Evening star., 1933-03-05
ROOSEVELT SEES
FIREWORKS CLIMAX
TO HIS INAUGURAL
More Than 10000 Gather
Below White House to Wit
ness Brilliant Display.
CROWDS IN CARNIVAL
MOOD FOR OCCASION
Novel Features Are Shown, Large
Set Piece Representing Re.
turn Of Prosperity.

While President Roosevelt looked on
from the White House, thousands of
Washingtonians and visitors closed a
day Of spectacular celebrations last
night at brilliant display Of fireworks
in Potomac Park.
Impressive in its simple dignity, the
slim white shaft Of the Washington
Monument cleaned through the cas-
cading showers Of red. white and green
rockets. One OF the most striking
scenes Of the display came when a
bursting rocket released a parachute
carrying an American flag and sent it
fluttering through the gleam of the
searchlights shining on the memorial
built by the people of this country in
honor Of their first President.
The grave problems confronting the
new administration seemed less porten-
tous in the presence of the towering
monument, as enduring as Washingtons
own faith in the future Of his country.
To the north Of the display loomed
the massive structure Of the new Com
merce Department building Eastward,
the skeletonized frames Of other new
Government buildings gave promise Of
an early fulfllment of Gen. Washing
tons dream Of q Federal city.
Crowds Safeguarded.
During the display the crowds were
held at safe distance by ropes and
guard Of police and 100 soldiers. Col.
U. S. Grand. Sd. director of Public
Buildings and Public Parks, had also
made arrangements to safeguard shrubs
and statues from the crowd by roping
them of.
More than 10000 men, women and
children gathered in the park and stood
in surrounding streets to witness the
display, said to have been the most
elaborate of its kind ever seen in Wash
ington.
The majority Of the spectators were
| in carnival mood. but the inaugura-
ton speech delivered by President
Roosevelt at the Capitol came in for
serious discussion. The prevailing
opinion was that despite the bank
| crisis which greeted him on his first
day in Office, some solution to the
| problem would be found by the new
Chief Executive.
Several Of the mothers in the throng
! were confronted with troubles OF their
own. however, when their children. ex-
cited by the red and green balls Of
fire floating overhead, broke away and
tried to follow them to their landing
places. The disappointment of the
! youngsters was acute when the fasci-
! reaching the ground
| Other children appeared to be
! frightened when rockets of this nature
were sent up, apparently believing the
| flares were going to come down In the
! crowd.
Boys Slip Under Ropes.
Some of the more venturesome boys
caused the police and military guards
| no little trouble, however, by slipping
| under the ropes and dashing toward the
| concern were sending up the rockets.
All of them were overtaken by the
guards and returned to their parents
before they could reach the danger
! zone.
| A novel feature Of the display were
rockets which went to several hundred
feet. where they exploded and dropped
| large white flares which descended in
tact and bounced up and down in Con-
stitution avenue. Another unusual
display consisted Of mammoth pin
wheel which gave forth loud scream
| ing noise as it whirled around in a
shower Of sparks.
The children voiced approval OF a
modernized devil chaser" which was
attached to q wire and dashed raadly
back and forth across the park.
Prosperity Demonstration.
! A large set piece designed to repre-
sent the return Of prosperity was set up
on the Ellipse, where 1t could be easily
seen by the new President. This phase
of the demonstration required space
| 100 feet long. with letters feet high
spelling out the Democratic slogan,
Happy Days Are Here Again"
Ohcials in charge Of the demonstra-
ton took unusual precautions to guard
against injury to anv Of the spectators,
and the success of their efforts was at
tested by the fact that there were no
casualties. An ambulance furnished by
the Red Cross stood by in readiness. but
there was no call for 1t.
Metropolitan police in charge Of han
ding the rush Of traffic to the park ex-
perienced considerable difficulty with
motorists on Fourteenth street, who
were not aware that special parking
places had been provided In the rear Of
the Navy and Munitions Buildings.
| Col. Grant announced that special
detail Of workmen had been assigned to
clean up the park, which was Uttered
with newspapers. programs and burned
fireworks after the display.
Representatives Of the Antoneli Fire
works Co. Of Rochester. N. Y, told
newspaper men they would file protest
with the Inaugural Committee, contend
ing they had been unfairly deprived Of
the contract for the display.