source: Buffalo Evening News ~ Monday, May 20-1901 OFFICIAL PROGRAMME OF DEDICATION DAY. Exposition gates open 8 A.M. Exposition parade starts from City Hall 10 A.M. Midway parade starts from Terrace 10 A.M. Parades turn west from Main street into Chippewa 10:30 A.M. Ceremonies begin in Temple of Music, Exposition grounds, 12 M. Exhibition of kite flying, 12 M. Exhibition of fireworks, Esplande, 2 P.M. Concerts, 74th Regiment Band, Plaza; 65th Regiment Band, East Pergola; Mexican Band, East Esplanade, 2:30 P.M. Concerts, 71st Regiment Band, Temple of Music; 74th Regiment Band, Plaza; Mexican Band, East Esplanade; 65th Regiment Band, Grotto Bridge, 7:30 P.M. Grand Illumination of buildings and grounds 8 P.M. Exhibition of fireworks at park Lake 8:15 P.m. Exposition grounds close 11 P.M. * * * * * * * THE EXPOSITION DEDICATED ! Pan American's Beautiful Rainbow City Formally Opened With Picturesque Parades and Imposing Ceremonies. Today, the 20th day of may, will be ever memorable in the annals of Buffalo through the dedication of the Pan-American Exposition. The Queen City of the Lakes, upon which the eyes of the world are turned, is en fete for the occasion. Public buildings and many private ones are decorated with flags and bunting in honor of one of the greatest days in Buffalo's history. To make the event of more than national significance, high dignitaries from all parts of the United States and representatives from the various countries of South and Central America and Mexico are present. Their presence adds dignity and importance to the exercises. In this they fulfill in letter and spirit the dream of James G. Blaine, for a untied Pan-America, through their interest in the international enterprise upon the northern boundary of the city, which includes the ripe fruits of the citizenship and soil and climate of every country in the Western Hemisphere. The President of the United Sates represented in person, upon so notable an occasion, Theodore Roosevelt, the Vice-President, delivers an oration at the dedicatory exercises at the Temple of Music. Timothy Woodruff, Lieutenant-Governor of the great Empire State, is also present and delivers an oration in honor of the first great international Exposition ever held within the boundaries of the leading State in the Union and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts expresses the felicitations of the sister States. Exercises that characterize the occasion with additional eclat are to be the flight of upward of 10,000 carrier pigeons which will bear the tidings of the event to the principal cities of the land; the explosion of 1500 dynamite bombs, the sending up of 150 kites and 1000 gas balloons to notify all people that the Pan-American Exposition is formally thrown open, and two parades, one civic and military and the other a dazzling pageantry, from the city to the seat of the great Exposition. The Exposition is worthy of the dedicatory exercises. Its stately buildings, broad avenues, lovely gardens, smiling waterways, artistic bridges, beautiful statuary, emerald lawns and verdant groves, its oriental streets, magnificent Stadium, Six Nations' Village and its unrivaled Midway, all constitute the most lovely picture ever created by human hands. There have been other expositions on a larger scale and built upon a more stately plan, but none so well conceived for beauty alone, or to express a festal spirit. The strongest impression the visitor receives from the first sight of the grounds today, is that of exquisite delight. While one misses the classic stateliness expressed in the ensemble of the White City at Chicago he realizes that the true purpose of the 20th century Exposition which is to delight as well as to instruct, is well served here. From the Triumphal Bridge, alone, the full beauty of the Exposition breaks upon the vision of the beholder. After a walk through the approaches around the park lake and up the Appian Way leading to the Fore Court flanked by the double columns ornamented with flags, the prospect here straight down the Esplanade through the Court of Fountains to the Electric Tower is well calculated to inspire admiration. The four piers of the bridge, each 100 feet high, surmounted by the Mounted Standard Bearers 49 feet higher, rich with gold bronzed sculptures and ornamentation form an impressive portal. The stateliness of the structure is relieved by the chains of shields festoned with flags suspended between the towers on either hand. Now that the buildings are finished it will be seen that they well carry out the purposes of the designers to secure originality of effect. They said: "The Pan American Exposition is not Asiatic nor European, but strictly American. The buildings should express this. We must discard the Gothic classic and Byzantine, and exemplify American architectural ideas." Accordingly the Mines, Horticulture and Graphic Arts Buildings bear upon their facades the motives of the Spanish Renaissance. The Government Building and its pavilions illustrate a mingling of academic ideas with the picturesque style of the old Mission buildings of Southern California. The Machinery Building and the Electricity Building follow the Spanish Renaissance motives while the Manufacturers resumes the academic style which is first seen in the Temples of Music and Ethnology. The Agriculture Building is vaguely Italian with arcades reminiscent of the Sala del Consiglia. All of these are grouped about courts whose extent and beauty and general adaptability for scenes of pleasure, have never been equalled. Moreover they are laid out with reference to a general plan, to which their settings conserve. The theme of the Court of Fountains and of the Grand Court before the Electric Tower is water. The power of the element is expressed in the mighty torrent that rolls in the volume of 25,000 gallons a minute 55 feet above the basin from a niche in the tower and makes two leaps to the cascades where it bursts in spray. The beauty of water is delineated in the jets that throw back the water toward the niche and others that spurt it high in air, where by night colored electric lights convert it into hails of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies. The abundance of water is symbolized by the Fountain of Abundance at the lower end of the court where the liquid spouts and trickles, ripples, exudes from the base of the group of Abundance and is hurled back again by concentric jets to illustrate its never failing supply. Nature in her various aspects is the theme of the west Esplanade. This court with its sunken basins bordered with flowers is dominated by the Fountain of Nature. Subordinate groups illustrate here common manifestations, including Annual Wealth, Mineral Wealth and Floral Wealth which are typified by groups of statuary so named. The east court before the Government Buildings, is devoted to the praise of man. Its greatest fountain is the Fountain of Man whose career in every age is expressed by the Savage Man. The Age of Despotism, the "Age of Enlightenment" and subordinate groups. Over all is the enchanting display of color, whose mild and skillful arrangement has given the ensemble the title of "The Raiblow City." It illuminates but does not dazzle, and supplies the one thing needful to complete the festal harmony of flowery landscape and delightful architecture, rendering the result a veritable and ideal pleasure place for the people. * * * * * * * PAN-AMERICAN---The MIDWAY. A Trip to the Moon On the Airship Luna The One Real Novelty of the Pan-American Exposition *** SCENOGRAPH JOHNSTOWN FLOOD. Most Novel and interesting Attraction. *** Venice in America. The Artistic Climax. Gondolas, Electric Launches, Italian Theater, Music, Songs, Dances. Free Shows. First-Class Restaurant and Cafe. *** The L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway and Aquarium The Most Delightful Amusement on the Midway. *** The German Village Faithful Reproduction of the old Empire city of Bavaria--Cor. Midway and the Mall. Concerts by the Bavarian Infantry Band. Performances by the Koensigseer Peasant Yodlers and Dancers. Don't miss their famous Schuhplattl dance. There is nothing like it. Exhibitions every hour of the wonderful Gebhard Astronomical Clock--12 feet high and 12 feet wide. It required 30 years of continuous labor to produce it. Luchow's famous German Restaurant, under the personal management of F.A. Wahl. The best restaurant on the grounds--seats over 2000 people. Private banquet hall for parties of 200 or less. 25c--ENTRANCE FEE--25c Admits to All Attractions You Can't Forget It--It's So Different. *** See the Beautiful CLEOPATRA On The Midway. *** INDIAN CONGRESS. ~ 42 Different Tribes~ Typical Aborigines. Educational, Historical, Ethnological and Industrial. Head of Midway, Elmwood street car entrance Opposite New York State Building *** ROLTAIR'S ORIGINAL HOUSE UPSIDE DOWN ON THE MIDWAY. What We Need Is Novelty. *** submitted by Linda "The Poor House and the People," ~The Lives of Those Who Lived at the Genesee County Almshouse in Bethany During the Nineteenth Century~ ~For further information, contact: Linda [email protected] Web-Page Editor: BETHANY ~ Its Past and Present ~ http://www.arkwebshost.com/family/bluebird/TownOfBethany.shtml Contributor for the BUFFALO and Western NYS Website: www.buffalonian.com ~ History Through Newspapers