OCR Text |
Show OPEiS THE BIG FAIR . oyiME Touches a Button in Washington and the Guns Boom, Fountains Play and Engines in Palace of Machinery Begin to Move the Wheels. GREAT DAY FOR SAN FRANCISCO Four Hundred Thousand Visitors Assemble to Hear Address of Secretary Sec-retary Lane and View Wonders of Panama-Pacific Panama-Pacific Exposition on First Day. SAN TEANOISCO, Feb. 20. All records for opening day attendance at world's fairs were broken by the exposition. Less than two hours after the gates had opened, and while the crowds were still stream-s stream-s lug in, the turnstiles showed 180,-000 180,-000 admissions as against 137,557 for the Chicago fair in 1893, and 187,793 for the St. Louis fair in 1904. .yv International News Service. VN FKANCISCO, Feb. 20. Under blue skies, with a soft breeze blowing from the ocean, under the gaze of 400,-000 400,-000 visitors, the Panama-Pacific international inter-national exposition was opened at noon today. President . 'Wilson in Washington touched a button. The great guns boomed. The waters in the fountains began to flow. The engines in the palace pal-ace of machinery began to move. The people with bared heads sang "The Star Spanglod Banner." Cheers and tears and laughter and exultation. It came true flawlessly. There was no hitch in the ceremonies. From the dawn, when San Francisco was awakened awak-ened by a volume and variety of noise 6uch as never was imagined before, until un-til late in the evening, when the heavens heav-ens were lit with the gTeat play of lights from the exposition's wizards of illumination, the programme of the opening day was carried out as it was planned in the minds of the fair's builders. build-ers. Great Day Arrives. Horns, sirens, bells, whistles, shouts, telephones, everything that ever was invented to make noise, began jangling and shrieking at 6 o'clock this morning. t By 6:30 there was hardly a house that ) I did not have a head or two sticking out of the windows and grinning. The great day had come. The time of realization was at hand. Ban Francisco was ready to show the world the achievement, of five years' work, the proof of enorgy and imagination and fighting ability. , Van Ness avenue, flaming in exposition exposi-tion colors and American flags, was the soene of a great gathering long before 8 o'clock. By 9 o'clock the greatest crowd in tho city's history had assembled assem-bled there to march on the world's fair. It was a parade of the people, a triumphal tri-umphal march. Little of formality, little lit-tle of dignity, little of smartness or any of the other features of any ordinary civio parade. This was just a great outpouring of the people a river of people flowing up and down tho great avenue, in and out of the side streets, on the way to tho Jewel City. Lane Rides With Troops. With Governor Johnson and Mayor Eolph and Secretary Lane at the head, tie parade moved on toward the expo-fition expo-fition gates. Secretary Lane rode with the troops, far in advance of the rabble, but the governor and the mayor marched. . At the gates the United States marines ma-rines and the exposition guards formed a formal escort, and the governor was taken to the grandstand at 10 o'clock. It took an hour more for the people in the line of march to get through the ' (fates. Then, with speeches by President C. C. Moore of the exposition, Governor Johnson, Mayor Rolph, Secretary Lnne, the message ' was pent to Washington that all was ready. The tbr eatening clouds of the early morning had scurried scur-ried away over the southern hills, and (Continued on Page Twelve.) WiLSQN OPENS EXPOSITION HT 11 F1KC0 i Touches Button in Washington Washing-ton and Starts Machinery j in Motion; Record Attendance At-tendance First Day. ! (Continued from Page One.) j the skv spread softly aoove the im-; menso tbrong. The sun was at its California Cali-fornia bear.. Tho cheer that went up when the fountains began to play and the long-awaited long-awaited moment came, to pass echoed all through the grounds. Lincoln Beaehey, the aviator, circled over the Tower of Jewels, and liberated four -loves that floated in the sunshine, em blematie of the peaco that brooded over the "rounds and tho people there Singing, Sing-ing, laughing and cheering, the people spread out into tho groat exhibit palaces pal-aces and the zone of pleasure and the thousand and one wonders and delights prepared tor them. Between tho formal exercises and the stroke of noon there was a short interval that was thrilling with the sense of a great expectancy. The vast crowd packed in front of the Tower of Jewels seemed to await the hour without change of position, without tho stirring of a single atom of. its tremendous organism. Message to Wilson. Shortly before noon President C. C. Moore arose and, with upraised hand, stilled the Bound of voices that from in front of the grandstand arose like the deep booming of a mighty surf upon the shore. liL will read you a message which has been sent by me to President Wilson Wil-son at Washington ' he said, and the last murmur of the multitude died away. " 'To the President. Washington, D. C. The Panama-Paciric International exposition of 1915 is ready. Those to whom the congress of the Lnited States with approval of the presidont entrusted entrust-ed tho great work of preparing this celebration of the completion of the Panama canal have performed their task with all the zeal and devotion of which they were capable. " 'We offer our respectful homage to vou, und through you to the people of "the nation, and dare to express the hope that our patriotic endeavors will merit tho commendation of our govern-; ment and the appreciation of mankind, j Await Opening. " 'We now await your official open-' ing of the exposition by pressing the electric button which willj by wireless telegraph, start the activities of the exposition ex-position period. " 'This will be the first time any ex- position has been opened in this manner. man-ner. ' "To this the president's re.plv will be simply to push the button,' "coDtin-ued "coDtin-ued Mr. Moore, "and T will then send him the following dispatch. 11 'I have the honor to announce that the exposition is now ofliciaJlv opened, (fod bless the people of the United States.' " Then from tho key of the wireless machine ma-chine there sped a series of dots which, recorded at Washington, formed the signal that cave warning the time was close at hand, and that all things must be ready. On the stroke of noon the wireless man sent a rapid volley of electric dashes. ; Button Is Pressed. President Wilson pressed the button. The act released the magic of electrical elec-trical energy, which, transmitted instantaneously in-stantaneously to taii Francisco, sent leaping into the sun-drenched air under the blue sky the water of all the fountains foun-tains in the southern region of tho exposition, ex-position, and discharged a battery of twenty-ouo guns, and opened the doors and sot working all the machinery in machinery palace. The Panama-Paeific International exposition ex-position was officially open. All the silk-batted and frock-coated dignitaries in the grandstand, President Moore, Secretary Lane, Bishop Hanna, Mayor Kolph and all tho others, were on their feet, swinging their silk hat3 and howling like school boys. From the crowds went up a contagions roar, which swept throughout the exposition expo-sition from throng- to. throng like a swift tide pouring along with the flood. And the bands played, the flags flapped, the cheering roared higher and higher. The great gates of the machinery ma-chinery palace rolled apart as if at the word " Sesame " and the huge machines ma-chines began to work. Work Completed. The great work was complete. At the conclusion of the ceremony as the crowd was dispersing Lincoln Beachey, the aviator, shot high in the air, encircled the Tower of Jewels and released a flock of doves, symbolizing the exposition as the agent of world peace. He performed several loops, leaving a ribbon of white smoke across the blue sky. Fun and money epitomize the zone, which at midnight still was counting its opening-day receipts. Millions for fun and fun for the millions mil-lions is what the show men of the zone 'have been preparing- for these many months. and after sizing ud the opening open-ing day 's enormous throne 'thev agreed tonight that they can. look forward to next Christmas with complacencv. The lighting of the zone is a tremendous tremen-dous glare, being of the old-stvle great white way type, and therefore in marked coutrast to the restful and subdued lighting Bcheme of the exposition proper, prop-er, which is pronounced one of the distinctive dis-tinctive features of the exposition. Lane's Address. In his opening address Secretary Lane said in part: To you. President Moore, and to your colleagues, ladles and gentlemen, gentle-men, I bear the congratulations of the nation on the opening of this international inter-national exposition. This morning I have from the president the following follow-ing telegram: "Please convey mr heartiest congratulations con-gratulations to the authorities of the exposition and express my hope that their highest expectations for its dla-tingunahed dla-tingunahed success will be more than realized." Within a month I expect the president presi-dent himself will be with you to greet the representatives of the nations who joined in the creation of this new city by the Golden Gate. I come as a token-bearer to speak a feeble foreword fore-word to the rich volume of his admiration ad-miration for your courage, your en-. en-. terprlse and your getilus. The sculptors who have ennobled I these building's with their work have surely given full swinsr to their fancy in seeking to symbolize the tale which this exposition tells. And among these figures I have sought for one which would represent to me the significance signifi-cance of this great enterprise. Prophets, priests and kiiigs are here, conquerors and mystical figures of ancient legend, but these do not Bpenk the word I bear. My eye Is drawn to the least conspicuous fiure of all the modest figure of a man standing beside two oxen which look down upon the court of the nations, na-tions, when east and west come face to face. Towering above this gaunt figure !s the canopy of his prairie schooner. Gay conquistadores ride beside him and one must look hard to see this simple, plodding figure. Yet that man Ip to me tho 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 would not be today the gayest city of the globe. Shall I tell you who he Is, this key figure In the arch of our enterprise? That plender, dauntless, plodding, modest figure is th American pioneer. To me he is far more. Pre la the adventureeome Bplrlt of our restless race. Ixmg ago he set sail with Ulysses. But "Ulysses turned back. 7Tc .sailed again with Columbus for the Indies and heard with joy the quick command, com-mand, "Sail onl Sail on and on!" But their westward way was barred. Glory of the Occident. He landed at plymouih Rok, and with hie dull-eyed oxen made the long, Jong Journflv across the continent. Here he stands at last, besjdo this western sea, the Incarnate soul of his Insatiable racs the American pioneer. Pity? He scorns it. Glory? He does not ask. His sons and daughters are scattered along the path he has come. Hero on this stretch of shore he has built the outermost eampflre of his race, and he has gathered his sons that they may tell each other of tho progress they have made. His sons are thoy who have cut these continents In twain, who have siaslid God's world as with a knife, who have gleefully made the rebellious rebel-lious seas tn lift man's ships across tl) barrier mountains. The long Journey of this slight, modest mod-est figure that standi b'-Jdde the oxen is at an end. Tho wa:ue places of the earth havo been found. But Rdventure Is not to end. Hre In his house will be taught the gospel of (in advancing democracy strong, valiant, confident, conquering upburne and typind by the Independent spirit of tho American pioneer. |