Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-05-18
TEE CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION.
iPnILADEIpHIA, Nav 10. 1876

IMiedelphla to day enjoyed the
long looked for opening afssssthe Gem
tennial Exposition, which is to cele
brate with q display of the world S
works Of peace the one hunaredth
anniversary Of American Independence.
1t wasia glorious, bright sunshiny day
until after all the tormalitles Of the
Inauguration had ended. Fully three
fourths of the houses in the city were
decorated with numerous flags of all
nations In honor of the international
event. The perspective of some of the
chief thoroughfares showed nothing but
converging lines of eolors above, hiding
the houses, and dark conyerglng hnes
ofpeople in multitudes thronging the
sidewalks below.
Before 8 o'clock every approach to
the exposition grounds in Fairmount
Park was thronged. Steam cars on the
Reading and Pennsylvania lines, the
numerous street car routes, the ferry
across the Sehuyklll, and thousands Of
carriages conveyed vast crowds OF
visitors to the one central point of in
terest. Paramount Park and the ex.
hibition grounds appeared lovely in the
fresh green of May and the clear at,
mosphere of the morning.
Great difficulty was experienced in
discovering the right place to enter the
main building by the thousands of peo-
pie who had been invited to assist i'll
the ceremonies OF the inauguration
Added to this exposition policemen
were simply uniformed, but not at all
experienced in their duties, and could
give but little information to the surr
cling masses of men and women that
assaulted the gates. Much building
debris yet remains about the structures
and the grounds cannot be In good
order until the midle of June at least.
Before ten o'clock a great congre
CATION of foreign ambassadors and
ministers, members of Congress, Gov
ernors of States and their stats, Gems
tennial commissioners wearing their
badges Of office, army and naval officers
ladies', foreign commissioners, &c,
were crowded together on the grand
stand, The collection of representa-
tives from over thirty governments of
the world, and Of many colonies, besides
chief officers of the American Union and
of many of the States thereof, formed
an assemblage such as has never been
equaled in this country before. The
members of the diplomatic corps were
in official uniform. Many of the for
eign commissioners were also in uni-
form, aud there was Offering array,
of army, navy and staff uniforms. The
diplomats were resplendent in gold lace;
the bullion epaulettes of the staff Off
GERS and their gold cordage were bril>
liant. Cooked hats and golden tassles
were not the exception, but the rule
The japanese officials came out in drab
breaches, gold-bressted tail-coats and
cecked hats. Turkish Beys wore th
red fez, military frock coats. gol
striped breeches and curved sabres.-
Egyptian officers were somewhat SIM
larly uniformed. The representatives
of the Latin race, including French,
Spanish, Portuguese, South Americans,
Mexicans and Cubans were quite as
numerous as the blonde Caucassians.
Ameng the Orientals, japanese, Egyp-
tians and Turks were most numerous
Fred. Douglass was the conspicuous
repl sentative Of the American citizen
Of African descent. He found some
difficulty in making his way to the
platform, and had to be helped over the
ropes in working his way through the
crowd, having arrived late. His sudden
appearance in a semi~mashed state c'ea~
ted some amusement. When he took
his seat he was greeted with cheers.
This space, comprising upwards of
thirty acres of ground, was packed
with people just as closely as 1t was
possible to get human beings to stand.
The two colossal winged horses that
stand on granite pedestals to the right
and left in front of Memorial Hall were
alive with men, who had clanbered up
not only under the bellies Of the
bronzes, but had in fact mounted
Pegasus aud sat between the out
stretched win gs. One free American
citizen was perched on the head of ons
of the winged horses with an umbrella
hoisted for protection against the suns
rays.
1t is estimated that fully 10000
people entered the grounds during the
day, and it is probable not an over
estimate. 1t was grand holiday in
Philadelphia. No business, except asso-
ciated with the centennial, or minister
ing to the pleasures of the people, was
transacted, and while on the grounds it
weuld seem that Everybody was there, )"
the streets of the city were so choked
up that those IN town would imagine
"nebedy could be there. %
AT signal from Gen. Hawley pres-
ident of the United States centennial
commission, the orchestra played the.
centennial Inauguration march, compos-
ed by Richard Wagner and was
applauded, Bishop Simpson, of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. made the
opening prayer, which could not be
heard many feet from the platform or
even on the stand a few rows back
from the front. Then came the hymn
of Whittier, "The Good Gray Poet Of
New England" The music of the
hymn is by John K. Paine, Of Massa-
chusstts. 1t is stately air, and was
sung by tie great chorus in fine accord
and admirable time, accompanied by
orchestra and an organ.
The music throughout ths programme
was the great feature of TIE day,
| eliciting hearty applause and co,ns
lnendatiops from the cultivated auditors
on the grand platform, many of whom,
the foreigners especially. were amateurs