Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-03-05
Brilliant Illumination a Feature Of
Inaugural Celebration.
QUARTER Of MILLION SPECTATORS
Finest Aerial Display Ever Witnessed
In Washington Gazed At In Wide.
Eyed Worder by the Crowd-One
Hundred and One Guns.
(By Associated PlcSS.l

WASHINGTON. ID. c., March t.
Historic Pennsylvania Avenue is
aGlaze with light tonight. The com
mittrc having in charge the illuml-
nations and the merchants occupying
business .iouSes along its length hav"
We'd with each other in producing tn"
most brilliant display. One OF the fea
lures of the illumination is the
Stretching across the hundred ana
nine feet CT Broadway large mum
Der OF electric festOons. They were
placed a hundred and fifty feet apart
and extend from the Peace mOnu-
mpnt at the foot OF the capitol
grounds 10 the trea sury building and
thence to New York avenue, Il dis
tanCe of about mile and quarter.
The effect is wonderfully fine. The
Peace monument itself for the first
time since its erection soon after the
close OF the Civil War is being put
to the use for which it was originally
intended-that of fountain. Connec-
tiOns with the wafer service were
erade and tonight the great volume
OF water being thrown into the air is
the focus of powerful searchlightS
producing wonderfully beautiful eff
AtCt. ue anu vi
treasury bIilIiins are outlined in in
CandeSccnt lamps as is the pOstOftlce
building where are displayed in the
arches OF its tower several blue green
mercury vapOr lamps of great lHli-
lance. Powerful Searchliehts are
constantly playing on the majestic
dome of the capitol and on the front
Of the new whit" marble municipal
building. The private business places
for their miles of length are. as a
rule testoOned and outlined with elec-
tric lamps. The effect of the whole
illumination is brilliant in the ex-
treme and has rarely if ever in the
history Of the city been eXCellei.
Approximately quarter OF q mil
lion people tonight SaZed with wide
eyed wonder and delight at what no
doubt was the finest display of aerial
fireworks ever seen at the natlona
capital. The exhibit lOn which was
given on the elipse sOIth Of the exec
utivc mansion Eeean "a $50 o'clock
and at that hour the great open
spaces of the white lot and the Wash
ington monument grounds were
crowded by@a dense throng all cxpec-
;ant and eager to see the really won
derful display of pyrOtechnics. 1t is
believed that these crowds number
cd not less than hundred and TWEEN
ty-fivc thousand Then there were
probably as many more occupying the
roofs and windows of the tall apart
ment buildings and other houses both
public and private. which would
make tota larger. il is thought. than
any ever l.aforc assembled in Wash
ington on similar occasion The
program was long one and contain
cd many special and unique features
OF marvellous beauty and spectacular
effect never heretofore seen in this
country.
The display started *ith the
discharge Of one hundred and one
aerial guns. the national salute. ami
was followed by the lighting OF ~
prismatic fires which changed color
2 number of times. The illumination
was superb and the effect of the
changing tints on the towering marble
shaft of the Washington monument
was extremely beautiful Then came
the flight Of one hundred and fifty
rocket bombs fired from several 20
sitions so as to blend their varied
colors. and then in rapid succession
the discharge of battery Of mag