Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1900-04-21
PARIS EXPOSITION OPENBl
TAKE A MONTH TO FINIsE ,.
A Picturesque Scene-Presider.,
bet There-The weather NJ.
Holiday i'm Paris-Trnf Ar
mcnts Are Poor,

Paris, April l5.-The exposition If 1oo.
Is opened, but it will be at least A monn
before anything but buildings is to !
seen. The days ceremonies were noo,
liar mixture of sumptuous splendor !.
the Sales Des Fetes, and widespread oon
fusion elsewhere. Nothing could have ~
ceeded the picturesque stage setting j.
the beautiful building in which the Cow
monies were held, the gorgeous uniform.
of the diplomats and soldiers, the snlon
did orchestra and chorus and magni6con,
effect produced by the grand staircase N.
which President Loubet proceeded to vio,,
the exposition, lined with some 2 nickoa
men OF the Republic Guard, with iack
boots, white breeches, cleaning cuirass..
and horsehair plumes streaming from.
shining helmets At the top of this stair
way was room, the interior of which
could be seen from the Sales Des Feta.
and this was hung with priceless Gobelin.
from the Louvre Into this apartment
President Loubet entered, and walkad
down the avenue to his boat This mart
OF the days arrangement was perfect and
the rest was chaos.
The weather was luckily all that cop,a
be desired, $4,000 guests having been in
vlted to the function, and they had, he.
cause OF the fine weather, only the dust
to endure. Had the day been wet the un.
rolled paths of the exposition grounds
would have been turned into mass OF
mud
The afternoon was a holiday in Paris
by general consent and a host of country
people crowded into the city to swell the
multltudes, who from an early hour
surged IN the direction of the exposition
and took up positions along the route of
the presidential procession and at the an.
proaches to the grounds. The immense
number Of guests practically swept the
central streets clean of cabs, of which an
unbroken stream, several deep, drifted
slowly toward the gates between noon
and 2:3O p. m.
Drlfted Is the correct expression for the
rate OF progress, because the traffic ar
engagements were SO inadequate that hun
dreds OF vehicles did not reach the exposi-
Iloh at all, and the occupants were either
lett stranded en- route or were obliged to
abandon their carriages and proceed on
foot. This was the eXpedient ordinarily
adopted, even by several members of the
diplomatic corps, and two gorgeously at
tired officials of the Chinese embassy, after
hastily walking several blocks. arrived in
The SALES Des Fetes just in time to hear
the cheering at the conclusion of the cers
monies.
The ceremonial within the SALES Des
teies was simplicity itself The recep
ton to President Loubet at the entrance
lasted but few seconds, and on reaching
the presidential tribune, NJ Millerand.
the minister OF commerce, Immediately de-
llvered his speech, handing over the expo
sltlon to the chief of state, which address
was couched in most eloquent terms and
read In a resonant voice, heard through
out the vast hall
NJ. Mlllerand's peroration was especially
fine, and it brought forth storm of
plaudits.
President Loubet then replied, and the
speaking part of the function here ended.
The spectacle that met President Lou
bets eyes when, amid the resounding
strains of the "Marsellaise," he stepped
to the front of the presidential dais on
his entry into the SALES Des Fetes was
probably never seen before within the
walls of any building. The vast circus
was filled with a sea of human beings.
who overlooked the balconies iutting ous
from the sides.
The decoration of the interior was GER
talnly a triumph of artists skill, with a
handsome stained glass dome, through
which the rays of sunlight FILTERED down
upon the concourse below, and color
scheme in mural painting with the strik-
lngly executed frescoes of appropriate ell
legories in brilliant relief
The galleries and balconies were draped
with red plush, and the hall was profusely
adorned with tropics of tri-coored flags,
opening fan-like from shields bearing the
letters "R. F."
Paris glowed with the myriads of dee
orative lights which shone from public
buildings, the exposition structures and
the boulevard resorts. Thousands of
slghtseers were riding through the thor
oughfares or walking along the boule-
wards enjoying the perfect spring evening.
ltlnerant bands played music to the fes-
tiVltles while fallirs amused the crowds
gathered in front of the restaurants The
cafes within the exposition grounds, which
are barred to the public until tomorrow,
present scene brilliant and attractive.
Most of the buildings have row of lights
running about the frieze which bring into
splendid view artistic bas reliefs, statuary
and other effective art results with wheh
| thew are decorated II ypas lopo, nast mid