Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-10-31
THE WORLDS FAIR.
Beginning of the End of One of the
Greatest Events in Amer
lean History.

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dents on the program will be one that
will carry the visitors back 400 years
to the landing of Columbus. A spec
tacular reproduction Of that scene,
which has been the subject of great
painters, is to be presented in man
ner eclipsing all former efforts Of the
entertainment committee of the fair,
and will be as true in all its details as
history and modern devices can make
it. The tableaux have been in the
hands of F. D. Millet, G. E. Cup and
James Pain for some time, and are
now almost complete.
Early in the morning the three
ships, Sante Maria, Nina and Pinta,
will be washed clean and put in ship
shape. The men who came over on
the barks and are familiar with the
ropes and sails, will be called upon to
man them. The ships are now in the
South Basin of the grounds, near the
Convent of La Rabida.
When the time approaches for the
start of the expedition the imperson-
ator of Columbus and those who rep
resent his followers will go aboard,
each character costumed as history
records them to have been 400 years
ago, Each ship will carry the same
number of men and the Santa Maria
will be the flagship, as it was in the
voyage of Columbus. Steam tugs are
to be the motive power which is to
move the fleet, as the wind cannot be
depended upon to carry out the pro-
gram which has been mapped out.
With the Santa Maria in the lead the
fleet will leave the South Basin and
proceed out into the lake some dis
tance and around the long Casino pier,
when it Will start inland for the paved
beech between Music Hall and the
battleship Illinois.
When the Spanish vessels arrive at
a point within 500 yards of the beach
they will come to anchor. The small
boats which took such a prominent
part in the marine day parade will be
lowered from the masts of each ship
and the sailors will row toward the
beach, Columbus standing, with sword
in one hand and flag in the other, in
the PROV of the first boat.
No one of the crew will set
foot OIL land before the chief officer
and when he has advanced some
distance, his officers, the monks who
accompanied him, and the crew VIII
follow until they are grouped as CO.
lumbus and his party are represented
on the 2-cent postage stamps. Spades
and picks and large wooden cross
will be carried ashore by the sailors,
and at the command Of the commo-
dore they will plant it in the soil.
Close behind it Columbus will pierce
the earth with his sword and take
possession of the land in the name Of
Queen Isabella Of Spain. A monk
will then kneel at the foot of the cross
and offer prayers, the officer and
crew kneeling on the beach some dis
tance away.
While the ceremony is going on lp-
dians will steal from behind the pill
lars underneath the music hall a. d
peer cautiously at the strange visitors.
They will run to and fro, calling 9th
ers, as the Indians Of San Salvador
are said to have done, until a large
number are collected. Some viii ap-
proach quite close under cover of the
palms until seen by the sailors, when
chase ensues, resulting in the cap
ture of several Of them The chief is
asked for and comes forth, where
friendly greeting are exchanged and
the chiefs are induced to accompany
the sailors on board the ship. The
Spaniards and the Indians proceed to
the boats and pull away to the ships,
where all get aboard, the boats are
lifted to the davitts, and the ships sail
away and return to the South Basin.
The Indians on shore steal away to
hiding places and the tableaux is
over.
At 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon the
fret hand was raised in the destruc-
ton of the Worlds Columbian expo
sitlon. Not much was accomplished
to be sure, and few realized that the
beginning Of the end had come.
Enough was done TO sadly impress
itself upon one that it was the fore
runner of the mighty spirit Of devas-
lation that will oyerwhelm Jackson
park in another week,
1t was on that fairest and most
peaceful spotin the exposition that
first shadow Of death tell. a llttle
group of workmen entered the wood.