Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-20
PANAMA EXPOSITION
OPENS At NOON TO-DAY
President Wilson to Press Button
That Will Innugurnte Great San
Francisco Fair.
EVERYTHING IN READINESS
Forty-One Foreign Nations Partici-
patlng-Won1erful Color Scheme
In Buildings and Grountis-Tower
OF Jewels Is Dominating Feature.


SAN FRANCISCO. February 19.-An
electric spark Of enormous poteltiality,
jumping across the continent. will
open the Panama Pacific International
Exposition at noon tomorrow. Pacific
Coast time. In tho White House ut
Washington. President Wilson will
press button. and tho acrinls Of the
great government radio station Mt
Arlington will. In response, send
visration to commercial station on
San Francisco Bay. From there the
message will be relaycd by wire to a
receiving instrument on the exposition
grounds
As soon as the signal Is received,
the wheels will begin to turn and tho
fountains to play; the gates will swing
open. and n procession Of citizens. with
the Mayor at their head, will march
into the grounds.
AZ the same time, President Charles
{. Moore. Of the exposition, will in
form President Wilson over n telephone
line that the wireless Hash has been
received and the exposition is open.
In return. President Wilson will send
his greetings and good wishes. Brief
ceremonies OF dedication and accept
ancc Will follow.
EXPOSITION STANDS
100 PER CENT COMPLETE
The exposition stands to-day 100 per
cent complete. free Of debt and with
forty-one foreign nations participating,
OF which twenty have built pavilions
OF their own. England. Germany, Aus
tria and Russia arc not officially repre-
scnted because Of the war. but various
OF their commercial organizations have
seen to IT that they should not be
wholly left out of mind. France, Italy
and Japan are officially represented, az
are forty-one States and Territories Of
the United States. Canada and Aus
tralasia. under the British flag, both
have buildings.
The grounds lie on the water front
adjoining the United States military
reserve known as the Preside. facing
San Francisco Bay. and with the Golden
Cato visible to the west The broad
stretches Of mural expansc are grained
and stained to the texture and color
OF Italian travertlne. Where the stat
uary has not been wrought from the
same material. 1t has been finished a
soft bun, or burnt orange. Thus the
exposition, as whole. has the soft
tone of a pastel done in impressionistic
manner. Other worlds fairs have
been uniformly white.
Dominating the whole scheme is the
colossal Tower of Jewels. 435 feet high,
set In the Central Court of the Uni
verse, whose Corinthian columns arc
taller than those of st. Peters at Rome
Each column is surmounted by the fig
ure OF star. whose head dress Is COW
cred with Jewels" and from the tower
itself depend $4,000 spnrklets in all
colors. which flash In the sun and
scintillate at night when the search
lights illuminate the court.
EXPOSITION IS MOST
COMPACT EVER BUTT
The site and plan OF the exposition
have made II the most compact ever
built. 1t occupies 635 acres, Of which
fifty have been devoted to horticultural
display. Liberal use has been mada of
palms, shrubbery, vines and trees to
relieve. and diversity the long fncades
OF the exhibit palaces at the far ends
of the grounds are the athletic field
and race track at the near end lies
the Zone. IN which are grouped amuse-
ment concessions.
Conceived to celebrate the opening OF
the Panama Canal, the idea of the ex-
position had Its inception In 1904 Au-
thor!Zation by the State Legislature
and n State appropriation of $4,000, 600
were obtained, and In 1910 S4,OS9. 600
was raised by private subscription In
al IN cio
Federal exposition act on October 1,
1911.
In work done by the exposition com
pany, the States and Territories, and
the oncessionaircs. an investment of
$4,000, 600 is represented Exhibits on
display probably Will bring the total
OF capital temporarily tied up within
the grounds to $4,000 900 or more.
ONLY ONE EXPOSITION
BUILDING PERMANENT
Only one exposition building Is
permanent The city and the exposi-
ton built Jointly, as part of the citys
new civic centre. n 100000 audi
forum. In which are to be held the
400 congresses and conventions to meet
here during the exposition.
In the field of sports the nation will!
be represented rs widely as in any
other of Its interests. Yachting cups
have been given by President Wilson,
King George Of England. Emperor Will
liam OF Germany and Sir Thomas Lip
ton. There are to be important golf
and polo matches, and n motor-boat
race. starting from New York over a
course through the Panama Canal, will
finish here. The Vanderbilt cup and
Grand Prix automobile races and all
the championships Of the Amateur
Athletic Union will be held on the ex-