The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-20
First SpadefuI of Earth Turned
at st. Louis
On the Site of the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition.
EXERCISES ARE SHORT
Programme is Sacrificed to the
Severity of the Weather.
Pictures Taken For Exhibition
Throughout the World.

st. Louis, Mo, Dec. 20.-The first pub
lie celebration in connection with the
worlds fair to be opened in ST. Louis
in 1903 in commemoration of the one
hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana
purchase, was held today, when ground
was broken on the site in Forest park.
This day was selected for the import
ant event because it is anniversary
of the formal transfer of the Louisiana
territory to the United States. The day
was holiday IN st. Louis and through
out Missouri, as we'll as in most of the
purchase states, whose governors issued
proclama tionS asking for a general Oo-
servance of it as Louisiana purchase
flag day.
Great preparations for the event had
been made by officials OF the world ;
fair, but owing to the unusual severity
of the weather il was decided to aban-
don some of the most striking features
and substitute others. 1t had been IN
tended that the formal exercises at the
site should be preceded by parade OF
mounted police, United States cavalry,
National Guard bodies, civic societies
and business organizations, with Worlo
fair officials and prominent guests IN
carriages. Gen. John Z. Bates COM
manding the department of the Mis-
souri,, had come from Omaha at the in
vitation of the committee of ceremonies
to act as grand marshal of the parade,
which at the last moment had to be
called off In addition to that the open
air ceremonies attending the ground
breaking were transferred to the Coli
scum
At the appointed time. directors and
officers of the Louisiana Purchase Ex-
position company, Gen John c. Bates,
Major Henry K. Hunter, Fifteenth
United States cavalry, and other army
officers, governors of states and guests
assembled at the ST Louis club Car
riageS were taken and the party was
driven TO Forest park. where the cere-
mony of breaking ground was carried
out A huge fire had been built on the
structural site Of the educational build
ing to soften the ground. Arriving at
The site the party assembled at the
place indicated and welded the shovel
in this order:
President David r. Francis. Treas
urer w. H. Thompson, Secretary Wal
ter B. Stevens, General Blair, Director
of Exhibits Skiff, Director of Work
Taylor, Chief of the Department of
Education Rodgers and the architect of
the educational building. vice presidents
of the exposition company, members of
the executive committee. representa-
tives of the Worlds fair national COM
mission and the board of lady managers
and chairmen of each of the standing
committees of the company. AS this
part of the ceremony was being carried
out battery A, MissouriNationa Guard,
fired a salute of sixty guns. During
these proceedings moving pictures of the
scenes enacted and the battery in ac-
mutascope company for exhibition pur-
poses in all parts of the world.
At the conclusion of this part of the
ceremony, the carriages were re-enter-
ed by the party and were driven down
town Stopping at the armory of the
First infantry, Missouri National Guard
Colonel Sinclair commanding the party
was received with military honors and
escorted to the Coliseum where the re-
mainder of the program me was carried
out. The immense hall of the Coliseum
among whom were many children, the
public schools having been closed for
the day On the platform at one side
of the Coliseum decorated with United
States flags and banners and bunting
of red, white. blue and yellow, the Off
cial colors of the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition company, We're seated Off
GERS of the Worlds fair, municipal Off
GERS. Congressman James A Tawney
and Worlds Fair National Commits
sfoner John NJ Allen, the orator of the
missioners, N embers of the board of
the lady managers, General Bates and
staff and other invited guests.
COLISEUM MEETING
President D. r. Francis, of the Louisi-
ana Purchase Exposition company, call
ed the Coliseum meeting to order and
the Rev. Samuel J. Nicols of Westmin-
Ster Presbyterian church pronounced
the invocation. James A. Tawney. Of
Minnesota, chairman of the house COM
mittee on expositions was introduced
part:
"A more propitious time for profound
iy impressing upon the world the i'm
portance and glory of our achievements
a more favorable opportunity for dis
playing the splendor of our institutions
exhibiting the tangible evidences of the
prosperity of the people. of our supre-
macy as a nation and the vast extent
OF our commercial and territorial ex-
pansion, has never before been present
ed to the American people. Here the ma
tions of the world will exhibit, for mu-
tual pleasure and profit of the things
they produce those which will best
typify and Illustrate the results of their
development in everything that can
contribute or Is essential to the better
ment OF mankind. Thus will the world
profit immearureably by this commemor-
alton OF one of the greatest historical
events in the life of one of its young
est republics
THE Importance of this exposition as
means Of educating ourselves and
otner nations IN the knowledge of those
things that make up the foremost ma
ton OF the globe, can not be overesti-
mated 1t will be important and bene-
nciai, too, IN that it will give to our
social and Industrial fabric a moral and
an intellectual significance that is the
pride OF America and the envy of the
world One Of its chief values, however.
VIII De IN the opportunity for strength
en1ng ana cultivating more intimate So
cta1 and Industrial relations between the
states and between the United States
and foreign countries
another great object to be accomp-
ltsned, one that uanscends all other is
in the fact that this exposition is in
tended and will commemorate the first
centennial of the greatest international
event In our history. One that marks
that has made up a world power. with