New-York tribune., 1915-02-21
MISUNDERSTANDING
WITH GOLD-STUDDED KEY
Cabinet Officers California Delegation and Other Digni
taries Applaud Touch That Starts Greatest Fair
of All Times 900 Miles Away.

Washington. Feb. 20.--Using the
same telegraph key, studded with gold
nuggets, with which President Taft
opened the Alaskan-Yukon Exposition,
President Wilson set in motion the
Panama Pacific Exposition at San Fran
cisco at O'Clock this afternoon.
The fash was conveyed from the
White House to the Pacific both by
telegraph and wireless. President
Moore of the exposition Immediately
sent back word that the fash had come
through and that the big fair was on.
This appeals to the Imagination
rather than 10 the eye" the President
said as, amid a burst of handclapping,
he depressed the telegraph key. Pres
ent were Secretaries Bryan, McAdoo,
Houston, Wilson and Daniels; Attor-
ney General Gregory, Assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy Roosevelt, Senators
Works and Perkins, all the Representa-
tives from California, Governor Ham
lin, of the Federal Reserve Board, and
Commissioner General Camlnetti of
!, the immigration Board.
Whatever it may have been the Presi-
dent and his guests imagined happened
as he sent his signal, the facts are
these:
The pressure of the Presidents fore
finger on the key completed tele-
graphic circuit, which automatically
worked a relay key in the wireless
station at Tuckerton, \. J. Instantly
powerful electric waves leapcd out
across the continent a fraction Of
second later they were received on
aerials strung from the Tower of Jew
els in the exposition grounds. Another
relay instrument transmitted them to
apparatus which swung open the doors
Of the Palace of Machinery, unloosed
the waters of the Fountain of Energy
and detonated signal bombs in token
of receipt. There was no exchange OF
messages between the fair grounds and
the White House, as had been planned.
To-day's ceremony took place in the
East Room, where places were reserved
for members Of the Cabinet and the
California delegation in Congress.
The Big Fair, thrown open yester-
day, is in magnitude, cost and diver
sity Of exhibits the greatest exposi-
tion ever held.
A little more than two years ago
ground was broken for the Palace of
.udCnlHcINy INC uISI Ol the cIcNtl
great exhibit buildings to be under
taken. Since then 635 acres have been
covered with palaces, psvilions and
skyscrapers-a Dream City in srchi-
lecture, sculpture, color and landscap-
ing.
The exposition site has a frontage
of two miles along San Francisco Bay,
and is half a mile wide. 1t is divided
| into three main sections. The west
ern portion, nearest the Golden Gate,
| is occupied by foreign and state psvil-
! ions. The central section contains the
eleven main exhibit palaces. The east
ern division fords the amusement dis
| trict, called "The Zone"
The eleven main exhibit palaces are
devoted respectively TO Machinery,
Mines and Metallurgy, Manufactures,
/ Varied Industries, Liberal Arts, Trans
/ portation, Food Products, Agriculture,
| Education and Social Economy, Fine
| Arts and Horticulture.
/ With the exceptions of the Palaces
of Fine Arts. Horticulture and Machin-
| cry, a uniform design of architecture
has been followed. "The Walled City,"
as the immense main group is termed,
is divided by splendid royal courts and
classic colonnades. The palace group is
/ Oriental in conception, carrying out
the suggestion of Constantinople with