Jubilee At Poughkeepsie - The Hudson-Fulton Celebration

Jubilee At Poughkeepsie - The Hudson-Fulton Celebration - 1909

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Read NY Times Article - Building of the Replica of the Half Moon

Jubilee At Poughkeepsie
[N Y Times Oct. 4, 1909]

Three-Day Celebration Begins There
Amid the Booming of Guns

POUGHKEEPSIE - Oct. 2 [1909]

Poughkeepsie's part in the Hudson-Fulton Celebration was inaugurated shortly after noon to-day with the arrival of the Clermont and Half Moon, escorted by a convoy of Government vessels and excursion craft. The appearance of the fleet was greeted with a salute of twenty-one guns from Kaal Rock, and this was answered by the booming of cannon on the warships. Simultaneously began a long-continued blowing of whistle and sirens, and a ringing of all the church bells in the city, while from a stone quarry six miles down the river came the rumble of 500 blasts arranged for the occasion.

The Fleet was scheduled to arrive at 1:30 o'clock, but the heralds of the fleet steamed into the harbor an hour ahead of time. The Half Moon and Clermont had been turned over to the Poughkeepsie committee, which met the fleet at Newburg on Col. John Jacob Astor's yacht Nourmahal, The Poughkeepsie committee was headed by Rear Admiral Francis J. Higginson, Mayor John K. Sague, and Col. Astor.

The first tap of the fire alarm, which was the signal of the fleet's arrival here, brought thousands of people to the river front, and the shores were lined by the time the ships came to anchor. Off the Poughkeepsie landing the officers of the fleet were received on board the Nourmahal, and then were brought ashore to be greeted by the cheers of thousands.

To-night the entire population of Poughkeepsie and its suburbs lined the shores of both sides of the Hudson to witness the brilliant illumination of the vessels gathered here, and the greatest display of fireworks ever seen in the vicinity.

To-morrow religious exercises will be held on College Hill, followed by a sacred concert. At a mass meeting in the afternoon addresses will be made by President Taylor of Vassar College and Dean Patrick Daly of St. Mary's Church. The exercises will close Monday afternoon with a parade in which about half of the floats seen in the New York pageant will appear. The parade will be followed by a reception to Gov. Hughes at Eastman Park.

FLOATS MISS PARADE IN POUGHKEEPSIE
[N Y Times Oct. 5, 1909]

Arrive Late - Local Committee Not Allowed to Unload Them from Scows

Thousands Disappointed

Gov. Hughes Addresses the Crowd in Eastman Park and Later Speaks at Banquet and Dinner.

Special to the New York Times

POUGHKEEPSIE, Oct. 4 [1909]

Fifty thousand visitors, with the population of Poughkeepsie, assembled to-day for Dutchess County Day in the Hudson-Fulton Celebration, were greatly disappointed by the failure of the New York Commission to get the historical floats here in time to take part in the land parade, which was the principal feature of the day's plans.

The promise had been made that Poughkeepsie was to have half of the fifty floats used in New York last week, while the other half were sent to Yonkers. The floats, conveyed on scows, were due to arrive yesterday, but did not arrive until after the parade had started, at 2:30 this afternoon. The bargemen in charge said it was too late to unload the floats then, notwithstanding that the Poughkeepsie committee had horses, drivers, and people to impersonate characters in readiness on the wharf.

To show the public that the fault did not rest here, the local committee sent the horses and drivers over the line of march, while the floats remained on the scows, which will take them to Albany.

Barring the absence of the floats the celebration was successful. The Clermont, Half Moon, and naval vessels, at anchor opposite the city, attracted much attention, and were inspected by several thousand people. The submarines gave an exhibition of diving under the Poughkeepsie Bridge.

Gov. Hughes and staff arrived at 4:45 P. M., after the parade. The Governor made a short address in Eastman Park where 20,000 people were assembled. The school children of the city saluted Gov. Hughes and the combined bands from the parade played patriotic airs.

The parade consisted of six divisions. The first parade was made up of blue-jackets and marines from the scout cruisers Birmingham and Salem, and the torpedo boats which are acting as naval escorts to the Half Moon and Clermont on their voyage up the Hudson. of National Guard companies, cadets, Junior Order of American Mechanics of Poughkeepsie and Newark, N.J.; local and visiting volunteer fire companies, fraternal organizations, and school children.

Gov. Hughes and the naval officers were guests of honor at a banquet at the Nelson House to-night. In addition to speaking at this banquet, Gov. Hughes also spoke at dinner given by the Hudson-Fulton Commission through Mayor Sage [sic] and the Board of Alderman of Poughkeepsie to the Presidents and Trustees of the incorporated villages of Dutchess County, at the Morgan House.