The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-30
At NOON TODAY
EXPOS|T|ONOPENS
St. Louis Resounds with
Work OF Preparation.
ALL NIGHT 1T GOES ON
The City Resplendent with Decora-
tions. The Ceremonies Preceding
the Opening Will be of a Sc
ri0us Character but Full
of Charm.
of Charm
(By the Associated Press. }

st. Louis, April 29.-St. Louis tc-
night is prepared for the greatest LAY
in her history. Tomorrow at nooa her
great exposition upon Which .he city
has lavished millions Of money, TO
which her people have devoted Years
of their best endeavor, and for which
they have labored with infinite "a
tience and persistence, vii be thrown
open to the world.
All of today and all of tonight the
people have worked with desperate
Ienergy to accomplish the thousand and
and one things that always remain to
be done at the last moment. At the
exposition grounds 10000 men have
worked putting the final touches upon
the grounds, buildings. sidewalks,
cleaning buildings, removing scaffolds
and arranging exhibits. This " W)rk
viii continue without cessation uj1ril
dawn and it is confidently expected
that when the fair opens at noon to-
| morrow everything possible will E;.ve
| been done TO advance the work 70 ihe
| farthest limit of preparation In the
downtown streets and residence dis
| trictS the decorations are profuSe and
| beautiful. The exercises tomorrow
| viii be more serious than respondent.
| There will be comparatively little of
|
| dedication exercises year ago, but
| the ceremonies preceding the formal
| opening will be none the less interest
/ ing.
| Rev. Frank w. Gunsaulus. of Chi
| cago. viii deliver the Invocation. At
/ the conclusion of the prayer Director
| of Works Isaac S. Taylor will deliver
! the keys of the buildings to Presi-,
dent Francis, who will in turn trans
| fer the buildings to Frederick j. V.
King, the director of exhibits. The
chorus Hymn of the West" the words
| by Edmund Clarence Stedman, and
| music by John Knowles Paine, will
| then be sung, and addresses will be
made by the following gentlemen:
| Mayor Wells of St Louis; Hon.
Thomas 7. Carter, president of the Ma
| tional commission: Senator Henri r..
| Burnham, of New Hampshire, in be-
| half of the United States Senate; Con-
gressman James A, Tawney, of Minne-
sofa, for the National House of Rep
resentatives; Commissioner General
| Albino r. >Nuneo, of Mexico. in pe-
half of the Foreign commissioners;
r. II. Harrison, of New York, for the
exhibitors. The last speech of the day
vii be by Secretary of War William
| II. Taft and at list conclusion the sig
nal will be given to President Roose-
welt in the White House the golden
key will be pressed, the cascades will
send down their floods, the banners
will be unfurled and the great Louis
| lana Purchase exposition vii be open
| to the world.
1t is expected that an enormous
| crowd will attend the exposition as
excursion trains are coming in by the
l,score and tomorrow will be officially
declared n legal holiday by Mayor
Wells. Among the distinguished visi-
| tors to arrive today We're Secretary Of
| War William H. Taft, who represents
the President, and General A. II. Chat
/ fee. They reached the city at eight
o'clock tonight and were met by Cen
eral Bates, President rancis and oh
er officials. The special congressional
train bearing 400 persons, including
the committee from the House of Rep
resentatives appointed to attend the
| opening exercises also arrived tonight
as did governors from q numb ar of
States and several notable foreign VS.
tors.
During the day the United States
gunboat Nashville with the torpedo
boat destroyer Lawrence, which will
represent the navy at the fair, arrived
AS the ships came they were greeted
by a chorus of whistles and shouts of
welcome from crowds on excursion
! steamers. Salutes were fired in an
swer. after which official visits were
! exchanged