Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-28
GREAT PARADE TODAY
Over a Million View New
York's Historical Pageant.
CROWD RECORDS SMASHED
Rain Delays Start for Over an
Hour.
AIRSHIPS DO NOT SHOW OFF
Twenty-M Mile -an-Hour Wind Pre-.
vents Curtiss and Wright
From Flying.
AIRSHIPS DO NOT SHOW OFF

NEW YORK. September os-American
history in visible form passed in review
today before the eyes Of more than a
million spectators that lined the route OF
the first Hudson-F'ulton land parade from
the upper end of Central Park to Wash
ington Square. 1t was one of the great
est historical pageants in the worlds his
tory. Thousands of dollars and months
of effort were spent to make this parade
of fifty-four floats an accurate reproduc-
ton of the life in New York state from
legendary Indian times that preceded the
first settlement to the first voyage of the
Clermont in 1907.
northwest wind. blowing twenty miles
an hour. caused an official postponement
of the dirigible balloon race from New
York to Albany for the New York World
prize. 1t was planned to attempt a flight
tomorrow if conditions favor.
Both Wilbur Wright and Glenn II. Cur
tiss went early to Governors Island.
where their new aeroplanes are housed,
but after viewing the weather conditions
both avfatorS said that there was little
likelihood of fight by them today. and
they would not attempt to go up while the
wind continued strong. Both machines
are ready. 1t was announced that no pub
lie notification of the aeroplane flights
would be given today because, even IL
made. they would be short and no more
than test efforts.
All Crowd Records Broken.
All records for street celebration crowds
were broken. In the eagerness to gain
vantage points in the comparatively small
space available for viewing the parade
record prices were paid for windows. seats
and even soap boxes The porter of 9Th
h,,;Il
boxes at an average price of 81 apiece.
Tie purchasers hastened to set the boxes
on the curb, and, as the crowd packed
tight around them, to hold their positions
they were forced to stand on their little
pedestals for several hours before the
parade appeared
AS early as 10 O'Clock most Of the
available space along the curbs lining the
line of march was taken and the police
had trouble keeping a way open for
traffic on the sidewalks. Between 1000
and 5000 patrolmen were detailed to the
route of the pageant. forty to block.
Every one who could secure even q few
feet Of space commanding the spectacle
reaped a harvest. Workmen erecting q
building at 18th street and 5th avenue
suspended a scaffold at its front about
fifteen feet above the sidewalk and quick
ly disposed of seats thereon at 81 to s.
apiece. Chairs even on the roofs of four
and five story buildings, where the spec
tators got extremely foreshortened views
of the spectacle below. brought good
prices.
While the rain of the early morning did
not cause the calling off Of the parade. it
brought on delay which postponed the
start from 1 O'Clock until . o'clock.
Orders had gone out that the floats
should be- moved from under the 155th
street viaduct, where they have been
standing, at ) o'clock this morning. The
heavy downpour of rain at that hour
made this impossible without causing
he
into effect until nearly IL O'Clock.
Trouble With the Floats.
Much trouble was experienced in get
ting oAt several of the floats without
causing any damage, but eventually all
were out and on their way to the starting
point, where the characters took their
places after dressing in building on the
northeast corner of Cathedral parkway
and 7th avenue.
When the early morning light broke
through a cold, drizzly rain there were
| of-town visitors who speculated with
| themselves concerning the probabilities Of
seeing the parade today.
They couldn't see how the water would
damage the floats much, but they real
lied that the thousands of colonial cos
tunes continental uniforms and the
dresses of the many women who were to
ride in the parade would be ruined ut
terly. Nevertheless. relying on previous
announcements that nothing but heavy
| rainfall would necessitate the calling off
OF the spectacle. thousands, after eating
hurried breakfasts. hastened out to Sc
cure the most advantageous points from
which to view the fifty-fOur historical
floats and the 10000 costumed men and
women who go to make up the great pam
| Drama which tells the history of the
greatest city of the new world.
That was the reason that from 10th
rly ho
west side of the park to Columbus Circle
and then east to the plaza thousands of
| persons were gathered long before the
| hour hand Of the clock had climbed up
| to the last quarter of it's race from me-
| ridian to meridian.
Rain Lets Up.
Though a steady rainfull greeted the
| dawn, conditions grew better as the day
went on. and by midmorning promises OF
| a fair afternoon began to show in the
| sky.
Never before have the people of this
city or country had the opportunity to
study history panoramically on such a
gigantic scale. From the days OF the In
| dian to the present time the chief events
| of interest i'm the story of the Hudson
river country are reproduced In realistic
and artistic manner.
The center of the festivities today was
the route chosen for the historical pa
geant. 1t comprises Central Park west
and 9Th avenue, extending almost in
straight line, with slight elbow at 59th
street from 10th street to 4th street at
the foot of Washington Square. The
celebration committee has attempted TO
| illustrate the periods of American history
made famous by the achievements Of
Henry Hudson and Robert Fulton. AL
though there was a chance that Wilbur
Wrish: and Glenn H. Curtiss might make
brief trial flights over Governors Island.
Sis-b ncCuDied
street display to flock to the Battery as
they did yesterday, when these fights
were the only outdoor feature of the cele-
bration tn be- expected.
1t had leen announced, however, that
if the aviators flew at all their most
spectacular efforts would not occur until
tomorrow. For the same reason COM