Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-05-11
WORLDS FAIR IS Open.
Over Three Hundred Thousand People
Attend the Inauguration
Ceremonies.
President Cleveland Del.Ve ers Short
Address and then Touches
the Button

CHICAGO, May 1.-The electric age
was usbered into being in this, the last
decade OF the nineteenth century to-
day. when President Cleveland, by
pressing "A button, started the mighty
machinery. rushing waters and revolv-
ing wheels in the Worlds Columbian
Exposition.
No exhibit of the fair that is to at
teact millions to this city for the next
s1x months can be more marvellous
than the magical effect following the
solemn opening OF the fair today. OF
the multitude of visitors-some esti-
mate the number as high as 800, ,ooO-
probably not one fully realized the full
import of the effect that was from the
arrangement cleverly devised in the
opening OF the exposition. 1t was
known in vague way that the presi-
dent was to press a golden key and
that electrical communication with
the machinery was to start the fair,
but no one realized how intricate was
this machinery, how infinite the rami
fications of that electric spark, until
the great fountains threw up their gey-
sers seventy feet in the air and the
rumble and the hum of wheels in the
manufacturers building and clatter of
machinery in all parts OF that area of
/ Ia fold tha
of the final consummation of scientific
thought.
The lifeless started into being on
every hand, draped statuary shed its
veil and revealed to the world the ar
tistic labors of the past eighteen
months, and in q moment all that had
been apathy and inert and inactive
through the long hours of the morning
sprang into animated existence and
thrilled the multitude and crowned
the triumph of the exposition. In pre-
vious expositions the possibilities OF
electricity had been limited to the mere
starting OF the engines in machinery
hall, but in this it made thousands OF
servants do it's bidding, and from the
great Corliss engines and mammoth
foundations down to the minutest
acts where power and touch were re-
quisite the magic OF electricity did the
duty of the hour.
Jupiter Pluvius held his uplifted and
threatening fists over Chicago this
morning. The skies were sodden and
bleak and chill mist filled the atmos-
phere. The bunting througout the
city was damp and listless and a gen.
eral tone OF gloom pervaded the air
and streets, but to Chicago, whose day
of history 1t was, the weather condi-
tions counted for nothing and very
early the people were astir, and the
bustline, eager spirit of the great west
was bounding through every artery ol
this, it's capital city. Theconsumma-
ton of this great enterprise took place
, today, when the myriad of wheels be
gan turning at jackson park in re-
spouse to the touch of the nations
executive upon the golden key that
reached out through the eelctric train
to the mighty engines which are to the
Worlds Columbian Exposition the
vital moving energy.
In the great circle of events which
today made Chicago the festal city
the first point ofinterest was centere6
at the Auditorium hotel, where larg,
numbers gathered for a glimpse at Co
lumbus' descendent, the Duke de Yer
aqua, who, with members of his family
and committees and prominent Off
cials, national, state and municipal
took carriages about nine O'Clock ant
under military escort drove to th'
Lexington hotel, at Michigan avenu
and Twentieth street, at which wer
President Cleveland and the member
] OF his cabinet, and from which poin
the procession to the park was t.
: start.
The ducal party were arrayed in al
the glories of Spanish court costume
brilliant in color, rich with gold lace
| and bright with decorations and Oh
ders OF nobility, with swords, knee
breeches, silk stockings and all tn
trapplngs of the Spanish court. Th
Z assembled multitude set up "A shou
: as the party appeared, entered carr
> ages and drove rapidly to the Lexins
ton hotel.
Meantime the city at large SCENE
going in a body to the white city b
the lake. Nine big steamers from tn
early morning were plying, loaded
h rom Van Buren street to the ia
grounds. Every cable car wa
TO lall-OOdTu IlcNdlc
cars groaned with humanity. Steal
SIS cars reaped a harvest and the gres
Michigan boulevard was thronged wit
carriages and conveyances of all sort
Soon after nine President Clevelan
and associates appeared at the e.
trance to the Lexington hotel and we
conducted to carriages. When all wa
in readiness the procession moved
the following order: Platoon
mounted police, two companies Unite
States cavalry, the Chicago hussars,
troop of Illinois guard. Worlds Fa
officials occupied the first SIX carriage
In the seventh were President Clev
land and the chairman of the Colur
bian commission and the president
The Worlds Columbian exposItio
Then came five carriages containil
members of the cabinet and fair OF
cials; then the Duke de Veragua al
family in five carriages, followed
Thomas T. Bayard, ambassador
Great Britain, Maj .-Gen. Scofield, A
10 miral Gherardi, Gov. Atgeld al
Mayor Harrison bringing up the res
Down Michigan avenue, cheered
thousands who lined the curb, ella
tered and rumbled the cavalcade.
rn turned into Grand boulevard at TIL
ty-fifth street, into Washington Pa
at Fifty-frst street, from the pa
into Midway plsisance, now a medl
of all nations, and from it into t
great white city and to the admin
no tratIon building where the ceremoni
of the day were to take place.
Passing through the building t
notables came out upon the platfol
at the east side, looking out up
mt Grand plaza and the Court of hont
inc The plaza was black with people, t
al, whole scene forming one of the me
remarkable and enchantingin histol
Already the officials and invited gue'
not i'm the procession were seated