The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-06-19
Nine Thousand Police
 Handle Joyous Crowds
Continued from Page D

whose career as official welcomer started back in the days of Lind bergh, Byrd and Ederle in the twen- ties, entered their cars and the of- ficial procession got under way.
 The procession swung out of the airport on the Grand Central Park way, the wide nrulti-laned express highway leading to Triborough bridge and Manhattan.
 The Manhattan skyline was blurred in the haze and low-hang- ing clouds as the cavalcade, led by five open cara, rolled smoothly forward.
 Poses Gladly
 Before leaving the field Esen- hover posed briefly for news pho- tographers. Smiling at the battery of cameramen, he said: This looks like the toughest charge I will ever have to make"
 Nine thousand police were de- ployed to hande the multitudes and ambulance and stretcher teams were stationed at strategic points to care for any casualties.
 Hundreds of street vendors hawked flags and Ike" buttons.
 The crowds were thick along Grand Central Parkway, particu- larly in sections reserved for school children. The highway is re- pressed for a considerable distance. Thousands of venturesome spectators perched on the concrete retaining walls dangling their feet over the edges. The only empty places were on the bridges where police did not allow spectators.
 As the cavalcade speeded by at a uniform 35-mile an hour pace, the crowds cheered and shouted "Hooray for Ike!"
 One middle-aged man standing at an intersection did not cheer.
 Maybe Gen. Eisenhower doesn't t want all this" he said, Ines had lot of celebrations by now. May be he'd rather just go home. But this is the only way we can show him what he means to us. l guess won't cheer when he comes by. ] guess I'll just p-uy."
 The procession swung through Central Park where the crowd had risen to an estimated 10000 by the time Eisenhower arrived.
 Emerging from the park at the 6Oth street Plaza, Eisenhower was greeted by a solid mass of human ity that exploded in ringing cheers and set the Central Park pigeons wheeling through the air.
 There were 15,000 people jammed into the Plaza and hanging from every window of the tall surround ing buildings. Overhead a Navy blimp floated lazily.
 Eisenhower's car moved onto Fifth avenue at 11:07 and the 376th army air forces band joined the procession at this point.
 car, waving and smiling in acknow- ledgment of the cheers. The skies were still murky but the sun ap- peared to be trying hard to break through the haze.
 By 11:15 a. m. police estimated the crowds in eight blocks. of the financial district along lower Broad- way at 350,000 people. Persons were standing on window sills, some of them as high as IS stories above the street.
 A jeep poked its way down the street and drew big hand from spectators who mistook it for the advance guard of the procession.
 In the crowd was seven-year-o Skippy Stewart who came in from Franklin Square, Long Island. for look at General Ike.
 He wore an overseas cap with the medals and campaign ribbons of an uncle who was killed fighting in France on one side. On the other side of the cap was the sharpshoot- CTS medal of an uncle who has been wounded fighting in the Pacific and four general Ike buttons. Paper Shower In one block in the financial dis trict IA white wings in spanking new white uniforms and brand new brooms were drawn up in formation Despite the plea of officials against a Wall street paper shower, the white wings cast apprehensive glances up at the tall buildings where thou sands pammed the windows.
 Their apprehension seemed justi- fled when shower of ticker tape appeared from the windows of the American Express building at 11:25 a. m. More came festooning out of a building across from Trinity church a few moments later.