The age-herald., 1900-04-14
INAUGURATION OF
 THE EXPOSITION
Strenuous Efforts Made to Ge
 Everything Ready.
IT IS AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK
Buildings Are Filled With Debris, But an Army of Men is at Work Cleaning Up Drive
 ways

Paris, April 13.-The exposition authori- ties are making a strenuous effort to pre- rare the show for the inauguration tomor- row. An examination of the grounds and buildings today shows that the task is inn possible. The buildings are filled with de- bris, and the exhibits are only partially in stalled. The Sale des Fetes, in which the inaugural ceremonies are planned to occur tomorrow, has an army of men clearing the floor space and arranging the seats. The work will continue all night and close to the hour when the invited guests ar
 rive. The hall is magnificent structure, beautifully decorated, and is a great trio-
 ute to French architecture and decorative
 art.
 In order to facilitate the labor of clear | ing the grounds, thousands or soldiers have 1 been utilized. The ceremonies are to begin
 at 2 clock when M. Millerant the minis
 ter of commerce, will make the inaugural | address, to which President Loubet will
 reply. The president will then walk
 through a portion of the grounds, and af- l rewards embark in a river craft and go | down the river Seine to the new Alexan- der IT. bridge which he will formally de- clare open The exposition grounds will
 be closed for the remainder of the day.
 the formal opening to the public taking place on Sunday.
 Covered With Flickerlng Lights
 The whole exposition space is covered to- night with flickering lights, and hordes of workmen are busily engaged in clearing away scaffolding, packing cases and debris of every kind, which still litter all the ar teries of the exposition.
 This work Is only to prepare a series of tableaux for the president tomorrow, as he will not enter the exposition building proper, but only inspect the edifices from the outside, for the excellent reason that the buildings, where finished, are thus far mere shells, with scarcely any exhibits to be seen anywhere.
 After M. Loubets viist tomorrow, the scaffoldings will be rebuilt and the inter- rupted work of installation will be re- sumed
 The success of tomorrow's inauguration ceremonies will depend largely upon the weather, which, happily, promises to be fine. Otherwise, the exposition will be veritable slough of despondency. With the incomplete condition of the ex- | position President Loubet will be able to | eHJOy three Splenulu NleWS. The IlrSC IS | the view down the Champs de Mars, from 1 the Trocadero to the Chateau d Au, with artsic palaces each side and with the center bestrewed by the immense arches of the Eiffel tower. The second is the vista from the Champs Elysee across the new Alexander bridge to the Hotel Des Inval- ides, with the gilded dome of the tomb of Napoleon rising up at the farther end, and
 ianked firstly by an avenue of trees and then by white facades of handsome edi- fees in which will be collected the exhibits classed under the varied industries these facades being embellished by groups of sculpture and by huge and effective paint ings of allegorical subjects.
 Scene Along the Seine The third prospect is the scene looking along the Seine embankment, upon which are erected the national pavilions of the foreign nations, each a production of some | building typifying the national architecture
 of the country it represents. The bright colors and diversified styles of these struc- | lures will present an unrivaIed panoramic | view to the occupants of the presidential | barge on the voyage up the Seine from the l Trocadero to the Alexander bridge. | M. Loubet has decided to celebrate the 1 inauguration by pardoning all army and | navy prisoners who undergoing sen | tences for minor offenses. All sailors and | soldiers are to receive a special ration of wine tomorrow.
 A list of about fifty decorations of the | Legion of Honor conferred upon French | exposition officials has been promulgated M Alfred Picard, the commissioners