Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-05-01
For the Opening Of the Colum-
elan Exposition.
RUSHING IHE FINAL WORK.
Many oS shs fssiI&issss Have Co@-
passesi Euhsbsas ard Ase IN Rsadi-
se.s Voc lassecsioa Today.

nothing of the people ot Chicago. are
c-ntsred ON fair weather. Not that the
opening ceremonies siIi be postponed
OF even materially in,erf-r-d With II u
should rain all day. The ceremonies
Will simply be transferred from the plaza
of the administration building D. the
interior Il music hall But n tho
weather clerk should prove amiahle ard
send sunshine instead u RAIN. there will
Ia a more general celebration. the
crowds will b. larger and the whole
Affair viii be much more satisfactory
and in keeping with the magnitude -
the occassoa. than would be the case II
the heavens froWn.
IL was raining Ia torrents and blowing
gale froaa the northeast when Director
General DAVIS hurried down IL ths
vorlds fair grounds this morning. but
despite The fury os the elements there
VA. large sorcs - men AZ work putting
the Flushing touches % the grounds and
arranging the interior % the bag build
ingS Hundreds II men ard teams were
busy cl~aasng up the rubbish. removing
the piles q gravel and dirt. dwelling
mounds anil putting The place in holi-
cas attire -o FAR a. the weather would
permit t.yerywherr workmen were
busy with hc~s and shovsls. broom- and
rakr-. removing every particle u dirt
and debris from the grounds. Super.
huou- material lying in unsighlv piles
and obstrucilng the view was carried
ava, ~ remote corners. The landscape
gardeners. too. were hari a, work de
spite the rain and the work ~ so.iiing
=
Davis Peel. Satisfied.
We shall hc in pretty good shape to-
morrow morning rain or shine" said
Colonel Davis. the outside work will!
have O. stop tonight ~ course: but the
rnen on 'he mside will work right
through the nigh, and up Ia the time 81
opening the gates IN the public ,omor
row 1her. will he some evidences %
,ncomprrsne-- 10 course. hut ] fancy
that the average visitor will find little
20 Indicate the tremendous stress We
have been under for the las, u,onih We
have been delayed by the unprecedented
hail weather. bv labor troubles hy tardy
exhibitors and tt a good many things
that we're unforeseen and could not be
guarded against: hut after all We have
pulled through Satisfactorily. ~ orlv IL
-
perfectly happy.
Almost while Coiurel DAVIS wa.
speaking the rain h.s,an 20 -laken and
~ roon IL hasl ceased altogether, The
suu I'D MT appear. but the cessation of
the rain enabled The outside laborers n
pursue their work with redouhled speed
Insiie the buildings ths exhibitors were
scruhhing floors. cleaning alley ways and
decorating their pavilions
Completing Exhibits.
ln the manufacturers building Colum
tan avenue vas the scene 20 the great
est activity With few exceptions. the
exhibit. along this broad highway.
stretching from end 20 end 20 the build.
INK. viii - m perfect shape when the
l-.rs are throgn open tomosrov morn
ine Away up against the roof hund
rrls 10 i'a.,s huttercsl and tremblrd this
afternoon iu the thundsr ~ the carpen-
t.ap' hammers and miles 10 bunting hung
frcsn rafters. swung IN graceful folds
ovsr the ra'hngs and across the wide
stretches from. gallery to gallery The
chime = heli- for the hig central tower
has been prt m place The railroad
tracks running down the center -
Columbian avenue have given vay n a
new foor and the general work - in
s'sllafion has progressed ao far that i,
may almost - said "a b. completed
" The government building every
thing - orller quiet and satisfactory.
The painting - the rVterior "a finished
AM ,oisy The sur<ul~u are taking down
'he las' - ne -ca:Toding The same -
true q tho fisheries huilding where
everything practically In place aud
really fpr inspsstion.
Iocompicsc buildings
Picture hanging went on al dsy in
the Hns arts building and IN the mines
snd mining building hund-esls - men
sr~n' sunday unpscking exhibits and
putting them IN place. The work vill
. finished ~ electric hight tomb Shf
~ ,r'leui'ursl hall vss the scene - great
activity The sovers and plants in the
hsthouse we're transferred 20 ths main
hal snl "a the exhibits have nearly all
arriv~i The principal work is that -
arranging them In the transportation.
eie,trirify machinery ard agriculture
tuildings the eject - the work bone
vss rot a. sypsreut "a IN other iocsli
,le- but satisfactory progress vas heing
r4a,l. TNe administration building
seems 20 20 N sppl-pie ~ Ter. and all 10
IN resfiinesz fnr tumorrpvs ceremonie.
sher~
rhs Mpissv p'ai=ance. the congress
q rsilou. gut NJ early fhls morning
sri began cleaning bona. for the oper
irx dsg fnuisrrow TAr animals in the
hig p,snageri~ were given a rehearsa.
far their opening Performance. tire
F.yvrtian dancing giris uriimhersd them
selvas - she accompaniment = two
-srinrrd idsiis PLAYED ~ fst Arah
fr,,,n The ~onslsr and ihe -eura.iuction
- .he volcano - iisues srnufad mimic
f1me srsoxs ard lava "a - ~ ~ every
l,7 -rrulsriy during the continuance =
tn '1.r
~s,sis- sft.s . No ~f~v~
fhn south la islandsrS hsi had
Ia The ful treSs cs~tuue ~
fhair ~anva ard c,sn~l-s= = bland
srui.4 snd = t1n~h = feathers Ths=
urrr,rg - fherru0uefer ws- iovr
7e,f'v rn the fr-e7f-E point and he un
frfrrata slr.ie~i zhiFeresi in thar
farfs huEE-ng fhe stove snd ret ventur
frx nuf 81 taF TIE Ispsnese rho are
~ rrruhis,i ty any 'sbbatar'an
scrvr.~s vfrFei sH lif ant 'hi- evan
frr aai Completed -he t'g naolhco arm
a. fr.- -ofrtrrp p fr.f~ vfiisge In he
i--h aga Gre FFessrtrv aii r-nt tl
rH~N Fl tir rlE Rnt ru' it@
sfer-o,u tr farnisa'ra np ths decora
t.ne fr f-nrr~sw Pc 1fne-a para
taf a-.nrI lr .he rara ur .rr urtrefias
rr.r % shelter .rri siEet faa