The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-02
CARNIVAL IS ON
Begins in a CLAIMANT, WeIkin-
Splitting Explosion.
BRILLIANT NIGHT DISPLAY
Wichita Will Guido Herself TO
Royalty Entertain.

vision, blazed last evening against the
night.
The Genius Of Fire, the deity which
springs from the black coal and, butter
ay-Ake, bursts into a thousand radiant,
quivering colors, touched the city with
his wand Canopying the streets with
thousands Of parti-colored lights,
flashing his cataract Of dazzling
Wilderness Of the search lights,
writing with magic finger in the sky
welcome, painting against the heavens
two arches. one Of Roman solemnity and
stolidity, the other of Oriental magnifi-
cence, touching everything with a point
of fire, touching everything with a tongue
of flame, yellow, white, green, pink, blue
and purple, the god Of light, like tru-
,,1st from the sun with a stolen rainbow,
maze the main streets Of Wichita and
the street fair south or me avenue what
was probably the most fascinating night
display in the world, bar none.
There are larger cities and greater ef-
forts, but in the larger cities the effort
is not concentrated in so small an area.
There has never been so great an effort
in so small an area as could be seen in
this city last evening. The streets and
the street fair were ablaze with lights.
Upon the floor Of the pavements each OBJ
Ject cast a score of struggling, intermin-
Cling shadows
The main arch on Main street is a
dream, the dream OF an artist, musician
and a poet rolled into one. It's blue IA
cade glows ike illuminated Dresden, its
crescent and star, perched high, burn in
the dark like a new and strange visitor
in the armament The lights upon its
Moorish green and Yellow cornice make
it culver like rustled silk. In the great
recesses the lights upon the palms gives
the whole a wierdness, a strangeness, a
mixture of the natural and the unnatur-
al, that can not be described. The man
who sees it for the first time in all its
glory approaches 1t, half believing that it
is thing Of fancy cardboard, half be-
hevfng it a vision that will fade before
he gets there. It's fifteen-foot thickness
has its massiveness cancelled in the in
tangible, vision-like airiness Of elevation
and light It is not architecture; it is
the wrath Of architecture, a thing,
nloony and .opalescent, which you think
you can see through until you are at its
bAse.
The old arch does good service. It's
lines are classic still, classic and mass
i've. It is thing which opposes, which
defends and defies. And with the bold
Jewel beyond it, it is marvelously beau
-'ful.
as they 90, standing alike sentinel over
I,
ing miles to see to study, to dream
about.
In the matter Of light Wichita has gone
10 her limit. She could not do more.
The dynamos were grooming last night
with the load. The result is astounding,
unspeakably grand.
There has been no first day. Of the
Wichita carnival In the parlance Of fairs
a first day" is synonymous with a poor
attendance and an apology fer it. The
attendance yesterday was not poor. And
last night the promenades between the
booths were damned. Baubles were
crashing and the confetti flying powder
ing hats and hair and dresses. About
the Tnnes & Co. hand platform the crowd
was immense The Dold booth was a
shining diamond in black sea Of hui
mainly. All the Midway attractions were
chock full. and other features were work
ing to their limit.
The fair opened at / o'clock. Just a
few minutes before l o'clock Captain As
pey and the artillery company, preceded
by Pryor's band, marched down Douglas
avenue. At the corner Pryor's band
dl opped down to the Main street arch,
while the battery went on to the Doug
las avenue bridge. The band played at
the arch and then went into the band
platform at the entrance to the Midway
At l o'clock a highly accented variety
Of pandemunium turned loose. Every
whistle in town let go. The variation on
a whistle IS merely a matter OF time
and duration Of note. And every engin-
Ger in town had his own tune in the
monotone. Imagine all the whistles in
town going and one man on two-step
time, another rag-time, and another
funeral march, and so on; mix all to-
gether and add a thousand tin horns and
YOU will get a slight and somewhat rag
ged idea CT what took place. Minglng
with this and piercing It were the harks
of the new artillery breech-loading rifles,
tearing the air with their sixty sharp.
surrounded the band at the street fair,
which was doing its best to be heard,
while scores gathered around the modern
cannon. belching forth fire and smoke
And noise. and making horses within a
mile prance.
II was a greater opening than last
wear a noisier. more enthusiastic. more
determined Notwithstanding than any
bodv here. visitor or resident. ever wit
messed.
This has been the beginning Of the car
nival Wichita could not do more. She
IS geared to the last gasp OF speed
There are already thousands Of visitors
IN the city. and they were having
hreatkIessly glad time of it last night.
Taaav and tonight who can ina CINE
what II win be. and tomorrow and to-
narrow night. and the next day and the
rext nisht-well, no one cares to proph-
esy.
last evening to do the Midway, and 1t did
moi do him That is one good thing about
the Midway this year-it doesn't 40 any
nett is all right
The charge Of admission TO the Mo
--sv is 10 cents This covers general aa-
Vission. and then there are other at
actions which. Of course. come in eN-
al. This 10 cents admission is al risat
d the people who go in set theiF
oney's worth simply by seeing me