New-York tribune., 1909-09-26
THE VAST CITY ABLAZE
ILLU1fINATTONS IN ALL
DIRECTIONS.
Huge Cro5cds See the Lighted Var
ships and Fiery Jubilee
ON the Hudson.

How many millions of New Yorkers and how
man hundreds of thousands of visitors saw the
Hudson Fulton illuminations last night is as
great mystery as where all the lights went
when they went out. Everybody who could look
out of.a northern window, everybody who looked
westward over the houses, everybody who cast
an eye toward one of the four bridges # the
East River and everybody who looked up
cross street toward Fifth avenue Central Park
West saw something of the nights spendor.
And the million and odd peoi who stood and
looked out on the mighty circus of the river
from the sleeps of the gree Manhattan shores
or the rocky Palisades saw the fiery jubilee
spout up 10 its grand climacteric
But up where they could see the river and its
qusdruple navies of fire there were many
people that wondered with good cause why
the good island of Manhattan diu not keel over
westward and turn turtle under the jam at its
starboard rail Every inch of greensward and
rocks from which peep to be lad at the
water or at the air over it, vc-cd so close
a dachshund could not have s4uirmed through.
Every pier was packed Every foot of railing
froln one end Of Riverside Drive to the other was
l.arn.I By somebody's weight The viaducts
were so 1ul that the police. of them every
twenty feet, could barely keep the crowds
moving
FROM THE BACKS OF AUTOS.
Portly women, almost tall their daugh-
tiers and altogether smarty gowned. perched
themselves with their young folk on the backs
of lodging automobiles and let OFF little screams
at the gay show reckIessly as anybody else
They had need of all the advantages of position
for the Drive was reeking with the smoke of two
endless double rows of cars, roaring north and
south in reckless fashion, hurrying through the
hoows and lettering shamefully on the high
places where the river in sight.
Charming young persons who ought to have
been better chaperoned slipped under the ropes
and swung their ankles over the stringpeces of
piers till they were chased off like mere school
girls by the viglant police Keen looking men
with erzzled whskers and smart walking sticks
scrambled with their families up the rocky park
slopes and glared at the ready irreverence of the
younger generation. They bettered themselves
cry little by their manceuvres for the most part
for the populace had pre-empted all the best
places hours before the show began
Every westward window in the towering
apartments from the foot of the Drive to 1J9th
street held group OF blessed beings who could
see all they wanted to. For the rest New York
stood on its tptoes and opened its mouth For
once the city was shocked out of it's cynical in
difference and blurted out it's amazement as
readily as the merest Mississippi River town.
The city was glorious from end to end Fair
in the centre tho Metropolitan tower rose in all
its new spendor, allght in every window and
blazing at the tip like a lighthouse Up Fifth
avenue and Central Park West the route of the
coming paradcs was light as at noon. with
the briance streaming far up the towering
piles of buildings on either hand The sidewalks
were running full to the rio with folk who
found the more modest gorio- of the towns
inr ", parts enough to satisfy them.
II was really wonderful show that they saw