Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-12-23
OUR PHILADELPHIA LETTER.

EDITOR HERALD That the great
Centennial exposition will be cue
cess, would not be questioned by any
reader of the Herald, could that mem
Der only visit the grounds and see
what has been accomplished in the
last few months. About five and
half millions of dollars have been ex~
pended in improving the grounds,
and 10 the erection of the buildings
now nearly completed, and to the
credit of Philadelphia, and the state
of Pennsylvania, | will add that
about ninety per cent of this vast
sum of money has been furnished by
the citizens of this commonwealth.
Some three hundred acres in the
southwestern part of Fairmount
Park, have been enclosed with a
picket fence, the pickets are plank
six inches wide, and nine feet high,
and rounded at the top, with three
inch spaces between withio this ena
closure there will be from one hun.
dred and fifty, to two hundred build
ings. A minute description of each
of these buildings woull furnish
material for a letter.
A bulldog sufficiently large TO en-
close the Court House square, in
Lancaster, would be considered large,
but the main exposition building
would enclose two such squares,
take in also the agricultural society
fair grounds and still have room for
your railroad shops, round house,
and depot buildings.
This is the largest of those build
ings, and is constructed of iron posts,
and i0ists, traces, and rafters, metal
roof. The side and end walls are of
red and black brick to the height of
six feet, then sash and glass to the
cornice. This building VIII cost over
million two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars.
The next building in size is
"Machinery HnlI"; over fourteen
acres are enclosed within the walls
OF this building, which is now com.
pleted and the shafting and arrange,
ments for exhibiting the labor saw
ing machinery Of the world are being
put in place. There will be over
mile of line shafting in this building
propelled by enormous engines of
fourteen hundred horse power
Agricultural Hall, the third build
ing in size, encloses egkt and half
acres and is fast approaching com
pletion Horticultural Hall, and
Memorial Hall, completed the list of
buildings originally intended by the
centennial commission for exhibition
purposes. The ground covered by
these five buildings is forty seven
aud a half acres. This space has
all been applied for and assigned to
different states and nations, and still |
many cannot be Accommodated and |
are asking for room to place addi-
tional buildings, until about seventy |
five acres will be required for build
ings alone. The builling for the
Glide and Leather" interests, will |
be on the style of Machinery Hail."
and half as large.
The United States Government |
building is centrally located, and is
also an imposing structure, in the
form of o cross, FIVE hundred feet in |
length, and the cross arms three hun
dred and forty feet. The interior
walls of this buliing are being finish.
ed, ard painted, with reference to
ths department of the government to
be there represented. Diamond
shaped panels cover the walls, and in
the center of each panel is the en-
blem of some one department the
navy, an anchor and cable the IT,
terror Department, has bow. arrows,
and tomahawk the Post Office q
telegraph pole, AID letter. The ex-
pense of this bull ling will be about
one hundred and twenty. five thou
sand dollars.
The largest gun 10 this country has
been brought from Fortress Monroe,