Morning journal and courier., 1893-10-31
WORLDS FAIR AT AN END.

The Closing Scenes Were Most Inn
| pressive-Owfng to the Death of Chi
cago,s Mayor They Were OF a Solem n
Charaeter-At the Booming OF the
Guns the Flags Were Lowered by a
Hundred Men.
CHICAGO, Oct. 30.-In harmony with the
| worlds fair city's loss came the closing of
| the worlds Columbian exposition this day,
| as directed by the United States congress.
| At O'Clock the people invited to the clos
| ing ceremony assembled in Festival hall
The hall was not heated and the cold was
| uncomfortable for the three thousand per-
| sons gathered there. Thomas W. Palmer,
president of the national commission, in
opening the exercises said:
SIT was Intended that the speeches of
day should be of joyous character;
that the closing ceremonies of the worlds
Columbian exposition for 1892 and 1898
should be attended with festivities, the
firing of canons, the music of bands, the
making of speeches and song. But a ter
rible tragedy has interviewed to bring sor
row to the city of the fair and to the
world as represented here. The mayor
of that city which has done 30
much for this exposition had been SHOT
down by an assassin in the portals of his
own home. His every heart beat pulsated
with love for the city and interest in the
exposition. In view of this catastrophe 1t is
deemed proper that the program of festiv-
tiles should be omitted and the exercises
consist only of prayer, the reading of reso-
lutions of coincidence and the benediction.
The exercises will now open with prayer
by Rev. Dr. Barrows of Chicago"
Rsv. DR.. Bsrrows in his prayer said:
"On this, the closing day our hearts have
a double sorrow which shrouds our homes
in gloom. We bless Thee for the manhood
and manifold resources of him who WAS
ruthlessly torn from us. Our hearts go out
to those affected ones who sit in the desc
late home"
President Palmer announced that the
resolutions prepared by the national com
mission aud by the directors would be pre-
scented by Fl. N. Higginbotham, chairman
of the joint committee. While President
Higginbothsm was reading the resolutions
and preceding statement, he betrayed his
personal feeling for the death of Chiosgo's
mayor. His voice became husky in read
ing, his eyes were moistened with tears and
he stopped in his delivery log enough to
recover his emotion.
President Palmer stated that IL was in
tended that the exposition should end with
a blaze of fireworks and pageant of
Columbus discovering America. All that
had been changed by the circumstances.
When the sun set the closing exposition
would be marked by the lowering of the
flags and the firing of guns. The presi-
dent then declared the worlds exposition
closed. and the sharp sound of his gsvel
emphasized the fact.
CIarenca Eddy Rdded a so1eronffv tn fha
closing scenes of the fair by playing on the |
great organ in the hall the funeral marches |
of Chopin, Guilmsnt aid Beethoven.
Samuel w. Allerton, the republican op-
ponent of the murdered mayor in |
his last campaign, occupied q prom
inent seat on the platform during |
the exercises. On the platform were |
the executive officers of the exposi- |
ton, national and state commissioners. |
Many of the foreigners Game in brilliant and |
court uniforms.
at sunset, AS O'Clock, the C lors of all |
nations, which had been flying at half |
mast since sunries on Sunday, were low
cred together as they were unfurled within |
sight of President Cleveland at noon May
l, 1893 At the word of command |
from artillery officers the guns of
a battery facing Lake Michigan belch
ed forth a signal, and a hundred |
men etatloned at the various nag stsfs on /
the department buildings lowered the flags. |
1t was an impressive scene and thousands |
of visitors who viewed the spectacle could |
not refrain from signing aud regrstting |
that the exposition was at an end.
The Thirteenth Regiment band of New |
York hal bean playing in the court of
honor. At the sunsst hour Conductor f. |
Inner played on the trombone the "Ses |
She'll Waltz" one of his compositions. The |
last flag to be pulled down was one of the |
three facing the court of honor, the admin |
istration. 1t was lowered by the worlds |
fair newspaper men, and Old Glory |
reached the ground great cheer and a |
tiger arose. The New York band played |
1.-The Star Spapgled Banner" and concluded |
with america" A cheer went up from |
the thousands assemble within hearing of
the patriotic strains and after the sound OF
the bugle from the administration building
the worlds Columbian fair became history.
Midway with its motley array of sttrso-
tons will cease to exist to morrow night as
part of the fair, Director General Dsvis
having ordered the closing the doors of ev-
cry attraction tomorrow night.