Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-02
And Lewis and Clark Ex-
position Is Opened.
President Presses Electric But
ton at White House.
Vice President Fairbanks Leads the Grand
Parade at Portland, Ore.

l VI Il tiSiliSulSi1tu iSS -lflGldSt, Illcluu-
| ing all the members ot the cabinet. eX-
| ccpt Sec. Hay, who is in Europe. as
S"ciatr justices of the United States
supreme court. members of the diplo-
matte corps. ana invited guests, Presi-
dent Roosevelt. at i.22 o'clock. this .f-
tcrnOon. pressed tbs Geographic key,
| which started the machinery of the
| Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition
At Portland. Oregon.
| The ceremony took place in the East
Room Of the White House. The hour
| set for il WAS o'clock, tie intention
| being to start the machinery of the EN-
| position in motion att o'clock Portland
| time. At the time fixed everything was
| in readiness at the White House Thu
guests Lad assenb ed in the East Room
and only the flash from Portland was
! necessary to open the ceremony here. A
| circuit had been completed by the
Western Tnlon Telegraph Co.. between
| the White House AMI the Portland F,x :
position grounds.
| At the moment. When the White
| House ceremony was to have begun,
| Vice President Fairbanks was deliver
| ing his formal address in Portland at
| the opening of the Exposition. Until he
had concluded his speech. President
| Roosevelt could not start the machin-
cry. Al 80 p. NJ. Washington time.
| The speech was finished. The paTlnr
doors Of the East Room swung open
land the President. accompanied by Mrs.
| Roosevelt ana Sec. Loeb. entered The
approach OF the President was an
| Houiccd to the guests BY a fanfare OF
| trumpets. Immediately. the Orchcst RI
| OF me Marine Band, stationed in the
| V'stIhulc. began the inspiring strains of
| ''iiail To The Chief Standing near the
stand bearing the telegraph key. with
his naval military aides facing him. the
! IRE sdrnt addressed the assemblage
| briefly as follows:
| Ladies and gentlemen: have just re-
| "eived from Portland telegram from
| President Gocdc Of the Lewis and
| CLARK Centennial Expoeition sending
his greetings and stlting that the Ex-
position management are waiting for
| lnc to touch tho button Which will ring
tn" Chimes in the United States gov
eminent building and start the machin-
| cry of this Exposition.
| The Exposition marks the feat of OK
piorAtion Il century ago. which was the
! iir$t step in the expansion of this re-
| public westward across the continent.
| the most important step in changing 4
! struggling line of scabnard common
wcaths into q mighty continental M :
| ton. Ii was one Of the Cpochs of our
| LiStorv. ANA it is cminen'Iy fitting that
| II should be COMMEMORATE by the Tx
| rnsit;nn at Portland. IS il now being
| done. Us TIL" civilized ':orid has spread.
| h" nations of the wo"lI have come
| ever closer and closer together. When
| the civilized world was grouped arOun.i
| the Mediterranean, when the Atlantic
| was an unknown sea. the peoples
| around the Mediterranean We're sunder-
| "a from enc another 10y time. by man.
| ncrS. by habits of thought, to degree
| which VIC can now only iTperfectly ap-
| prccidtc. |. here in Washington. start
| jho Exposition in Portland and the
| same forces that hav" Knit together thr
| different sections Of this great country:
| that have rendered possible To keep our
nation more cmphatirally enc in spirit
| now that il has spread ever the cor
! tinCnt. than was the ease when it oc-
| cupind bat n small fraction of the con-
| tinCnt WILL | firmly believe, bring the
nations Of tn earth ever closer togeth-
| cr and enable us oil to work together
in peace ana harmony .ar the future
| If mankind.
| AT the conclusion of his address The
President said:
| II now open the Lewis ard Clark En-
POSITION" leaning forward at the same
instance and pressing the gold key
| which sounded the chimes and started
the machinery 5000 miles away. Prac-
ticaIly instantaneously the first gun Of
the national salute was fred on the
White House lot by the Sc Field Bat
terry. {. :. A.
After the President had declared the
! Exposition formally opened he received
| the following telegram from President
tioolc:
ITO the President of the United
States:
| In response TO your Geographic sig
| raj. the Lewis and Clark Centennial
| Exposition has been declared opened in
the presence of vast aSSembIaee of
| distinguished and enthusiastic specta-
| tors from all parts of the globe The
prompt completion IF our grounds and
| buildings and corresponds gly punctual
installation of exhibits are not ONLY a
source of pride in promises fulfilled but
Of qualification as we'll as in surpass-
ing all exposition records. The Expos.-
| ton management desires me to express
| our hcartiest appreciation of the honor
conferred by the Chief Exec utive of the
whole nation informally inaugurating
this centennial celebration of the i'm
portant historic achievement which re-
suited in our great countrys remark
able continental development"
To this message, the President re-
sponded:
| Hon H. w. Gooda president Lewis
and Clark Centennial Exposition:
| II congratulate you and those assoc
ciated with you in commemorat ting this
occasion. l hope and trust that the
great enterprise you have undertaken
will be fitting memorial to the sturdy
and fearless explorers who. in the SER
vice OF their country, faced the perils