New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-05-11
OPENING OF THE FAIR.
TIE EXERCISES A GREAT AND COMPLETE
SUCCESS.

, EXERCISES A GREAT AND COMPLETES
SUCCESS.
OVER 100000 VISITORS ON THE GROUNDS
avN. GRANT AND DOM PEDRO START 1hE "A0"''
vRy-rHE SPEECHES AND MUSIC RNC"i''D
,,,ru pSruusIAsM-GUEsTs ON THE PLATFORM
TIE GROUNDS AND CITY FOREST OF fiNo'
THE STORY or TIE DAY FULLY TOLD
Tho Worlds Fair in America, commemorative
=. ~ hrnarodth wear OF our national HE,
began auspiciously yesterday III 'na oon' noo
The day was pleasant, anu w. M
people were present at the EAn''' Nv
inauguration exercises were pesWn NV
n,avino of a variety OF natohal airs Wy "r'
nrcbestra of Theodore Thomas. bishop ohhp-
,on offered prayer. Whithels Centennial hymn
wos suny and Wagner's Grand March was
n,aved. both producing powerful I'M
nresyiop. John Welsh, President OF the
Roard OF Finance, formally presented the
buildings to Gen. Iawley, President OF the
Commission, who in turn presented them to
the President of the United States. A caniata
nv Sidney Ianier was sung, and President
Grant declared the Exhibition open. The Presi-
dent and invited guests then passed through
the Main and Machinery Buildings, and the
machinery was started by the President and
Dom Pedro.
A PICTURE OF THE OPENING CEREMONIES.
DESCRIPTION BY BAYARD TAYLOR OF THE WAY THE
DAY BEGAN.
rRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBuNR.i
PmlADEI PHIA May 10-lhe American people may
Justly congratulate themselves. Energy, aud power
of steady endurance rarely 80 tested before. have
stoned for all manner of Indifference, negligence, anu
accidental hinderance; the elements threatening
until the last moment. became gloriously benign ana
radiant /; hundred thousand people me- under the
dappled dome OF the May-day sky, and with prayer,
grand orchestral music, and still grander choral
song. brief and fitting official formalites, and the
closing iubilation of bells cannon Instruments ana
voices the International Exhibition OF 1876 was
opened. 1t was superb, a wonderful success. NO
such spectacle has ever before been witnessed IN
this country-probably erander in all the es-
,entials of expressive show anywhere In the world,
since the triumphs of the CAESARS came to an end.
Tins auspiciously begins the oommemoration of the
Centennial year.
TIE MORNING.
Mayer were the aspects of day earnestly
scanned. The great crowds of last night as they
Gathered in the corridors of hotels under awnings.
and in the abundant places OF refreshments near the
grouuds talked of little else than the weather. IL
raned disInally and the wind almost took on the
rawness of q northeast storm. But at the Trans
continental (which was filed TO its utmost capactyh
met Probabilities, just arrived from Washington
To nv daring question: what VIII Dc the
weather tomorrow" he answered In the calmest
tone; Possibly cloudy certainly no rain" With
that oracle | made two members of the Centennial
Commission happy.
The early morn was overcast and the blithe music |
AZ the chimes foa;ed far the land in the damp
air But the vail slowly lifted; the wind |
came out of tbs west, and specks OF clear |
blue began to brighten and broaden. by O'Clock |
the transformation was complete; the leaden can
opy Of the past two days receded into soft pearl
nay background Of air, against which the sum
touched banners sparkled like tongues OF lame
There was no longer doubt of the day. People
were already arriving from all quarters OF the com
pass in fact they seemed TO spring up cut OF the
ground in every variety of ready-made costume |
Every street was bursting WIN lts
load; country vehicles, decorated wagons, and |
private carriages thronged Bemont-ave and |
that of the Republic at an early hour Governors of
States, officers of the army and navy foreign and
native exhibitors, happy guests with tickets and |
eonteuted guesis with silver haf-dOlars in their |
pockets gentlemen, scholars bummers. and adven- |
turers josed each other in whatever direction one
looked When compared the street-plctures with |
those offered by Vienna on that raw and chilly May
morning of 1873. knew that the scene to come |
would surely make me proud and satisfied as an |
American
INSIDE THE GROUNDS.
At 0 o'clock, when the gates were opened to the |
public, the inward flow began, but il was some time
before it kept pace with the increasing flow from |
without. The invited guests first admitted |
half an hour later at the southern entrance |
of the Main Building; but when l reached
that point only a few minutes afterward, / |
found such crowd of dignitares with their
ladies, cborus-snRes, musicians and officials |
connected in some way with the Exhibition that |
both time and endurance required to pass the |
gate. Only one door of the building was opened, |
and hundreds Of gentlemen and ladies surged and !
perspred for time under the portal before they
could reach the shadowy quiet of the interior. From
the opposite portal on the northern side, our way
passed under the great platform erected for the or
ehestTa and chorusa cool dark passage, ont Of which
we emerged into bath Of sunshine and a vision of |
startling almost stunning character. An innumer-
able crowd on either hand, kept back by ropes and
lines Of policemen, which swayed out until they
nearly touched in the center, and blocked our pas
sage; the two Pegasuses, their ugliness hidden
under masses OF climbing and clinging humanity;
the rising platform and whole front of the Memorial
hall equally heaped and crowded the 800 singers
ana zoo musicians getting into place in the rear;
hnes OF men clear against the sky every roof and
pnnAeie-these were the first prominent features of |
Tue view. Reaching the platform at last, where Mr..
DNey' the Master Of Ceremonies and a score OF |
s'hclent AIDS net the throngng guests to ORDER |
iouno the best possible situation for studying the |
scene more in detail.