the new york world’s fair of 1853 was the third universal exposition ever held, and was almost exactly contemporaneous with the second. that in philadelphia in 1876 was the eighth. that in chicago in 1893 will be the fourteenth, and will surpass in size and interest all its predecessors. as a rule, such exhibitions have been held simply to stimulate commerce and manufactures and educate the public in the progress of art and industry. one notable exception to this rule was observed in 1876, when the universal exhibition at philadelphia, besides fulfilling those objects, also served to commemorate the centenary of american independence. so, too, the great fair at chicago is to mark the four hundredth anniversary of that memorable enterprise in which christopher columbus found a new world, not only, as the legend oh his banner declared, for castile and leon, but for civilization and for humanity.
great as was the advancement of the nation, material and otherwise, between 1853 and 1876, it has been no less marked and impressive between the latter date and the present time. the exhibition at chicago, accordingly, may be expected{205} in like measure to surpass that at philadelphia in variety and extent. there are new inventions to display which were unheard of in 1876, but which now are familiar as household words. there are the fruits of the labor and skill of the many millions who have been added to the population of america. there are the results of experience and observation at the great fairs held in other lands. there are innumerable circumstances and conditions combining to make this by far the most important exhibition the world has yet seen.
during the years 1889 and 1890 there was much public discussion of the proposed celebration of the fourth columbian centenary. when a general agreement was reached that it should chiefly take the form of a world’s fair, the question arose, in what city the enterprise should be placed. rivalry became exceedingly keen, especially between new york, chicago, and washington, and presently it was seen that one of these three must secure the prize. but which? washington was the national capital, and thus an appropriate site; it was accessible, it had magnificent grounds for the purpose. as for new york, it was the metropolis, the business and social capital, the chief port, the city of greatest size and wealth and interest. in favor of chicago it was urged that it was, with its marvellous growth and enterprise, most truly{206} representative of the american spirit; that it was nearest to the centre of the country, and that in point of general fitness it was second to no other. the ultimate decision was left with congress, and it was in favor of chicago; whereupon all rivalries were forgotten, and new york and the whole nation joined loyally in the work of helping forward the gigantic undertaking.
congress and the president gave to the enterprise the stamp of official sanction, and the state department formally invited the nations of the world to participate in the great exhibition. in response no less than forty-nine nations and colonies sent prompt acceptances, and will accordingly make exhibits, showing the advances made in the arts and sciences and the progress generally of each in every field of human endeavor. these are: argentine republic, austria-hungary, belgium, bolivia, brazil, china, chile, colombia, costa rica, denmark, danish west indies, equador, france, algeria, french guiana, germany, great britain, barbadoes, british columbia, british guiana, honduras, cape colony, ceylon, jamaica, new south wales, new zealand, trinidad, guatemala, hayti, british honduras, japan, mexico, dutch guiana, dutch west indies, nicaragua, paraguay, persia, peru, russia, salvador, san domingo, siam, spain, cuba, porto rico, turkey, uruguay, venezuela, zanzibar.{207} of course all the states and territories of the union will also be fully represented, with displays that will surpass by far those made at philadelphia in 1876.
it is fitting to take at least a brief glance at the extraordinary city in which this latest and greatest universal exhibition is to be held—extraordinary both in its history and in its present status. the first white man who trod its soil was the famous french missionary, father marquette. he went thither in 1673. later, la salle, joliet, hennepin, and others visited the region; but none of them made any settlement there. indeed, while boston, new york, philadelphia, baltimore, and other cities were attaining great size and almost venerable age, the site of this western metropolis remained a wilderness. in 1804, however, the government established a frontier military post at the mouth of the chicago river, calling it fort dearborn. the little garrison remained there eight years and then, in 1812, was annihilated by the indians, though a few other white settlers survived and held their ground. the next attempt at settlement occurred in 1829, when james thompson surveyed the site for a proposed town. on august 10th, 1833, the settlement was incorporated, there being twenty-eight legal voters. on march 4th, 1837, a city charter was obtained, and thenceforth the growth of the{208} place was rapid and substantial beyond all imagination. in 1840 the population was 4,479; in 1850 it was 28,269; in 1860 it was 112,172; and 1870 it was 298,977.
in the fall of 1871 occurred an event notable not only in the history of chicago, but of the whole world. a little before midnight, on october 9th, a fire broke out, at the corner of de koven and jefferson streets. the weather for weeks had been dry, and a high wind prevailed. before daylight the fire had burned its way to lincoln park, nearly four miles; and by the following afternoon it had spread over 2,100 acres, 100,000 people were homeless, and $200,000,000 worth of property was destroyed. the business part of the city was a waste of ashes. with characteristic generosity the whole country sprang to the relief of the stricken city. a fund of nearly $5,000,000 was quickly collected, and the work of succoring the needy and re-building the city was begun. within two years, almost every trace of the stupendous calamity had vanished, and the growth of the city proceeded even more swiftly than before. in 1880 its population was 503,185, and in 1890 it had been swelled to the enormous total of 1,098,576—the second city of the union. its growth is at the rate of more than 1,000 per week.
when it was incorporated, chicago covered an area of two and a half square miles; now it{209}
image not available: the capitol.
the capitol.
covers 181.7 square miles. its lake front is 22 miles, and its frontage on the river 58 miles. it has more than 2,230 miles of streets, mostly broad and well paved. its water supply is drawn from away out in lake michigan, and amounts to a hundred gallons daily for each inhabitant, though the works are capable of furnishing twice that quantity. twenty-six independent railroad lines enter the city, making it the greatest railroad centre in america. the principal roads are the atchinson, topeka & santa fé, baltimore & ohio, chicago, burlington & quincy, chicago, milwaukee & st. paul, chicago, rock island & pacific, chicago, st. paul & kansas city; chicago & alton, chicago & eastern illinois, chicago & grand trunk, chicago & northern pacific, chicago & northwestern, cleveland, cincinnati, chicago & st. louis; illinois central, lake shore & michigan southern, louisville, new albany & chicago; michigan central, connecting with other vanderbilt roads; new york, lake erie & western; northern pacific, pennsylvania, union pacific, wabash, and wisconsin central.
nor is chicago lacking in facilities for transportation by water. its situation gives it easy access to all the commercial activities of the great lake system; and it has direct water communication by way of the st. lawrence river{210} with montreal, and by the erie canal and hudson river with new york. in the year 1890 the arrivals and clearances at chicago numbered 18,472, aggregating a tonnage of 8,774,154 tons. about 25 per cent. of the entire lake-carrying trade belongs to chicago.
there is, moreover, connection with the mississippi river by way of the illinois and michigan canal, the annual traffic amounting to about 1,000,000 tons.
in a city of such rapid growth as chicago, dealing in real estate and the construction of buildings are important departments of business. thus, in 1890 a total of 11,608 buildings were erected in the city, having a gross frontage of more than fifty miles, and costing $47,322,100. during the same year the transactions in real estate aggregated $227,486,959.
the general business of chicago can only be stated by the use of figures too vast for human comprehension. no man, for example, can appreciate what “a billion dollars” means. well, the commerce of chicago in 1890 amounted to more than that, in fact, to $1,380,000,000. much of this came from the grain farms of the northwest, for chicago is the greatest grain market in the world. according to its board of trade reports, the city in the year 1890 received 15,133,971 bushels of barley and shipped 9,470,221; received 81,117,251 bushels of corn{211} and shipped 90,556,109; received 4,358,058 barrels of flour and shipped 4,410,535; received 13,366,699 bushels of wheat and shipped 11,975,276; received 64,430,560 bushels of oats and shipped 70,768,222; received 2,946,720 bushels of rye and shipped 3,280,433; received 6,244,847 bushels of flaxseed and shipped 6,594,581; received 72,102,031 pounds of grass seed and shipped 59,213,035; received 7,663,828 live hogs and shipped 1,985,700; received 77,985 pounds of pork and shipped 392,786; received 147,475,267 pounds of lard and shipped 471,910,128; received 300,198,241 pounds of cured meats and shipped 823,801,460; received 109,704,834 pounds of dressed beef and shipped 964,134,807.
in the same year 2,219,312 head of cattle, and 5,733,082 hogs were slaughtered. sales of lumber were 2,050,000,000 feet. the breweries produced 2,250,000 barrels of beer. the general jobbing trade aggregated $486,600,000, of which $93,730,000 was in dry goods, groceries coming next with a volume of $56,700,000; boots and shoes, $25,900,00; clothing, $21,500,000; manufactured iron, $5,680,000; tobacco and cigars, $10,850,000; music books and sheet music, $22,000,000; books, stationery, and wall-paper, $25,500,000; pig-iron, $20,035,000; coal, $25,075,000; hardware and cutlery, $17,500,000; liquors, $13,800,000; jewelry, watches and diamonds,{212} $20,400,000, and other lines in smaller proportions.
nor does this marvellous city lag behind in manufactures. the statistics of 1890 show 3,250 factories, with $190,000,000 capital; 177,000 workmen, $96,200,000 wages, and a total output valued at $538,000,000. the iron industry alone employed 34,000 workmen, who received $18,500,000 in wages.
to meet the needs of this vast volume of business, extensive banking facilities are required. the total of bank clearances in chicago in 1890 was $4,093,145,904.
figures are dry reading. but these few statistics are necessary to show what manner of city is this western metropolis in which the greatest exhibition of the world’s industry is to be held. how the city was selected has already been told. the conditions on which the work was carried forward may be well explained in the words of w. t. baker, the president of the local board of commissioners: “the act of congress, approved april 25th, 1890, providing for the exposition, states in the preamble that ‘such an exhibition should be of a national and international character, so that not only the people of our union and this continent, but those of all nations as well can participate.’ and to carry out this intention the congress provided two agents to do its will. the first is a commission{213} consisting of two commissioners from each state and territory in the united states, appointed by the president on the nomination of the governors of the state and territories respectively, and eight commissioners-at-large appointed by the president. the board so constituted was designated the world’s columbian commission. the duties of the commission relate to exhibits and exhibitors, or, as stated in the act, ‘to prepare a classification of exhibits, determine the plan and scope of the exposition, appoint all judges and examiners for the exposition, award all premiums, if any, and generally have charge of all intercourse with exhibitors and representatives of foreign nations.’
“the other agent recognized by the act of congress is the world’s columbian exposition, a corporation organized under the laws of the state of illinois. this corporation had to do mainly with ways and means, the erection of buildings, the maintenance, protection, and policing of the same, the granting of concessions, the collection and disbursements of all its revenues, and fixing the rules governing the exposition. it is composed of upward of 28,000 stockholders, and is controlled by a board of forty-five directors. those directors have been chosen from among the active business men of chicago, and are every one of them men{214} who have made an honorable success of the pursuits which they have followed in finance, commerce, and manufactures, and are giving their time and their best energies to the success of the exposition. their names are many of them known wherever american commerce has been permitted to extend. the board of directors is divided into thirteen standing committees having jurisdiction over the several departments of the commission, and the directory and all expenditures are directed and scrutinized by them as closely as is done in the private affairs of the best managed mercantile establishments.
“the jurisdiction of these two bodies, as to the details of the work, somewhat embarrassing at the outset, was settled by a compact between them, and they work together harmoniously and effectively. under this compact fifteen grand departments were determined upon, the heads of which are appointed by the director general, who is the executive officer of the commission, and all expenses, except the salary of the director general, are paid by the world’s columbian exposition company.”
in order that the city of chicago might enjoy the honor conferred upon her by having the exhibition held there, she was required to furnish an adequate site, acceptable to the national commission, and $10,000,000 in money, which sum was, in the language of the acts of congress,{215} considered necessary and sufficient for the complete preparation for the exhibition. this obligation the citizens of chicago met promptly. a suitable site and $10,000,000 were provided, and, on evidence thereof, the president of the united states issued his proclamation, inviting the nations of the earth to participate in the exhibition. the $10,000,000 was secured, first, by subscriptions to the capital stock of the corporation to the amount of more than $5,000,000, and a municipal appropriation to the city of chicago of $5,000,000. people of all classes subscribed to the capital stock, from the richest millionaires to the poorest wage-earners, and the entire sum of $5,000,000 was subscribed in a very short time. an additional issue of stock was made, and it also was rapidly taken up, until the popular subscriptions aggregated nearly $8,000,000. this, with the municipal appropriation, placed about $13,000,000 in the treasury of the exhibition. but, as the work went on, the original plans were enlarged in this direction and in that, until it was seen that the original estimate of $10,000,000 was absurdly inadequate. accordingly a loan of $5,000,000 was asked from the general government, to bring the total funds up to $18,000,000.
the projectors of the exhibition estimate that the total receipts from admission tickets will amount to at least $7,000,000. this is not{216} deemed excessive, as will be appreciated from the fact that it is at the rate of less than $1,200,000 a month, $300,000 a week, or $50,000 a day, not including sundays. the exhibition is to be open at night as well as day, and in chicago and within a radius of a few hours’ journey from it there are more than 2,000,000 people to draw from, not taking into account visitors from a distance. with $7,000,000 gate receipts, $2,000,000 from salvage, and $1,000,000 from leasing of privileges on the grounds, the income of the exhibition would reach $10,000,000. from this it is proposed to repay the government its $5,000,000, and to divide the remainder among the subscribers to the capital stock. the city’s appropriation of $5,000,000 is an absolute gift, and is not to be repaid.
but even these vast sums represent only a portion of the money that will be expended upon the columbian exhibition. the united states government will spend about $2,000,000. the state of illinois appropriates about $800,000; pennsylvania, $350,000; iowa and ohio, $250,000 each, and the other states from that sum down to $100,000. the aggregate expenditures of the various states will, therefore, amount to nearly $6,000,000, or, with the national appropriation, nearly $8,000,000. foreign nations will expend from $4,000,000 to $5,000,000. vast sums will also be contributed by private enterprise,{217} so that it has been not unreasonably estimated that the total outlay upon the exhibition will be somewhere between $35,000,000 and $40,000,000.
how much money will be expended in the city of chicago, at the hotels and elsewhere, by visitors; how much will be paid for railroad transportation by visitors from other parts of the country, and how much money will be brought into and spent in the united states by visitors from abroad, are sums that can be dealt with only by the most vivid imagination. some little idea of them may be obtained from the following facts: according to an official estimate made to the department of state some years ago by a united states consul in germany, the annual amount of american money taken to europe by americans and spent there, for purposes of travel, pleasure, art, and education was $105,000,000. that was a number of years ago. the present annual average is probably more than $125,000,000, and it has been reckoned by competent judges that in 1889, owing to the paris exposition, it reached $200,000,000. it is reasonable to suppose that a very considerable return tide of wealth will, in 1893, set toward the american shore.
some comparison with the world’s fairs previously held in other countries may be of interest at this point. the acreage of the grounds of various exhibitions, has been as follows:{218} london, 1851, 21?; paris, 1867, 87; vienna, 1873, 280; philadelphia, 1876, 236; paris, 1889, 173; and chicago, 1893, 1,037. the number of square feet under the roofs of the buildings are thus stated: london, 1851, 700,000; paris, 1867, 3,371,904; philadelphia, 1876, 1,688,858; paris, 1889, 1,000,000; and chicago, 1893, 5,000,000. the number of exhibitors have been: london, 1851, 17,000; paris, 1867, 52,000; vienna, 1873, 42,000; philadelphia, 1876, 30,864; and paris, 1889, 55,000. the number of days on which the exhibitions were open, were: london, 1851, 144; paris, 1867, 217; vienna, 1873, 186; philadelphia, 1876, 159; paris, 1889, 183, and chicago, 1893, 179 days. the number of admissions in london in 1851, were 6,039,195; paris, 1867, 10,200,000; vienna, 1873, 7,254,687; philadelphia, 1876, 9,910,996, and paris, 1889, 28,149,353. finally the receipts in london, in 1851, were $1,780,000; paris, 1867, $2,103,675; philadelphia, 1876, $3,813,724, and paris, 1889, $8,300,000.
a recent official statement of the dimensions of the various buildings, and the total cost of buildings and grounds, under the direct control of the exposition management, together with the estimated operating expenses, is as follows:{219}
buildings. dimensions
in feet. area in
acres. cost.
mines and mining, 350x 700 5.6 $260,000
manufactures and liberal arts, 787x 1687 30.5 1,000,000
horticultural, 250x 1000 5.8 300,000
electricity, 345x 700 5.5 375,000
woman’s, 200x 400 1.8 120,000
transportation, 250x 960 5.5 280,000
administration, 260x 260 1.6 450,000
fish and fisheries, 163x 363 1.4 —200,000
annexes (2), 135 diam. .8
agriculture, 500x 800 9.2 540,000
annex, 328x 500 3.8 —200,000
assembly hall, etc. 450x 500 5.2
machinery, 500x 800 9.8 —1,200,000
annex, 490x 551 6.2
power horse, 80x 600 1.1
fine arts, 320x 500 3.7 —500,000
annexes (2), 120x 200 1.1
forestry, 200x 500 2.3 100,000
saw mill, 125x 300 .9 35,000
dairy, 95x 200 .5 30,000
live stock (2), 53x 330 1.3 —150,000
“ sheds, 40.0
casino, 175x 300 1.2 150,000
144.8 $5,890,000
{220}
grading, filling, etc., 450,000
landscape gardening, 323,490
viaducts and bridges, 125,000
piers, 70,000
waterway improvements, 225,000
railways, 500,000
steam plant, 800,000
electricity, 1,500,000
statuary on buildings, 100,000
vases, lamps and posts, 50,000
seating, 8,000
water supply, sewerage, etc., 600,000
improvement of lake front, 200,000
world’s congress auxiliary, 200,000
construction department expenses, 520,000
organization and administration, 3,308,563
operating expenses, 1,550,000
$16,420,053
to this are to be added a few other items, making a total of over $17,000,000.
the site chosen for the columbian exhibition is a truly magnificent one. no world’s fair ever had one surpassing if equalling it. it embraces jackson park and washington park, and the midway plaisance, a strip 600 feet wide connecting the two parks. jackson park, where nearly all of the buildings will be, is beautifully situated on the shore of lake michigan, having a lake frontage of two miles and an area of 586 acres. washington park contains 371 acres, and the midway plaisance, 80 acres. upon{221} these parks previously to their selection for the world’s fair site, $4,000,000 was spent in laying out the grounds and beautifying them. the exhibition company will spend more than $1,000,000 additional for similar purposes. these parks are connected with the central portion of the city of chicago and with the general park and boulevard system by more than 35 miles of boulevards from 100 to 300 feet in width. the midway plaisance is a popular driveway to the upper end of jackson park, and is a broad and spacious avenue richly embellished with trees and shrubs. the inclosed portion of it connected with the exhibition grounds will run directly eastward and throughout its entire length will present some of the most picturesque and novel effects of the whole fair. there will be a “street in constantinople,” a “street in cairo,” and other reproductions of old world scenes. there will be a most graphic reproduction of an american indian camp, showing the red man in his natural state. then there will be two acres devoted to the american indian as he is to be seen under the paternal care of the government. types of all the leading tribes will be portrayed in their native habitations and engaged in their characteristic industries. thus the perspective along the plaisance, whether viewed from the ground or from an elevation, will be a singularly attractive one. in the two parks hundreds of{222} thousands of trees and shrubs have been planted and transplanted, so that the great exhibition will have such a setting of natural beauty as none of its predecessors ever enjoyed.
the engineers as well as the landscape gardeners and architects, have been set effectively to work. twenty miles of water pipes have been laid to provide a supply of 64,000,000 gallons daily. for supplying power to machinery there are boilers and engines of 25,000 horse-power and for generating electricity, 18,000 horse-power; for driving small independent exhibits, 2,000 horse-power, for pumps 2,000 horse-power and for compressed air, 3,000 horse-power. the lighting of the grounds and buildings will require the use of 7,000 electric arc lights and 100,000 incandescent lamps. preparations have been made for disposing of 6,000,000 gallons of sewage every 24 hours. contracts for the work of construction have been let to the lowest competent bidders wherever found. they have thus been awarded in philadelphia, new york, and boston; in san francisco, seattle, and omaha; in minneapolis and duluth; in kansas city and st. louis; in leavenworth and louisville; in milwaukee, detroit, cleveland, and pittsburgh; in birmingham, alabama; in wilmington, delaware; in plainfield, new jersey; in jackson, michigan; and in stamford, connecticut. this is a slight indication of the national character{223} of the work. its international character is also shown by the awarding of contracts in london, paris, berlin, rome, edinburgh, florence, and constantinople.
but with such characteristic energy is the work of construction now being pushed that the completed buildings may be spoken of in the present rather than in the future tense. a brief description of the most important of them will not come here amiss:
one of the finest structures on the exhibition grounds is the agricultural building, as befits the foremost agricultural nation on the globe. it stands near the shore of the lake, almost surrounded by the lagoons. the style of architecture is classic renaissance, and the building is 500 by 800 feet in ground area. it consists of a single story, with a cornice line 65 feet above the ground. huge corinthian pillars flank the main entrance, each 50 feet high and 5 feet in diameter. at each corner and from the centre of the building rise huge pavilions, that at the centre being 144 feet square. the four corner pavilions are connected by curtains, forming a continuous arcade around the top of the building. the main entrance leads through an opening 64 feet wide into a vestibule, and thence into the rotunda, 100 feet in diameter, surmounted by a glass dome 130 feet high. the corner pavilions are surmounted by domes 96 feet high.{224}
at the south side of the agricultural building is another vast structure, devoted principally to a live stock and agricultural assembly hall. this is to be the common meeting-point for all persons interested in live stock and agricultural pursuits. this building contains a fine lecture-room, with a seating capacity of about 1,500, in which lectures will be delivered and conferences held on topics connected with live stock, agriculture, and allied industries.
the forestry building stands near the agricultural building, and is the most unique of all the exhibition structures. its ground area is 200 by 500 feet. on all four sides is a veranda, the roof of which is supported by a colonnade, each column of which consists of three tree-trunks, each 25 feet long. these trunks are in their natural state, with the bark undisturbed. they were contributed by the different states and territories of the union, and by various foreign countries, each furnishing specimens of its most characteristic trees. the walls of the building are covered with slabs of logs with the bark removed. the roof is thatched with bark. within, the building is finished in a great variety of woods so treated as to show, to the best advantage, their graining, their colors, their susceptibility to polish, etc. it will contain a wonderful exhibition of forest products in general, doubtless the most complete ever seen{225}
image not available: bear pit (lincoln park).
bear pit (lincoln park).
in the world, including logs and sections of trees, worked lumber in the form of beams, planks, shingles, etc., dye-woods and barks, mosses, gums, resins, vegetable ivory, rattan, willow-ware, and wooden-ware generally, etc. there will also be a large exhibit of saw-mill and wood-working machinery, including four complete saw-mills, which will be seen in an annex attached to the forestry building.
close by the forestry building is the dairy building, which will contain not only a complete exhibit of dairy products, but also a dairy school, in connection with which will be conducted a series of tests for determining the relative merits of different breeds of dairy cattle as producers of milk and butter. this structure stands near the lake shore and is 95 by 200 feet in area, and two stories high. on the first floor, besides office headquarters, there is a large room devoted to exhibits of butter, and further back an operating room, in which a model dairy will be conducted. on two sides of this room are seats for 400 spectators, to witness the operations of the model dairy. in a gallery about this room will be the exhibits of cheese.
the horticultural building stands immediately south of the entrance to jackson park from the midway plaisance, facing on the lagoon. between it and the lagoon is a terrace devoted to out-door exhibits of flowers and{226} plants, including large tanks for various lilies and other aquatic plants. the building is 1,000 feet long and 250 feet wide, consisting of a central pavilion with two end pavilions, each of the latter connected with the central one by front and rear curtains, forming two interior courts, each 88 by 270 feet. these courts are planted with ornamental shrubs and flowers. over the central pavilion rises a glass dome 187 feet in diameter, and 113 feet high, under which will be exhibited the tallest palms and tree ferns that can be procured. the building will be devoted to exhibition of flowers, plants, vines, seeds, horticultural implements, and all allied objects and industries.
the enormous mining industries of america, apart from those of the rest of the world, would call for much space for their proper accommodation. the hall of mines and mining stands at the southern extremity of the western lagoon, and is 700 feet long by 350 wide. its architecture is early italian renaissance. within it consists of a single story surrounded by galleries 60 feet wide. there is thus a huge interior space 630 feet long and 230 feet wide, with an extreme height of 100 feet at the centre and 40 feet at the sides. it is spanned by a steel cantilever roof, abundantly lighted with glass.
the fine arts building is a noble specimen of classic grecian architecture. its area is 500{227} by 320 feet, divided within by nave and transepts 100 feet wide and 70 feet high, at the intersection of which is a dome 60 feet in diameter. the top of the dome is 125 feet above the ground, and is surmounted by a colossal statue representing a winged victory. the building is beautifully located in the northern part of the park, the south front facing the lagoon, from which it is separated by beautiful terraces, ornamented with balustrades. a huge flight of steps leads from the main entrance down to the water’s edge. the north front faces a wide lawn and a group of state buildings. the grounds about it are richly ornamented with groups of statues, and other artistic works.
the great development in late years of electrical science calls for a large building in which to display one of the most novel and brilliant of all the exhibits in the fair. the electrical building, 345 feet wide and 700 feet long, has its south front on the great quadrangle, its north front on the lagoon, its east front toward the manufactures building, and its west front toward the hall of mines and mining. its plan comprises a longitudinal nave 115 feet wide and 114 feet high, with a central transept of the same dimensions. these have a pitched roof. the remainder of the building, filling the external angles of the nave and transept, is 62 feet high{228} with a flat roof. the outer walls are composed of a continuous series of corinthian pilasters resting upon a stylobate, and supporting a massive entablature. at the centre of the north side is a pavilion flanked by two towers 195 feet high. at its centre is a huge semicircular window, above which, 102 feet from the ground, is an open gallery commanding a splendid view of the lake and park. at the south side is a vast niche 78 feet wide and 103 feet high, its opening framed by a semicircular arch. in the centre of this niche, upon a lofty pedestal, is a colossal statue of franklin. the east and west central pavilions are composed of towers 168 feet high. at each of the four corners of the building is a pavilion with a tower 169 feet high. the building also bears 54 lofty masts, from which banners will be displayed by day and electric lamps at night.
the fisheries building consists of a large central structure with two smaller polygonal buildings connected with it on either end by arcades. the total length is 1,100 feet, and the width 200 feet. in the central portion will be the general fisheries exhibit; in one of the polygonal buildings the angling exhibit, and in the other the aquaria. the external architecture is spanish romanesque. the ingenuity of the architect has designed after fishes and other sea forms all the capitals, medallions, brackets,{229} cornices, and other ornamental details. the aquaria will contain about 140,000 gallons of water, 40,000 of it being salt. they will consist of a series of ten tanks, with glass fronts to afford an easy view of their contents.
the contribution of the united states naval department is one of the most novel ever seen at any world’s fair. it is comprised in a structure which, to all outward appearance, is one of the newest and most powerful ships of war. this is, however, only an imitation battle-ship, composed of masonry and resting on piling in the lake. it has all the fittings that belong to an actual ship, such as guns, turrets, torpedo tubes, nets and booms, anchors, chain cables, davits, awnings, smoke-stacks, a military mast, etc., together with all appliances for working the same. near the top of the military masts are shelters for sharpshooters in which are mounted rapid firing guns. the battery consists of four 13-inch breech loading rifles, eight 8-inch rifles, four 6-inch rifles, twenty 6-pounder rapid firing guns, six 1-pound rapid firing guns, two gatling guns, and six torpedo tubes. these are all placed and mounted exactly as in a genuine battle-ship. all along the starboard side is a torpedo protection net. the entire structure is 348 feet long and 69 feet 3 inches wide. it will be manned during the exhibition by officers and men detailed by the navy department who will{230} give boat, torpedo, and gun drills and maintain the discipline and mode of life to be observed on the real vessels of the navy.
the woman’s building, which was fittingly designed by a woman, is architecturally one of the most attractive. it is encompassed by luxuriant shrubbery and beds of flowers with a background of stately forest trees, and faces the great lagoon. between the building and the lagoon are two terraces ornamented with balustrades and crossed by splendid flights of steps. the principal fa?ade of the building is 400 feet long and the depth of the building is 200 feet. the architecture is italian renaissance. the main grouping consists of a centre pavilion, flanked at each end by corner pavilions, connected in the first story by open arcades in the curtains, forming a shaded promenade extending the whole length of the building. the structure throughout is two stories high, with a total elevation of 60 feet. at the centre is a fine rotunda, 65 by 70 feet, crowned with a richly ornamented skylight. the building contains a model hospital, a model kindergarten, a model kitchen, a library, refreshment rooms, a great assembly room, and other departments for displaying the varied industries in which women are especially interested.
it is impossible here to describe in detail the architectural features or the marvellous contents{231} of the great machinery hall. it is one of the most splendid structures on the grounds, measuring 850 by 500 feet in ground area, and standing at the extreme south end of the park, just south of the administration building, and west from the agricultural building, from which it is separated by a lagoon. the general design of its interior is that of three enormous railroad train houses side by side, each spanned by trussed arches, and surrounded on all four sides by a gallery, 50 feet wide. the bulk of the machinery exhibited will be placed in this edifice and its large annex.
the building devoted to displays of manufactures and liberals arts is the largest of all. its ground area measures 1,687 by 787 feet, or nearly 31 acres. within a gallery 50 feet wide extends around all the four sides, and projecting from this are 86 smaller galleries, 12 feet wide. these are reached from the main floor by 30 staircases, each 12 feet wide. an aisle 50 feet wide, called columbia avenue, extends from end to end of the building, and a transept of similar width crosses it at the centre. the main roof is of iron and glass, and its ridge pole is 150 feet from the ground. it covers an area 1,400 by 385 feet. the actual floor space of the building, including galleries, is about 40 acres. the general style of architecture is corinthian, with almost endless arrays of columns and arches. there{232} are four great entrances, one in the centre of each fa?ade. these have the appearance of triumphal arches, the central opening of each being 40 feet wide and 80 feet high. above each is a great attic story, ornamented with sculptured eagles 18 feet high. at each corner of the building is a pavilion with huge arched entrances corresponding in design with the principal portals of the building. this stately edifice faces the lake, with only lawns and promenades between it and the water. north of it is the united states government building, south of it the harbor and injutting lagoon, and west of it the electrical building and the lagoon separating it from the great island.
the transportation exhibit is one of the most interesting of the whole display and is housed in a huge romanesque building, standing between the horticultural and mining buildings. it faces the east and commands a fine view of the lagoon and great island. its area measures 960 by 250 feet, besides a vast annex covering 9 acres more. the principal entrance to the building is through a huge arch, very richly decorated. within the building is treated after the manner of a roman basilica, with broad nave and aisles. at the centre is a cupola rising 165 feet above the ground, and reached by eight elevators. the exhibits in this building and its annex will comprise everything pertaining to transportation, including all{233} manner of railroad engines and cars, steamboats and other vessels, coaches, cabs and carriage balloons and carrier pigeons, bicycles and baby carriages, cash conveyors for stores, pneumatic tubes, passenger and freight elevators, etc.
the united states government building stands near the lake shore, south of the main lagoon. its architecture is classic, resembling the national museum and other government buildings at washington. it is made of iron, brick, and glass and measures 350 by 420 feet. at the centre is an octagonal dome, 120 feet in diameter and 150 feet high. the south half of the building is devoted to exhibits of the post office, treasury, war, and agricultural departments. the north half is given up to the interior department, the smithsonian institute, and the fisheries commission. the state department exhibit is between the rotunda and the east, and the department of justice between the rotunda and the west end. the rotunda itself will be kept clear of all exhibits.
the gem of all the buildings is that occupied by the administration of the exhibition. it stands at the west end of the great court, looking eastward, just in front of the railroad stations. it covers an area 260 feet square and consists of four pavilions, each 84 feet square, connected by a vast central dome 120 feet in diameter and 220 feet high, leaving at the centre of each fa?ade{234} a recess of 82 feet wide within which are the grand entrance to the building. the general design is in the style of the french renaissance. the first story is doric, of heroic proportions, and the second ionic. the four great entrances are each 50 feet wide and 50 feet high, deeply recessed and covered by semicircular arches. the great dome, which will be one of the most striking features in the landscape of the exhibition, is richly gilded externally. within it is decorated with a profusion of sculpture and paintings.
the illinois state building is naturally by far the finest of all the structures erected by the various states of the union. it stands on a high terrace in one of the choicest parts of jackson park, commanding a splendid view of the grounds. it is 450 feet long and 160 feet wide. at the north memorial hall forms a wing 50 by 75 feet. at the south is another wing, 75 by 123 feet, three stories high, containing the executive offices and two large public halls. surmounting the central portion of the building is a fine dome 72 feet in diameter and 235 feet high. the entire edifice is constructed, almost exclusively, of wood, stone, brick, and steel produced by the state of illinois.
no sketch of the columbian exhibition would be complete without some mention of its principal projectors and managers. the president{235} of the world’s fair columbian commission is thomas wetherill palmer, who was born at detroit, michigan, on june 25th, 1830. he is of new england descent and his parents were among the early settlers in michigan. mr. palmer was educated at st. clair college and the university of michigan, and after his college days made a long pedestrian tour through spain, thus becoming familiar with the country to which he was afterward sent as united states minister. after some years of prosperous mercantile life in detroit, and honorable participation in state politics he was elected united states senator and served six years. in 1889 he was made minister to spain. at the first meeting of the world’s fair columbian commission, held in chicago on june 26th, 1890, he was unanimously elected president and at once entered upon the duties of the office.
image not available: gen. thos. w. palmer, president national commission, world’s columbian exposition.
gen. thos. w. palmer, president national commission, world’s columbian exposition.
women and their work will be more conspicuously{236} represented at this exhibition than at any of its predecessors, and there has therefore fittingly been formed a board of lady managers. at its first session, on november 20th, 1890, mrs. potter palmer, of chicago, was unanimously elected president. she was born at louisville, kentucky, her maiden name being bertha honore, and she was educated at louisville and baltimore, maryland. she was married in 1871 to potter palmer, one of the foremost business men of chicago, and has since been one of the most prominent and most admired leaders of society in that city, besides being identified with innumerable benevolent and educational enterprises.
image not available: mrs. potter palmer, president of woman’s national commission.
mrs. potter palmer, president of woman’s national commission.
the director-general of the exhibition, its chief executive officer, upon whom the real responsibility for the conduct of the world’s fair rests, is col. george r. davis, of chicago. he{237} was born in massachusetts in 1840, and was educated in the schools of that state. early in the war of the rebellion, he became a volunteer in the union army and served through the entire struggle with great distinction. in 1871 he retired from military service and entered business life in chicago, where he was eminently successful. in 1878 he was elected to congress and was re-elected in 1880 and 1882, and in the fall of 1886 he was elected treasurer of cook county, illinois, which includes the city of chicago.
image not available: hon. george r. davis, director-general of the world’s columbian exposition.
hon. george r. davis, director-general of the world’s columbian exposition.
the president of the directory of the world’s columbian exhibition is w. t. baker, a prominent commission merchant of chicago, who was born in new york state in 1841. he has been elected and re-elected president of the chicago board of trade.
benjamin butterworth, of ohio, was chosen{238} secretary of the world’s columbian exposition. he has for years been known as one of the most brilliant men in the national house of representatives at washington. during the debate in congress on the question of an appropriation for the national fair commission he spoke strongly in favor of such an appropriation, and it was owing chiefly to his efforts that it was finally passed.
image not available: president w. t. baker, of the world’s columbian exposition.
president w. t. baker, of the world’s columbian exposition.
the hon. john t. dickinson, secretary of the world’s columbian commission, was born in 1858, at houston, texas, and has for some years been a conspicuous lawyer, editor, and politician in that state.
the head of the department of publicity and promotion of the exhibition is major moses t. handy, one of the best known newspaper men in the united states. he was born in missouri in 1847, and was educated in virginia, and has had a brilliant career as a journalist on the staffs{239} of the richmond dispatch, richmond inquirer, new york tribune, philadelphia times, philadelphia press, and philadelphia news.
the exhibition is to be formally dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on october 12th, 1892, being the 400th anniversary of the landing of columbus. it will not be opened to the public, however, for the general purposes of the exhibition until may 1st, 1893, and it will continue open from that day until october 30th, 1893. during its progress there will be held on its grounds and in its buildings innumerable conventions and festivals of national and international interest, and it will doubtless be a more truly universal exhibition than any that has yet been held in the world. the spirit animating the projectors of the enterprise cannot perhaps be better expressed than they were by president palmer in his eloquent address before the columbian commission in chicago, on june 26th, 1890. “education,” he said, “is the chief safeguard for the future; not education through books alone, but through the commingling of our people from east, west, north, and south, from farm and factory. such great convocations as that of our projected fair are the schools wherein our people shall touch elbows, and the men and women from maine and texas, from washington and south carolina learn to realize that all are of one blood, speak the same language,{240} worship one god, and salute the same flag.
“if we are to remain a free people, if the states are to retain their autonomy, if we are to take a common pride in the name of american, if we are to avoid the catastrophe of former years americans must commingle, be brought in contact, and acquire that mutual sympathy that is essential in a harmonious family. isolated, independent travel may do this, but not to any such extent as will be accomplished by gatherings like this, where millions will concentrate to consult and compare the achievements of each other, and of those from across the sea. all must have observed the effect of the centennial exhibition in educating even what are called educated people, and in the impetus derived therefrom. it gave to all a larger outlook, it repressed egotism, quickened sympathies, and set us to thinking.
“it has been well said that the ‘industrial expositions are the mile-stones of progress, the measure of the dimensions of the productive activity of the human race. they cultivate taste, they bring nations closer to one another, and thus promote civilization, they awaken new wants and lead to an increased demand, they contribute to a taste for art, and thus encourage the genius of artists.’
“and this is civilization—a process by which{241}
image not available: the auditorium hotel.
the auditorium hotel.
the citizens of each state, foreign as well as domestic, will learn their inter-dependence upon each other. many will come from selfish motives, possibly, but the social atmosphere they will here breathe; that undefinable influence which pervades and affects people who come together in masses with a common purpose, will broaden them and teach them that discussion and not violence is the proper way to adjust differences or promote objects—and thus prepare humanity for that good time so long coming.
“the world will come to us, by its representatives, if not en masse, and our own people should be drawn to this great school of the citizen by every device which can be imagined and afforded, while it remains for all connected with this management to see that no just expectation shall be disappointed.
“in other times there were convocations where the spirit of rivalry and comparison appeared, but in them few were invited to participate, and only a limited number of spectators could afford to attend. in those tournaments muscle was of more importance than mind. those exhibitions taught how to destroy, and not how to create. the rivalry now is in methods to create and not to destroy, and the knights who participate are those of the active brain and cunning hand, whose spectators and judges are the better behaved and better educated citizens of to-day.{242}
“this exposition—on a new site, in a new world—assumes greater dimensions than a market for merchandise or than figures of finance. we should make it a congress of the nations wherein agriculture, manufactures, and commerce should be the handmaids of ideas—where art should paint the allegory of peace and chisel the statue fraternity—where music should play a dirge to dead hastes and an epithalamium on the marriage of the nations.
“our country has led the advance in peaceful arbitration. the geneva commission, the fisheries commission in the settlement of difficulties already existing, the pan-american congress has opened the way for the peaceful settlement of questions that may arise hereafter to the people of the hemisphere. i regard these great achievements of our capital government as more illustrious than any act of any government since our great civil war.
“let the exposition be fruitful in profit, not only to the exhibitors, but to all comers, and that they shall carry away a higher conception of the duty of the citizen and the mission of the state. our material power is very great, too great for us to act on any other plane than the highest. our resources and capacity to meet our financial obligations are a wonder to the powers of the old world. it should be our aim to make our moral altitude on all public questions, national or international,{243} as unassailable as our monetary credit. our bonds are higher in the markets of the world than any other—our opinions and acts should, relatively, hold as high a place.
“the first 400 years have passed—they have been illuminated by the heroic deeds of men and women, and shaded by crimes, national and individual. the descendants of the puritans and cavalier, of the huguenot and the catholic, of the slave and the indian, together with those from other continents and the isles of the sea meet in peaceful rivalry where the forest fades away and the prairie expands.
“at last we are a nation with common inheritance. lexington and yorktown, bunker hill and eutaw, saratoga and guildford court house, new orleans and plattsburg, are our common glory.
“we have people to the north and south who can be linked to us with hooks of steel if we continue to retain their respect and confidence. i want no forcible addition to our territory, were it practicable. i want them to come as a bride comes to her husband—in love and confidence—and because they wish to link their fortunes with ours, to make their daily walk by our side. to bring about this consummation will be the work of time, of forbearance, of rigid observance of their rights, of due regard for their prejudices, of an unselfish desire for welfare—{244}wherein all the amenities of life shall be cultivated. we must enforce their respect by order at our own home, and show them that our composite civilization—wherein we select all that is good from abroad, and retain all that is good in our own, is calculated to make them also happier and greater.
“should this occasion, this national exposition, promote such a purpose as if we are rightly inspired, this meeting of all people would be more than a financial success—more than a vain commercial triumph. it would emphasize the new era, which i hope is dawning, and take the initiative in what may result in the federation of this hemisphere.”
thus the columbian exhibition will nobly close the first four centuries of american history, and by the splendor of its display shed brilliant rays upon the unknown years and centuries to come. the future must be estimated from the past and the present. as the present is grander than the past, so, may we hope, will the future be grander than the present.
mr. chauncey m. depew has drawn this comparison most graphically.
“at the time of the centennial exhibition we had 45,000,000 people; now our numbers reach the grand total of 64,000,000. then we had thirty-seven states, but we have since added seven stars to our flag. then the product of our farms{245} in cereals was about $2,200,000,000; now it is over $4,000,000,000. then the output of our factories was about $5,000,000,000; now it is over $7,000,000,000. such progress, such development, such advance, such accumulation of wheat and the opportunities for wealth—wealth in the broad sense, which opens new avenues for employment and fresh chances for independence and for homes—have characterized no other similar period of recorded time.
“the columbian world’s exposition will be international because it will hospitably welcome and entertain the people and the products of every nation in the world. it will give to them the fullest opportunity to teach us, and learn from us, and to open new avenues of trade with our markets, and discover materials which will be valuable in theirs. but its creation, its magnitude, its location, its architecture, and its striking and enduring features will be american. the city in which it is held, taking rank among the first cities in the world after an existence of only fifty years, is american. the great inland fresh-water sea, whose waves will dash against the shores of jackson park is american. the prairie, extending westward with its thousands of square miles of land, a half century ago a wilderness, but to-day gridironed with railroads, spanned with webs of electric wires, rich in prosperous farms, growing villages, ambitious{246} cities, and an energetic, educated, and progressive people is purely american.
“the centennial exhibition of 1876 celebrated the first hundred years of independence of the republic of the united states. the columbian exhibition celebrates the discovery of a continent which has become the home of peoples of every race, the refuge for those persecuted on account of their devotion to civil and religious liberty, and the revolutionary factor in the affairs of this earth, a discovery which has accomplished more for humanity in its material, its intellectual, and its spiritual aspects than all other events since the advent of christ.”