The Indianapolis journal., 1901-12-03
SHOW FORMALLY OPENED
SOUTH CAROLINA AND WEST INDIAN
EXPOSITION Is READY.
President Roosevelt Touched the Key
in the White House-ScnatOr De-
pew the Orator of the Day.

CHARLESTON, S. c., Dec. 2.-The South
Carolina and West Indian Exposition was
formally opened to the world to-day with
words of greeting from the President of the
United States. An imposing parade Of mill
tary and civic bodies formed down town,
escorted the guests of honor to the expo
sition grounds, where they took part in an
appropriate programme of exercises. In the
afternoon all Charleston observed the day
as a holiday and the city was handsomely
decorated. The weather was beautiful.
After the parade had been reviewed at the
exposition grounds, the guests of the day
assembled at the Auditorium. where the
ceremonies took place. The invocation was
delivered by the venerable Charles S. We'd
der, of the Huguenot Church. and Capt f.
w. Wagner, president of the Exposition
Company, and Governor NJ. B. McSweeney
spoke words of welcome. The Governor
made plain the objects of the exposition
and then said: This is an age of expOsi-
tions, but who will deny that they bring the
world closer together and are educators
and developers.
Hon. Chauncey NJ. Depew. United States
senator from New York, orator of the day.
was introduced by Mayor J. Adler Smith.
At the conclusion of Senator DepeW
address, on a signal from the White House,
where President Roosevelt touched key
connecting with the exposition, it was de-
clared open. Greetings were exchanged
between Captain Wagner and President
Roosevelt, Captain Wagners telegram be
ing in part: we are sure that, as the
representative of the greatest nation on
earth you will rejoice with US in the ac-
cOmplishment of work. With one cOun-
try one aim one flag one destiny, we in
vite you to join us in the demonstration
that this great Union of our fathers and
ours shall speedily attain the supremacy
of the world in commercial endeavor and
i'm the promotion of all the arts of peace"
The President in replying asked Captain
| Wagner to please accept for yourself and
convey to your associates my hearty con-
gratulauOns upon what has been achieved
and my earnest wishes for the complete
success of your undertaking. hope it
may prove of great and lasting benefit to
our industries and TO our commerce with
The fair. while not as large as other ex-
positions that have been given, is an eX-
hibition of much merit and is already an
artistic success. The exposition is not in
the state of preparedness, however, which
its projectors had hoped for, chiefly owing
to the scarcity of cars to transport ex-
| hibits here. Between two and three hum
dred cars of exhibits are on the tracks at
the park, but they are rapidly being un-
loaded and put in place by an army of men
working twenty-fOur hours a day.
The principal object of the exposition is
to make fully representative display or
the manufacturing progress and CONNER
cial possibilities of the country, and par
ticularly of the Southern States. A COM
mercial problem at this time confronts the
South and perhaps the supreme purpose of
the fair Is TO solve it, The great advance
in the number of cotton mills constructed,
and the output of the finished products has
created a surplus of cotton goods. OF this
product China was at one time the largest
consumer outside of the home market The
recent disturbance In that country has vir-
tually paralyzed the market and the home
surplus multiplies. The principal undevel-
Oped markets in close touch with the South
are In the West Indies, and II IS hoped
through the medium Of full displays at the
exposition TO establish trade relations with
that part of the world
The exposition site occupies about 160
acres of land on the bank of the Ashley.
with frontage of two thousand feet on
the river. The architecture Of the buildings
| follows closely the five styles which were
| introduced at the Chicago worlds fair. The
| number of great departmental buildings is
| eleven: The cotton and commerce palaces,
the hall of agriculture minerals and for
estry buildings and structures devoted to
! woman, art, the negro, transportation and
| machinery.
The administration building occupies a
! commanding site. The cotton palace covers
! $1,000 square feet of ground area, the COM
| merce palace occupies 1900 feet or floor
| space, the palace of agriculture the same
area, the administration building 1000
| square feet, and the transportation and ma
! chinery buildings each about 10000 square
| feet. A commOdious auditorium seats about
| The United States government, in spite OF
| failure of Congress to make an approprta-
! ton, has display here, the EXposlton
| Company having provided the necessary &C
| commodations for the government exhibit
| recently seen at Buffalo
| The court OF palace, around which the
| main exposition buildings are grouped, is
| 200 feet in length and over 900 feet wide.
| This court contains 1,650,0o0 square feet,
! and one Of its unique features is sunken
| garden. filled with tropical plants, grouped
around an electric fountain.
! The womans department is under the d.
| rection Of Mrs. Sarah Calhoun Simonds, a
| grand niece OF the great statesman, John c.
| Calhoun.
| The Southern Railway, in connection
| with the Georgia Railway, to-day put on
| two new fast trains between Atlanta and
! Charleston. The Plant system similarly in
| creased its CharlestOn-Savannah service,
/ and the Atlantic Coast line viii add new
| accommodations shortly. These additions
| TO the regular schedules viii be further in
| creased Jan. / by the inauguration OF regu-
| lar winter fast service of these roads, CIV
| ing splendid travelling facilities between
| Charleston and the outside world.