The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-01
WITH GREAT POMP
BUILDINGS OF ST. LOUIS EXPOSE
TIoN WERE DEDICATED.
ROOSEVELT AND CLEVELAND
WE'RE AMONG THOSE WHO MADE
ADDRESSES.


Cleveland Were Blue with Cold.
How Roosevelt Lunched Very
''InfOrmalIy'-Addr Were
Delivered to a Crowd of $4,000
PeOpIe-Scenes and Incidents of
the Day.
St. Louis, April 30.-The buildings of
the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
were formally dedicated to-day with all
pomp sand ceremony. In every way
save one the exercises were a success.
and this one circumstance was the
weather. The wind blew fiercely from
the west, sending great clouds of dust
whirling into the faces of the troops
as they marched past the President,
and at times so nearly binding the
President that 1t was well nigh impos-
sible for him to see across the street
upon which the troops were marching.
Added to the discomfort of the wind
and dust was a temperature which
sought for the marrow and generally
reached it. The ladies, who, on the
strength of the warm weather yester-
day, came in summer dresses to the
reviewing stand, suffered keenly, ana
but for the thoughtfulness of officers
commanding the guard thrown around
the reviewing stand, who provided
them with blankets, many of them
would have been compelled to leave the
place. Both President Roosevelt and
ex-President Cleveland remained in the
reviewing stand exposed to the icy
wind until the end of the parade, al
though their faces were blue and their
limbs stiffened by the cold.
Despite this heavy handicap, however,
the ceremonies proper were splendidly
handled, and the programme was car
ried out to the letter. The parade,
which took place in the morning, was
somewhat longer in passing the Pres
ident than had been expected, but he
was fifteen minutes behind the sched-
uled time when he was escorted by the
committee into the Liberal Arts build
ing. In order to arrive even as early
as that, he was compelled to take his
monday meal under somewhat uncom-
Portable circumstances. During the
lunch the food was placed on a rectan-
Suldl COOItSIs anu lIlc IItSlOGIlI dlu
the others helped themselves.
Worked Him for ''Hand-Outs
The crowd inside the tent was dense
when the President, with secret serv-
ice men and Adjt. Gen. Corbin acting
as interference" forced his way to
the counter. He was so closely press
ed that when he attempted to move his
arm his elbow disturbed a. cup of cof-
fee held by Gen. Corbin. With some
difficulty the officers forced the crowd
to allow the President elbow room,
but they would allow him nothing
more.
This maneuver forced Gen. Corbin
out of the range of the sandwiches,
but the President devoted one hand to
passing food to his escort, while the
other was devoted to his own advant-
age. Owing to his advantageous posi-
ton, the President soon felt called
upon to help out his friends, and he
was kept busy passing plates, which
service he performed with alacrity and
cheerfulness.
The important ceremonies in the
Liberal Arts building were handled
with all possible dispatch. Early in
the exercises word was brought to
Senator Carter that some portions OF
the hall were being dangerously con-
gested, and he was asked to avoid
delays as far as possible. He did 50,
and from first to last the events on
the programme succeeded rapidly. OF
all the speakers, President Roosevelt
alone was able to make his voice car
ry further than fifty feet from the
stage. By far the largest part of the
assembly could hear nothing, and
thousands of people in the rear of the
hall were constantly moving about
and producing a muff1ed roar that
would have bafled a foghorn.
President Was FacetiOus.
When President Roosevelt rose to
speak he was cheered to the echo. He
bowed again and again. suggesting by
his manner that quiet be restored Fin
ally he mounted the broad railing in
front of the rostrum, where he could
be seen from every part of the hall,
and again motioned for silence. There
was everything but silence, and Presi-
dent Francis suggested that he pro-
coed with his speech and quiet would
follow. President Roosevelt laughed,
and shook his head. Taking advantage
of the lull, he called, Now you, my
fellow citizens, give me all the chance
you can, for 1 need it,"
The chance was given, and the
President began his address. A burst
of applause greeted his statement that
the Dutch had done great things for
the country in it's infancy. and the
President laughed in manner which
plainly said, That means my ances-
tors"
Another outburst OF applause, which
was long continued after he had spoken
about fifteen minutes, caused him to
laugh and remark to President Fran
els, Now they think I'm DONE" and
when the applause died away, he went
on with his speech.
After leaving the hall President
Roosevelt was entertained at dinner in
the administration building, from the
windows of which he watched the fire.
works until 10 o'clock, when he entered
his train.
Despite the thousands who were
crowded into one section of the
grounds, there was but one accident,
and that slight one. +. j. Stirling, a
private in a company from Elmlra, N.
Y, while running, tripped over wire
and cut his scalp. The wound was
dressed at the hospital on the grounds,
and after a few hours rest the sol
der rejoined his company. The ma
jority of the soldiers, militiamen and
regulars alike, who spent the night in
the big draughty buildings, caught
cold, but with the exception of seven
cases of tonslitis, which developed,
only ordinary treatment was required
The tonsilitis patients were sent 70 one
Of the city hospitals.
Where 100000 Gathered.
The doors of the Liberal Arts build
ing were opened at 1 o'clock. and at
2;15 O'Clock, when President Roose-
welt entered, he was greeted by the
Continued on Eighth Page.