Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/490

* CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION. 420 CENTENO. Renaissance style of architecture, was used as an art u'allerv. and was 365 feet long by 210 feet wide" and "89 feet in height, costing $1,500,000. Tliis building was constructed in permanent form, and has since been used as an art museum. The smaller buildings were erected at the expense of various countries. States, and individual firms. In aci'ordance with an act of Congress of .Tune 5, 1S74, the President invited foreign govern- ments to he represetite<I and take part in the in- ternational exhibition. Forty-nine foreign gov- ernments and dependencies responded to this invitation: and many, in addition to sending im- portant exhibits of their products, erected build- ings on the grounds for the use of their respective conunissions. The exhibits, of which there were upward of 50,000, were classified in 36 groups, each of which was subdividcil into classes, and these in turn were again subdivided into smallerdivisions. They were examined by a jury of awards, of which Francis A. Walker was chief, composed of 233 judges, of whom IIS were foreign and 115 American. Awards, consisting of a diploma and a medal, were granted to 13.104 exhibitors, 7802 being siven to foreign countries and 5302 to the United States. The total number of admissions was 0.!UO.!IC6. of which 8.004.274 were paid. The largest number of jicrsons admitted on any one day was on Pennsylvania Day (September 28), wlien 274,01!) jjcrsons entered the grounds. Dur- ing the exhibition the Governors of the various States were invited to accompany excursions to the fair, where usually receptions were held in the State buildings. By such means, interest Avas stimulated, and citizens generally took advantage of these excursions to visit the ex- hibition. Representatives from each State and Territory were invited to deliver addresses upon its history, progress, present condition, and re- sources; also various organizations held meet- ings on the exhibition grounds on special days. There were, also, the following official ceremonies connected with the exhibition: Opening exer- cises, on 'May 10: centennial celebration of the Declaration of Independence, on .July 4: dis- tribution of awards to exhibitors, on September 27 ; and closing exercises, on Xovember 10. The Centennial Kxhibition marked an imjior- tant stage in the indiistrial develoimient of the I'nited States, as well as in the growth of indus- trial expositions generally. Coming, as it did, at a time of prosperity following the Civil War, it offered an opportunity for individual manufac- turers to show the great advances that had been made under the stimulus of the demands of active trade. It was. moreover, the first opiiortunity where the products and manufactures of every section of the United States were so brought to- gether as to give a concrete representation of the material resources and capacities of the nation as a whole. The international aspect given to the exhibition by the coJiperation of foreign countries served to emphasize the closer commercial rela- tions that were being established between the Unit<'d States and various distant nations. From South America and the Far Fast came extensive exhibits: and it may be mentioned as a single consequence that articles of .Tapanese manufac- ture became well known in the United States for the first time, and soon entered into extensive use for decorative and other purposes. The fine quality of many goods exhibited by European makers was impressed upon American manufac- turers, and an im])ortant result was the tendency to adapt their labor-saving and more rapid nui- eliinery to the manufacture of higlier grades and more ornamental products. The bringing together of important works of art also was an event of importance to the American people, whose art galleries and academies were at that time in little more than a formative state. (Ireat- est of all the lessons learned from the exhil>ilion was the realization, not only of the great prog- ress, but of the extended and diverse resources of the nation, together with its homogeneity and po- tentiality in industrial matters, in spite of the then recent war, devastating a large and im- portant territory. As the exhibition was visited by numerous visitors from aliroad. these facts were equally patent to them and served todemon- strate to the world the extent of the development of the United States. Regarded in its larger as- pect, the Centennial Kxhibition illustrated con- ditions existing at a time when the changes wrought by the developnunit of rajiid communica- tion and the extended use of mechanical |)ower in various industries were clearly indicated. The railway, telegraph, and post-ottice had already bound the world closely together, so that a more intimate acquaintance among nations and easier interchange of goods was possible. The use of steam and inventive genius had effected trans- fonnations in manufacturing, and the methods in vogue in the United States were now brought to the serious attention of Europe. As an exhibition, the Centennial was organized on a larger scale and on a more truly international basis than any previously attempted, and as a resilt its success was extraordinary. Being the first exhibition of the kind in the United States, it paved the way for subsequent undertakings which have ])roved as successful. See ExiiinrnoN.s, Ixdistrial. The history of the exhibition is given in a series of nine volumes published by the Depart- ment of State (Washington, 1880), of which Vols. I. and II. are devoted to the reports of the director-general and the chiefs of the bureaus of administration: Vols. 111. to VIII.. which were edited by Francis A. Walker, to a description of the exhibits; and Vol. IX.. a quarto volume, by Dorscy (iardner, to the grounds and buildings. CENTENNIAL STATE. Colorado. See SrATKs. PiirrLAit Xamks or. CENTENO, than-ta'nA, Diego (1505-40). A Spanish soldier, born at Ciudad Rodrigo. In 1534 he went with Pedro de .lvarado to Peru, where he contended against the elder Almagro at Las Salinas (1538), and the younger Ahuagro at Chapas (1542) ; made himself master of i)art of the country by killing the tyrannical .Mma- dras; and in 1544 declared against Oonzalo Pi- zarro. He was, however, several times defeated by Carvajal. and. his army being disbamled. was compelled to seek refuge in a cave near Arequipa. On the arrival of Oasca, the envoy of Charles v., Centeno collected an army in support of the Royalist cause in Charcas. but was again de- feated (October 20. 1547) by Pizarro and Car- vajal at Huarina. In the following year he con- tributed to the final defeat of Pizarro. toward whom he displayed more clemency than did the other Royalists. His death, at La Plata, is said to have been caused by poison administered I