HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION OF 1909 3*7 



within a temporary city built like that at Coney Island, or held 

 away out in the Bronx, on the Palisades or at Staten Island; neither 

 is the celebration instituted or furthered to boom any special piece of 

 real estate, or to sustain the selling of a quantity of traction stock or 

 railroad stock that might be affected by an unusual traffic for the 

 time being. 



The celebration is designed to cover a very wide field, and the aim 

 of the commission has not been confined to honoring the explorer of 

 the Hudson Eiver and the man who made steam navigation a perma- 

 nent success; in addition to this the occasion has been utilized to illus- 

 trate and emphasize the development and greatness of New York City, 

 the metropolis of the Avestern hemisphere. Those who can understand 

 the true significance of this celebration, and who are able to forecast 

 the future, will see the vision of a still greater and more magnificent 

 city, worthy of being called a world metropolis. 



Although the naval parade owes its greatness to the presence of the 

 American and international war fleet, and to the immense aggregation 

 of vessels of all kinds and denominations assembled for the occasion, 

 the place of honor is fittingly assigned to the replicas of the two small 

 vessels which helped to make the names of Hudson and Fulton famous. 

 The reproduction of the Half Moon, generously offered by the govern- 

 ment of the Netherlands, is a craft of but 80 tons burden and is only 

 74| feet long and 17 feet wide. The Half Moon will be under the 

 command of Commander Lam, who will be costumed to impersonate 

 Henry Hudson ; the crew will also wear the dress of sailors of Hudson's 

 time. A comparison with the Celtic shows in a striking manner the 

 wonderful progress in naval construction, the giant liner being 700 

 feet long and 75 feet wide, while its tonnage is 20,904. The historic 

 Clermont, which, in 1807, made its memorable trip up the Hudson, 

 thus inaugurating steam navigation on the river, has been carefully 

 reproduced. This craft, while larger than the Half Moon, is still small 

 and insignificant in comparison with the magnificent steamers of to-day. 

 It is only 150 feet long and 18 feet wide. 



The reproductions of the Half Moon and the Clermont constitute 

 the central point, the very focus, of the celebration, and this has been 

 fully recognized by the commission. Hence the opening day, Saturday, 

 September 25, will be devoted to a grand naval parade, perhaps the 

 greatest naval pageant ever seen. The eighty warships, American and 

 foreign, form the most imposing array of naval forces assembled at any 

 time in the new world, and we may safely say that, with one or two 

 possible exceptions, no fleet of equal might and numbers was ever 

 brought together. 



The United States will be represented by 16 battleships, 12 torpedo- 

 boats, 4 submarines, 2 supply ships, 1 repair ship, 1 torpedo vessel, 

 1 tug and 7 colliers: 53 vessels in all, the battleships constituting the 



