The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-03-05
CITY WRISTBANDS
BIG NIGHT ATTACK
Bombs and Explosives Ac-
company Evening Dis
play of Fireworks.

play or fireworks.
That the city of Washington is in
tact today. instead Of hattened out bv
millions Of bombs was a surprise 30
many who came downtown early artel.
watching the fireworks display IN !he
White Lot last night
They were confident after wat-lius
the aerial battle which took place over
the White House. ably conducted from
below by men carefully picked by Cuu1
n. Rudolph, chairman Of the tirew orlks
committee. that there would ne moth
ing but ruins-which j. going some in
. the way OF realism aud that was the
goal of the fireworks committee.
Because Of the I'VE or six inches Of
snow that covered the ground. ma-,inr
il sosEy. The exhibition was not as good
as il would have been under other con
ditions Tire crowd was not as large
as il would have been if there had not
been a Tumor during the afternoon
that the display had been postponed
until tonight
Crowd There, Anyway
As it was. there were some 5ecoo
persons who saw the display, NOT count
Ing President and Mrs. Taft Miss Helen
Taft, Master Charlie Taft and party Of
friends who watched from the windows
in the south portico Of the White House
until they departed for the inaugural
ball in the Pension OFFICE At o'clock
There were no set pieceS-it was i'm
possible 10 have them because of the
ground and weather conditions. So. Of
course, there was no likeness OF Ia Il
b 60
been il weather ground had permitted.
The war in The clouds seemed 20 make
the hit OF the evening with the SpeCra-
tors They liked that. because they have
seen, read o. heard about Orvill~
Wright's airship. So they saw greaT
possibilities in that aerial war. because
they thought they knew all about aero
states
City in the Skies.
High up in the clouds was shown a
city, With eubattled towers-that sounds
like one Of our six best sellers. but it's
~ fine word-impressiye looking build
iugs, apparently making up a huge city
Of medieval days
Suddenly. out OF the uothmsncss.
dashed a little airslip made Of white
lights. II was followed by others. winch
attacked and etTesIed-rushCd and fen
back one mounting above another ana
great decoration and shattered portions
OF the city. Then the ships themselves
fought death struggles, and the yictOrS
i0us fleet succeeded in winning the bat
tie. az per schedule, before il disappear
Cd, again into EothinEness
The Star-SpanGled Banner was
failure because Of the fact that the bal
looms carrying the vital parts Of the
Tseces we're blown ont OF their course
10y the wind. descending 50 soon that
81 ar7dZ r-TlE hpiuc American
took af1re and burned or the ground.
Niagara, which consisted Of falls Of
pure white fire, made a great impression
on the crowd, and the spectators were
During this display, the grounds were
lighted up so brilliantly that every de-
tail OF the grounds could be seen
Salute Of 1oI Guns
The display began with q grand sa-
lutte Of 1el EUns-terrific explosions IN
midair announcing that the celebration
vas on. The bombs, making the most
noise were the best liked. Then came
80 prismatic fires, shoWeTing all the col
ors Of the rainbow, tnen rocket bombs
galore, and. following these. twenty-One
magnesium balloons. Suspended from
these were strings OF twenty-five stars,
which, chameleon like, changed their
colors from white 20 red, and then blue.
Hundreds or kissing bombs. dsrtinS
7DolIf like bees. leaving q train of sparks
m their wake made the heavens siZZle
ror q time and then came the twenty
i've nests or CObraS. These snakes,
curled naturally as life, hurtlcd through
she air, striking as they uncolled.
twenty-five sun clusters illuminated
the grounds then, so that the brilliauce
vas almost too much for the eye. and
every detail Of the picture could he seen
RE plainly as in daylight
Maoic illumination
Another new feature. like the aerial
battle and the fiery serpents, WIS the
na gicaI Illumination Of the shrubbery.
when there was no noise, but the whole
earth seemed TO have opened up. emit
ting a supernatural FIRE. Hundreds Of
the hanging chain rockets. which drift
ed tower the Monument after they had
been sent up were seen from every sec
1im Of the city.
It's going 10 rain again" was tho
universal remark which greeted the fTSt
Of the 800 lightning candles These pro
du-ed the exact impression Of flashes Of
lightning and not until after the hfth
or sixth one had flashed did the crowd
reslIe that II was part Of the show.
The rocket display was probably the
best thai ever has been given There
were rockets Of all kinds. but those that
made rbe hest inUressior1 were tbe ones
tliat increa sed their number OF re
POr-s until they mad reached twenty-One,
dHc NieN TINS part OF the "a 'Gre began
the din was deafeninE.
Crowd Stays TO End
TWO hundred policemen were on the
grounds 10 keep the crowd in check
They had little trouble, and the exhibit
ton went forward as well as could hrve
been expected, undc- the weather c0udi-
lions. Many OF the 5000 spectators
brought stools, boxes. boards. and news
papers with them 10 protect them from
The snow On the ground. Most OF them.
however. We're willing to take - chance
uu catching cold and So we'd until me last
piece was set off. display OF rlty huge
bombs. which went on With an awful
roar and s, cmed 10 scatter thc IesF ems
run ~ white sparks.
Chairman Rudolph was CougrS GIatn4
Hr Tho spectators FOR the way IU which
'se program was carried ont. Tn, Urr
DO charge OF the work were clothed lu
asbestos suits and none suffered .uIuTL
80 s--ss-zz.ss-ess;,-~ss4-s- 49,
-