Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-10
OMAHA WELCOMES
THE LIBERTY BELL
Thousands March Past Historic
Relic in Spite Of the Rain Of
the Morning. 4
MAKES TRIP OVER THE STATE

Fully 10000 people saw the Lib
erty bell while 1t was on display In
Omaha, in spite of the rain and dis
agreeable weather.
Yet the five hours time allowed
for Omaha to view the famous old
relic was not enough, so great was
the crowd and so enthusiastic the re-
ception. Several thousand more peo-
pie had to be content with a long
distance view from the railroad via
ducts and other points of vantage,
because they could not get near the
bell during the few hours II was
parked for public display.
As 1t was being pulled out Of the city
over the Burlington, to continue It's long
Journey to the San Francisco exposition.
throngs gathered at points OF vantage
near the depots and all along the rail-
road to the city limits. shouting ana wav-
ing farewell to the sacred relic Of the
nations birth.
Line Several Blocks Long.
Babes in arms and aged men and wo-
lntDt hnNdnNH anu NAiHPtCet AANh ohN fSNA'
all forgot their work and business and
crowded anxiously in long lines toward
the place of display on Jackson street
between Ninth and Tenth, with the one
common thought of seeing the historic
piece of moulded metal At times the
lines of waiting people were several
blocks long. and many militiamen, police
| officers and detectives and railroad and
| special officers were required to handle
the crowds
All estimates of the crowd agreed that
It numbered at least 10000, some being as
high as $1,000 based upon approximate
counts of the throng as 1t surged by the
special car on which tho bell was placed.
At times the passing crowd numbered as
| high as $50 per minute.
Patriotic tunes by fife and drum corps
and several bands enlivened the scane.
and at intervals the forty-eight girls.
representing the states of the union and
standing around the bell on the special
car. Joined in singing America and
other national songs. They gave out free
pamphlets telling the history OF the bell,
but the crowd was so great that the sup
ply was exhausted long before the bell
was sWltcned away.
| siren blows.
| II anybody in Greater Omaha slept
single wink after $50 a. m. 1t was not
the fault of the city's faithful siren whis-
tie 1t blew so long and loud about that
hour that folks living in Benson, Flor
ence. Dundee. South Omaha, and even
Bellevue. heard Il distinctly-too dis
tictly, IL they wanted to sleep later.
| The bell was about fifteen minutes be-
hind its schedule in being set on the spur
track on Jackson street, between Ninth
and Tenth.
As early as o'clock, before the bell ar
rived at the parking place on its special
car, fifteen or twenty working men were
waiting to see 1t. Most OF them were
night workers, on their way nome. and
1t would be their only chance to view the
precious old relic.
Omaha Arrangements Excellent.
ut certainly marks an epoch in the
history of Omaha" asserted Captain c.
r. Adams OF the Sons OF the Revolution
commhtteeT as he viewed the reception
given the bell. Omaha is lucky to have
the bell come here. and the citizens GER
tainly are showing great patriotism and
| lShAhNSAccAh AiNttuB W OtNddADhs
"You are doing yourself proud in re-
ceiving the bell" said Chairman Lewis
HUT of the Philadelphia city council
committee to City Commissioner Kugel,
chairman of the Omaha committee. The
Omaha arrangements are excellent and
the reception lives up to our idea OF the
true western spirit. We are glad we
stopped off at Omaha"
1
Flowers for the BelI.
A huge wreath of flowers, larger in
diameter than the bell itself, was taken
to the car by delegations from the Omaha
and Isaac Sadler chapters of the Daugh-
ters OF the American Revolution, and
members personally placed it over the
framework supporting the bell, so that
the wreath hung down over the relic.
Beneath the bell lay the original wooden
yoke, from which the bell hung when II
pealed forth the message OF liberty In
i776 Omaha was specially honored in
this respect. for 1t was said by Philadel-
phians accompanying the. bell that the
old yoke had not been exhibited publicly
on the present trip until Omaha was
reached.
| Four Officers ON Guard.
The yoke had been kept in the bag
gage car of the special Liberty Bell
train. and was noticed there by Com
missioner Robert Manley of the Com
mercial club and other Omahans of the
reception committee. Mr. Mullen Of the
Burlington route Immediately got a dray-
man and secured permission to take the
yoke to the bells special car, where It
was placed on exhibition for the first
time on the trip. --.....-
ON constant guard around the hell
were four Of Philadelphia's biggest police
OFFICERS. members OF the traffic SQUAD.
They were; j. w. Frank. James Jack.
son. William Sykes and James ouirk.
Each were on his arm special embroid-
erred design Of the bell. .--.
Many cameras were carried by folks
who viewed the bell. and they snapped
many pictures. in spite OF the cloudy sky
In striking contrast TO the handling OF
crowds at some other cities where the bell
has been shown omaha's Liberty bell
crowd did not have single accident
fanting or injury. for which the commit.