Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-08
1900 View
.Long-De|ayed
D.C.Fireworks

A crowd of $4,000 swarmed
onto the Washington Monument
grounds last night to watch the
long delayed fireworks display.
which had been rained out since
Wednesday.
Spectators lined both sides of
Constitution avenue and filled
the entire north slope of the
Monument Grounds for the an
nual Washington Independence
Day celebration. A total of 225
Metropolitan and Park Police
men steered traffic clear of the
area in four block radius.
Another 5000 to 10000 per-
sons watched the show from the
Virginia hills and high points
in the District. police estimated.
Some 10000 persons also
damned Hysttsville's Magruder
Park for Prince Georges County's
celebration. which included fire.
works, speeches and a Miss In
dependence
District Commissioner David
B. Karrick welcomed the crowd
at the monument.
New Significance Seen
THE celebrations of Independ-
ence Day have long lost the
sense of victory in a military
struggle against the mother
coutry," he said. The celebra-
tons, rather. signify our Joint
and common recognition of all
Anglo-Saxon sovereignties
throughout the world-a heri-
tage for all the people of our
country"
The program opened with a
concert by the United States
Navy Band and the massing of
the colors by the four armed
services and members of patriotic
organizations.
The main speaker. Marine Maj
Gen. Melvin j. Mas, retired,
head of the Presidents Commits
sion on Employment of the
Physically Handicapped, told the
enthusiastic assemblage:
The American Revolution
which we commemorate today. a
little belatedly. started a world
revolution that is still going on
and will continue to 60 on"
Nations Greatness Assayed
But. he said. although the
United States has become a
world leader. I'VE must continue
to Justify our leadership by
practicing the principles of that
revolutionary wlping out pre-
iudice against persons because of
their race. creed, color or physical
handicaps".
What has made America
great? It's people-people who
have come from all over the
earth.
Static displays of colored lights
lit up the night air with huge
flags. stars and fountains. Many
spectators cringed as the aerial
show exploded consultations of
firecrackers. bomb bursts and
blazing pyrotechnic comets
The seven bombardiers. firing
their charges from earthen
trenches along Constitution ave-
nue.. went to work with an en-
thusiasm perhaps born of long
Illustration.
The show wound up with a
spectacular sky-filling detona-
ton Of more than 100 simulta-
neous bursts.
At Magruder Park the crowd
heard State Senator H. Winship
Wheatley, jr.. laud the patriots
who signed the Declaration Of
Independence.
. George NJ. CMltD Jones of
Hyattsville. sang The Star
Spangled Banner"
Mr.. and Mrs. Ernest Sherman,
of Riverdale Heights, were intro
duced as "Mr. and Mrs. Civil
Defense" They organized the
county's first Civil Defense first
aid course and are currently
organizing a casualty station in
their home community.
Introduced to the crowd be-
fore the fireworks display were
Miss Dottie Jones Of Adelphi,
representing the county's Teen
Clubs, and Miss Janice Pyle,
who reigned as Miss Independ-
ence."