The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-05-03
THE WORLDS FAIR.
OPEN Gates
OF the Worlds Columbian Exposition
President CleveIand's Address Popular
Enthusiasm.

OF the worlds Columbian Exposition
President CIeveIand's Address-PopuIar
Enthusiasm.
AT noon on Monday, President Cleveland
pressed the electric button that set in mo-
ton the innumerable engines which started
the machinery at the Worlds Fair grounds,
and the great exposition was formally
opened 1t rained all of Sunday night, but
at seven o'clock Monday morning the rain
broke through the clouds, tightening the
hearts of the hundreds of thousands of
enthusiastic spectators.
The wisdom Of the committee on ceremo-
MES in making the opening exercises as
brief as possible was evident. No one was
in humor to listen to long speeches or
howery dissertations. That sort of thing
was well enough at the dedication exercises
last October, but on this day every one was
anxious to begin the inspection of the great
exposition, and the crowd that ebbed and
flowed through the buildings and avenues
was an earnest of the multitudes yet to
come when the pilgrimage to the Mecca Of
civilization should have been fairly begun
All the arrangements for handling the
crowds were excellent. The gates were at
no time choked, and the throng passed into
the grounds with less trouble than is often
experienced at theater or other place of
entertainment.
The scene that met the presidents eye as
he was escorted to his seat was an inspiring
one. Facing him was such throng as he
had never seen before him, occupying every
foot of space between the platform and the
edge of the basin beyond covering walks
and lawns, TO the east and west as far as the
eye could sweep. Looking over the heads
of those before him he could see the whole
length of the Grand Basin its surface al
most hidden from the view by gondolas and
steam launches, loaded down to the water's
edge with spectators.
Theodore Thomas led an orchestra of six
hundred pieces in the " Columbian March. :"
Rev. DIR. w. II. Milburn, lue blind chap
lain of the United States senate, offered
prayer, Miss Jessie Couthoui read a poem
written for the occasion by w. A. Crotfutt.
and Director General George h. Davis, with
brief remarks introduced the president. In
concluding his five-minute address, Mr..
Cleveland said: cit is an exalted mission
in which we and our guests from other
| lands are engaged, as we cooperate in the
| Inauguration of an enterprise devoted to
human enlightenment and in the under
taking we here enter upon we eXemplify in
! the nobest sense the brotherhood of ma
| tons. Let us hold fast to the meaning that
underlies this ceremony, and let us not lose
| the impressiveness of this moment. AS by
| touch the machinery that gives life to this
vast exposition is now set in motion, so at
| the same instant let our hopes and aspira-
| tons awaken forces which in all time 10
come shall influence the welfare, the digs
nifty and the freedom of mankind"
AS the president ceased speaking, he
| turned to table close at hand on which
was the electric button which was to start
| the machinery and make the opening of the
exposition an accomplished fact. 1t was an
ordinary form Of Victor telegraph key, such
as is in use in most telegraph offices, except
| that it was of gold instead of steel and a
| button of ivory instead of rubber 1t rested
upon pedestal upholstered in navy blue
and golden yellow plush, and on the sides
| OF the lower tier, in silver letters, were the
| significant dates 1892 and 1893 AS the last
words fell from the presidents lips he
pressed his finger upon the button. This
was the signal for demonstration, in fact,
| difficult of imagination, and infinitely more
| so of description. At one and the same
| instant the audience burst into laundering
| shout, the orchestra pealed forth the strains
| of the " Halleujah Chorus" the wheels OF
the great Allis engine in Machinery Hall
commenced to revolve, the electric foun-
tains in the lagoon threw their torrents
toward the sky, a flood of water gushed
forth from the McMonnies fountain and
rolled back again into the basin, the thun
| der of artillery came from the vessels in the
lake, the chimes in Manufacturers Hall and
on the German building rang out a merry
peal, and overhead the flags at the tops o.
| the poles in fcont of the platform fell apart
! and revealed two gilded models of the ship:
in which Columbus first sailed TO American
shores
The president and distinguished guest,
were then escorted to the third floor of tn,
administration building, where lunch wa
served. There was plenty of champagne
were dispensed with. After lunch tn,
presidential party visited the Woman
building and witnessed part of the dedica
| tory exercises