The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1907-05-02
EXPOSITION OPENS
Gates of jamestown Show
Swing Ajar to Public.
ROOSEVELT AT THE HELM
Elaborate Program Carried Out In
Inauguration of Big Enterprise.
Many Thousands in
Attendance.

With President Roosevelt as the
guest and with diplomatic and mill
tary officials from all of the most
important nations of the world in at
tendance, the jamestown Tercenten-
NAL exposition was thrown open to
the public Friday. Every steamer
and every train reaching Norfolk
brought thousands Of visitors. The
city was decorated as seldom before.
and the governor of Virginia pro-
claimed holiday. The details OF the
program of land and water ceremo-
nies were carefully worked out, and
the opening was a notable epoch In
tae history of tidewater Virginia.
President Roosevelt, who left Wash
ington Thursday afternoon on board
the Mayf1ower, arrived off Fort Mon
roe Friday morning shortly after 8
o'clock. He Immediately proceeded
to review the magnificent fleet of for
GlSu anu kllCllCdA "a OhAPo AOW Wv
anchor in Hampton Roads. This i'm
posing ceremony and brief recep-
ton to the flag officers on board the
Mayhower ended, the president set
out for the shore. landing at the ex-
position at II o'clock. He was driven
at once to the reviewing stand on
Lee Parade, a magnificent drill
grounds, skirted by blossoming as
pine blooms, and there delivered the
opening and dedicatory address of the
exposition, which was received amid
deafening cheers.
President Roosevelt concluded by
pressing a gold button as a signal for
the formal opening Of all the finished
departments of the enterprise.
The president and his immediate
party then received several hundred
invited guests in the auditorium build
ing. After this function he was en-
tertained at luncheon He returned to
the reviewing stand during the after
noon to wilness the land parade OF
soldiers and sailors, several compa-
nies of the latter being landed from
the foreign vessels This concluded
the opening ceremonies.
Thursday witnessed the arrival of
the most formidable of the visiting
warship squadron. The Austrian ships
Sankt George and Asbern, and the
British cruiser squadron, composed OF
the Good Hope, the Argyll, the Hamp-
shire and the Roxborough passed in
the capes within few hours of each
other. With saluting cannon and dip
ping flags they cruised slowly up
Hampton Roads. The flagship Con-
necicut of the American feet ex-
changed salutes with the Sankt
George and the Good Hope, and later
Admiral Sir George Neville Of the
British squadron and Commodore Her.
mann Prescott of the Austrian squad
ron put out in small boats to visit
Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans on
the Connecticut. They were warmly
welcomed and had hardly gone over
the side to return to their own flag
ships when the American commander
was in his launch returning the Off
cial call of courtesy.
The arrival of the BritOns and Aus
trians, who had been preceded two
days by the German squadron and
the Argentine ship Sarmiento, lent
immeasurably to the attractiveness of
the naval display arranged for the
opening day of the exposition.
The steamer jamestown from Wash
ington, bearing the congressional del
egation to the exposition, arrived at
Old Point Comfort Thursday night.
The steamer Newport News, with the
diplomats and naval and military at
taches of the foreign embassies and
legations on board, arrived early Fri
day morning and disembarked her
passengers at the expo
sition grounds