The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-10-10
A MONSTROTS THRONG.
Remarkable Gathering on Chicago
Day at the Big Fair,
FULLY SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND

Passed Through the Gates and the Car
rlageways- The Record of the Paris TX
position EcIipsod by Hundreds of Thous-
auds-such a Crowd N,yer Seen Before
CHICAGO, Oct. lO.-Seyen hundred thou
sand people-doubtless the greatest crowd
that ever congregated-visit the Worlds
fair yesterday, breaking the greatest one
day record at Paris by an overwhelming
majority, completely smotbering the big
day" figures of any other exposition ever
held, and establishing mark which, it is
safe to predict the present generation will
never see attained.
When the morning sun, looking through
a light mist, peeped over the white per-
istyle at o'clock many people were near
ing the different entrances to the grounds,
and by the time the gates opened (6;3O)
fully 600 people beseiged each passage,
eager for admission. From that hour un-
til late in the afternoon there was a cou-
stant jam at every gate The department
Of admission had an extra force on duty,
and every turnstile was kept registering
at its highest speed Yet these facilities
were inadequate and at | o'clock Superin-
tendent Tucker ordered every wagon gate
opened and stationed a corps of men at
each to take tickets, relieving the pressure
from withoutto a marked degree.
About o'clock, when it was seen that
the crowds had diminished sufficiently to
permit of their successful handling by the
regular entrances, the wagon gates were
closed after 500, 600 people had been admit
ted. To this vast army lS1, 900 were added
in the next three hours. The glorious Oc-
tober weather and the granduess of Chi
cago day at the fair kept the crowds com
ing all afternoon and evening. A conserv-
ative estimate places the attendance for
the day and night at 100000. The official
! figures will not be given out before this
| afternoon, as the great mass Of tickets has
| nearly swamped the department Of admis-
| sions.
| Previous to this ever memorable day the
! palm for large attendance rested with In
| dependence day, July 4, when the attend
| ance was 2S3,213. Other days notable for
| great crowds are; Illinois day 2i3, 051:
| transportation day, 23l ,522; Polish day
! Qast Saturday,, 222, l76 Knights of Honor
day, 2l5,643; Pennsylvania day 2O3, AGO;
| Railroad day, POP, ,3i6. The total number
of paid admissions since the opening of
the fairi l6, 1921 O1O. The greatest day at
Paris was 397, $50, and at Philadelphia
217,526
During the afternoon there was re-
union of states, in which thousands OF
boys and girls took part, but the crowninR
glory of Anniversary Day was the pro
cession of floats which entered the ground,
at dark. The first one represented Chi
cago receiving all the nations of the earth
Then came the genius of music, followed
by Chicago and its typical motto 81 will, ,
d guided by Liberty. The most magnifcen
float in the entire procession was illustra
tive of Columbus at the court of Isabella
The characters of the float were assumet
by the members of the Columbian club o
Chicago. The last float in the procession
was Electra, the genius of electricity, >
drawn by eight horses. 1t was repre-
sented by enormous dragons, changing
color from green to red and lighted b
1000 electric lights.
The display of fireworks on the lax
front, adjoining the peristyle exceeded il
magnigcence any heretofore given in tn
United States, if not in the world. Tn
special pieces were illustrative of old For
Dearborn, the old city hall, Chicago we
coming the world, "Old Glory, ," carried b
Baldwin, the aerouaut, into the Heaven,
A remarkable feature i'm connection wit
the celebration was the comparative smal
number of accidents and emergency no,
pital cases. Not more than $50 people ha
been taken TO the hospital before the muI
titude started sUrging homeward. Nearl
all of those who were received at the hos
ptal needed only temporary treatment
The precautions taken to resist the huma
tidal wave which swept toward the stree
and the stairway leading to the elevate
railroad were inefficient, and many me
and women were injured in The crash |
was nearly morning when the ground
were cleared of the crowd