New-York tribune., 1874-06-13
CENTENNIAL PROSPECTS.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXPOSITION.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXPOSITION
THE SMALL BEGINNINGS OF GREAT ENTERPRisE-
ACTIVITY or THE MANAGERs-DEscRPrr0N OF
THE PLANS FOR THE BUILDINGS - PROPOSALS.
ADVERTISED FOR. I
tvRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE rRtBUNEI
PHILADELPHIA, June 12. - The Centennial
managers have lcrossed the Rubcon, metaphorcaIlv,
and the Schuykl literally. In Fairmount Park here 10
TO be long, onestory boxlike, coneecoored
building the front OF which, n large white letters,
are the following words: Centennial Board Of
Finance" and below them white board sign appears.
announcing that Applications for labor will DO re-
ceived Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between tho
hours Of and O'Clock p. m" Before this unpreend-
Ing little structure stretches out broad brecxy upland
meadow covered with daisies and clover blossoms and
bordered with the and winding drives OF the I'M
proved portion of the park TIE only thing that catches
the eye In all this fair expanse, tall flagstaff which
marks the center OF the future exhibition grounds
Just outside the park fence and across Eimave. tho
Chestnut and Walnut-st Passenger Railroad Company
is erecting large terminal station thus taxing time by
the forelock and preparing transport passengers TO
the Exhibition before there signs OF an e1hbi'
ton to be seen except the little temporary oce and the
tall hagpolL
In the city, at the walnu-st. Offices OF the Commis-
son and the Board Of Finance, there Is an activity 70
be seen which promises immediate results. Yesterday.
the Board and the Executive Committee OF the Commis-
conference
1t would probably be good deal better Congress had
not enacted that the Centennial should have two heads
instead OF one but has two. is gratifying TO ma
them both thinking alike on all points where harmony
essential progress One of tho results OF the meet
ing will be found the advertisement for proposals Tor
the permanent building, or Memorial Hall. Proposals
for the Conservatory and the main building will he 80
lected in Q very few days, and by midsummer ths
whole work will probably be under way.
Ihave already referred In general terms 10 the design
adopted for the Memorial Hall, which, II will DO re-
membered is to be built with the H 900 appropriated
by tho Pennsylvania Legislature. H will be used for
the display Of fine arts during the exhibition and VIII
Sfterward be converted into permanent museum Tho
structure while not at all imposing, will be graceful and
pleasing and more IN harmony with the landscape than
would have been the pretentous. Observation-Disclosures
edhce, with its lofty cupola which was at first pro-
posed. In style 1t is not unlike the pretty Cursaa In
the stadt Park in Vienna which all visitors to the Aus
trian capital remember with pleasure. Iu
length will be 3S3 feet, width 19l feet, general
hight IS feet hight Of pavilion, 65 feet and OF central
DOME feet. There will be three main rooms IS feet
square each, and reception hall e3 by 6o feet Tho
ceiling OF the picture galleries will be 80 feet hlgh and
the wall space, exclusive Of the hall, reception
hall and corridors will be @6o square feet, which VIII
probably be ample for the display Of oil American
pictures worth showing and OF such foreign works OF
art as will be sent for exhibition. The material Of the
building is to be granite and 1t will be absolutely IRE
The plan adopted for the conservatory less we'll
chosen In general architectural effect reminds one OF
the Hyde park Gyia p.se v a % n thc ~ Sroa6
unimproved shadeless meadow where the Art Hall and
the schuykili and east Of what is called Lindsdowne
Drive in the midst OF groves and gardens The building
sonsi Length, including porches. $40 feet without
pOrcbes $40 feet width, 1874 feet night, VI leet 10
win % p1 hall M sy EACH a feet
Collections OF plants which will remain throughout
tie temporary hower shows which will be held from
time to time during the summer IL Is 70 COS, p,,%
nnsa phis 1l' 1 eiose S q ssSSsn building WIN
be turned ever the Of sg tss ana % S
For the main building which, following the nomen,
the Industrial Palace the Commission reserves s choice
between three designs until proposals are submitted for
Wiil BE- and that viii naturally have much to do with
their decision. The first plan is the modified and re-
duced pavilion plan Of Messrs Radford and vanx which
conempates either 81 pavions covering 6 lilo acres or
81 paviions covering 90 acres Ia the first ease the
by 655 feet.
The second plan is BY the architects and h for
building with three straight arcades 40 feet hga and
I.575 feet long, under three spans of l69 feet each
Engineer Petit Of the Commission has plan cover
feet wde It has five straightwork paviions IN the
the aae are are, S feet Ss an anIa as .a o%r
like structures each OF two sides, with engh OF coo
feet by width Of l20; . A..
first cost. but an estimate OF what each building VIII
bring when sold at the close OF the Fair Will nave TO TO
made before 1t can be determined which Will be tho
most economical
No plans have been adopted yet for the Machinery
and Agric halls. These will be comparatively
inexpensive structures. Whether they viii be placed
in the Of the Industrial Palace OF further TO tho
northward is an unsettled question
Everybody about the Centennial headquarters IL Inn
with the necessity OF vigorous and earnest work
There is not o day TO waste between now and the
10th Of Apri 1876, II completely organized inter
national fair is 10 be opened to the public on thas
date. True there several more weeks available
than schwarz had in which 10 create me vienna
Exhibition but every knows that when The opening
day came there nothing but wilderness OF packing
boxes and few hastily arranged show case. were 70
be seen II must forgotten, too, that tho
Baron had resources TO hasten tue completion OF
the work which will not be at the con
troll of Dlrector.C General Gosborn. The Government
detailed many regiments OF soldiers as he asked or
and put them TO work laborers the grounds and
buildings, and IL unusual sight In the month of
April 1900 IN fatigue uniform engaged
upOn every kind Of labor that did not require skilled
artisans St with American energy and tact IL 10 to 10
hoped that good deal more can be accomplished 10 the
saline time than possible In Vienns, aud both Com
mission and Board Of Finance are ssnguin, that they