New-York tribune., 1878-05-14
Exhibition will be in perfect state within month
from its opening e.. W. s.
ANOTHER EXPERIENCE WITH THE CROWDS
WHAT PEOPLE SAID AND DIp-THE PROFESSIONALS

|
WHAT PEOPLE SAID AND DID-THE PRoCEsSloA-iIs
TRIALs-vICToR HUGO AND LorIs BLANC
| tFRoM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
! PARIS, Nav LIN the so-oalled "Vestibue dHon-
neur-a misnomer for many of those VINO were
assigned to it by their gilded cardsthe confusion
was even worse than on the p0rtoW above, because
| the ceremonial required certain amount Oh oTder,
which was not prearranged. All classes emitted
| 70 take part in the official cOrtege, were hurried
peIlmeI into the nearest half OF the hemicycle, to
be Indignantly rejected reaching the central plat
| form, by yellow faced official who constantly an
| nounced " YOu must go around and come from the
| other side" Not of the ushors seemed to Know
how the different classes Of guests should be placed,
not even the Deputies and Senators of the Republic
A Republican Deputy, whose name is known
throughout the world, said :" There is no answer,
to-day. to any question: except Je ne e sdis pGs.
BY halfpast o'clock, that hslf of the approach to
the official tribune INTO which eve ybody had been
| hurried was crammed swelterng, confused, des-
perate; while the other half of the approach utterly
forgotten by the officials, quite empty. Mean
while the wind came in violent gusts the western
mass of clouds rose higher and more threatening
and the expressions of discomfort became loud or
subdued as the weather varied.
The Senators and Deputies were IN evening dress.
both with tricOlorcd scarfs the breast the Tor
mer with crossed fasces in gold and enamel on the
coat the latter with bundle of fasces only We
tor Hugo wore neither scarf nor fasces, but took
his place among the Senators. aud showed Won
derful appearance of freshness and ygor. consider
ing bis seventy-six years. Yesterday, he took his
usual ride on the top of omnibus, in the midst OF
a vertabe torrent of rain and in order to save him
self from the wet cushion placed upon it his ticket
of admission to the opening ceremonies of the Ex-
position. The leading Republican Deputies were on
hand but Louis Blanc, who is unusually short OF
stature almost disappeared in the crush. Official
ushers came and went, to no purpose; oHcels sta-
toned double lines of soldiers, which were at once
thrown into confusion by pressure from
both sides. There was evidently, not
only no governing head. but understood pro-
gramme A little before 2 o'clock, the MarshaleSs
MacMahon, Duchess de Magenta, arrived, and was
cOurteOuslv received she passed down the lane
opened for her through the crowd. She wore dress
OF bright red and yellow III narrow stripes, ana
bonnet composed almost entirely OF daltodlS. Shc
was conducted to seat IN the centre OF the PlT0h
for diplOmatists and ladies, Immediately behind the
official platform where the Archbishop of Paris and
various other prelates hOvcTed around her. with con-
vcntonall ysmIling lips. and keen, wary eyes Ires
emily the boom of cannon announced the arrival OF
the Marshal President, and the ccrem0nlal 1lhlc-
tOnaries set 10 work to arrange stately arrival Tor
himself and his princely guests
Now, the objectionable lack of arrangement be-
camo brilliantly manifest. Everybody had been
tumbled into one-half the destined corridor of ap
proach the later behind the earlier arrivals, ana al
so packed together that no retreat was possible.
Ceremony required that the grand corcge should
move to the tribune between a double file of
soldiers; but when the soldiers were brought and
placed face to face, there was no room left for
human body to pass between them. Every effort
was made, but in vain-the too, too solid flesh
would neither melt nor shrink beyond certain de-
gree of compression, without damage hands were
uplifted to Heaven. official voices made agonizcd
appeals but Nature exacted obedience to her eternal
laws. The subdued shout, rolling onwards, an
nounced the approach of MacMahon and his guests;
breasts abdOmens and legs, on either side were
tiattcned never before. and yet there was no
room! Suddenly a General-lt NAV have been
Fonzard who was in the eighbOrhOod-sugcested
a remedy. The central official entrance To the
tribune was given mp, another approach was i'm
prOvised at the left corner, and almost before aY-
body knew it. Marshal-Presdent MacMahon, the
Prince of Wales the eX-King AmadcO, the Prince
of Denmark and other high persona ges were already
| on the platform. Apr6s Cela le dGlage The Min
| IsteIs senator's Deputies, diplomatists, Generals
! and what not, cOnccntTcd IN one wild. struggling
! chaos, which suggested Dante's 'dcccRie drd
| orTbiiie fdreie' ETC., tor ii mixture of ANGER
desperate fun badinage, concealed pohtcai hoSIiii
ties. such as has rarely been heard IN Paris lhi'
lasted about quarter of an hour when most OF tie
prominent officials reached their places
On the tribune also there seemed to be considera-
| bic uncertainty. Muong those who watched the
proceedings in the eO-called "VcstIbule d Hon
neur," the remark was mone than once made: 'Mci.
pdra qR lis n ont pas dfcdGs &C qr It's do'ret fare
Ii-basw 1T appear. that they have not yet decided
what they are to dc down tbercJ
| Finally NJ Tessorcnc de Bort came forward. un-
| covered his head, aud while the wind blew damp
and strong from another approaching gust OF ram,
commenced his ora,ion. lie evidently spoke i'll the
mildest conversational tone, for not sound was au-
dible at disfanc, of fifty feet. While he was
speaking, facing the Marshal-Prcsident with his
back toward the world Of Paris and the great
buildings Oh the Champ de Mars, various officials
| passed TO and fro behind him. lively cOnvcr-
| sations were kept up between the ladies
and gentlcmen-some of the latter even clasping
! their hands and making sentimental dumb-shOw TO
fair faces in the upper tiers OF scatS-and these re-
| marks were constantly heard: " But he continues
! to speak. ~ DieU how lOngp "Hcids! will ii never
| cndp 1t lasted about twenty minutes. after which
| NJ. GT6vy appeared, and there were exclamations:
! What, is he to speak alsoV " ndis quette belle
tete 7" etc. etc. NJ. Gr6yy, however. either spoke
| nouncement of the opening OF the Exhibition was
| only known, even by those quite near To HIM,
| through the renewed booming OF cannon. Toward
! 9 o'clock it all over and the procession was
| organized according to the programme Of the day
that is 10 say, without organic alton.
A very small space. by great effort, kept
clear around the President and his ROYAL guests
| the remainder of the cortoge were obliged to run
| the same gauntlet as on entering the NeStibule
d'HOnneur. Descending the slope of the TrOcadero.
! the backward view would have been very fine in
calm sunshine but with the threat of fresh
shower the cascades and fountains were rather too
suggestive and the loose incomplete gravel-walk,
turned into yielding slushy paste by so many feet,
was something TO be gotten over as rapidly
| MS poSs BILE There was q little relief on the POnt
de jena; then the mud and puddles be-
gan again. and tho high officials hurried
| CIT toward
The spectators admitted into the grounds gave mod
crate cheers the head Of the procession passed,
but they quite as often Tire Ia HfPabhqaeF ~ as
| uher.vnr GrGyv's tall form and mnscnline head