Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-09-03
THE HARTFORD BRIDGE
Celebration of Opening Day Will be a
 Big Event.

lne ueulchtiou oi tHe ithTlloIu Bridge. which Is to take place on October 6, and 8, is to be one of the
 most comprehensive and elaborate
 public celebrations ever known in
 New England. A programme has
 been prepared which will occupy
 every moment of the three days de-
 voted to the dedication ceremonies,
 and the attractions which 1t offers
 are 30 many and varied that there
 will be. something to appeal forcibly
 to everyone.
 The dedication ceremonies will be- gin at o'clock in the morning of Tuesday. October 6 with the firing of
 a national salute and the ringing of
 bells throughout the city, followed an
 hour and a half later by religious | ceremonies in the First Congrega-
 tional church. Then will come an
 immense parade of school children,
 in which from ten to fifteen thous
 and children, all carrying American
 flags, will take part. Shortly after
 noon there will be an historical tab l leau on the river, showing how the
 Rev Thomas Hooker, the founder of
 Hartford, and his party crossed the
 river on rafts and were met by In- | dians on the western shore. The
 afternoon will be devoted to large
 civic and municipal parade which
 promises to be the biggest event of the kind that Connecticut has ever
 known. All of the civic societies and | orders of the state will be represent
 ed by large delegations, and it is safe
 to say that the number of men in line | will be nearer 50,000 than any other 1 figure. In addition to the vast num- her of marchers, which alone would
 be sufficiently impressive, this parade will have many spectacular features,
 in the way of uniforms and floats. On Tuesday evening historical ad dresses will be made by the Rev Dr Flavel s. Luther, president of Trinity college, the Hon William F. Henney,
 former mayor of Hartford, and the
 Rev William J. McGurk, and poem
 will be read by the Rev Dr Edwin
 P. Parker. In the evening there will
 also be band concerts and very elab-
 crate illumination of the Hartford Bridge and the Connecticut Boule- yard.
 There will be two parades on Wednesday, October 7, one of auto-
 mobiles and motors and the other an
 enormous industrial procession illus trating the various manufacturing and other activities of the state. It is estimated that at least 10000 men will march in the industrial parade, which will also make a great display of emblematic floats. The automo- bile parade will be an especially at tractive feature of the celebration. It will be in eight divisions-for touring cars, runabouts, electrics, motor cycles, clubs, commercial cars, and illustrating the historical and in- dustrial sides. The cars in the pri- vate car section will be very hand somely decorated and they will num- Der anywhere from 500 up. This parade will be held in the evening,
 which will give opportunity for espe- cially effective display in the way of
 both decoration and illumination. The historical and industrial sec tfons will also take part In the big industrial parade of the after noon. In the historical division will ] be automobiles showing the develop
 ment of the motor car from the ex-
 perimental days to the present time. The industrial division will con- tain exhibits of the Connecticut fac
 tories engaged in the automobile
 business. Another unusually inter- esting feature of Wednesdays pro-
 gramme is the river carnival of yachts and motor boats in both after noon and evening. The yachtsmen and canoeists of the state are making careful and extensive preparations which should result in very beau tiful water fete. A fairy-like scene is promised when the craft are il- luminated for the evening display. On Wednesday evening also a series of historical tableaux will be pre-
 scented on stage at the riverside. Three hundred persons will take part in these tableaux. During the even- ing there will be band concerts in various parts of the city.
 On Thursday, October 8, the final day of the celebration, will come | the actual dedication of the new bridge. In the middle of the morn ing 10000 or more Masons will
 march in imposing procession to the bridge, where the. last stone will be laid with due ceremony. The tab let officially marking the completion of the handsome and massive struc~ ture will be unveiled in the after
 noon, following the big military pa-
 rade which is to be perhaps the most
 brilliant event of the entire cele- bration. This will be the largest
 military parade ever seen iii the state. The entire brigade of the na-
 tional guard of Connecticut has been
 ordered out for the occasion, and