PART III.THE DEDICATORY CEREMONIES.
Thoughthe great exposition will not be formally opened until May 1st, 1893, the fall season of the present year will witness the dedicatory ceremonies, which will be conducted on a scale of magnificence unequaled in the history of such enterprises. The dedication of the buildings will in reality be a sort of informal opening of the fair itself, inasmuch as the publication of accounts of the ceremonies will start the stream of visitors Chicago-ward, and all through the succeeding year, up to the time of the opening, people will journey hither to see how the colossal enterprise is progressing. If crowds are willing even now to pay an admission fee of 25 cents (which is at present charged) to see the buildings in their embryotic state, how much more willing will they be to do so after the dedication of the buildings has set the stamp of actuality on the stupendous display.
The dedication ceremonies are to take place in October of the present year, and the programme has been fully arranged. The celebration will last four days, during which one of the features will be a military encampment. The troops will be under command of an officer of the United States army, to be designated hereafter by the Secretary of War. The ceremonies will open with a mammoth civic parade which will, doubtless, be appreciated by the thousands of visitors who will by that time have assembled. The parade will be allegorical in character and typical of the world’s “march of progress.” This will transpire during the morning hours. In the evening there will be an even grander display, in the form of the “Procession of Centuries,” a historical representation of American progress, including scenes in the life of Columbus, and showing the gigantic strides accomplished in science and art, the discovery and development of steam, electricity, etc. This procession will be repeated each evening during the four days’ celebration. The regular evening features will also include magnificent displays of fireworks at Jackson Park and along the Lake Front.
The feature of the second day’s celebration will be a magnificent military parade and review, in which all the visiting troops will takepart. The display of the following day will be for dedication day proper, and the main building in Jackson Park will be the scene of the memorial services. An idea of the grandeur of these services may be gained from a glance at the programme as already mapped out. Promptly at 10 o’clock in the morning the troops will parade in readiness to receive Benjamin Harrison, president of the United States, with proper military honors. After being saluted by the troops the president will lead the way into the building, accompanied by his cabinet, the diplomatic corps (which will come on in a body from Washington for the occasion), and other distinguished foreigners. Inside the building the president will receive the representatives of the thirteen original states with proper ceremonies. After this the remaining states will be received in the order of their admission to the union. The various states will be represented by their governors and their staffs, whose brilliant uniforms, together with the banners and other insignia that they will bear, will contribute to a scene the gorgeousness of which can scarcely be imagined.
When the formal receptions are over and the great throng of people comfortably arranged the following programme will be observed:
1. Overture—(Original music by an American composer.)2. Prayer.3. Address and report from Director-General George R. Davis.4. Presentation of buildings by the president of the World’s Columbian Exposition to the president of the World’s Columbian Commission.5. Commemoration Ode—(Miss Harriet Monroe)—with original music.6. Address by the president of the United States.7. “Star-Spangled Banner.”8. Dedication oration.9. Hallelujah chorus.10. National salute of forty-eight battery volleys.
1. Overture—(Original music by an American composer.)
2. Prayer.
3. Address and report from Director-General George R. Davis.
4. Presentation of buildings by the president of the World’s Columbian Exposition to the president of the World’s Columbian Commission.
5. Commemoration Ode—(Miss Harriet Monroe)—with original music.
6. Address by the president of the United States.
7. “Star-Spangled Banner.”
8. Dedication oration.
9. Hallelujah chorus.
10. National salute of forty-eight battery volleys.
On the evening of the second day the president will hold a reception in honor of the diplomatic corps, distinguished foreigners and invited guests. On the evening of the third day there will be a grand dedication ball at the Auditorium, a ball which for magnificence and brilliancy will probably supersede anything ever seen in this country. Even now, several months before the date set, people are figuring on how to secure invitations, but as 5,000 people at the most can enter the ball-room many of course will have to be disappointed. Participation in this gorgeousfetewill be confined to very prominent citizens and distinguished visitors from other cities and across the ocean. Every day there will be military drills and parades, closing on the last day with a grand sham battle.
The foregoing is merely an outline of the entertaining and elaborate ceremonies. It isonly reasonable to expect that the programme will be enlarged in its attractiveness as the time approaches for carrying out the carefully studied plans and features. It is to be presumed that every one knows these ceremonies will be commemorative of the completion of the world’s fair buildings. The day after the ceremonies are concluded the work of arranging the exhibits in the buildings will begin and this will be carried on with all due expedition until the great opening day, 1st of May, 1893. The ceremonies, it should be stated, are at present under the charge of the following gentlemen, composing the committee on ceremonies of the World’s Columbian Commission: Hon. P. A. B. Widener, Philadelphia, Pa.; Hon. John D. Adams, Little Rock, Ark.; Hon. Wm. Lindsay, Frankfort, Ky.; Gen. V. D. Groner, Norfolk, Va.; Hon. C. H. Richmond, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Hon. G. W. Allen, Auburn, N. Y.; Hon. M. B. Harrison, Duluth, Minn.; Gov. R. B. Furnas, Brownsville, Neb. And of the following who compose the committee on ceremonies of the World’s Columbian Exposition: Messrs. Edward F. Lawrence, Chas. T. Yerkes, James W. Ellsworth, Charles L. Hutchinson, W. D. Kerfoot, Ferd. W. Peck, Charles H. Schwab, Chas. H. Wacker—all of Chicago.
Acting for the best interests of everybody concerned these two committees, acting as the joint committee, have selected the following sub-committee to assist them with the details in connection with the preparation for the ceremonies:
On behalf of the World’s Columbian commission—Director-General George R. Davis and Secretary John T. Dickinson. On behalf of the World’s Columbian Exposition association—Chas. T. Yerkes, E. F. Lawrence and C. H. Wacker.