Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-07
Paris in Her Element.
The Gay French Capital in Hol
iday Dress.
OPENING THE GREAT EXHIBITION

OPENING THE GREAT EXHIBITION.
Brief Officiil Ceremony Under the Dome
of the Main Observation-Disclosures lions
and Fireworks-vistas of Colored RAJ
dance Stretching for Miles and the
Eiffei Tower Outlined with Fire -
Frenchmen Rejoicing-The Political Sig
nificance.
PARIS, May THE formal opening and
dedication of the Grand International expo
sition on the Champ de Mars took place
yesterday, concourse estimated at nearly
800, 900 people having assembled to witness
the imposing and brilliant ceremonies.
President Carnot essayed the same duties as
those performed by the Emperor Napoleon
the Third at the Inauguration of the Uni
versal exposition, which was held on the
same historic site in 1867, and the circum-
stances and occasion very wildly recalled
the greater glories of the second empire
The OficiaI Opening.
The inaugural proceedings were brief and
almost entirely of an official character in ac-
cordance with the programme prepared for
the occasion, but there was no mistaking the
joyous enthusiasm with which the year of the
worlds great jubilee of liberty was ushered
IN President Carnot, accompanied by the
CABINET, senate, and deputies, was escorted
to the main exhibition building at p. m by
brilliant military retinue. There he and
the other officials took their places on plat
form Immediately under the great dome, and
the first address was made by Minister Tirard,
the premier. In his address Premier Tirard
declared that the exhibition was proof that
the people of France still preserved all the
qualities for which they had been noted In
spite OF the acuteness of the economic crisis
they had been able to collect splendid array
of exhibits. Although every government did
not officially take part in the work, most of
them generously seconded the efforts of pri-
vate individuals. To the strangers now in
Paris, he said, the country extended a fra
ternal greeting
President Carnot followed with an appro-
pirate and ell quent Grafton, and then after
tour of the different buildings the great ex-
hibition was declared open.
The Fetes at Night.
The fetes in celebration of the opening of
the exposition were carried out according to
programme last night. The Eiffel tower
the central dome of the exhibition building,
and the gardens surrounding the buildings
were splendidly illuminated, and in all parts
of the city We're to be seen evidences of the
enthusiasm with which the people regard the
great fair and their sympathy with the insti-
tutions whose application to the government
OF France the exposition commentaries
Brilliant Marine Display.
IN
was given embracing every kind of craft
which the depth of water would permit to
float. The display was extended from Saint
Louis island to Grenelle Each vessel car
ried lights of various colors and the bridges
and the entire stretch of dock front were
ablaze with lights, colored fires, etc.
Fyrotechnical.
The display of fireworks which took place
at the different points, at the Pont Neuf, at
Grenelle and in the garden of the Tuilleries
was fully equal to anything of the kind ever
seen in Paris. One of the pieces represented
the design of a monument in commemoration
Of the revolution of 1856. While the Vene-
tan fete was in progress on the Seine thou
sands of variegated Bengal lights were set off
from different parts of the Eiffel tower, dis
closing that structure to the view of the
whole city and its environs. The cascade of
the Trocadero and all the fountains on the
exhibition grounds were also Illuminated
Torchlight Procession.
Shortly after nightfall monster torch
light procession embracing Is 600 mounted
curassiers infantry on foot, most of the
musical societies of France, both vocal and
instrumental, with numerous brass bands,
drum corps, etc, started from the Trocadero
palace, crossed the Jena bridge and marched
into the central garden of the exposition
grounds amid most enthusiastic chez ring.
The number of gas jets blazing in the or ounds
last night was upward of 100 600
Its Political Significance.
While the industrial exposition itself is a
much larger and more memorable undertake
ing than any of like character by which 1t
has been preceded a political significance at
taches to this years festival with which none
of Its predecessors was ever invested and
France is celebrating not only another in
dustrial epoch, it is universally felt, but the
centenary of the great revolution of 1885,
Many things conspire to render Yesterdays
doings among the most memorable events in
the history of the nation. 1t is the first
worlds exposition that has been held in France
since the country has been living under a
republican form of government, and on the
Eiffei tower, a triumph of modern architec-
tural engineering which is already account
ed the eighth wender of the world the sym-
Dol of the nations new liberty is lifted
proudly to the skies
The Grandest of Its Kind.
Of the general features of the great exhibi-
ton itself 1t Is only necessary to say that in
magnitude and beauty and completeness of
design 1t surpassas any structure yet erected
for purposes of like character in the indus
trial history of the world
General Inuminations.
Paris was ablaze last night Myriads of
gas and electric lights within shades Of var
iegated colors extended from the Arc de Tri-
omphe down the Champs Eysee, through the
Place de la Concorde, Rue de Rivoli, Rue
Saint Antoine, Place de la Bastile. Faubourg
Saint Antoine, and TO the Bots de Vincennes
All the principal boulevards were lavishly
and magnifcently decorated 1t is estimated
that already over 100, 600 visitors have ar
rived in the city, many of whom intend to
remain here until after the exhibition closes
The Wisconsin Forest Fires
ASHLAND, Wis, May NO such serious
losses as were at first anticipated have re-
suited from forest fires in this district The
flames have nearly all died out or been ex-
tinguished. There was probably not more
than $4,000 loss caused in northern Wis
consin and on Indian reservations News
from Wausau, Wis, and Motley and Tower.
Mimi, is to the effect that the fires are still
doing much damage in those neighborhoods.
Scores on the Diamond.
CHICAGO, May THE League base hall