heat The Sensation
OF The Day. Small Boys
Have a Big Time.


eigh yesterday. 1t was on the lips of
every patriotic laddie, ancient veteran
and pretty girl in town. No person
met another without remarking it. In
it's intensity Bernard, the japanese
Theodore with his carker teeth, and
enceS between the notions, the imml-
nence of war between France and Ger
many the eccentricities of the world 8
great, ones; all were forgotten in this
fearful, all pervading and powerful
sensation. 1t was hot. The day was
Il scorcher 1t seemed that the sun
was ambitious to ignite every hery
invention in the city. 1t succeeded
fairly we'll in exploding thousands Of
temperS On the streets was kept up
a fulisade of slang.
But the blistering sun in all its fury
did not prevent the happy boys from
celebrating in their way, but rather
augmented their frenzy of delight.
They Shrieked and screamed and Yell
ed; they filled the air with the noises
of mock battle, and they were trans
ported to such extremities of pleasure
that an occasional burn or cut or Other
injury did not mar the day with them.
The utter lack of serious accidents
spoke we'll for the precautions taken
by the police and the absolute pre-
Vention of lawleSSneSs on Fayetteville
street was commendatOry of their Wig
ilance.
The Fourth of July began just after
midnight Monday but the celebra-
ton antedated it by several hours.
There was in the far distance, an oc-
oasional lugubrous boom, that sound
IL. e hi fDt
out from land upon the still water
Then directly there was almost at
your ears a bombastic bombardment
whose rattle would have done credit
to the attack of revenuerS on a de-
serted moonshinery. Again from the
far distance would wend feeble sounds
of the reports of a gun; and in the IN
terum of all these was an incessant
firing of popping crackers. Many a
blooming maiden felicitously dream
ing of next years creations in hats,
and betimes disturbed by nightmares
in prices, and the mooSey looks OF "a
prospective husband in their contem-
plation, was rudely awakened from
such luxurious sensations by thun-
dering Serenade from her most ardent
one. 1t was a shame, and it is report
ed that shoes and curling irons and
other domestic necessities were hurled
angrily from not a few windows Oh
yeSter morn.
AS the hours passed the firing be-
came less constant, and those abeo
were permitted to finish their broken
sleep. Early in the morning, how
ever it commenced again with renew
ed vigor. The impatient CANON, UNI
able to wait for darkness, discharged
his fireworks in daylight, and then
watched other boys. Fathers taught
To
pistol and other small firearms: ana
with the aid of these with innumerable
cannon crackers, the day was "appro-
priately" celebrated according TO
young Americas idea.
But in the afternoon the skies be-
came clouded and the rain fell, as
though heaven was weeping at the
foolishness of men. But it did not
long continued. The heavens entered
with a vengeance into the Fourth or
July spirit, with all the vim and ardor
of the most patriotic citizen AS the
day was drawing to a close the storm
Kings pick artillery began firing its
heaviest salutes Peal after peal of
shaking thunder rolled from the
clouds and reverberated again and
again. InceSSant flashes of cleaning
lightning painting the heavens with
as fiery splendor, grand with an unuS-
1naSnlIIlcdHce
the common pyrotecnic display to APP
pear insignificant. The giant cracker.
the Roman candle and the skyrocket
were ashamed of themselves, and
modestly went out in the rain where
nature participated in the Independ-
ence Day celebration.
Trees Were Blown Down.
The wind blew hard and tore down
trees. A stately oak in the yard
fronting Col. A. b. Andrews residence
was blown down, and the traditional
mulberry tree in the State capital
grounds was lost while one of the
prettiest NAPLES on the Baptist uni
versity campus was destroyed. Limbs
were broken from trees in every part
of the city. Near the Capital club, on
Martin street an electric wire heavily
charged, fell across a telephone cable
and burned it in two. There were no
human casualties, and as the night
advanced, the storm abated.
Large numbers of Raleigh people
went to Fuquay Springs, Ellington
and Apex yesterday morning to witness
the celebrations at those places. Two
trains were necessary to carry the
crowd to Fuquay Springs, one leaving
at 7:45 and the other at 1915.