The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-22
Magnificent Structures IncOn-
pIete Despite Great Effort
ROOSEVELT At THE OPENING
Fridays Picture-.Atttt t~Bes-rkonq cSc
membered by Vistors-Warsp
of Twelve Nations Will + O.
Salute.

splendid efforts OF a corps of efficient,
energetic, painstaking officials and thous-
ands of carpenters, masons, walkbuilders
and landscape gardeners, the jamestown
tercentennial exposition will be opened
this week unready. Many of the mag
nificent structures that are to house do
mestic and foreign commercial exhibits,
and shelter the achievements of the in
dustrial arts, are incomplete.
Yet while this is acknowledged by the
directors of the exposition with keen
regret, it is with satisfaction that the
sum of what has been done as compared
with the unfinished work, forms result
of which they are justly proud.
In the beauty of the water show with
its amazing gathering of foreign fleets
representing the most formidable types
of naval fighting machines of nearly every
! power of the world, and in an opening
| programme with President Roosevelt in
the leading role, with diplomotic, military
and naval representatives of great and
small foreign nations participating, the
public will have its compensa ton. So
vast and complete Is this programme
that exposition visitors will not have time
to take notice of the unfinished state OF
the buildings, and the grounds. The OPEN
ing day will be crowded from sunrise
until dusk with the ceremonies which
formally launch the enterprise and paying
| tribute to the distinguished visitors.
Eighty Per Cent Finished.
| The grounds and buildings at the expo
sition are about eighty per cent finished.
However, the exterior appearance of the
buildings will be ready when the exposl-
! ton is formally opened on Friday next.
The inception of the Jamestown tercen-
tennial exposition sprang from desire
of a people, many of them descendants
from that hardy English stock that set :
tied among the Indians here 800 years
ago, TO teach the traditions that have
been handed down by those colonists
When completed it will be almost all that
| is implied in the expression "a world S
| fair" but it will not stop there Twenty
| five states of the Union will trace their
history from their earliest days to the
present, and the exhibits will be sheltered
| by appropriate buildings. For instance
the Virginia state building is modelled
after an ideal colonial mansion; Ken
| tucky presents a replica of Fort Boone;
| Ohio shows 'Adena," the first stone house
Connecticut reproduees the Talmage
home, the first colonial mansion erected
in that state where General Washington
held many of his councils of war.
Great Naval Display.
1t is the great naval display that will
prove the crowning glory of The exposi-
ton. There have been gatherings of fleets
here. The fleets will number in addition
to several of the best types of each of the
| foreign naval powers, the Atlantic fleet
| of the United States navy, under COM
mand Of Rear Admiral Evans, which is
conceded to be the finest organization of
the fighting machines ahoat. This fleet
| is already anchored in Hampton Roads,
| but the ships have taken the position
furthest from the water front in order
TO give the commanding locations to the
foreign visitors
Should Friday come with the sun shin
! ing there Will be presented a picture long
TO be remembered by every visitor 1t
will be a picture OF art and industry
! united to produce marvellous display of
the wealth and resources of the country,
of charming landscapes Swallowed by the
imposing domes of luxurious palaces, of
a broad expanse of placid water on which
riding peacefully will be the war craft of
dozen naval powers; of a military en-
campment, and parades by United Sites
and foreign troops of all branches of the
army and all with be combined in spec
tacle of human enterprise unrvalled in
the world.
Government Sponsorship.
To this should be added the ceremony
of placing the great seal of government
sponsorship upon the exposition. This will
be done by the President of the United
States in the presence of the joint COM
mttee of Congress, the amba ssadors and
ministers OF foreign governments who are
coming as the guests of the nation, as
we'll as the exposition mana cement. the
governors and representatives, of states
and territories. and delegations represent
ing important civic bodies. On this first
day will be fired the sautS to the Union
by the assembled warships, and the sa-
lutte to the President by the United States
steps on the government pier from off
follow in the order of it's preparation
their prodigal display of gold lace and
bright decorations in glittering contrast
TO the staid. son1bre attire of President
| Roosevelt and other dignitaries of this
government.
Complete ARRANGEMENTS have been made
for the protection of the visitors a the
exposition. Both the exposition authori-
| ties and the police department at Norfolk
| have arranged with the Pinkerton detec-
| tive agency to assist in the police work,
! and detectives are being called in from
| all over the country to join in the SER
| vice.