This book provides a vivid account of the Centennial Exhibition, a world's fair held in Philadelphia in 1876 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of American independence. The author describes the spectacular exhibits, including the Corliss engine, the world's largest telescope, and the first public demonstration of the telephone. He also chronicles the speeches, parades, and other festivities that made the event a memorable celebration of American ingenuity and achievement. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.