Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-05
THE HARTFORD BRIDGE.
Big Celebration at the Capitol City
 Begins To Morrow.

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 The big three days dedication Of theSnew y3.00D. .000 bridge at Hart ford. the finest stone bridge in the wQfld, will begin. tomorrow morning amid surroundings fully in keeping wHh the occasion, and in the presence of many thousands of people gathered together from all parts of the country. The city is gorgeously decorated in honor of the greatest public and pa- trioticl demonstration that the state, if not New England. has yet seen. and visitors are pouring in from all directions and by every train.
 The gathering of public men of Connecticut will be unprecedented. Besides the governor and his stan, there will be all the representatives of the state in both houses of the congress, the mayors of all the cities, all the state officers, the judiciary, and the authorities of many towns The list of distinguished men in pri- vate life and of the notable guests from various parts of the country is too long 10 enumerate.
 These guests and the thousands of others of lesser distinction will see one of the most complete celebrations ever carried out in the United States Nothing has been overlooked by the the committee in charge. There will be attractions for the serious minded as well as for those who delight in the spectacular. To those especially interested in the history of our state and country, the brilliant historic marching pageant, the literary ex- ercises, and the elaborate series of historical tableaux will appeal with great force, as will also the unique land and water tableau of the ar rival of Thomas Hoooker, the founder of Hartford and the Connecticut col ony.
 The fireworks display which will close the proceedings of the three days will be the handsomest ever seen in New England. The electrical il- Illumination of/the bridge, the boule- yard and the city generally will be on scale beyond the conception of all save experts in electricity.
 The grand lodge of the state of Connecticut will lay the last stone of the bridge on Thursday morning in the presence of the largest gathering of Free Masons known in the state who will escort the officers in solemn procession to the scene. One of the finest military parades that the east has seen will march to the bridge on Thursday afternoon when the com 1 memorative tablet Is unveiled with imposing ceremony.
 | The industrial parade on Wednes- day will illustrate by 100 floats of unique design the manufacturing in- dustries of the Connecticut valley. | Three hundred yachts and motor boats will have day and night water carnival on the river on Wednesday, and in the evening will present a re- markable sight as the illuminated craft parade up and down beneath the massive bridge. On Wednesday night also VIII take place parade of 500 1 decorated and illuminated automo- piles and half as many motor cycles.
 The largest parade will take up the entire afternoon tomorrow. This is the civic and municipal parade, in which 10000 men, 30 floats and 3S bands and drum corps will take part. Every business interest of Hartford will be represented, and all the so- cieties of the state will have delega- tions in line. Many of the marchers Will be from out of town, coming from all parts of Connecticut
 There will be 1000 veterans of the Grand Army, 1000 life insurance men, 500 fire insurance men, $500 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, 500 Odd Fellows. 800 Knights of Pythias, ! 300 Elks, 500 Eagles, 400 Woodmen. 450 Workmen, 300 Maccabees, 300 Red Men, 600 Y. M. T. A., 635 Veter an firemen, 1,250 Foresters, 2,00O of the German societies, 300 of the Scotch, 1000 of the Swedish, 600 of ] the Jewish, $50 of the Italians. 700 of the French, 500 of the Polish 500 women of the w. c. T. U., and 200 members of the East Hartford fire de- partment. Two hundred of the men who built the bridge will also be in line, and the State Grange will be represented by five magnificent floats, Smaller organizations will help to make up the total of 10000 men. r The famous coach used by General Lafayette when he was in the colo nfes fighting for American independ- ence will appear in this parade. as will also the TrumbuIl shay. Both will appear again in the historical marching pageant tomorrow even- ing.
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 Other leading features of to-mor- rows programme will be the parade of 15,000 school children, the day fireworks and the Hooker tableau- all in the morning, and the historical marching pageant and the magnifi- cent illumination in the evening.
 The best place from which to see all the events of the three days, and the only place for seeing many of them. is on the mammoth grand stands which the general committee has erected on the boulevard, near the bridge. Reserved seats on one of these stands. accommodating 5000 people and the only stand reserved, cost $2 each per day, including both day and night events, and can be pur- chased at Parsons theater, Hartford, or at the stand The holders of these tickets can go in and out of the stand. at pleasure.
 The railroads have made special rate for the three days of 1 1a cents a mile from all parts of Connecticut. the tickets being good for return on the day of purchase or on the follow