The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-21
PANAMA PACIFIC
EXPOSITION OPEN
CONTINUED from page IL

tfANAmA TACxg NJ
EXPOSITION OPEN
! Continued from page IL
the modest figure of a man standing
beside two oxen which looked down
upon the court of nations.
This man Is, to me-" he said, the
one hero of this day. Without him
we would not be here. Without him,
banners would not fly, nor bands play.
Without him San Francisco today
would not be the gayest city on the
globe.'
The outpouring of people in re-
Spouse to the call of the committees
in charge of the opening day celebra-
ton began shortly after daylight. 1t
was preceded by deafening roar pro-
duceG by all the noise making devices
San Francisco can boast. At sunrise
gun doomed from the preside,
across the stretch of water between
the heads and this was the signal for
the demonstration.
For one hour the city's bells were
rung, sirens shrieked, whistles blew,
automobile horns honked, cannon
doomed and hundreds OF other din
producers in all the bay cities were
resorted to, to increase the noise.
While the uproar was yet at its
height the vast throngs which partici-
pated in the ceremonies began to or
ganize. From all directions they
poured, out Van Ness avenue, the prin-
cipal thoroughfare leading to the
grounds. From curb to curb the
broad avenue was filled and at 8
o'clock the march for the exposition
| began.
| 1t took two hours for the marching
hosts to pass through the gates. esti-
mates placing the number at 1GO,0O0
Other thousands reached the
/ grounds by street cars and motor and
the turnstiles were busy receiving the
visitors until long after the neon
| hour At II o'clock an official estl-
mate placed the number OF persons
inside the grounds at 29S,00O and
there seemed to be no diminishing of
the steady inflow Of humanity. At
four O'Clock exposition officials be-
lieved that 100000 persons had passed
through the gates. The crowd in the
! main arteries Of the exposition was
almost too great for comfort and the
zone" was fairly packed After they
had viewed the main exhibit palaces,
had watched the sunlight CLINT on the
myriad stones in the tower Of jewels
and had looked over the Vanderbilt
cup race course. the crowds focked
to the ''joy department" Of the fair
The concessionaries did thriving
business all day and far Into the
night. Most Of those who reached the
grounds early in the morning remain
ed all day and late tonight the
grounds were still crowded.
A legal holiday had been declared
today and all banks and business
houses were closed to permit en-
pIoyes to spend the day at the fair. A
crowd equalling In size that which
visited the grounds today is expected
tomorrow.
Pressing the Button.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2O-Preside nt
Wilson stood in the east room OF the
white house today with his fingers
pressed down upon small ivory but
ton while cabinet members, senators
and congressman watched intensely.
Tell me when to let co. said the
president quietly. A moment followed
Now" whispered an attache. The
president lifted his finger. The Pan
ama-Pacific exposition 5000 miles
away was open.
AS a precaution against any hitch,
the flash was sent both by wireless
and wire. While one message was
speeding across the continent on the
telegraph lines, the other was racing
through space by way of the power
full Tuckerton radio station
I'VE couldn't make this very dra-
matte" and the president laughed.
but it certainly appeals to the imagi-
nation. If not to the eye
An ivory key board with solid gold
fixtures and studded with gold mug.
gets was used for the ceremony.
Cuo Race Tomorrow.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, Feb. 20
Seats for the Vanderbilt cup race to
be staged on the Panama-Pacific expo
sition grounds On Monday were at a
premium tonight. The six grano
stands about the exposition stadium
and other sections of the course will
accommodate $4,000 persons and not
a seat remains unsold
Exposition officials estimated to-
night that at least 100000 persons
would witness the race. If their pre-
d1ctions are borne out. 224. eco of this
number will have to stand. The speed
cars are ready, the drivers are in con-