THRONG JAMS PARK TO SEE PRESIDENT; LONG WAIT WAS WORTH IT, SAY RALLY-GOERS

Whether they were President Clinton supporters or just curious, people filled Capaha Park Friday as far as the eye could see.

They pushed against each other inside orange plastic fences, trying to get closer to the most powerful man in national government. When Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and their wives took the stage, excited shouts were mixed with sighs of relief.

The wait -- and what a wait -- was over.

True-blue Democrats started streaming into the park just after dawn. Metal detectors weren't running yet, so people stood around waiting.

It was about 7:30 a.m. when Jim and Della McLain of Jackson arrived, spread out their blanket and began playing a card game learned at their local senior center. He won one game, she won the next, and the hours passed.

"We just didn't want to wait in line," Della McLain said. "I always wanted to go to Washington, D.C., and never made it there. I'm going to see the president here."

Satellite vans from St. Louis, Memphis, Tenn., and a few more local towns sat in the Southeast Missouri Hospital parking lot across from Capaha Park. Their crews, their initial set-up work done, milled around drinking coffee and chatting.

The later the hour, the busier the park. Entry lines stretched from the park perimeters to around the lagoon. People shuffled a few feet at a time in the 90-degree heat, headed toward security tents. A few stopped to have their pictures taken with members of the Secret Service Police.

Secret Service agents weren't as social. They quietly roamed the perimeter, noticeable to their crowd in their somber black jackets.

An estimated 100 people were treated for heat-related illnesses and medical personnel gave ice water and cold rags to several thousand. About 30 people were shuttled across Broadway to Southeast's emergency room, where doctors and nurses had set up a second hydration area to treat people suffering from heat exhaustion.

Deryl Gardner, a student at Southeast Missouri State University, walked up and down the length of the line, trying to register voters. The 22-year-old joked that he was looking for potential Democrats.

Friday wasn't his first experience with registration. As a member of the NAACP, Gardner has done the job at various rallies before. None of them attracted as many people.

"People were sitting on Henderson Street in their cars this morning, waiting for the gates to open," he said. "Now everyone's just looking at the line, saying it's going to be awhile before they get in. I've registered a few of them."

Reports on how long they waited ranged from 30 minutes to an hour. A quick pass through the metal detectors and people were inside the corral.

It was there the differences in the audience become more apparent. A few people wore Dole-Kemp campaign shirts and carried signs supporting the president's challenger. Gay voters waved rainbow flags. Pro-choice groups made their presence known with purple T-shirts and various buttons.

Amy Dambauch, 16, came from Dexter High School with 43 other students. Her group's political feeling was mixed -- several said they would vote for Bob Dole if they could -- but all seemed enthusiastic about seeing the president.

Jack Riley of Cape Girardeau saw President Jack Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson's motorcade in St. Louis years ago. He couldn't miss this president's visit to the area.

"I wanted to see if it was true they could get 20,000 people into the park," Riley said.

The rally started slowly. An attempt to get the crowd to do the Macarena dance didn't go over well, with most people just standing around looking confused. A single, cool breeze during the dance got a round of applause, however.

People in the crowd went wild when the presidential bus rolled in and again when Clinton, Gore and their wives took the stage -- only about 20 minutes late. Red and blue Clinton-Gore signs were everywhere.

When it was all over, many didn't want to leave. They stuck around to shake hands with the politicians and talk about what they had heard, dispersing only after the buses rolled out.

"I was really glad to hear Al Gore say something good about Bob Dole," said Brendan Straubel, 35, of Cape Girardeau. "But it was almost too much."

Straubel also appreciated Clinton's references to improving the environment. He thought the crowd was too quiet because more people were interested in seeing the president than supporting a Democrat.

Donna McGregor, 50, of Scott City, said she planned to vote for Clinton despite her Republican leanings.

"I think he's done a lot in four years, and I want to see him do more," she said.