The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-15
PRESIDENT TOUCHED WIRE.
NATIONAL EXPORT EXPOSITION
OPENED TO PUBLIC.

Hundreds of Distinguished Visitors
in Attendance at the Auditorium.
Exposition Received by Gov. stone
and Turned over 10 the Mayor of
PhiIadeIphia-DeIay in Getting in
the Exhibits, But They VIII All
Be There Within IA Week.
Philadelphia, Sept 14-With ceremonies
unattended by ostentation the National
Export Exposition was formally opened at
noon to-day.
Hundreds of distinguished visitors from
all sections of the country were in attend
ance, including representatives OF the Dip
lomatic corps, officers of the army and
navy. scientists and business and profess
sionai men.
After the benedic lion by Archbishop
Ryan, which concluded the dedicatory eX-
ercises a message was received from Pres
ident Mckinley, extending greetings and
officially opening the great exposition
When the message had been read the
chorus of 600 voices and the audience sang
The Star spangled Banner" accompa-
MED by the United States Marine band
anu the Dig exposition organ.
The first event of the day was the land
iug of Admiral Sampson and the officer
OF rs squadron az Chestnut street nier
AZ 10 o'clock. Carriages were in waiting,
and the naval officers were driven TO the
city tsn.
Ceremonies nt Auditorium.
Promptly at 1l15 o'clock the company
in the Mayors Office. including Gov. Stone
and others, re-entered the carriages anu
Were conveyed to the exposition grounds,
preceded by a platoon of mounted police
and escorted by $50 marines from the
North Atlantic squadron and The marine
band.
Arriving at the grounds. the di.un-
guished guests were escorted to the plat
form in the auditorium. In the absence
of p. A. B. Widener president of the eX-
position, the first vice president, w. w.
Foulkrode, delivered the address. turning
the exposition over to the Governor of
Pennsylvania.
Director General w. P. Wilson deliv-
cred an address on the Inception, Pur-
pose, Plan and Scope of the Exposition
Gov. Stone made an address welcoming
the visitors, accepting the exposition and
turning it over to the Mayor of Philadel-
phia.
Mayor Ashbridge accepted the exposition
from the Governor and then Congressman
W. p. Hepburn of Iowa, chairman of the
congressional committee OF interstate and
foreign commerce, delivered the Grafton
of the day.
Presidents Message.
The benediction was pronounced by
Archbishop Ryan of this city, and at its
conclusion, at 2:14 O'Clock, a telegraph in
strument was moved TO the front of the
STAGE and communication was effected
with the White House at Washington.
First Vice President Foulkrod informed
President Mckinley over the wire that the
exposition was ready for him TO declare
open. The President Immediately sent the
following message:
Executive Mansion. Washington, Sept
14-To DIR. w. P. Wilson, Director Cen
eral, National Export Exposition, Phila-
delohia:
1.-The opening of the National Export
Exposition marks another important and
most gratifying advance in the extension
of our trade and commerce and the pro-
motion of more cordial relations in these
respects with other nations. Accept for
! yourself and your associates my heartiest
! congra tulations and best wishes for the
abundant realization of your most san
| guine hopes of success and influence of
this undertaking. William Mckinley
started the Ball.
This message was read by Vice President
| Foulkrod after which he announced that
President Mckinley, who was at that mo-
ment waiting at the White House for the
purpose, would touch the key of the tee-
| graph instrument a Washington, commu-
nicating with the instrument upon the
stage, and thus signify his participation in
| the exercises. This was done and in the
momentary silence the click of the instru-
ment was heard at a considerable distance
from the stage.
This concluded the exercises and the
auditorium was thrown open to the pub
lie and the prominent guests inspected the
buildings, grounds and exhibits.
| While the exposition is not ready in
| every detail, the condition of the big show
at present is fully up to the expectation
of the management. There was consid--
cradle delay in getting some of the eX-
! hibits in place, but it is expected all will
have been put in position by the time a
week has elapsed.
There was a large crowd at the EXPOSE
| ton tonight. The admissions for the day
and night aggregated about $4,000.
|
SEVERE DROUGHT IN COFFEE.