The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-30
FAIR SW AYED BY
DISORDERS RULE
Complaints Made Over Condition
of Grounds, but Buildings
Are Complete.
Hpecial 10 The Journal.

special 10 The Journal.
st. Louis, April 3O.-The Louisiana
Purchase exposition was formally
thrown open to the public to-day with
ceremonies BETTING such an epocnal
event There was oratory galore and
music and throngs to hear.
So far as experimenting could ac-
complish 1t, the great fair is open.
AS a matter of fact it will not be ready
for visitors for a month or more.
Everything is incomplete, unfinished,
unattractive. The network of rail
road tracks thru the grounds Is filled
with freight cars in which repose ex-
hibits yet unpacked. 81.
Busy little locomotives putting
hither and yon, are doing their best
to shunt these cars, each to it's proper
destination. The intramural electric
road, which Is to make access to va
rious parts Of the grounds easy Is I'M
finished and the Workmen are busy
putting up the stations.
The great buildings, complete e1te-
riorly house each a different kind
of chaos inside. Prosaic stepladders
and unpoetic scaffolding hide many
OF the statues. The landscape gar
deners are doing the best they can, but
1T will be some weeks before nature
helps them to clothe the grounds in
green and before the road-makers get
thru putting crushed stone on the
paths and roads.
Bitter Complaint,
There is bitter complaint because
the city authorities have failed to get
the streets about the main entrance
into fit condition. They are now
TO the grounds make precarious pas
sage Lack Of drainage and too much
rain have overwhelmed the street au-
thorities, and they seem quite help
less. The local papers have been call
ing attention to these matters and
every effort is now being made to
remedy them.
But the big fair Is still a promise
not fact.
The weather man predicted cloudy
weather and rain for to-day. But
this morning the sun shone brightly.
Half of st. Louis was assembled In
the grounds and the other half seemed
to be accounted for in the throngs
that streamed toward the gates.
-s.t All night and this morning, excur-
sion trains brought hundreds of Wis
itors to the city. There were more
people gathered here than on the day
of dedication
The great assembly gave a most
respectful and attentive hearing to
the addresses. or course, all could
comparatively few who did would
occasionally raise a cheer 1t would
be caught up by the enthusiastic
thousands and sent crashing heaven
ward without the least conception Of
Ats Significance.
Vast Throng flushed.
And then, after the speech-making
was concluded hush settled over the
4 vast throng. Everyone knew that
more than a thousand miles away in
the Waite House at Washington,
President Roosevelt was awaiting a
signal to touch a little golden kew.
All knew that the simple touch would
set in motion the machinery in Ma
Ch.nery Hall.
Secretary Taft had not turned to re-
sumo his seat, after concluding his
speech, before the signal had been
flashed to Washington over the wires
of the Postal Telegraph company. In.
stantly there was returning flash and
the whirring of wheels and the roar
of machinery, drowned almost imme-
dtately by shout that seemed to reno
opening of the exposition proper.
Strictly speaking, this was all tina
was accomplished by the presidential
touch on the button at Washington
response from the White House ant
as quickly as 1t came they touched tn,
keys which released the fastenings O
the thousands of banners that wer:
secured to the staffs on the roofs O
the large buildings.
Banners Are UnfurIed.
This portion of the wor kas far a.
could be seen from any one section O
the grounds was perfectly carried out
Every banner, apparently, caught thu
same breath Of air and they unfurlet
and f1oated out as one.
At the far end Of the lagoon from
the Louisiana monument was tn,
place Of the cascades. This part O
the ceremonies had greater interes
for the people than any other feature
of the ceremonies. Thousands of eye
were focused on the three white in
clines that extended from the col
onnade Of states to the lagoon basin
The first CLINT of white foam at tn
summit Of the inclines was greete,
with a tremendous cheer which deep
ened as the great flood of water cam
dashing to the lagoon below. 1t wa
a sight full of beauty, and the srea
crowd which witnessed it appreciates
and applauded to the full.
"Star Spangled Banner"
simultaneously with the rush of tn
water all the bands burst forth int
the strains Of the Star Spangle
Banner" Every man In the grea
CroWu uncovered ana Wnen the las
strain Of the martial song had die
away the exercises were finished an
the exposition proper had com
rnenced.
The first feature of the expositio
was the conCessionaries parade. TIL
was made up of all the differer
features which will figure on 9Th
Pike" during the life of the expo
sition.
The Pike" is to the st. Louis expo
sition what the Midway was to til
Columbian exposition in Chicag
The features, tho different in. charat
ter, furnish practically the sam
form of amusement.
There were in this parade some VIII
had actually been present upon tn
famous Midway eleven years ago.
THE EXERCISES