Evening star., 1937-09-24
SEAF|GHTSOVER,
RECATTA'SQUEEN
TO REIGN TONIGHT
Miss Colbert to Pause In
TriumphaI Tour to Watch
Street Dancing.
BOOM OF FIREWORKS
RE-ENACTS BATTLES
Spectacular Display Marks Clash
of Bonhomme Richard and
Scraps on Anniversary.

Pageantry of the Presidents Cup
regatta, which thrilled a throng last
night with the staging of two historic
naval battles on the Potomac near
the Water Gate, will turn to the
downtown streets tonight for the
triumphal tour of the regatta queen.
Miss Mary Louise Colbert, and street
dancing.
BY the transformation of naval
barges into ships Of 1779 and the Cap
itals most spectacular display of fire.
works, more than century was rolled
back last night for the people covering
the shores of the river about the
Memorial Bridge. First came the
epic duel between the American vessel
Bonhomme Richard and the British
three-masted Scraps, in which John
Paul Jones amazed the world with
the courage of the fledgling United
States Navy. Then the British naval
assault on Fort McHenry in the War
Of 1912 was staged. the bombardment
which inspired Francis Scott Key to
write "The Star Spangled Banner"
fOur Areas Tor Dancing.
Tonight there will be street dancing
in four roped-off areas-in front of
the District Building, Tenth and D
streets. the old Post Office plaza and
Seventh street and Market place
Music will be furnished by the Shrine.
Elks, Tall Cedars and Police Boys
Bands.
Queen Mary Louise will be guest
of honor at a dinner at the Raleigh
Hotel at $50 pm, Col C. c. Schiffeler,
chairman Of the Regatta Open House
Committee. announced. From there
Miss Colbert and her court will go to
the Shoreham Hotel, where the queen
will fire the opening gun for the
regatta swimming championship in
the Venetian pool The queen and
her escort then will drive to the
Willard Hotel. At 9 o'clock they will
leave for tour of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. from Fifteenth to Seventh streets.
Red flares will light their progress
and they will pause to watch the
street dancing.
To Visit Other Hotels.
The celebration will take the royal
party to the Mayf1ower Hotel at 10
O'Clock, to the Shoreham night club
at 10:45 and to the Wardman Park
| for the final fete at las.
Last nights program on the Potomac
| opened with the ceremonial arrival of
Miss Colbert and her maids Of honor.
They stepped off boat, to music by
the Navy Band, and took their places.
Charles Colfax Long, the historian.
took over the role of narrator In place
Of Conrad Nagel. the screen star, who
came here for the assignment, but was
called to New York.
| Long, whose voice carried to the
farthermost spectator through the
loudspeaker system. explained now the
Bonhomme Richard, small merchant
vessel, had been presented to the
struggling United States by France
and how Capt. Jones valiantly attacked
H. M. S. Scraps of the coast Of Scot
land.
Graphic Portrayal Follows.
Then the crowd saw vivid portrayal
OF the engagement which wrote the
first chapter of American naval glory.
The British ship lay in mid-stream
when the little American vessel ap-
preached. The Scraps opened fire.
the Bonhomme Richard replied, and
the duel was on. Salvo after salvo
crashed across the water. Smoke and
red flames rose. Bombs burst high
above the water.
Slowly the Bonhomme Richard
moved toward her enemy. Jones ship
was af1ame, already sinking, but, as he
told the British commander when he
came alongside, he had mot yet begun
to fight" words destined to be cher
ished in naval annals. At last the
windjammer from the faraway colonies
moved within boarding distance. An
other crash Of gunfire, then spectators
saw the British flag hauled down and
the Stars and Stripes lifted to the
mast Of the Scraps. The first Ameri-
can naval hero had captured his foes
ship as his own sank.
158 Years to the Day.
The mimic naval battle took place
158 years to the day after the event.
Even the moon was at the same phase
it was that day so long ago. And
furthermore. as Long explained, that
September % too came on Thursday.
After the battle there we're en-
tracts. The Marian Chase dancers gave
Colonial dances on the barge. There
we're songs by the Dixie Four of N.
B. C. fame. At the mikes" Gordon
Hittenmark of WRC and Radio Joe"
kaufman kept things lively. The Navy
Band was conspicuous.
From the Virginia side Of the river
burst the bombardment which simu-
lated the attack of British feet on
Fort McHenry the night of Septem-
Der IL, 1914. Narrator Long had re-
minded the crowd that Key, the young
lawyer, was a temporary prisoner
aboard British vessel that night and
wondered. as the guns pounded through
the night, whether the American fort
had fallen. Then, as he saw the Stars
and Stripes still waving above the
shore at dawn, he jotted down the
words that became national anthem.
Realistic Display.
1t is doubtful If even Washington,
which is used to ambitious fireworks,
ever saw such display. The incessant
pounding Of naval guns and shore
batteries was initiated Red-streaked
smoke whirled through the middle OF
the Potomac, hiding the Virginia
shore. Above broke an amazing sue
cession Of rockets of every conceiva-
bic size, shape and hue. They rained
over the water in q seemingly endles,
display, lighting up the scene for
miles around.
Finally the make-believe battle
ended in fury Of thunder and light
, and color. The river was suddenly
silent, and Miss Doris Doe of the
Metropolitan Opera Co.. sang This
j Star Spangled Banner" The naval
pageant was over.