Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-05-27
Our Centennial.

The opening of the Centennial Exhi-
bition on the 10th inst. was grand and
inspiring pageant, which every Ameri-
can may look back upon with patriotic
pride and exultation. Nothing occurred
to mar the harmony of the arrangements.
There we're no bitches, no delays every
thing went forward, according to the
carefully arranged programme. in the
most admirable order Philadelphia was
crowded with strangers from all parts of
the world, and late-comers the evening
before the opening day experienced some
difficulty in finding accommodations.
The rush for rooms at the hotels occa-
stoned many humorous scenes. But all
found resting. place in time.
The weather was propitiOus. The
rain, which had been pouring down
steadily for many hours, ceased before
morning, and though the clouds were
heavy, there was promise of lovely day.
At an early hour all the avenues leading
to the Centennial grounds were crowded
by thousands of eager people, and when
the gates were opened, at nine o'clock, a
dense but orderly mass of humanity was
waiting at each of the entrances. The
inflow at once began. but it was some
time before any decrease was perceptible
in the crowds outside. The invited
guests were admitted at the southern
entrance of the Main Building, and pass
ed through to the northern entrance op-
posite Memorial Hall. In front of the
latter large platform was apportioned
to the distinguished guests. each section
of seats being placarded, and at the front
was the place for speakers to stand.
Close in front of the platform were seats
for newspaper representatives. Across
the space alongside the Main Building,
and facing the platform, were tiers of
seats for the orchestra and the singers.
Every square foot of the room between
the Main Building and Memorial Hall,
except the parts marked for specified oc-
cupation, was covered by half-past nine
o'clock. The clouds now cleared away
and food of golden sunlight illuminat-
ed the scene.
AT quarter past ten o'clock the cere
monies began with music by the orches
ira, led by Mr. Theodore Thomas. The
tunes, in their order, were the nationa
airs of the Argentine Republic, Austria
Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Ger
many, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands
Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden. Swift
zerland, Turkey, and for the United
States, Hail, Columbia" The playing
lasted till eleven o'clock. By reason o
the noise and confusion among the Grove
unavoidable where hundred Thousand
people all want to be in the front line a
once-the music was at times audible t
those only who occupied places in tn
immediate vicinity of the players. TIL
police, assisted by the military, wer
scarcely able to keep the mass of peopl
, from crushing through the lines into tn
spaces reserved for invited guests. Th
unhappy spectators in the front row ha'
a hard time of it between the police
who were pushing them back, and thos
behind them pushing forward. Over tn
, vast sea of heads rose the two grant
! pedestals in front of Memorial Hall, up
, on each of which as many persons wer
standing as could find foot-hold there
and several daring boys had climbed, i
, defiance of threatening policemen, upo
> very backs of the winged horses tina
surmount the pedestals.
= Meanwhile the invited guests, severa
l thousand in number, were pouring in
! constant stream through the Main Build
ing into the reserved space. There wa
picturesqe commingling of nationalitie
: and costumes never before witnessed i
: this country-Japanese and Chinese sid
/ by side with Europeans and American;
French and Spanish officers in full uni
form, Norwegians, Swedes, German:
: Congressman, Senators. broad -brimme
Z Quakers, and fashionably attired ladie;
5 made quaint spectacle as they passe
n in together and took their seats. Ell
thusiastic cheering greeted the appear
i ance of famous personages as they wei
I recognized by the waiting crowd.
y About quarter before eleven Pres
/, dent Grant made his appearance, an
e was received with hearty cheers. Th
President and the Emperor of Braz
= conversed for short time, and when th
!, strains of "Hail, Columbia, had ceased
A and all had taken their seats, the orche,
It ira played Wagner's Centennial March
C "A grand composition, worthy of tt
master and of the occasion. Bisho
2 Simpson then invoked the Divine bles
: ing, and on the conclusion of the praye
e Whittier's hymn was sung by strOn
|. chorus. with organ and orchestral aecon
It paniment. Enthusiastic cheering gree
ed the rendering of this noble hymn
Mr.. John Welsh, President of the Gel
tennial Board of Finance, next made
q speech, presenting the buildings to GeI
/. eral Hawley, representing the Centennr
n Commission, which thereat assumed col