Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-20
BROKE GROUND TO-DAY.
Officials at St Louis Yield The
 Pick and Shovel.
Preparing for the Worlds Fair to be Opened in That Place in 1903 This Day is the Anniversary of the Trans fer of Louisiana Territory to the United States.

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 Tooth anniversary of the Louisiana purchase, was held to-day, when ground was broken on the site in Forest park. This day was selected for the inde- pendent event because it is an ami versary of the formal transfer of the Louisiana territory to the United States. The day was holiday in St Louis and throughout Missouri, as well as in most of the purchase states, whose governors issued procla- nations asking for a general obser- vance of it as Louisiana purchase flag day"
 Owing to the severity of the weather the parade and other outdoor demon strations were abandoned.
 At the appointed time. directors and officers of the Louisiana purchase ex- position company, General John c. Bates and other army officers, gover- nors of states and guests, assembled at the St Louis club. Carriages were taken and the party was driven to Forest park, where the ceremony of breaking ground was carried out.
 Arriving at the site, the party as- sembled at the place indicated and WieIded the shovel in this order:
 President David R. Francis, Treas urer W. H. Thompson, Secretary Wal ter Stevens, General Counsel Blair. Director of Exhibits Skiff, Director of Works Taylor, Chief of the Depart ment of Education Rogers, and the architect of the colonial, vice presi- dents of the exposition company, mem bers of the executive committee, rep- resentatives of the worlds fair na- tiona1 committee and the board of lady managers and chairmen of each Of the standing committees of the company. As this part of the cere- mony was being carried out, Battery A of the Missouri National Guard fired sixty guns.
 At the coliseum the remainder of the program was carried out before an audience of thousands. The big hall was profusely decorated.
 The exposition will be held in cele- bration of the centennial of what is known in history as the Louisiana purchase. The citizens and corpora tons or St Louis raised by private subscription s5,0OO,O0O, the munich pality of St Louis added S5;ooo, ,Ooo, the state of Missouri appropriated S1.- 100000 and the United States has giy- en it's endorsement and help to the ex- tent of $5,000,00O, besides appropriat- Ing S250, ,00O for the government buildings. Appropriations have been made by several states ranging from $15, ,00O to S25O,OOO.
 On the 20th of August last the pres ident of the United States issued a proclamation addressed to all the na- tions of the world inviting them to participate in the worlds fair at St Louis, and favorable replies have been received from large number of them.
 The site is in the western part Of the city, the authorities having set aside more than 600 acres of Forest park, and an adjacent area having been secured makes a total Of nearly 1,200 acres. Included in the fair grounds are the buildings and grounds of Washington university, valued at S3, ,000, ,O0O.