New-York tribune., 1909-09-26
R[VERSlDEPARK CROWD
CHESTS IN WHIRLPOOA.
Police DO Their Best, but Are Help
less Against Human 1fde.

.,,houv-b the slopes OF Riverside Park slOioe. ,
vast natural reviewing stand for seVer a,aI
thousand persons. including op,U.na.o Nr,,l,on
officers and foreign guests Of the huus a. ,,os
sIoOr.,ion the crowds were so dense thst IL W.
,,,,rs ss,er the parade ended before the usisp0''
sion lines returned 20 normal trafiic conu.' ~ .,.
Hever before had such crowds formed Delo" -,
asg vail which skirts Riverside Drive ana W. W.
Is, ,'-o,., stair,ravs leading the promenades
on6 street the army OF spectators. Whlch Des". -
FORM As early as o'clock. was left IN "eP'S'
mass at the close OF the review" -
Dr VIZ ring-fang. Chinese Minister was , il,o"s
she first Of the diplomats 10 le@Vs @ o - hod
Gateway He and the members OF ms sun W
a,-7,,. ,,ssssd through the narrow lane leauihs "
she stairway al lpgh street when the cro"os o'oSu
an from every direction. Like giant wave 1.o
thousands who had waited for hours foho"eo 'he
dirlonats closing every passageway ~hch haa
been kept free by the ponce duIius INC P''s'
the naval parade.
Tired by long trips and the struggle 10 get 10 'e
lower parkway. the men, women ana chAore"
ssr,ultaneousv moved toward the stairs elDo"lhg
gold banded naval officers, froek coated diplomats
and their suites until all were forced to make the
best Of the situation and Join the crowd in the
movement 10 gain the upper driveway. The police
al the top OF the retaining wall made feeble ef1orts
at giving orders through megaphones' which re-
suited only in changing the course Of the crowds
toward other exits, each time dragging the guests
OF honor in another direction.
FORM HUMAN LADDERS.
The stair,yays at lOsth street and 1o3d street were
chohed with women and children w4o were being
practically lifted 10 the street by the crowds IN the
rear.
AT the height Of the crush men and boys formed
human ladders. dragging one another up the SIDES,
while not few of the naval officers and foreign
visitors scaled The wall at 1929 street. where the
driveway is not more than fifteen feet above the
slope. Willing hands were ready 10 receive the
guests Who had been buffeted about for n half
hour or more and who had scaled iron fences,
Ieaped across mud holes and had pushed their way
through the brush TO gain The places where their
automobiles We're waiting.
When she police realized that il useless 20
hold tie open lines the guests Of the celebration
the inspectors took charge Of every stairway 10
force ;he struggling crowd into a line. which eX-
tended for hundreds Of yards along the promenades
While this prevented any accident it did not in
way hasten the movement of the crowds. and it was
only after several hours that the starways became
cleared
Through the tactics followed by the police. the
thousands who swarned the greens and slopes Of
the park kept in the best OF humor at the most
TRYING time When the crush was at its worst, the
uniformed men dipomatically herded the sightseers
together
When word reached Inspectors Boetling, Titus
and Henry that the diplomats Were being carried
IN every direction the police formed flying wedge
and finally succeeded in clearing path leading
from the water gate 10 10th street. As the for
eign representatives who We're the last 10 leave the
reviewing stand passed through the lines of police.
the crowd cheered. and good naturedy accepted the
police orders te the starways several blocks
away.
NAVAL MILITIA HELPS POLICE.
Long before the Clernont and the Half Moon left
the Kin Won Kull the West Side OF the city was
hacked with New Workers and strangers who were
hurryng TO the river front The police kept the
crowd moving until they took up every foot Of
ground on the slopes, from the New York Central
tracks TO the retaining wall. At noon the police
ordered the passageways 10 the lower park closed,
and only those who had passes were allowed below
the wall
Reinforced by the members Of the naval militia,
the police had aises arranged from the stairways
l0Sth street and 1l2th street, which used
by the invited guests their way TO the reviewing
stand directly in back OF the water gateway at
the foot Of 10Th
Through these lines Governor Hughes. the mem
bers OF the foreign delegations and Vice President
Sherman passed their way 10 the Court OF
Honor" where the exercises attending the open
ing Of the celebration were held.
When the Half Moon was announced by the can
nonade Of big guns the warships, anchored in
the lower river the from 72d street 10 the
Niaduct were packed with humanity. Above the
slopes Riverside Drive jammed with people
who crowded automobiles. carriages and every We
hicle which could be pressed into service.