The Helena independent., 1892-10-22
WORDS AND FIGURES FAIL.
A Scene Never Equalsd In tho Records
Time


A Scene Never Equaled In tho Records of
Time.
CHICAGO, Oct. 2.-Ths route from Thirty
fifth street was by way of the Grand boule-
ward and Midway plaisance to the fair
grounds. At Washington park on the way
down, the troops encamped there, regular
and state, formed by brigades in lines of
masses, and as the federal representatives
neared the park presidential salute of
twenty-one guns was f1red by the artillery,
whiie the troops stood at present arms.
The military display was most imposing.
Al nine O'Clock visitors began to stroll into
the grounds and by 10 O'Clock 10000 people
had passed through the gates. From this
time on the multitude was augmented by
tens of thousands. AS the visitors arrived
most of them made way directly to the
great dedication building, anxious to obtain
desirable seats and in short time every
one of $4,000, except those reserved for dis
tinguished guests, were occupied by the
early comers.
AZ 10 O'clock the parade outside. in
which II, 900 regulars and state militia par
ticipated, had hardly begun and it was
evident the MANY thousands who were
coming in must be content with standing
room and that at least two thirds of the
visitors to the grounds would never got
within hea ing of the speakers' voice. 1t
was the thronR of century, the scene of u
! lifetime, spectacle that shall in coming
years mark an epoch In the march OF the
nations of the earth.
No human pen can adequately describe it.
One must see 1t to appreciate it. Words
and figu es fail. When one says the great
audience room. capable of seating $4,000
persons comfortably, with space left for
rs 900 more. it is simply big approxima-
tion. Let us endeavor to get an approxi-
mate idea of this unique scene. Imagine
thirty great steel arches with a 1856 foot
span and 206 feet high. covering space
], 400 feet long, and this partly covei ed with
wood and partly with glass, and surrounded
the entire length and breadth by broaa
gallery with raised seats. imagine great
starry banner hung from the center of each
| Al oh, with clustered flags of ali nations
| gathered in festoons on the front of the
| balcony.
| AT the end imagine great platform filled
with musicians, vocal and instrumental.
In the middle of one side imagine great
stand with pulpit-like projection i'll the
| middle, draped with white and yellow fes-
toons. This 10 the official stand. Imagine
| IL filled with governors and their resplen-
| dent staffs; dignitarles of foreign nations
with jeweled strange but vivid costumes.
In front of this stand upon the main floor,
imagine Il large rallied off stand with tables
| and occupied by newspaper men from all
| quarters of the globe, wotking turiously
| irving to picture the scene before them,
and to the left aud right see the great audi
ence, sitting, standing, filling the immense
space until ii could not hold another hu-
man being; till the boys and men take hold
of the great steel ches and Chamber
through their braces high mp above the
heads of the gathered throug. Imagine
depending from the roof midway down
streamers of ye low, red and white bunting
to the sides o. the great al ches.
| Imagine in festoona the American flag,
draped here and there while in the center
a great Gu we'd stone eagle forms tho nucleus
of the glorious standard of coiots. On one
side of this hangs the amer of Spain,
with its lion, it's castle towers of red, white
and black. On the other side the q cen
cross of Ferdinand and Isabella upon a
white ground. with their initials surmount-
| ed by u crown emblaZoned in yellow. Near
| by is the official banner of the World's Col
um bian exposition, triangular in form, di-
vided evenly. ono half of ground blue sig
naliZng Lake Michigan; the other half
white, suggestive of tho exposition building,
and fringe of dark gold, which, with
white. makes tho oolors of Isabella. ln the
tassel, the dark rad strand. ut once the
O imson OF Ferdinand and Columbus, and
the terra cotsa of Chicago. which, with the
white, make new municipal colo
| In the field near the staff OF oak Ia a
wreath enclosing four gothic "Cs" inter
| twined, the initials of Cvolus, Christopher
| expressive OF the Romanesque oharaoteris-
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