The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-03-20
MAGNIFICENT Ceremonies Will Attend
This important Event.
President Roosevelt and Other Digni-
taries Will Attend.
Big Celebration of Anniversary OF the
Louisiana Purchase.
Grand Military Parade, Display of Fire
ks--AthIetic Contests.
From Fridays DG5ly.

St. Louis. March l3.-The magnificent
character of the ceremonies contemplate
ed for the Both of April next, at St.
Louis has scarcely been touched upon.
The occasion is the celebration of the
one .hBndreth anniversary of the Louis
lana Purchase and the dedication of the
buildings for the Worlds Fair of 1904.
President Roosevelt, accompanied by his
cabinet and the diplomatic corps, will at
tend Former President Cleveland will
deliver the principal address. Cardinal
Gibbons, Bishop Potter and Bishop Hen
bricks will represent three of the great
church organizations at the ceremonies
The governors of the Louisiana Purchase
states win be present accompanied by
their stats. The governors of many
other states will also be present The
national commission and board of lady
managers of the exposition, state and
foreign commissions TO the Worlds Fair
and many other distinguished persons
will take part in the event
\ public holiday season will be pro-
claimed continuing for three days, April
Both. May lst and ID Major General
Henderson c. Corbin will be the grand
marshall and over 5000 government
troops and 10000 members of the Ma
tiOnal Guard viii attend the celebra-
ton ceremonies in uniform and partIci-
pate in the grand parades
The fireworks display will be of
character surprising any previous at
tempt in this line The fireworks pro-
gram covers the entire three days and
provides beth day and evening displays.
The program OF the evening display of
Thursday, April Both, contains fifty-two
parts and for Friday evening, May l,
fourty-fOVr parts. On Saturday May
I'd, a day program only will be given.
Among the large features will be the I'M
furling OF an American flag 300X400
feet in size and the flags of several of
the leading nations of the world 200X300
feet in size. These will be carried $500
feet into the air by several immense
balloons, and there the fireworks of which
they are composed will be set off, One
of the set pieces will be a representation,
full size, of the illuminated cascades and
colonnades of the cascade gardens.
Splendid musical events will be a part
of the three-lay celebration. Two hun
dred thousand visitors are expected, for
which provision has been made by a
complete canvas of the city and provision
will be made for the comfort of all.
& -s&s
The greatest event in the athletic
world on this side of the Atlantic during
the present decade will be the Olympic
games at the Worlds Fair in st. Louis
in 1904. The holding of these games for
the first time OF American soil had been
conaa1aH 10 Cha hyrt tho
but the necessary postponement of the
Worlds Fair led ITO a reconsideration of
the matter, Chicago taking the initiative
and cOurteously agreeing to their trans
fer to st. Louis. These games are held
once in four years and are revival of
the famoas Olyxnpic games of Greece.
The Olympic games of Grecian history
were contests for anen and boys and con-
sisted OF leapine, wrestling, boxing,
throwing The spear and disc, racing in
arTnor, chariot racing, horse racing, etc
The games are the chief feature of the
quseirennial festival of the Olympic Zeus,
held on the plain OF Olympia, in the pro-
vince of Esis near the coast southwest
of Athens. The festival was celebrated
in a sacredeanclosuFe called the Altis $40
by 80 feet full of temples and alters;
the :gamesis a Stadium or hipprodome ON
the east side of the Altis and connected
with it by Enumerous passages. On the
west side OF the Altis was an extensive
gymnasium for the use of athletes In
training.
Tne games were held every four years
III midsummer and covered a period of
four days. The exact time of holding
was regulated by the phases of the moon
The cate was announced in advance of
each festival;by heraldsr sent through all
the provinces of Greece proclaiming a
cessation of hestilities land declaring the
territory of Ills invelable during the
festival season. Pilgrims with sacred Of
ferings and great professions of the peo-
pie crowded the Olympic plain by the
time of sbhe opening.
On the first Cay after religious cere-
mony of presenting offerings, the athlet-
ic competitors were properly classed and
arranged by the judges who then led
them in procession around the stadium
and opened the games with elaborate
ceremony. The contest of the trumpet
.ers was heId on the first day.
On the second day there were contests
:.
the pentathkow or 1--WE contests of leap
ing, running, throwing the spear, the dis
Gus and wrestling; the paaikration or
combination of boxing and wrestling:
and horse races with hoy Jockey.
The third day was devoted 20 contests
of men, foot races, wrestling, boxing,
RACING an heavy armor: pankration (box-
ing and wrestlng) contests.
l..
pentaHoleSy contests, chariot races and
horse races.
On Ghe FIFTH day the awards of olive
crowns wene bestowed with professions,
sacrifices Ond bapqnets to the vistors.
The ceremonies ended with the victors
appearing at the altar wearing their
crowns and with FINAL grand banquet
at the public house reserved for ulhe
nation guests.
In 1896 april 9th TO llthl, largely
through the fundamentally Of BaroB
Pierre de Coubertin of Paris, and at his
suggestion the Olympic games were re-
vived at Athens, Greece, with great sue
cess, athletes from all the world parti-
cipatsng and visitors from all the world
swelling the attendance. A stadium was
built after the outlines of the ancient
arena and the program and proceedings
of the games, generally, We're made to
adher as nearly as possible to what was
interpreted to be the ancient regulations
and customs.
AT these contests, American athletes
were phenomenally successful, Americans
leading in almost all of the events and
an American being the first victor of the
games. The Marathon race, however
cross country from Marathon to Athens