Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-09-28

morning NiSitOr at Ine exposition
grounds on the first day of the second
week found the great white buildings
developed in dense fog, but the
workmen and the denizens of the Es-
planade astir and busy. The sun,
however, quickly broke through the
veil of mist and cheerful, bright day
was inaugurated.
The earliest and most curious among
the visitors to the exposition buildings
were the Oriestal inhabitants of the
Chinese village. who wandered about
amid the ponderous machinery and in
spected the small curiosities with
childlike wonder and delight. They
passed about in groups before the
crowds began to thicken, shrinking
from contact with the native sight
aeers, who finally pushed upon them
in such numbers as to drive them back
into the Esplanade and the seclusion
Of their homes in the Chinese village
A very curious spinning top and a
revolving atlas divided the wrapped
attention Of a score of the inquisitive
people of the east, but it was observed
that wherever the most color or the
most curiously continued and delicate
mechanism was to be found were the
localities most eagerly sought by them.
II has been remarked that they soon
discovered that they were themselves
as great objects of curiosity to the
crowds which began to arrive dur
ing their inspection of the big show,
and their timidity under the keen in
spection of the natives was amusing.
They were like little herds of start
led fawns surprised by the appearance
of the hunter. One party, accompanied
by an interpreter, found much enter
tainment in inspecting an immense
globe bearing representations of vari-
GUS types Of the nations of the earth.
There were lifelike figures of Indians,
Europeans, Japanese, Moors, Esqui-
maux, Turks and Tartars, but not the
figure of Chinese solitary or grouped.
Two of the almond eyed visitors walk
ed around this globe several times, in
specting 1t closely, after which they
Joined their companions and INDUCED
n gestures of indignation and dis
gust. Curiosity impelled bystander
to ask the reason for the display of
so much feeling over the peculiar ex-
hibit.
"They failed to find anything that
looked like a Chinese and were an
noyed that Jap had seen selected to
represent the far east" was the reply.
Other inhabitants of the Esplanade
made an early morning round of the
Main Building, but none of them were
either as curious or interested as the
Chinese. They, however, added pic
turesque spice to the scene. Two of
the inhabitants of the negro planta-
tion occupied the attention of a num-
Der of young men, who insisted that
they had been imported from near
by street rather than from Kentucky.
The grizzly old fellows, whose man.
per, vocabulary and dialect, to say
nothing Of their ancient appearance,
bore out the truth of their claim to
have been ante-bellum slaves on a
Kentucky plantation, finally became
highly indignant. Look here, honey"
said one of them, Use been done tend
ed to gentlemen afore you and your
white trash people hab been born. |
was owned by a gentleman. My old
masser was Clay. You neber see no
real slave Niger afore, you didn't" and
the highly exercised old men walked
out of the building and retreated be-
hind the walls of ''the plantation"
When the morning fog retreated be-
fore the face of the sun the exposi-
ton buildings came out in brilliant
relief, the. flags floating above thg
main entrance were found to announce
to the world that the exposition was
progressing. The flags above the
Pediment, which surround the quad.
ragia of Victory, displayed the letters
G v X s, which in the international
commercial code indicated the WORD
exposition, while those to the south
represented the letters d P B r, which
in the code represent the word pro.
crossing. All of the passing shippint
on the river, as well as those person,
on land familiar with the code. wer,
thus advised of the success of tn,
great exposition and its cheerful prog
ress,
BLAZEs OF ELECTRIC LIGHT.
At night the interiors of the grouI
of buildings are brilliantly illumin
ated by combination Of electrical sys
TENS, the power for which is furnish
ed partly from the power plant in tn,
exposition grounds and from city cleo
trical companies. Within the build
and designs, with a nominal power o
1000 candles each. These, with
large number of incandescent lamps
are supplemented by the electrical dis
plays connected with the numerous eX
hibits, which in one or two instance
are of extraordinary beauty. TIL
electrical exhibits themselves are il
no single instance of great magnitude
but in numbers and variety they ar
most interesting and important. The
represent rather those electrical con
trivances which are unique and use
full, and which are of service to tn
small and local conveniences of life
and great and extensive operation.
At night the exterior of the build
ings Is outlined in a blaze of electri
light. The Main building will b
specially brilliant from the exterior
Upon it's roofs at regular intervals ar
high flagstaffs, from which, during tn
day, fihtter the colors of all nation
The top of these fiagstaf9s, instead Q
being decorated in the usual common
place way by gilded balls, are orna
mented by large opalescent globe
each of which Is a 500 candle powe
incandesoent hight. About the col
niees of the buildings, below the flag
STATS, are strung hundreds of other in
candescent lamps, making line {
fire, which extends entirely around tn
structures, marking their outline
from great distance. These electricf
effects from above form a fine firing
for the broader illumination below
The outlines of the windows extendin
from under the cornices, almost to tn
ground, are indicated by lines of in
candescent lamps, which, aided by tn
bright light from within, gives to tn
group of exposition buildings the al
pearance of palaces of fire