The Republican journal., 1875-06-17
Correspondence Portland Press.
The Centennial Exhibition.
PHILADELPHIA, June

to be held in this city next season III
honor of the Nations hundredth birth
| day was to be after all only Il sort OF stu
pcndous Philadelphia Fourth of July, and
an affair III which the country at large
had little interest. Happily, that impress
sion is now rapidly disappearing, and the
sober second thoughts are coming to us
that it is fitting that some truly national
celebration should be held that it must
be held somewhere that no place is better
located than this and that here upon the
very spot SO long hallowed by patriotic
memories, where at every turn so many
relics of the days that tried mems souls
greet the eve, is the best place for a great
and mighty people to join in congratula-
tons and thanksgivings over their Won
dertul past and their still more wonderful
present and rapidly fastening future.
With much that has been done and is
proposed Your readers are familiar, but Of
the magnitude and grandeur of the enter
prise, or of the energy and enthusiasm
with which its prepal atoms are being
made, nothing but personal experience
will convey an adequate idea OF the mag
nltude OF the work proposed and being
done permit a few statements enforced by
| ,Oli l'uliNui.
Paramount Park is a magnificent domain
of 800 acres, more than twice As large as
all OF Portland and the largest park in the
world From this park an area of $50
acres, in the very heart of its beauty and
| attractiVenpss. has been set apart for the
Exhibition.
Upon these grounds five immense struct-
ures are being erected tor the purposes of
the Exhibition: First, The Horticultural
| Building, a vast conservatory Of iron and
glass, 1913 IT, i'll length, 49,; ii. i'll width,
and - #. in height, embracing an area OF
two and one half acres-or tribe larger
than our own Lincoln Park The name Of
this building indicates sufficiently its use
| That it W i'll be a marvellous maze of floral
beauty cannot be doubted
Second, The Art Gallery. This build
ing is erected by the state of Pennsylvania
al u cost Of more than S 900 900. as per
| manent National Museum, and is but one
OF the states generous gifts for the Cen
tennial," 1t is a splendid granite struct-
ure, surmounted by a graceful dome of
IRON and glass, and is lire-proot through
out. 1t embraces IN area 800 by 2l0 IT,,
and includes within its walls nearly three
and one half acres Of ground The dome
rises 100 feet from the earth, and is sur
mounted by colossal figure Of Columbia
with outstretched hands 1t will be seen
that this building covers about one third
greater area than Lincoln Park.
Third, Agricultural Hall. This building
is OF wood and glass 1t consists of a long
nave crossed by three transepts. The
courts between the transepts are also
rooted. and form valuable spaces for eX-
hibition The ground plan is therefore a
parallelogram $40 by 30 feet, covering
a trltle over - acres, OF a little more than
four times the area Of Lincoln Park. In
the immediate vicinity Of this building
will be the stock yard for the exhibition
Of horses, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry,
etc, etc.
Fourth, Machinery Hall This structure
is 1902 feet in length and 800 feet in width
with a wing on one side 20S by 2l0 feet.
The entire area covered is | I acres OF five
times the area of Lincoln Park Its ex-
treme height is IS feet; it is traversed
through its entire length by eight lines OF
| Shattln9, with numerous counter shafts
wherever required while mammoth en-
gines furnish power to exhibit every ma
chine in operation This is frame struc-
ture, constructed with especial reference to
| strength and stability. Two main avenues
extend the entire length of the building
with three main aisles fifty feet in width
| one between and one on either side of the
avenues At the centre Of the building is
a transept sixty feet in width extending
across the building, and forming with its
| alsles the wing mentioned above. This
wing is devoted to the exhibition of nv
draulic machinery and contains a tank 60
| by 100 feet with 10 feet depths OF water
| At one end of the tank will be a waterfall
| OF 81 feet height and 40 feet width. sup
| piled from the tank by the pumps on ex-
| hibition
| Fifth, The Main Exhibition Building
| This structure is 1880 feet or more than
one third of Il mile IN length, AGA feet in
width and with its central nave or avenue
OF l2O feet in width and two aisles each
| 90 feet in width crossed by three ground
| transeptS, in construction almost entirely
OF iron and glass. The aggregate weight
of iron in the roof is over ) 900, 600 pounds.
| The interior OF the vast edilice is so ar
| ranged that all exhibitors will have an
| equally fair opportunity 10 exhibit their
goods to advantage There is very little
choice of location, as the light is uniform
y
voted to products is located upon one of
the main thoroughtares. Small balconies
OF galleries of observation have been pro-
vided in the towers from which excellent
views OF the whole interior may be OBJ
tanned. complete system of water sup
ply, with ample provision of fire cocks
etc, extends through this as all the other
buildings. Some conception Of the I'M
=, =,
tanned from the comparative statement,
that the ground floor covers an area 912,-
$50 square tect-a tritle more than 20
acres. OF about eight times the area Of
Lincoln Park. In addition to these, the
National Government has appropriated
the sum Of $500, 900 for the construction
OF separate building and the perfection
OF a collective exhibition which shall IL |
lustrate its functions and administrative
faculties IN time of peace, and its re-
sources as war power A large number
OF other gOvernmentS-SOm twenty in |
ali-Wlll also erect separate buildings for |
similar purposes.
But Your readers will tire Of these de
tails, marvellous as they may seem, while |
the mass of facts waiting at my hand rem
ders choice exceedingly difficult
Of the progress and present stage OF the
preparations whose completed form have
briefly sketched this may be said: Ma
chinery Hall is rapidly nearing compile
ton. The walls are all up, the roof well |
advanced, while the army of carpenters, |
tin-rooters and laborers give assurance of |
its early completion. The Art Gallery has |
all its brick and stone work complete and |
the iron ratters for the roof and dome are
being put in place The Horticultural
Hall is in a state of forwardness which |
gives evidence that the contract for its
completion, Sept. 18th will not need to be
extended
Agricultural Hall is least advanced of |
any Of the buildings, and least time is re-
CURED for its construction. The contracts |
have just been awarded for its completion
in four months from date
The prospects for the completion of the
main building before winter seem dis