The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-05-31
Count Rochambeau and Party tn
Be Invited to Traverse Tn
foreground Aqueduct.
BAND AND TORCHES SUGGESTED
Incident of the Entertainment Is
Being Considered by President
Francis of the EXPOSE
ton Company.

Count de Rochambeau and his distln-
guished party will traverse the interior OF
the subterranean channelway OF the River
des Peres, brilliantly Illuminated by 1000
tcrchbearers for a distance of one mile. the
day after their arrival in the Worlds Fair
City.
Marshaled through the resoundlrg cavern
by n brass band and the weird glow of
Chinese lanterns. the underground journey
should make the most memorable impress
sion of their visit. The suggestion for this
unique entertainment was made yesterday
by the Rich Construction Company. which
has practically completed The great buried
riverway.
Director of Work, Taylor hrought the the
cabinet and 1t is planned to include the pas
sage through the tunnel as = feature of the
ENTERTAINMENT of - visitors trip
through the great aqueduct is attended by
rumbiss like the thunder Of Mont Peiee.
The first exploration OF the cavern was
made Yesterday by a party made up OF
Morris Rich. c. W. Watson. Superintendent
Of the Rich CONSTRUCTION Company, and
Richard II. Phillips, chief civil engineer OF
the Department of Works, ,
This inspection Of the heaviest piece of
engineering accomplished on the site took
the party through the entire length of the
~Channelway. from its mouth under me
bridge that spans Lindell boulevard to the
big water gates at its outlet in Forest Park
on the eastern limits of the site. The great
tunnel has ben cleared of waste timber and
put in excellent condition for a tour of in
SpeCtion. The River deS Peres. for the
present. flows through the sewer system OF
the Exposition, leaving the channelway as
dry as a dancing floor. The massive sweep
of the walls at the curves inspires awe IN
the person who threads its echoing maze.
At several places where the ground IS
swampy the floor of the way is covered
with water 10 a depth Of several inches
and a slippery muck covers its surface. but
at no place in the journey would rubber
boots be needed as a provision against the
water. The view at the lower end of the
channel way as the exploring party ap-
proaches daylight. is full of novelty. Rising
through the dull clamor of the footballs OF
pedestrians multiplied In the hollow space,
the sounds OF work on the site are pleasing.
The water gates ut the terminal and the
surrounding bulkhead have been painted
brown. and a secure railing is built along
the end of the way, where the spectator
may halt to examine the work.
With the completion Of the Channelway,
the Rich Construction Company is now fill
ing the old bed Of the River dea peres. With
its OBLIGATION. the last scar that has dis
Morrison and Maloney. who are grading
the big hill on Skinker road. are carrying
the earth into the old river bed, a haul of q
quarter of n mile. Several thousands cubic
yards have already been dumped there.
a tentative programme for the further en-
tertainment of the Rochambeau party will
be considered to-day by the Executive Com
mittee. 1t is intended that the visitors shall
have an opportunity to take a steamboat
on the Mississippi. besides the visit to
the Worlds Fair site.