Evening star., 1941-07-06
Record 100000
Jam Mall Area
For Fireworks
Throng at Delayed
Program Escapes
Serious Mishops
Pictures on Page BIZ

Bombs burst high in the air as
an all-time record assembly of more
than 100000 persons gathered last
night on and near the Monument
Grounds for Washington's belated
Fourth of July celebration.
They were not bombs of destruc-
ton. Instead, they brought screams
of delight from thousands Of chill
dren and a quickening of the pulse
beat to older citizens.
Many of the flare and flash
bombs that exploded several hun
dred feet in the air had a Walt
Disney character. Multi colored
tadpoles of fire whined as they
spiralled overhead frequently chas-
ing one another across the heavens,
and rockets raced madly along wires
suspended near the ground.
$1,000 Seats Filled Early.
Park police estimated the crowd
at 100000 to 125,000 The $1,000
seats were filled long before the
patriotic program began at pm,
"a hours after being postponed be-
cause of heavy showers Spectators
afoot jammed the soggy surround
ing Mall--to Thirteenth street on
one side, to past the far end of the
Rejecting Pool on another side and
all over the Ellipse and open park
territory across Constitution avenue
on a third.
Capt. Henry Helms, pointing out
that many spectators looked on
from cars parked throughout Poto-
mac Park and even from across the
river in Virginia. said. 1T was the
biggest crowd we've ever had for a
Fourth of July celebration-the
largest one l can remember in
Washington for any outdoor event
other than parade or arrival OF
royalty"
The gathering was also notable
to Capt. Helms and to his corps
of so park police aides headed by
1t H. T. Miskell for its orderliness
and for its good fortune in escaping
serious mishaps.
| Woman Injuries Ankle.
! Nearest thing to an injury re-
/ ported was a twisted ankle suffered
by Miss Helen NJ. Aaron of Holli-
! daysburg, Pa. She was taken to
Emergency Hospital for treatment.
Approximately so youngsters strayed
from their elders. but all except
two were reunited on the grounds
later by Boy Scout officials. These
two. Danny. 7, and frankie, 5, re-
membered where they lived, but
were little vague on how their
parents pronounced or spelled their
last names, so the police took them
home.
Danny, it developed. was the son
OF Morris Margolias of 1882 Eighth
street NV. and his young friend
turned out to be frankie Lunholm
OF Suitland. Md. visiting relatives
nearby at ll22 Eighth street NV.
They eased out of Mr.. Margolias
sight while he was watching a third
youngster in the party.
An address by Attorney General
Jackson, delivered over a nation
wide radio network Friday night,
was repeated by transcription over
( an amplification system.
Recording Taken Twice.
The only other schedule event
was the repetition of the Oath OF
Allegiance for the benefit of news
reel cameramen who made one
| take just before darkness only to
/ discover the sound recording of the
crowd voicing the oath in unison
was far from perfect. Chairman
Fred A. Smith had it done over.
Senator Lucas of Illinois read the
Declaration of Independence, and
the invocation was delivered by the
Rev. j. Hillman Hollister, pastor of
| the Chevy Chase NMdD Presbyterian
/ Church
The Senator. the program chair
man and others on the speaker S
platform for a time had the COM
pany of 3-year-old Buddy Mason.
who decided to explore the place
while his father. A. C. Mason of
1880 Ingleside terrace NV. wasn't
looking. &.
Buddy was crying when the Boy
Scouts first found him wandering in
the throng, but the program prin-
cipals made him feel so much at
home on the platform that he was
smiling and once again interested in
his surroundings by the time his
father came down to claim him.
Major branches of the Army Joined
(See FIREWORKS, Page A-5)