New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-07-19
NEW YORK IS WILD
OVER VICTORY NEWS
Bell in City Hall Tower Sends
TjdiDSS Over Metropolis


I city hall began tolling at ten minutes
I before 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon,
{ folk in the vicinity naturally began
cranlng neCks and attuning ears to an
unaccustom sound.
By fortuitous circumstances the
newly installed bells first III essage was
to be a joyous one. The inarticulate
voice was heralding the gladstone It'd
| ings Of American victory. And they
were taken UP by tugs in the harbor,
factory whistles on the water front and
every form of noise making device
which the city has. And, as passen-
gers will admit, these included gongs
on surface cars and even tho shrill
whistles OH the subway trains
NeWsgoys seemed to spring up from
the pavement to confirm the conf
dence that some reason for celebra-
ton existed. Their "Uxtries" selling
to the tune Of enthusias tically shouted
announcements of American victory,
started a wave of acclaim which swept
over the city.
Church Bells Chime In.
Brooklyn woke UP shortly after
Manhattan The bell on Borough
hall started the celebration there. The
church bells chimed in even before
the sections st the ends of the ropes
were downright positive that the
1anks were chasing the enemy back
in the general direction of Berlin.
Borough President Bowling was
among the first to receive the nev-. of
the triumph. In a jiffy he had the
City Hall Custodian, Piero Chiffe,
climbing the unCompleted belfry. It
was Chiffe's first bell-ringing expert
| ence.
Don't toll it slowly yelled Mr..
bowling when Chiffe worked the rope
| only leisurely. "This isn't a funeral
| It's a celebration. Make her clang!"
And Chiffe made her.
! Down in the city hall plaza where
| members of the mayors committee
were selling Thrift Stamps at the
| Liberty Bell stand, the curious crowd
was promptly informed of the well
| come news. The folk did not stop
| cheering until the bell quit changing,
| and that was for more than fifteen
| minutes.
From the windows of the skySCrap-
| pers gazed wonder struck thousands.
| With wireless like rapidity the news
| was communicated to them. Flags
| began to wave. Work ceased every
| where. From one end of the big
| town to the other spread the tidings,
! and wherever there were two persons
| within shouting distance, Fluctuations
| were exchanged over the good news
| from "over there"
Thousands gathered before news
| paper bulletin boards in Washington
| Heights and Harlem last night to read
and to talk noisily Of the allied ad~
| vance in France. The crowd became
SO dense in One Hundred and Eighty
first street, between Wadsworth end
| St Nicholas avenues that police re
! serves were called out to make q path
| for traffic.
Men and children paraded with fla IS
on One Hundred and Twenty fifth
street and soldiers in uniform did re-
! cruiting work on the street corners.
| Newspapers were being read every
| where.
/ Theaters Fun of Enthusiasm.
The American success was ce1e-
| brated al over Broad way last night.
| The theater crowds especially. which
are always considered a barometer of
public feeling, were stirred up to I'M
| bounded enthusiasm. JOY and pride
over the news from the front.
Everywhere on Broa dWay-in thea =
ter Hobbies. movie theaters, smoking
rooms. cafes peacock alleys and SO
on-folk spoke proudly of the lads
who travelled 5000 miles to fight the
Germans and had put some pep into
war" as the phrase went frequently
last night. Never since we entered
the war has there been such a stin1u-
lua to patriotism, Judged by rs effect
on the crowds. as this news that the
American troops are, making good
Hopes ran high. and u gentleman
with a shamrock in his buttonhOle.
early, told passersby at Broadway and
early, told pasersby at Broadway and
Forty~second street that "if the Goth
is in this. they'll never stop till they
get to Berlin
The significance of the attack and
its possible effect upon the general
strategy of the war were much dis
cussed topics. Before the theaters
opened the Hobbies buzzed with war
talk and newsboys with late papers
got big premiums for the latest de-
tails of the fighting. In the inter
missions persons focked into the
streets to get later news. and after the
theaters closed Broadway was throng-
ed until a late hour by those who de-
manded the very latest information
before they went home.
There was an especially enthusias-
tic demonstration at the Globe thea
ter where Raymond Hitchcock stop
ped his show to make sure that every
body In his audience was fully in
formed of the news. The actor made
n speech and started a, demonstration
of cheers applause and singing last
ing FIVE or six minutes
War veteran Cheered.
He introduced Major Cushman A.
Rice, commanding officer of the first