The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-01
la'gsst Crowd in History of St Louis Witnesses the
 Impressive Scene
GREAT FAIR REPRESENTS
 ENORMOUS EXPENDITURE
President Roosevelt Touches Golden Key in Washington. Which Starts :. the Ponderous Machinery
 In St. Louis.

St. Louis, April So.-Representing a larger expenditure than any similar en- terprise heretofore attempted on this con tinent, greater in it's ambition, and wider in it's scope than any previous effort of its kind, the Louisiana Purchase exposition was formally opened today.
 The inaugural exercises could hardly have been improved upon. They were simple and were carried through without delay. The weather, notwithstanding the pessimistic predictions of the weather bureau which promised gloomy morn ing a threatening noon and a rainy even- ing. was without flaw. No fairer day from dawn to sunset, could have been hoped for.
 The handling of the crowds, the guard ing of enclosures sacred to the parti- chants in the exercises, and the police work generally, could not have been bet tered This work was in the hands of of hcers of the regular army. who directed the exposition guards in all their duties.
 Calculated to a Ncety.
 Extreme care had been taken in the arrangements of the days programme. It's length ndQ Deefi cdlCuldtco " d hASCe5 that all things might be finished exactly at noon, but as is usual in such cases. the programme dragged out beyond its expected time. It was arranged that President Roosevelt should press the but ton at exactly 12 o'clock, but when that hour arrived, several of the addresses had not beeE sonpleted- At approximately VI S.'syock, St Louis rfne, in order that
 4 X4<14I .d he siglal wo6L given to President Roose- selt tk& a11 Kings were ready.
 XXI M@Aou16 Ras quick, and in few sttK 11 e4A& tI1e answering ouch over th4WiK n,m the White House. This ofcthny olened the exposition, but it gramfNe and the stgnal for the actual Dreninss for the unfurling of the flags, ! ths rirgSng of -elIs and the operation of the gi eat cascaoes was not given by Di-. rector of Works Taylor until 1.O4.
 It was saveral i1inutes later than. that when F. esident Frsncis If the exposition formally ahpcuncea that, the fair was open to the World. He made the declara- lion with Naugh. for the bands were fiaying, the Rrowds were cheering and the r.. r]a wese scrsmbling. from their seats to watch The rise of the curtain on the draI'a with Swhose prologue of five years they were. all familiar. From the lime tha; Director of Works Taylor waved his baton with the Iluttering rib bon of white as the signal for the actual opening of the exposftfan as the epitome of human achieveinant wes the thing with the people and speeches of men were in the backsround.
 Grounds Were FlllsG.
 The official hour for the commer,cement exercises was o'clock, at which time the officials of the Exposition, nl.vnbers of the national commission and 6f the board of lady managers were sche duled 10 meet at the administration buifd1n~ Long before this time the grounds wers filled with nearly half of the popu1atior. of the city of St. Louis and the remafn- der apparently were thronging to the e1f. position grounds.
 To the many thousands off the local population were added many more who canic in on excursion trains last nlxht and this morning. Although no special effort was made by the management o1 the exposition to secure a large affen- dance for the opening day, the crowd was fully as large that which filled the grounds one year ago, when the ex- position buildings were dedicated with so much pomp and ceremony " Promptly at the hour set, the officers and directors of the exposition, the mem- bers of the national commission and the board of lady managers were gathered at the administration building, where as rapidly as possible they were formed into procession and marched to the Plazo of St. Louis. in the center of the grounds where the formal exercises of the open Ing were conducted.
 Jefferson Guards.
 At the head of the column was A de- tachment of Jefferson Guards, who are to do police duty within the exposition while 1t continues. Then came the Philip pine scouts, and imposing body of men, Behind them. and leading the officers and directors, were the members of the nat ional commission, and last of all the board of lady managers, some of whom went on foot, while others preferred the more luxurious method of riding in car riages.
 As the column from the administration building entered the plaza. a long line formed of representatives of foreign gov ernments, which had assembled in the hall of congresses. came pouring into the plaza from another avenue. This coI- umn was also headed by detachment of the Jefferson Guards followed by band. At the head of the line, immediately behind the music, were the members of the exposition committee on foreign rela tions; then came commissioners and rep- resentatives of foreign governments which have ambassadors accredited to the IJni- ted States, marching in the order of pre- sentation of credentials to the exposition. . Foreign Representatives.
 Following these came representatives
 governments having ministers accredit-
 to the United States government, and
 n a great number of other representa-
 es of foreign governments and colonies,
 in the order of presentation of their
 dentials to the exposition. The column
 sented by far the gayest appearance
 the day, for the foreigners made a
 digal display of gold lace and bright
 rs in glfttering contrast to the black
 hats and dark frock coats which
 % prominent among the officials and
 ataries of the exposition.
 third column came shortly afterward. med of representatives of the states 4nd territorial governments in the union l The participants in the exercises