The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-11-02


ships because Of the thick cloud Of smoke,
whitish gray cloud that the chill north
wind blew toward the watch ers ashore
until it was dissipated in a harmless mist
against the grayer tomb of Gen. Grant.
The lightning flashes Of the saluting
guns had begun 50 far up tho river that
even though the crowd where the reporter
stood could see the crimson flashes in the
gathering dusk clearly enough to count
each salute no sound was heard. Then
as the Mayflower steamed nearer home
faint "Pah! Pah! Pah!" could be heard
As the tongues of fire belched down the
line each report came nearer to saying
"Bonk!" And finally the Gcorgia's turn
came and she shot out straight toward
tho crowd gathered about the tomb with
blast that really said Bang" each time
the guns let go and which. aimed straight
at the crowd, made ones derby hat shiver
bit at each flash
Tho Mayfower sailed on southwark
serenely. The Georgia was just beginning
when the Idaho let loose. The Mississippi
overlapped the Idaho and the tomb OF
Grant trembled Further and further
down the river in turn-or out of turn
the Ohio, the Missouri, the Minnesota.
the Kansas. the South Carolina began
to shoot out sheets of flame as night came
on.
The crowd massed about the tomb
watched until even the "Pahl Pahl Pah!
Pah!' had died out in the gray mist toward
the south and then it began variously
to climb into automobiles parked along
N Ari,s, liz AZ I'D hlnnk 70 tkn
subway-most of il walked TO the subway
and went home.
Earlier in the afternoon the crowd had
been less impressed and therefore more
noisy. A very great many folks came
across town as far westward as Tenth
avenue in the Fifty-ninth street cross
town cars-as far west as the cars go
and hurried TO the waterfront TO begin
at the Connecticut. the flagship which
lay off West Fifty-seventh street. Down
in that region are warehouses and dirty
grain elevators and car tracks and car
tracks and car tracks. The afternoon
was only about to start to begin TO com
mence when TO this unhappy bit of water
front streamed a double file of girls. all
pupils Of distressingly heavy swell
girls boarding school.
| Teacher, who wore square toed shoes,
! short skirts and specs, was heading the
line. When the girls reached the water
| front they found that at fifty-ninth street
! they had clear view of the water except
| that dead ahead of them was grain
elevator between five hundred and six
hundred miles high. Teacher led the
girls northward along dirt path which
was unobstruCted except at one point.
where a spur of railroad track shot
abruptly riverward and into the very
caves of the elevator structure. A line
l..f hot xxf,th inc NDti 4 a.
attached. and which might start at any
minute, stretched directly across the
tracks. Happy young men climed over
! the bumpers of the stalled box cars and
40 were able to progress northward to
the grassy plots of Riverside Park some
! blocks above. The boarding school girls
wanted TO do likewise, 80 it looked but
they dasent
Where they stood waiting for the box
cars to move they could see the Michigan,
the Delaware and part of the North
Dakota II was now something after
? o'clock and the drab ships were swing
ing about on their anchors until their
rams pointed directly at Manhattan.
their sterns at Weekawken. only a few
minutes before the battleships had been
riding in an up and down line with the
river. Now they seemed to be trying
10 block all river traffic as the tide swashed
them till they pointed east and west
"
her northward trip and the guns Of the
Connecticut were beginning TO cough.
Pupils" explained teacher. who was
on TO all this nautical stun. please note
how theiCaptains of the ships are turning
the ships around before exploding their
guns"
The girls waiting for the box cars to
move wanted TO know why.
Il knew you would axis that" sale
teacher, evidently pleased. Just uss
your brains o minute, girls. Why do the
Captains turn their ships around before
| they begin to fire their cannons? Think
A big blonde girl with white shoes anC
gold teeth raised her hand to ask whether
she night speak out Of her turn. She wa,
permitted. This girl had thought it ou,
| OF her own head. The Captains were
turning their ships at right angles "a
the shores so that when the time came tC
shoot of their cannon the bullets wou!dn
strike the houses on the New York anC
Jersey shores. Teacher couldn't hav,
been more pleased after that answer thar
she evidently w.s.
The box ca 5 finally moved out OF
commercial errands as If nothing oi
moment were banging a few hundred
yards away. The crowd now hurried
northward trying to keep up with the
guns that were stabbing out flames which
were separated by many city blocks
After a breathless run one came to tn,
high stone wall at the foot of Riverside
Drive -S -Seventy-seCond street already
fringed with spectators six deep, IL Ii
"A stone wall that no girls boarding schoo
can climb. And SO there was race W
the tracks for many. many blocks further