Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-07-09
THIS FOURTH OF JULY GREATEST
IN HISTORY OF OUR RESORTS
Auto Races, Boat Races, Marathon Race, Athletic Sports
And Large Number of Other Events Helped
to Entertain the Gay Throngs


The Fourth of July celebration on
this island was a great success attended
and enjoyed by vast throngs of people.
The transportation facilities of the
Pennsylvania Railroad and the boat
lines connecting with Atlantic City
and Cape May were taxed to their ut
most capacity to bring the participants
in the festivities Saturday, Sunday and
Monday. Hundreds of auto cars from
cities and towns near and far and all
n of vehicles from throughout
Cape May County carried visitors to
the beach. Estimates of the attend
ance of strangers run from thirty to
forty thousand. They were not dis
appointed in the program. The wealth
er was of the finest. The invitation
run of auto cars on Saturday was par
ticipated in by the Newark and Hud-
son clubs and was an enthusiastic sue
cess. The best of music was rendered
throughout the day and evening at the
piers in Wildwood and Wild wood Crest
by Troilo's Royal italian Band and
Pullo's Marine Band. Sunday was a
day of real rest and comfort to all on
the island, for the day was fair and
balmy, the surf simply glorious and the
music unsurpassed. The song service
on the boardwalk conducted by Thomas
Martindale, the founder of that beauti-
full sacred evening service, accompanied
by the delightful music of Troilo's
band filled the thousands of auditors
and participants with the highest salts
faction. Monday, the glory day of the
republic, dawned brightly. 1t was fair
and cool from dawn to darkness and
Joy shone on every countenance. Be-
CLAIMING with the Marathon race at
m,
by the AUTO parade, ocean motor boat
race, tug-of-war for motor and row
boats and swimming and tub races for
fat men, the forenoon was crowded
with absorbinf events to the enthusiast
delight of everybody. AT two p. M.
the auto races on the Speedway, North
Wildwood, began ga the time and were
witnessed by countless thousands of
spectators who filled the grand stands
and lined the course many deep on
both sides for more than a mile. Be-
tween the thrilling events which fol-
lowed each other with precision, Pullo's
band entertained the vast assemblage
with the best of music. The great
tournament on the race course wound
up with the breaking of tEe Wildwood
track record in Al seconds, by the Chad
wick car, Len Zengel, driver, amid the
shout and hand clapping of the assem-
bled hosts. The well Won prize in the
marathon and auto races were presented
to the winners on the boardwalk at
eight d. m. with loud applause by the
spectators for the victors. The fire.
works followed and proved to be a
splendid illumination of the fifmament
with the ocean for a background.
Everybody is to be congratulated.
Three days of pleasure, excitement,
patriotic fervor and joy, without a
blunder or an accident or a pang, put
the seal of triumph on the celebration
of Independence Day at Wild wood-by-
the-Sea.
SATURDAY
The celebration started Off with
motor boat races at the Holly Beach
Yacht Club, ON Saturday afternoon.
The event was the Fourth of July speed
boat contest and four of the fastest
boats in the locality were entered.
They were the "Slick,u Capt. Richard
Stanert, Grassy Sound; the "Gem, /"
VIM. H. Bechmann, Wildwood;
the Happy" Capt. Hewlett Brewer,
Ottens' Canal and the "Skiddo," Char
les l.. Nickerson, Holly Beach. The
The races were held on the yacht club
course and were very interesting, the
finish being so close that as yet the
Judges have peer unable to award the
prizes. In the afternoon the autos
commenced to arrive on the invitation
run and continued coming in until
early Sunday morning.
SUNDAY
On Sunday the band concerts were
held at the Ocean Pier and Wildwood
Crest Pier and in the evening the first
Sunday evening song service at the
band stand was held with an immense
crowd in attendance.
MONDAY
nh nnorofhon race and daahQa al