Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-04-26


William r. Besll and Me-. Harry st.
George Tucker. Mrs. Swanson wore a
beautiful Irish point gown, with dia-
monds. Mrs. Beall was arrsyed in black
silk illusion and pearls. Mrs. Tucker
was in black net and pearls. There
were more than 1000 invited guests,
including nearly every visiting notable.
Saturday Mrs. Swanson will be hostess
at large musical TO be given In The
Virginia building at 3 p. m.
Exposition Grounds, April 26 Made
to-order weather greeted the thousands
of visitors to the jamestown Exposition
opening when they arose this morning.
Scarcely a cloud was to be seen in the
sky and there was just enough breeze
from the bay to keep the beamiug sun
from burning up the crowds with his
smiles.
The picture presented by the warships,
lb@ir white bulls glisteDing in the morn
ing sunlight upon the silVer-tipped
waves was one long to be remembered.
Up to the hour of the Presidents
arrival on the grounds large force Of
workmen was buslly engaged in cleaning
up the debris about the pier and the
roads over which be would have to travel
te reach the grand stand. In spite Of
their utmost efforts, however, the view
about the landing was not inspiring
Huge piles Of timber and gravel were
upon either side of the President
and the walk itself was little better than
a country road. Very few of the exhi-
bit buildings are anywhere near COM
pletion, and most OF those that are doLe
on the outside are mere empty shells.
In the great machinery building only
four out of the hundreds Of individual
exhibits that are to Gil it have been in
stalled. The pathetic appropriateness
OF the whole show is accounted for by
the fact that, during the last few weeks,
the weather had been about as bad as
it coald be, and the workmen have been
unable to do little more than navigate
through the seas of mud under foot and
the dOwnpOur from above. The exposi-
ton managers assert that within three
weeks or month. the big show would
be all that could be desired.
The attendance at the opening Of the
exposition was woefully small, owing
principally to the fact that the transpor-
tation companies we're utterly unable
to handle the crowds. Early in the
morning there vas a congestion on the
two electric roads that connect Norfolk
with Sewell's Point, the exposition site,
and by the time President Roosevelt be-
gan to speak on the reviewing stand, no
more than 10, 900 persons had been able
to reach the grounds. Late arrivals
who put in their appearance shortly
after noon, reported that they had been
more than two hours on the way. The
trip consumed 55 minutes under Or
binary conditions. The crippled con-
dition of the transportation facili-
ties was further shown by the fact
that steamers bearing excursionists
for the exposition we're unable to
land at the single pier thus far available
One Of the steamers thus held up was
the boat placed at the disposal of the
visiting newspaper men by the Exposi-
ton management. Although this steamer
was scheduled to reach the Exposition
docks at 1920, it had not put in appear
ance when the exercises began.
While President Tucker WAS making
bis opening speech, panic occurred in
the great crowd before the stand and for
a time it looked as though women and
children would be trampled TO death in
the mass OF humanity that swayed back
ward and forward. Quick action on the
part of the Powhatan Guards assisted by
the regular troops, avoided serious
situation, and the crowd was finally
Quilted.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt reached
the government dock at ll:l0 q. M,
Just % minutes behind schedule time,
and we're welcomed on the pier by
President st. George Tucker Of the ex-
position company, and several members
of the managing board. "Old Virginia
welcomes you" exclaimed Mr.. Tucker,
as he grasp the executives fist. "l's q
great pleasure to be here" replied the
President warmly, as be shook hands all
around. at is regular Roosevelt day,
Mr.. President" said one Of the gentle
men on the pier. " Yes" laughed the
President, "and hope It will mean a
for ho
Mr.. fuckers ADDRESS.
The address of Hop. St. George Tuck
err, president of the expedition, had been
carefully prepared and was delivered in
An impressive manner. He began by
saying STANDING upon an eminence
of three centuries of achievements, the
American republic pauses today TO cell
citrate, in fitting manner, the ter-cen-
tennial of its birth on the banks OF the
tswny James. The steadiest head grows
dizzy, the strongest nerve az ltated,
while the pulse of the lion-hearted as
sumes the motion of the trip-hammer
in the retrospect of the marvellous
progress Of three hundred years. The
origin of ancient Rome, of Greece
and OF other countries that in their
day have controlled the destinies Of
the world, are shrouded in mystery,
or preserved in fable, by poetic fancy;
and even more modern nations find 1t
difficult to point with historic accuracy
to the date of their birth. Even our
own mother land, endeared to us by so
many ties, finds 1t difficult, in the in
cussions Of the Norsemen, the plratical
inyasions Of the Angles and Saxons, and
the misty origin of the ancient BritOn,