West-Jersey pioneer., 1876-11-16
CLOSING THE CENTENNIAL FAIR.

mense crowd was present notwithstanding
the rain. The Government Building anc
Women's Pavilion were both crowded tt
excess. A cold drizzle set in, and vet the
crowd seemed determined to stand it out.
By O'Clock the Centennial authorities
gave up all hope, and it was decided to
forsake the dripping platform and use
Judges Hall for the ceremonies. President
Grant, accompanied by Secretaries Fish
and Cameron, arrived at the appointed
time. The Foreign Commissioners were
assembled, and some of the Foreign Minis
ters, conspicuous among them Sir Edward
Thornton, in full official uniform, were
present. The gallery, running around three
sides of the hall, was required for as much
of Theodore Thomas orchestra and chorus
as could find place in it, so that only the
floor, accommodating at most 800 persons,
remained for the official participants and
their guests. A detachment of the 1st City
Troop of Philadelphia-sup figures in
their antique uniform-kept an open space
clear in front of the platform and down the
middle of the hall to the entrance.
The placing of the guests was accomplish
ed with great skill and tact by the Master
of Ceremonies. The Foreign Commission
ers were seated on the right, the American
on the left, while the platform was reserved
for the chief officers of the Exhibition, with
the President of the United States in the
centre.
At 2 o'clock, Gen. Hawley made his
appearance with President Grant, the band
playing "Hail to the Chief" and those of
the audience who were seated rising. He
was greeted with long continued applause,
which, after enduring for a while unmoved,
he suddenly acknowledged by stiff, abrupt
bend of the head. Gen. Hawley had pre-
viously made the cheerful request that the
company would only applaud by clapping
their bands, as the architect of the building
feared to subject it to any more serious
test. The effect of this announcement was
to limit all applause for the time; yet there
was too much latent sympathy and enthusi-
threatening iron girders of the roof did not
tremble, the audience grew bolder by de-
grees, and at last ventured on loud and
cordial expressions.
A pleasant incident occurred just before
the exercises commenced. Mrs. Gillepsie,
President of the Women's Centennial Com
mission, was seated on the right, between
Col. Thomas A. Scott and Bishop Simpson;
but suddenly message came to the Master
of Ceremonies, and she was conducted to a
place of honor in the front rank on the
platform, beside Mr.. Welsh Afterward,
when Gen. Hawley referred in his address
to the women's share in the undertaking,
turning to her as he spoke, the applause
which followed was an unmistakable tribute
to her efficiency.
After Gen. Hawley had concluded, all
rose and joined in singing the hymn, "My
country, it's of thee!' At this moment a
window above the platform was opened,
and the old war flag of Paul JONES' which
once waved above the Bon Homme Rich
ard, was suspended over our heads, sway
ing up and down as if moved by the breath
of the patriotic choral. Behind it stood a
lady of about TO- in gray dress and plain
white cap, weeping from the lofty excite
ment of the moment She was the owner
of the fag-the grand daughter of Paul
Jones, | was informed-but did not succeed
in ascertaining her name. The incident
was in the highest degree stirring and i'm
pressive. The flag was small (about four
or five feet long, with Is stars in the field,
but only II red and white stripes, and ap-
peared to be in excellent preservation.
Then President Grant, in a very low tone,
announced that the Exhibition was closed,
gave a signal which was transmitted by
telegraph to the great Corliss engine in the
Machinery Building and it undoubtedly stop
ped at that instant, The announcement
and the act were received in solemn silence /;
for the end of such a wonderful undertake
ing, coming, as it were, by single electric
spark, made its own deep impression. AT
sung asa doxology, was a fitting close to
the ceremonies of the day, They had
lasted for a little over an hour and half.
STOPPING THE WHEELS.
The scene in Machinery Hall, at the
stopping of the Corliss engine, which was in
tended to be the dramatic finish to the Ex-
hibition, proved a disappointment, owing
to the absence of the President The pro.
gramme did not promise his presence there,
but everybody expected he would stop the
engine. A crush of people filled all the
passage ways, affording view of the large
machine an hour before the time appointed
for it to cease its faithful labors. So great
was the pressure to get sight at the list
of the spectacle that it went hard with
those who got place near the engine, for
the accumulated force of the solid phalanx
of eager visitors pushing forward nearly
pressed the breath out of them. The
screams of women and the expostulations
of men had some effect to mitigate the
squeeze, but not much. At 23 minutes be-
fore O'Clock the piston rods of the monster
motor began to make slower and slower
strokes, and at last stood still. "What
does it mean ?" asked 10000 people at once.
No one was upon the platform, and no
hand was seen to turn the twin wheels
which President and Emperor had moved
six months before, putting life into twelve
acres OF machinery. Silence fell upon the
hall, where clangor and whirr and rattle
had reigned so long. The crowd fingered,
refusing to believe that the stoppage wa
final. After a few minutes, Mr.. Geo. II.
Corliss, the builder of the engine, appeared
upon the platform with Mr.. John Wana
maker, and bowling to the multitude, walk
ed slowly around, greeted by cheers on
every side. Then Mr.. Wanamaker pro-
posed a final cheer for the great inventor
a nd m which x,oc rc;x,o,, xx:4I.