The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-09-19

| peiiou, now leadlng citizen OF AtlGnta,
and director Of the exposition, acting as
master OF ceremonies, introducing Mrs.
Jos. q. Thompson, president of tho
womens' board, and Booker T. Wash.
| ington, the representative Of the negro
| race.
| When Judge Speer concluded his
grafton. the ceremony OF touching the
button took place. Wires had been
stretched from Gray Gables to Buzzard's
Bay. and still another wire had been
stretched from the auditorium here TO
the machinery building. While Judge
Speer was delivering his address. the
operstor cleared the line to Gray Gables
shortly after o'clock, and soon every.
thing WAS ready.
Herbert's band played selection, and
suddenly flash OF light from an cleo
eric lamp illuminated the building.
There were great cheers. The Elk
position WAS formally opened. Down a :.
machinery hall Engineer Charles w.
Foster, with his assistants, stood watch
ing the engines.
Mr.. Foster was sitting by the big
engine waiting for tho signal from the
President. and when the valve clicked
and the Kissing steam poured into the
cylinder he waved his hand TO the
engineers around him and at once all
INC obS WoC6 OpbH. Inc Wle9lS
began turning and the ponderous
machine announced tho opening OF the
great show.
Standing on the banks of Lake Clara
Nicer, Mr.. Luther Steininger directed
the operations of the fountain, the
greatest electrical creation in the his
tory OF the world. The single iet from
the center of the machine suddenly be-
gan spouting, and as it rose above the
banks OF the lake, tho men at Paine's
fireworks building began o 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 programme
and the great crowd distributed itself
over the grounds The opening was
complete and unequivocal success and
the Exposition begins with every good
omen in its favor.
The Presidents Congratulations.
BUZZARDs BAY, Sept 1S.-The gold
trimmed button attached to a wire con-
Meeting Gray Gables, the summer resi-
dence Of President Cleveland, with the
motor in the machinery hall, at the
great Cotton States and International
Exposition at Atlanta Ga, was pressed
by the chief executive OF the United
ObhteS &t o:oO THIS evening.
Shortly before this time the Prasi-
dents evening mail was brought into
the room, and picking up an evening
psper, one served by the United Press,
Mr.. Clevelands eye fell upon heavily
loaded article on the first psge, an
nouncing that he had pressed the button
at p m. The President read aloud
some lines OF the article with manifest
disapproval, as at that moment 1t was
several hours past the time mentioned
in the article.
Just before o'clock message came
to the President from the committee on
ceremonies at Atlanta, thanking him
for his interest in the exposition and for
pressing the button, to which the Presi-
dent sent the following reply:
Fully approaching the value and
Importance OF the exposition inaugu-
rated to-day I am especially gratifled to
be related to it's inception and progress
and to participate in its opening cere.
monies. l sincerely congratulate those
whose enterprise and energy have &C
complished such splendid results and
heartily wish the exposition they have
set on foot will be completely successful
in communicating all the good results
contemplated by it's promoters
"GRovER CLEVELAND f"