The San Francisco call., 1909-10-22
HUMAN TIDAL WAVE
IN MARKET STREET
Scene Unprecedented in History
of San Francisco for
Its Abandon
Multitude Seems Poured Upon
Street From Gigantic and ,
JeweIed COrnucOpia

Last night a boiling, swirling, bub-
bling human tidal wave swept Market
street From where the 1s pillars of
Portola lift before the Ferry building
as far west as the eye could see the
crowd swept on and broke and gath
cred and swept on again.
The street was packed and jammed.
The sidewalks overfiowed- Autos lined
up two deep on each side of the car
tracks were filed with handsomely
dressed women who forgot convention
and threw confetti out upon the crowds
that filed along. four and FIVE deep,
outside the curb.
The day had been a perfect one. The
sun had shined on the sinuous parade
that stretched so many miles The sky
had lifted up in turquoise blue above il.
The heart Of San Francisco was athrill.
and to its throb the people pulsed
along throwing confetti, blowing Gar
Eantuan horns. ringing titanic bells
and joying in the spiendor of the bril-
liant way.
EVERY Fun DEVICE
Every device that human ingenuity
can furnish for time Of carnival was
peddled by street merchants. who
thrust their wares upon the crowd,
crying hoarsc voiced. Here Y are; v
like hot cakes Great cowbells that
tangled sadly out Of tune. innocent
looking little cones that roared like
hungry beasts OF preN. rattles that
whirred and lifted ZIP in shrill cres-
cendo and Chinese horns that walled
and shrieked as if possessed by all the
seven devils Of despair mingled and
Joined in z paean that made fitting
climax for the day.
There was no roughness; the use OF
anything that might result in injury
was prevented by perfect policing of
the way. Every one. old and young.
was covered with confetti and one en-
terprising merchant, growing tired of
selling IL at retail, announced with
brszen lungs that IL was cheaper by
The quart. The crowd that swept along
outside the curb was peited joyously
by those who rode in automobiles and
As ioyously responded until there
seemed 10 be very snow squall sweep
ing down the street.
Looking up the street Ranked sky
high by lights that hemmed IL in, the
bell a Third and Market streets seemed
= jeWeled cornucopia that was pouring
forth a food OF humans into fairyland.
= food that merged and mingled, that
bought confetti, horns and bells and
flowed along in ever widening waves.
on both sides Of the street the win
tcrested faces faces that smiled and
slowed. rejecting the lights above and
The gladness OF the merry throng be-
low.
High up above the city the roar of
bursting multicolored bombs made the
heavens throb. Packed around Union
square the overflow from Market
street was massed and centered and
as the bombs exploded with fierce
glare an upturned sea OF human faces
shone Whitley out as if some wave
Gargantuan had broken into snowy
foam. Upon the roof Of the st. Fran
els the flag, star spangied, blazing red
and white and blue waved valiantly
against the darkness of the night be
vond. The swing and swell of music
from the band bound every one into
perfect harmony, and here and there
voice rang out, A voice that gathered
other voices TO il and swelled trium-
phantly on into a chant Of happiness
and sheer forgetfulness of self.
GOOD WORK BY POLICE
The traffic along Market street last
night was handled without previous
preparation b. the police handled with
perfect Justice 70 those who walked
and those who rode. Vehicles OF every
description. from tlle prosaic cart
wherewith the veae.=bie gardener sup
plies the daily household need to finest
of French automobiles glittering with
glass and brass. were held up en- nlasse
packed. piled Tined up. 70 ma Ike lane
for human chickens who desired to
cross the road The streetcar- traffic
even suffered. The congestion that ex-
listed had set 2 now high water mark
for the vide and busy street Packed
and jamred the cars were. crowded
with people who showered forth con-
fetti. crowded with people who clunE
along the running boards. reckless of
al the mass OF traffic. thinking of
nothing. caring for nothing. realizing
only that san Francisco was the CEN
ter or widened interest, thoroughly
resolved to make the day one that will
he talked of in the highways and the
bypays Of all the world
The night seemed one almost of mas
ouersde Street venders made up as
clowns clad in the gay colors of Por-
tola gave bright touch to the human
tide that swept along. Boys with their
faces painted grotesdueIy. women with
nulticoloEed hats. and over every. one
shower of confetti that glittered like
an iridescent snow.
The spirit OF Portola was on the
street. The spirit of San Francisco was
on the street. the spirit of a people |
that knew suffering and anguish that |
knew wastes Of ashes and cliffs of |
ruins, that knew what toll and effort |
had accomplished. and as they stood |
in time of trial and trouble so they |
stood last night, shoulder to shoulder |
before a world that wondered at the |
scene.