The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-07-12

the IaiF GROUNDS. MaSSHu from FdlI 10 run oH
the painted bridges, they moved forward slowly
but increasingly. toward the turnstIles. Half an
hour before the time to open the gates they were
packed tight about the seven entrances.
From outlying parts OF the city came the news
that street cars IL trains and BUSES were
damned beyond capacity with youngsters bound
for the fair. Immediately orders were sent out
summonlng all exposition policemen off duty to
report at once. Five hundred exposition en-
ployees were sworn In as special officers. Mean
while every passing moment saw the crowds
outside the gates growing denser and denser.
Up from the milling mob rose strange yari-
ETY. OF crIes--"We 49, want - In! 49, Let's
go! - Hey. stop your shovIn'l - Lay Off,
youse guys - Look out va nearly jammed
me in the eye with that lopop Hey, that
Ice cream bar Is meltin' and drppln' all down
my back - Oh, I've dropped the sack with
my lunch In 1t - Stop pushln'! - Quit
your crowdIn' Stop 1t, I tell you!"
Bewildered gatemen tried. In vain to hold them
back. The turnstlles couldn't click fast enough
to let them through. A hurry-up call was sent
for 200 city pollcemen-then for 200 more. In
the administration building telephones were
ringing wildly. necessarily. From box offices
came word OF exhausted ticket supplies, Of turn
stiles out of commission and OF guards trying
vainly to maintain an orderly flow OF eager
youngsters through the gates Then came the
news that the crowds were becoming absolutely
unmanageabe. They were forcing their way
through the service entrances through which
supplies are brought into the grounds. They
were beginning to scale the walls They were
dropping down inside by the hundreds and para
Lying the bus traffic which runs just Inside the
western walls.
Officials Of the fair realized that something
hn liz In ordar "a int,
the youngsters jammed outside the gates LET
em all In free!" was the order flashed out All
gates including the service entrances were
thrown wide open. And then--the delugel
Attempts to coin appropriate SMILES for the
sight which followed failed One observer said
hike swarm Of hungry lOcusts." Another COM
pared 1t to the stampede Of a vast herd OF Texas
steers. THE surge came UP and across the cause
ways in spectacle seldom IL ever seen before
certainly never seen before In an American city,
declared one eyewitness
Can you visualize a crowd OF 100000 people?
Remember there are only Is American cities
which have more than population of 100000
and in the largest Of these the density Of popu-
lation is less than 5000 to the square mile, or
GAO acres. Now, the Century of Progress grounds
comprise less than 400 acres Of available walk
Ing space" Pour 100000 people into that amount
OF space, and what do you get? A crowd, of
course.
Yes the fair was crowded on May 81 IT
would have been crowded even II the horde of
youngsters had been evenly distributed about
the grounds. which they weren't. They streamed
down the Avenue Of Flags In an endless process
sion OF closely packed humanity to which only
the milling crowds ut Forty second and Broad
way In New York and State and Madison In
Chicago are comparable. From the terraces OF