Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-06-20
PACKETS ARRIVE
 AT CAPITAL CITY Grand and Rapids, With Other Steamers, Pass in
 Review Before 15,000.
GIVEN BIG WELCOME
Bands, Whistles, Bells, Cannon and Fireworks Join in Announcing Ar- rival.
4. e.

The steamers Grand and Rapids ar- :, rived in Little Rock at 11:1o this forenoon and the coming was pro- claimed by the firing of aerial bombs, the blowing of whistles and the dis charge of cannon on board the packet Grand. Just about the time the anX- ious thousands on the river bank, the i bridges boats and every other point of vantage had concluded that some thing had happened to delay the boats trim little steamer poked her nose i around the bend and signaled her approach by sounding her whistle. \ ,, second and third, fourth and 1 even a fifth steamer loomed up on 1 the river horizon and the watchers i began to think that perhaps the bat I tleship fleet had come sailing up the stream. First came the fast little steamer, Chastina, of Little Rock; then the A. D. Allen, the Mary Leifer. and towering behind them came the Grand and the Rapids. In this order the boats swept up the stream. the Chastina landing at the wharf and ;, taking on board crowd of sight seers. About that time the Allen be- came plainly visible, and without waiting for the signal the Rock Is land drawbridge was opened for the procession.
 Bomb Gives Warming.
 When the Allen sounded her deep < toned whistle for the draWbridge the aerial bomb was sent up from tue fireworks boat A series of explos- A ls high in the air notified the wait ing speople of Little Rock that the looked for packets had arrived at last. Following the last explosion the whistles in every steam plant in the , city were turned loose. bells rung and ] the five steamers on the river added 1 This was kept up in mighty chorus
 while the procession of steamers passed the four bridges chirping in their voices to add to the din.
 The A. ID. Allen, with about 300 en- thusiasts on board. passed the wharf first, the Hope and Philadelphia bands on board, playing Dixie" while flags and handkerchiefs were waved by the passengers on board. The crowd on i the shore did not enter into the denl-
 onstration until the Mary Leifer passed and the Grand swept up the stream.
 AS the big packet passed the crowd on shore let loose it's voice and the boat, which had taken on board a large number of prominent business men, was given rousing ovation.
 This was repeated still more stren- uously when the heavily loaded Rap ids came past churning the muddy waters of the Arkansas On the prov of the Grand was mounted g
 small cannon, and starting at the Rock Island bridge salute was fired ;, by the boat which ended only when the Iron Mountain draw span was passed.
 [ Boats Go Upstream.
 The original program had been ;o have the entire procession proceed so the Big Rock bend, but when the boats reached the upper bridge Du- rand Whipple, chairman of the ex- ecutive committee, on board the A D. Allen, noting that it would be late when the boats returned. gave the pilot the signal to turn between the free bridge and Iron Mountain which was done. The captains of the packets, however, did not understand
 the change and proceeded up the river as outlined in the program.
 It was 12 o'clock when they finally returned to the wharf, and Chairman Whipple decided to postpone the wei come ceremony until eveFng. Ac- cOrdingly it was announced that the
 address of Governor Donaghey and the response by President kayan, augh would be held at the whart
 just prior to the fireworks display
 in the evening.