New-York tribune., 1918-11-08
BroadwayRevellers
Kick Off Lid and
Make Night Noisy
Repeated Denials of Armis-
tice Story Fail to Check
Crowds Enthusiasm
Cafes Open All Night
Hotels Turn Away Thousands
as Merrymakers Battle to
Get to Bars

Despite repeated assertions that the
report of the signing of the armistice
had not been confirmed, Broadway last
night took the attitude that hostilities
are near an end and celebrated that
presumed event by taking off the lid
and hurting it into the Hudson.
Last night was lightless night, but
signs along the White Way shone with
the undmmcd brilliance of ante bellum
days. Broadway has seen vast crowds
on Election nights and New Years
Ewes, but the horde that surged up and
down the thoroughfare from Fifty
ninth to Thirty third Street outstripped
in size, enthusiasm and noise making
any previous Broadway assemblage.
AS the vociferous and drink-tilled
hours crept along toward closing time
there was no diminution in the flow
of liquor in hotel barroom and sa-
loon. This one light, Broadway pro-
prietors announced, they were going
to issue all-night licenses for them
selves From the police the tip had
gone out that the patrolmen would
remain utterly blind to lights that
shone in cafes after / o'clock and
deaf to the sounds of revelry and cell
ebration.
The crowd last night had had a
longer time to prepare for its Zebra
ton and came to Broadway better
equipped than its predecessor Of early
afternoon. There were horns and
rattles, bells and tin pans. ticklers and
| confetti.
The great mass of men and women
overf1owed the sidewalks, swept aside
the inadequate force of police who
struggled to keep the crowd in its
place and preempted the streets. 1t
! was practically impossible to drive an
| automobile through the mass of hu-
manlty, and surface cars proceeded so
/ Slowly that there was almost COM
plete block. 1neatregoers were forced
to take taXis or cars down Seventh
Avenue and then walk 'crosstown.
Thousands Of men and women were
packed so closely into the street that
it was hard for them to move along.
1t took Tribune man fifteen minutes
to get from FOrty-Second TO Forty
third Street at 8 o'clock.
Great as was the congestion in the
streets, the hotels, restaurants and
cafes were almost as packed. Thou
sands of would-bc diners were turned
away and one had to battle vaiiantly
to get into a barroom, let alone achieve
a place at the bar. Even those hotels
which had not been affected by the
walters strike were swamped.
Bands materiaiized from nowhere,
apparently. in the crowd, and went
blaring along, followed by impromptu
parades of almost hysterical men and
women. At Columbus Circle big
band played all evening to an audience
limited only by the capacity OF the area.
Long after midnight crowds packed
the thoroughfare. Lights still blazed
from every signboard and from the
windows Of every hotel Wine and
more plebeian drinks continued to flow
unrestricted long after city ordinance IS
said that they shouldn't, and those
with sufficient staying power were loud
in their assertions that daylight would
still find them celebrating.
Having started to celebrate the dawn
of peace. Broadway was determined to
see it through, whether the war was
over or not.