72 New Yoek at the Woeld's Columbian Exposition. 



night signaling were given. Tlie Very and tlie Ardois systems were 

 exemplified in the latter. On shore the anniversary banquet of General 

 Grant's birthday was being celebrated, followed by the famous naval 

 ball at the Madison Square Garden at which all the notables of the 

 country were present with the Diplomatic Corps and foreign officers. 

 On Friday, April twenty-eighth, the shore parade of sailors and 

 marines from ail the men of war in the harbor took place. The hardy 

 tars were escorted by the naval reserves of New York and Massachu- 

 setts and the ISational Guard of New York; the parade, though small 

 in comparison with the monster one of the previous October, was most 

 successful and attractive by its novelty. At its close President Cleve- 

 land, the Duke of Veragua and party, the "World's Fair Commissioners 

 and others took the train for Chicago to be in time for the opening 

 exercises. May first. The celebration was ended in New York by a 

 banquet in the evening given at the "Waldorf by the Chamber of Com- 

 merce in honor of the commanding officers of the fleet. The whole 

 celebration passed ofE as smoothly and successfully as in October, and 

 was of the highest credit to New York as well as to the nation. 



Opening Exercises at Chicago, May 1, 1893. 



Inasmuch as the buildings and grounds had been dedicated with 

 elaborate pomp and ceremony the preceding October, the formal open- 

 ing was reduced to a few simple exercises, the more impressive as the 

 vastness of the undertaking lay at length revealed. A short introduc- 

 tory statement by Director-General Davis, a brief speech by the Presi- 

 dent, Grover Cleveland, and at noon the electric signal was given by 

 the President which set the ponderous machinery in motion and 

 announced from guns, bells and whistles, that the great exposition was 

 in progress. 



Barely twelve and one-half months had elapsed since the Board of 

 General Managers had been appointed, but in that time New York's 

 interests had been well looked after in each department. Not all of 

 New York's exhibits were in a completed state by May first, but this 

 condition was common to all, and New York was fully abreast of her 

 competitors in this respect. In point of fact the month of May was 

 nothing but a dress rehearsal for the main exhibition period. The 

 music of the hammer and saw took precedence over everything else, 

 and it was not until June first tliat the fair could be said to be in a 

 finished condition for visitors. 



