The sun., 1919-03-26
PARADE CROWD
IS GREATEST IN
CFTY'S HISTORY
Divisions Formation Is
Changed at Start to Get
Through Jam.
POLICE ARE TAXED HARD
Tears at Sight Of Draped
CaissOn Are Followed by
Tumult Of Cheers.

The dead boys were remembered
first when the city's greatest parade
swung up Fifth avenue through the
sunlight yesterday. Thousands Of
women-and men-were still wiping
their eyes and catching their breaths
as the black caisson, blooming with
lilies, and the gold starred service
flag Of the Twenty-seventh Division
went slowly by the 100000 watch
ers; and then the wounded, seated in
automobiles, came into view and the
tears were dried.
The wounded were all so red
checked and happy and smiling, de-
spite their bandages and crutches
and splints,. that the spectators, look
ing upon them with real affection,
let tears trickie down unheeded while
every one laughed back to the
wounded lads. everybody except the
mothers whose boys had kissed them
good-by and never had come back to
them again.
Then Follows Giaanesa.
Thereafter came the martial glad
ness Of the procession of military
pomp and victory, the brass bands,
satin skinned horses, olive drab he'll
NETS and slim bayonets glinting in the
sunlight Of a glorious day, chsers and
and flowers and showers OF goodies,
the explosive bark OF the back fire Of
gas engines. drumming airplanes
overhead. and the tramp. tramp.
tramp Of the boys a-marching.
The Glorious Fourth at the Centen-
NAL in 1876. Circus day at Rasweed
Center. The Vanderbilt Cup. with its
smoky crowding and Jamming and
spiutter. a Democratic national con-
vention. The Grand Review in
Washington, 1855, with middle aged
fathers who vaguely remember the
soldiers coming home from the Civil
War" holding up babies just able to
SEQ SO that the babies in years 10
come might bore folks by recalling
that they. too, vaguely remember
seeing" the soldiers marching IN re-
view after the greatest war.
\ police captain. his heart over
strained in trying to keep the crowds
back, dropped dead while the parade
pressed through the crush. A physl-
clan, standing in the front line of a
mass which solidly filled Madison
Square, tried to beat his way back tc
his automobile, parked in Fourth ave-
nue. just north of Twenty third street
and II took him one hour and twelve
minutes by the clock to walk" from
Fifth to Fourth avenue.
Work of the Police.
1t was the best policed" parade in
the history OF the city and disgustingly
the worst. In the neighborhood of the
reviewing stand, or the general region
OF the Seventies and Eighties. the po-
Icing was perfection. Further to the
south. especially from the Thirties
down to the Washington Arch, crowd.
broke in upon the lines-owing to q
Iassr Of pHopaR police prNtection-<to sc
serious an extent that the head of the
parade at one time was held up. more
than half an hour and again, at Fifty.
ninth street.. for three-quarters of ar
hour.
The police arrangements were so ba!
that from Twentieth street all the wa,
TO Thirty-eighth the soldiers. owing tc
the thrush of the crowds. had to parad,
instead OF the company 'front.'" OF
eighteen abreast formation, which hat
been contemplated by their comman
ders.
In the neighborhood OF tho reviewing
stand and adjoining seats near the Met
ropoiitan Museum the policing was 81
close to perfection thar spectators II
those fortunate locationS could not be
lieve when told later that the policing o.
tho parade further to the south was .,
bad that tho parade came close to beini
n nasco. Nevertheless the police wori
to tho south was just as bad as that.
AT Forty-seeond street babies Jus
able to walk were trampled upon. Po
iicemen In the lower section OF Fifth av
enue repeatedly handled women roughly
So badly were the 'oniookers treates
along the hIst mile or two OF the pro
cession that they refused In thousand
OF cases 70 applaud AZ thS hsroes o
the Twenty seventh marched by. Th'
marching soldiers. of course. had had n,
mart IN the III treatment Of the ,onlook
ers. but the spectators who had beei
manhandisd by over excited cops wer'
. Indignant tnats all enthusiasm 10