The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-09-27

AUDIENCE OF THREE MILLION
Vast Crowd Witnessed Opening Exer-
cises of Celebration

New York, Sept. 27--The sailer
men OF eight Acknowledgement, Ger
many, France, Italy, Holland, Mexico,
Argentine and the United States
shufled along the streets of New
York yesterday mingling with visitors
from north, south, east and west in
the first day of,rest after the opening
Of the Hudson-Fulton celebration yes
terday.
Beginning at noon, Riverside,
vantage point, affording a view OF the
anchored battleships began to fill rap
idly and at O'Clock was again I'M
comfortably crowded. although there
was no organized naval parade during
the day.
The Half Moon and the Clermont
lay at their anehorages where they
will remain until the naval parade or
Friday, October l, when, escorted by
the light draft warships and followed
by the merchant fleet again, they VIII
sail to Newburg, where they VIII be
turned over to the Albany upstate
division of the celebration.
Three million people formed the
audience for the maritime show inaug-
urating the weeks carnival.
The warships confined their partic-
ipation in the days events to deep
and reverberating salutes when the
historic characters in the show-ful-
tons Clermont and Hudson's HAN
Moon-passed them on their way 10
the official anchorage where they
were received by the dignitaries OF
state and nation, in the company OF
military or naval, of the chief nations
OF the earth.
A foremost place among these offic-
ial supernumeraries was given tue en-
voys of Holland which joins with the
United States, as Hudsons sponsor
in the present celebration. The chief
incident of this part of the days per
Torrance was collision between the
two stars. The Half Moon inspired
perhaps by professional jealousy, got
out of control of her managers on
Staten island and raped the Cler-
mont smartly on the port side.
The Dutch sailors from the cruiser
Utretch found the craft little too
puzzling to handle under sail in a
strong breeze and when she came
around the corner of the ferry wharf
at st. George she took charge and
headed down wind for the Clermont.
The first steamboat not being MIN
BILE, she could not get out of the way,
and the Half Moon hit her squarely
on the port quarter No great dam
age was done either. Thereafter the
Half Moon went doeilely through her
pace at the end of tug hawser.
The cause of the collision was at
tributed to the Clermont's machinery
stopping at the critical moment when
The Half Moon bore down on her.
The Half Moon was commanded by |
lieut.. Lam of the cruiser Utretch. |
who found that he could not steer her
clear OF the Clermont.
The Half Moon lost her escutcheon, |
a polished oak shield bearing the |
arms OF Holland that was fixed under |
he bowsprit. She also had some of |
ner bowsprit carried away. The Cler-
mont sustained hole in her hull and |
ost several feet OF rail.
She was keeled over so far by the |
collision that her passengers including |
1 Connecticut clergyman impersona-
ing Fulton, thought themselves In |
hanger of falling into the harbor
The Clermont's machinery was
somewhat loosened on its base, but |
after taking a tow for time she was |
able to resume her course under her |
own steam.
The collision was the only unsched- |
lied feature in the daylight program |
which eliminated in the official recep- |
ion to the two historic ships.