Arizona republican., 1893-05-03
THE BIG SHOW. The Worlds Fair For-
 malIy Opened. An Era of Electricity
 lnaugurated. Facilities Afforded by Trans
 portation Lines.
The President and Ills Party En- tertained bv the Worlds
 FaIr Managers.

CHICAGO, May 2.-[ Associated Press. An electric age was ushered into be- ing in this last decade of the nineteenth century, when President Cleveland, by pressing @ button, started the mighty machinery and rushing waters and re- volving wheels in the Worlds Colum- bian Exposition. No exhibit of the fair that is to attract thousands to this city for the next six months can be more marvellous than the magic effect following the solemn opening of the fair.
 Of the multitude of visitors some es- innate the numb ss high as 200, ,000. not one probably fully realized the inn port of the effect that was to come from the arrangement cleverly devised in the opening of the exposition. It was known in 8 vague way that President Cleveland was to press the golden key and that the electric communication with the machinery was to start the fair, but no one realized how intricate was this machinery. how infinite the notifications of that electric spark, until the great fountains threw up their geysers seventy feet in the air and the rumble and hum of wheels in the man. ufacturers' building and chatter of ma. chinery in all parts in that area ot mile square or more, told the story of the final consummation of scientific thought. The lfeless mass started into being on every hand.
 Draped statuary shed its veil and re- vealed to the world the artistic labors of the past eighteen months, and in a moment, all that had been apathy and inert and inactive through the long hours of the morning, sprang into ami. mated acton that thrilled the multi. tudes and crowned the triumph of the exposition.
 In previous expositions the possiblli- ties of electricity had been limited to mere starting of the engines in machin- cry hall. But in this it made thousands of servants to do its bidding, and from the great CorlIss engine and mammoth foundations down to the minutest acts where power and touch are requisite, the magic touch of electricity did the duty of the hour.
 As soon as the attendance upon the formal opening oi the exposition was over, President Cleveland, Governor Altgeld, Mayor Harrison, the Duke of Veragua, and other notsbles were con- ducted to the dining hall on the third floor of the administration building, where they were entertained at dinner by the worlds fair officials. When the dinner was over the party was conducted from the administration building and driven around the grounds. At the manufacturers' building, which was the first place reached, the presidential party alighted at the main entrance and walked from one end of the mon- strous edihee to the other. From here they drove around the grounds. After having thoroughly inspected the white city President Cleveland and his party were drived to the grand crossing where they took the train for Washington.
 The transportation facilities today, to and from the exposition grounds were given their first trial and proved emi- nently satisfactory. The bulk of the down town traffic reached the grounds over the Illinois Central road in trains of eight care each, which ran at three. minute intervals. These facilities will be increased to twice the present ca- pacity. The Illinois Central handled an average ot 1000 people per hour. The Cottage Grove Avenue cable line dis. gorged the grounds at the exposition gates at the rate of 5000 an hour with out crowding. The elevated system was not so fortunate as its competitors for its terminal is not finished and today it was literally swamped. The road car. ried about 4000 an hour, but could have doubled the number under more auspi. cious circumstances. The boass ran at thirty minute intervals, but today it was too cold and the lake too reugh for the water route. Taking yesterday, which was considerably heavier than the average will be, as a criterion, it ;s safe to say that transportation to the exposition will be ample for all de. mands made upon it.
 mUVrnu mnYEI