WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. 



governors, with State officials, accom- 

 panied tin- Fed. -nil representatives, their pres- 

 ence doini; much to inspire tlio Directors and 

 Managers with enthusiasm. After an impting 

 military review in Washington I'urk, the Vice- 

 President, eminent visitors, and Exposition offl* 

 cials proceeded to the Manufacturers' Huildini,', 

 where nearly 100,000 persons liad been pro- 

 vided witli seats from which to witness the lust 

 and most important of the ceremonial exercises. 

 When the dignitaries liad taken the places as- 

 igned to tin in. i he chorus sang John Knowles 

 Panic's Columbus Hymn. 



Bishop Fowler, of the Methodist Episcopal 

 Church, having then formally opened the pro- 

 ceedings with prayer, Director General George It. 

 Davis delivered an appropriate address. This 

 was followed by the reading of Harriet Monroe's 

 Columbian Ode by Mrs. Le Moyne ; a presenta- 

 tion of medals to the master artists and architects 

 of the buildings ; an impressive speech by Mrs. 

 Potter Palmer ; the handing over of the build- 

 ings by President Higinbotham, in behalf of the 

 Local Directory, to the National Commission ; 

 and a speech of acceptance by President Palmer, 

 who. in his turn, bestowed them upon the nation, 

 through its representative. Vice- President Mor- 

 ton responded briefly. Speeches were made by 

 Henry Watterson and ChaunccyM. Depew. The 

 singing of Beethoven's anthem, " In Praise of 

 God," was followed by the benediction by Rev. 

 H. C. McCook, of Philadelphia. 



Amid salvos of artillery the conclusion of the 

 ceremonies was announced, and work on the build- 

 ings was resumed with more than usual vigor. 

 There was a display of fireworks in the evening 

 of Oct. 23, a striking feature of this entertain- 

 ment being the releasing of one hundred fire bal 

 loons in Washington, Lincoln, and Garfield 

 Parks. Rockets attached to the balloons were 

 discharged in mid-air, producing a novel and 

 most impressive spectacle. 



The Opening Ceremonies. The programme 

 for opening the World's Fair on May 1, 1893, 

 has been completed by the committee having the 

 matter in charge. President Cleveland will de- 

 liver the only address and start the machinery. 

 A poem, probably by Oliver Wendell Holmes, will 

 precede the Presidential address. The public 

 cannot attend the opening exercises, as the festi- 

 val hall seats but 5,000 persons. One thousand 

 of these will be reserved for officials of the Fair, 

 members of Congress, and other notable indi- 

 viduals. The remaining 4,000 seats will be sold 

 at $5 each, tickets being issued on invitation. 

 The exercises will begin at exactly 10 o'clock on 

 the morning of May 1, and close at noon or ear- 

 lier. From noon to 1.30 lunch will be served to 

 the President and the thousand special guests. 

 The public will be admitted to the grounds upon 

 the payment of the regular price of admission, 

 which has been fixed at 50 cents. The Exposi- 

 tion will remain open until Oct. 80, 1893. 



The Exposition. The site of the World's 

 Columbian Exposition is four times as large as 

 that occupied uy the Paris Expositions of 1878 

 and 1^89. The frontage extends two miles on 

 Lake Michigan. Considering the area of the 

 buildings, those of the Chicago World's Fair 

 occupy twice the space devoted to exhibits in the 

 Paris Exposition of 1889. The cost of erection 



will be twice as much. "The most delightful. 

 probu'ily. though not the speediest, means by 

 which the visitor may reach the Exposition 

 grounds will be by steamboat on Lake Michigan. 

 When abreast of the site, a grand spectacle of 

 surpassing magnificence will be before him 

 the vast extent of the beautiful park ; the wind- 

 ings of the lagoon ; the superb array of scores of 

 great buildings, elegant and imposing in their 

 architecture, and gay with myriads of flags and 

 streamers floating from their pinnacles and 

 towers." For the purposes of this article, it is 

 deemed most practical to reach the grounds by 

 way of Cottage Grove Avenue, at the wc-t-ni 

 limit of Midway Plaisance. 



Midway Plaisanee. At the entrance to the 

 covered walk, on each side, there will be a nurs- 

 ery exhibit. Proceeding along the Plaisance 

 toward the COth St. station of the Illinois Cen- 

 tral Railroad, the exhibits on the right hand 

 side, in their order, are : 



The National Hungarian Orpbeutn. 

 Roman House. 

 Dahomey Village, 150x195 ft. 

 Austrian Village, 195x510 it. 

 Chinese Tea House, 55x100 ft. 

 French Cider Press, 40x50 ft. 

 Model of " St. Peter's." 

 Ferris Wheel. 

 Ice Railway, 60x400 ft. 

 Moorish Palace. 

 Turkish Village, 190x450 ft. 

 Panorama of the Bernese Alp>. 

 Natatorium, or Swimming Baths. 

 Dutch Settlement. 

 Ilagenbeck Animal Show. 



Venice Murano Company Exhibit. 



Crossing the 60th St. station, -still keeping to 

 the right, the next exhibit is of Irish Industries. 

 In the center of the Plaisance. at this point, will 

 be the Circular Railroad Totter. On the left of 

 this tower will be the Bohemian Glass Company's 

 exhibit. On the opposite side of the Plaisance, 

 to the right of visitors who may have entered at 

 Cottage Grove Avenue mentioned above, the ex- 

 hibits in the order as they occur are : 



The Lib by Glass Co. 



Japanese Bazar. 



Dutch Settlement. 



German Village, 223x780 ft. 



Persian Concession. 



Street in Cairo, 223x391 ft. 



Algeria and Tunis, 165x280 ft. 



Panorama of Volcano Kilauea, 135x225 ft. 



Morocco Exhibits, 150x150 ft. 



Chinese Village and Theatre, 150x22 ft. 



Captive Balloon, 205x225 ft. 



American or Indian Village. 



Indian Village. 



The " Sliding Railroad " of the Plaisance will 

 run behind the exhibits on the opposite side to 

 those just mentioned. This will take visitors 

 near the circular tower, or " Tower of Babel." 

 On the inner side of Stony Island Avenue, be- 

 hind the Elevated Railroad station, there will bo 

 a Workingman's Home. Further within the 

 grounds proper, and exactly opposite the inner 

 end of Midway Plaisance. stands one of the prin- 

 cipal buildings of the Kx|>osition : 



The Woman's Building:. This building, 

 facing the lagoon, was the first to be completed. 

 The size of the structure is 198x398 ft., having 



