New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-10-12
Thousands at Hartford.

|
I Hartford, Oct. 12.-Thousands up
| on thousands of people were massed
around Union Station and the vicinity
| Of the state armOry from early morn
| ing until midday today, to welcome
| home the First Connecticut Infantry
from it's stay Of omre than three
thre months on the border. Business
houses on the principal streets were
bright with flags and bunting and
hundreds of residences throughout
the city displayed the colors. Hun
| dreds of people stayed up all night
busy appearance most of the time.
Many people paraded the streets
around midnight carrying flags and
cheering. Mayor Hagarty and his
| reception committee were on hand
very early. The First Company,
Governors Foot Guard, which was to
escort the troops fro mtrain to ar
mory made a night of it.
The New Haven road took over the
troop trains at Maybrook. 1t had
been arranged that the fire alarm
should sound when the first of the
three trains was two hours from
Hartford. 1t rang at a. M, but
was as matter Of fact Az hours
ahead, as the train was delayed, par
ticularly between Terryville and Wa
terbury where a freight train split
switch holding up all other traffic.
A large force of men worked all
night at the armory putting it in
shape for the reception of the soldiers
and the luncheon to be served to the
arriving battalions in details. Cov-
ers were laid for 400.
The crowd that had kept watch
from early morning had become some
what discouraged. A false alarm went
Up at 1890 when an engine was heard
approaching from the Sigourney street
curve. 1t proved to be a switch car
with a cabOOse.
At 1898, the signal came. The
throng at the south end Of the plat
form saw the colors being waved from
the window Of car rounding the
bend. In another instant hundreds of
flags answered it from the PLATFORM
and thousands from the street below
as the khaki-clad boys were recog-
nized.
"Home, Sweet Home" looks Good
They had gone out from Hartford
sixteen weeks ago singing to the tune
Of an old melody, the refrain: We'll
hang old Carranza to sour apple
tree" They came back to AUD
Lang Syne" and Home, Sweet Home"
Perhaps they had not hanged Carran-
"a, but they had kept him over in his
own apple orchard.
Those who had arrived early to take
possession of all vantage points COM
handing views of Spruce street and
the siding, there, soon noticed there
was more activity on the platform
than the advance. schedule warrant
ed. The next instant, they knew the
reason. The troops were detraining
on the platform. A readjustnlent Of
the waiting relatives and friends fol-
lowed, and the Union station, already
packed, was almost swallowed up by
the rush.
The First Company, Governor Foot
Guards, with its band waiting only for
the signal, left its resting place at the
corner Of Spruce and Asylum street
and moved opposite Bushnell Park,
Mayor Frank A. Hagarty and the re-
ception committee stepping into line.
The troops almost pushed off the
platform by eager friends, fell in,
with difficulty, and mached down the
platform to Asylum street.
1t was no easy task to form parade
ranks Mothers and sisters and sweet
hearts came before orders And if
some mothers and wives and sweet
hears did not break into the ranks
| right there on the street, to greet their
| own, restrained, perhaps, by timidity,
| the boys who had been breathing Ari-
IONA sand for weeks, took matters into
! their own hands. They went right into
| the crowd for their greetings. Some
| climbed into automobiles and kissed
! the whole family.
| Col. r. J. Goodman, joined his
| command at the station.
The men marched through Ford and
Trinity streets and Capitol avenue to
| the State ArmOry where they will be
| quartered until mustered out