New York – Crowds braved rain to mark the Fourth of July holiday, cheering as the city’s massive fireworks display lit up the sky and for the first time seemed to set the East River’s surface aflame.
Crowds sporting ponchos and umbrellas stood along the East River to see the Jellyfish, which resembles the underwater creature, and the Electric Rice Krispies, crackling metallic shells.
For the first time, the annual Macy’s show featured exploding shells aimed down, not up. The shells exploded on the surface of the East River, remained illuminated for a few seconds and then faded.
“Awesome!” exclaimed Ben Fedak, a Queens musician. “This is the best fireworks show that I’ve ever seen.”
The 30-minute show was billed as the nation’s biggest, with 40,000 fireworks. Eight barges set off an average of 1,300 shells a minute.
Organizers estimated about 3 million people withstood the sogginess to turn out, about the same number as last year, when another 8 million watched on television.
Security measures at the New York region’s tunnels, bridges and airports remained heightened following last week’s failed terrorist attacks in Britain, and no additional precautions beyond those already in place were taken for the holiday, said Marc LaVorgna, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
In Massachusetts, 20 local, state and federal agencies were assigned to help police the annual Boston Pops concert and fireworks show. Car and boat traffic were banned from the area, and security was tightened at mass-transit stations.
America’s birthday celebration opened in Philadelphia with a reading of the Declaration of Independence at Independence Hall, and descendants of signers of the original declaration were on hand for a symbolic ringing of the Liberty Bell.
About 1,000 people from around the globe became U.S. citizens at Walt Disney World, raising their right hands in front of Cinderella’s castle as the oath was read by Emilio Gonzalez, head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“I dreamed for this moment for 13 years, and finally this is my last dream that I have,” said Marta Hima, who came from Colombia and lives in Davenport, Fla.
The Army honored its 1 millionth veteran at an American Legion post in Philadelphia.
The recognition went to Bronze Star recipient Bill Beck of Steelton, Pa.
“I’d rather be honored with this than win a million dollars in a lottery, because my wife would spend a million in a couple of weeks and I’ll have this for the rest of my lifetime,” Beck said in a phone interview.
