The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-19
SUNNY SOUTH.
The Great Fair Is Opened by The
Pressing Of a Button.
WHITES AND BLACKS MINGLED.
Everything Points to a Most
Successful Exposition.

ATLANTA, Sept. 19.--Atlanta is alive
with people. Strangers have been coming
In for two weeks To be present at the OPEN
ing Of the Cotton States and International
exposition.
The city is profusely decorated with
bunting and the national colors. The
crowd is good natured. and, as in old
carnival times everything goes.
The list of distinguished personages and
historic organizations here Is long one
New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, Mary
land, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Ar
kansas, California, Texas, Alabama,
Florida, South Carolina and Ohio, and
many other states are officially repre-
sented. either by the governor or members
OF his staff, or board OF state commits
sioners.
The parade of civic and military bodies.
which acted as an escort TO the officials OF
the exposition and it's guests, was the
most imposing procession ever seen in the
south. Several thousand Grand Army
members came down from Chickamauga,
Tenn, and were conspicuous on the
streets. They received marked attention
from the citizens.
One OF these. Lieutenant Franklin
Berry, brought down from Massachusetts
the identical flag which waved from Ken
nosaw TO Allatoona, the famous signal ON
which was written the song, Hold tho
Fort, for am Coming" The lieutenant
went up on Kennesaw mountain yester-
day, and when the exposition was formally
pronounced opened waved the same signal
which he received 81 years ago from Cen
N tNG GO
When the parade reached the exposition
grounds the official party proceeded to the
auditorium. Judge Emory Spear delivered
the address OF the day He was followed
by Mrs. Joseph Thompson, chairman Of
the woman's board Then Booker II.
Washington Of Tuskegce, Ala, spoke on
behalf OF tho negro board. Albert How
ell, prominent member of the Atlanta
bar, read an ode written by Frank l..
Stanton, the south's best-known poet OF
to-day. An address by Governor Atkin-
son OF Georgia was read by George Brown
President Charles II. Collier of the expo
sition company reviewed tho work of
building the exposition.
At the Auditorium.
The new auditorium within tho ex.
position grounds was packed to its remot-
est corners during :he delivery of the ad-
dresses all of which were received with
enthusiasm. The program presented the
remarkable spectacle of Ex-Governor
Rufus Is. Bullock, elected chief executive
OF the state by Republican votes during
the reconstruction period, and now a lead
Ing citizen Of Atlanta and director of the
exposition, acting as master OF ceremonies
In introducing In succession to southern
audience Mrs. Joseph ii. Thompson.
president Of tho women's board. and
Booker L. Washington, the representative
of the negro race. This incident, coupled
with the appearance Of negroes In car
riages-in the parade and the presence Of the
negro building on the grounds. emphasized
the recognition given to the race by this
exposition for the first time in the history
of such enterprises
When Judge Spear concluded his ora
tion, the ceremony of touching the button
took place. While Judge Spear was de-
hvering his address the operator cleared
the line TO Gray Gables, and shortly after
4 o'clock everything was ready Herbert's
band played a selection, and suddenly n
fash of light from an electric lamp illumi- !
mated the building. There were great
cheers. The exposition was formally
opened.
Down at machinery hall, Engineer |
Foster with assistants, stood waiting at |
the engines. They had attached two cleo |
trio valves to the Frick engine and the |
t,~O, O,OoO-gallon pump. When President
Cleveland touched the button at GRAY
Gables the electricity opened a small
valve, which forced a Jet of steam against
q lnrger one, and through this opening the
steam was admitted 10 the cylinders.
Mr. Foster was sitting by the big engine |
waiting for the signal from the president.
He had his head close TO the electric valve
for a half hour. When the valve clicked
and the Kissing steam poured into the
cylinder he waived his hand TO the en-
ginecrs around him. and az once all tho
engines We're opened. The wheels began
turning and the ponderous machine an
nounced tho opening of the great show.
Standing on the banks of Lake Clara
Nicer, Luther Steininger directed the
operations of the fountain. the greatest
electrical creation in the history of the
world Tho single jet from the center OF
the machine suddenly began spouting.
and as IL rose above the banks of the lake
the men at Paino's fireworks building
began n salute OF 100 bombs.
The first bomb, thrown high into the
air, notified the crowds around the grounds
that the exposition had really started, and
great cheers rent the air This closed the
regular program, and the great crowd
distributed itself over the grounds and the
buildings for first peep at the big fair
whose formal Inauguration they had Just
The opening was o complete
and unequivocal success and the exposi.
ton begins with every good omen in its
favor.
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