Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-22
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
[FRoM A SPANISH GOVERNMENT PoRrRAIr.1

Midway Plaisance en- route to jackson
| Park the road was found thronged with
people, but there was no difficulty in clear
ing the way, because the land was not in
closed. Even In the Plaisance, long, mar
row park, which was inclosed, there was
| plenty of room for spectators. The road
here was lined with militia, and it appeared
| to the wayfarers that the few hundred who
had gathered here were the only ones who
would see all the militia, but as matter of
fact even these favored ones failed in this
respect, for when the carriage procession
| arlv OF the regular army escort lett the line
and galloped through side street to Jack
son Park.
The Morning Parade Not Perfect.
So far as the public was concerned the
mornings parade was fraud. No one saw
| more than two-thirds of what had been an
ticipated. However, very few of the spec
tators knew the difference, and by clipping
the spectacular features of the morning
General Miles was able to do what has
rarely been done on such occasions
According to programme, the Vice Pres
dent was TO reach the fair grounds at 80
o'clock. At 11:15 a reporter on TOP of the
temporary viaduct that had been built over
the railroad tracks in front of the grounds
saw Mr.. Morton's carriage enter the plais-
ance. At exactly 11:28, two minutes ahead
of time, the carriage rolled into the park,
while thousands of people cheered.
But if the people who gathered to see
the parade were defrauded, the favored
thousands who held invitations to enter the
park saw something better worth seeing than
the parade could have been-the gathering
of zoe, 900 people under one vast arching,
Classified roof. The real ceremonies Of
the dedication-the music, the prayer, the
speeches, etc-were to be held in the
building of Manufactures and Liberal
Arts This building was just sufficiently
advanced in construction to be available for
the purpose. 1t was mile in circumfer-
ence; it was f1oored, rooted and enclosed A
grand stand to accommodate some tens of
thousands of people and the speechmakers
was erected on the east side, facing the
main entrance. Another stand, to accom-
modate 1000 singers, was built at the south
end
Room Supplied for Many Thousands.
Clear around the hall, supported BY the
splendid steel arches, they hung gallery.
Then over the center of that vast floor :hey
placed chairs in rows-60, 900 chairs in all
Back of that benches for 60, 900 more were
placed and space without the chairs that
was large enough to hold 100, 900 people
standing upwa still left.
Beginning at about clock the people
with invitations began to congregate in the
grounds, and by the time the Vice Presi-
dent arrived every chair on the floor was oc-
cupied. Every bench was full, every seat
In the three-quarters of mile of gallery |
was taken, and over %, 600 people more were |
surging about on the open space. |
For nearly two hours after the carriages |
of the great men had reached the grounds |
this prodigious throng remained there wait |
ing for the ceremonies to begin. They |
imagined they recognized great man and |
cheered; they saw somebody fall in trying |
to get on a chair and laughed; they listened |
to two bands playing patriotic airs and
cheered, they made the welkin ring with
''down in front!'
Meanwhile, some more thousands came in |
and clambered into the arches where they
could see what was going on, though with
great discomfort. 1t is fact that more
than 5000 men hung in apparent peril of
their lives in those arcnes to see the pro-
ceedings. Many of them were ,workmen,
who had hid away in alcoves and hooks
during the night, that thev might be pres
ent at the dedication. For those more than
for others, but for all, it became a weary
wait.
|
The hour, 1890, when the ceremonies
we're to begin, came and passed while the |
Vice President was at luncheon: o'clock
,ame and then 1:30, and still no other sign
)f the approaching ceremonies than the
gathering of few men in gorgeous apparel
IN the chairs of the grand stand Never
,heless it was patient and cheerful GRO wd,
md patience at last mad its reward.
Swelling and dying down to burst out at
in prolonged roars, the noise of
he mighty throng had lasted for an hour
md Is minutes beyond the time set for the
opening of the ceremonies, when a number
Vt ushers appeared over the ledge of the
,rand stand. They were followed imme-
lately by the decorated and gold-laced
diplomatic crops This was a spectacle
never before witnessed by any considerable
lumber of people in this city, and the null
itude rose M aud cheered with enthusiasm.
Then came the members of MIR. Harrison's
Cabinet, and after them the Justices of the
supreme Court, all OF whom had front seats.
they were all cheered, of course. ,
Thereafter other great men like Governor
Russell, of Massachusetts,; Governor Nc
Iinley, of Ohio, and Governor Flower, of ]
tew York, filed down the main aisle, each
ed by an usher with blue print diagla m
seats to point out the seats to be occu-
led. These men aroused varying degrees
enthusiasm, though Governor Mckinley
ad rather the best off g. :
Arrival of the Vice President,
A host of other State delegations fol-
WED, and people were getting tired of
leering. when Unexpectedly the entire | :
ost on the grand stand arose and faced the
ntrance of the main aisle. 1t was little
sfore the cause of this could be seen, I
lough all guessed it, and in a moment Di- .
ctor General Daviswas seen Leading the
ay before Vice President Morton, who was