The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-04-29
THE CENTEN NAL SNOW.
Progress Of the Gigantic Undertaking.
The buildings and Grounds.


A Philadelphia correspondent writes
All Philadelphia seems to be preparing
: for gigantic grab to begin May 10.
may say the grabbing has begun. 4o'
: can not now visit the centennial ground
and return without feeling that some
body has got ahead of you somehow
Where are the grounds? Five miles gu
of town, across the Schuylkill river, on ;
hundred.acre tract stretching up from
Paramount park. A few years ago thu
neighborhood adjacent to the grounds
was quiet country place. Now it re
sembles dozen mushroom gold-diggins
cities, all huddled together, selling clan
soup and sardines to the hungry thou
sands who visit the gigantic exposition
buildings beyond. Hundreds of thou
sands of dollars of private capital have
been invested in hotels, saloons, gambling
houses, boarding houses, and sporting
places on speculation; and the clamorous
greedy multitude who inhabit them ex-
pect to make bagsful of solid cash. In
the city proper everything seems to be
tinged with centennial. Every depart
ment of trade has prepared itself by
doubling its capacity, and if the expec-
tations of these people are realized, you
will hear the crash all the way to New
York. 1t may be a crash of far differ
emit character from what they expect.
But the average Philadelphia now is
much like school-boy before Christmas.
He expects big stockingful shortly.
There are several routes, long and dus-
| ty in summer, to reach the buildings
from Chestnut street. People, after
spending day on the grounds, will be
too tired to take their chances in getting
back to the city if it can be avoided.
Cool and convenient country boarding
houses will be in demand. New York
people can visit the grounds direct by
way of the Pennsylvania railroad. 1t
has station on the grounds.
Few people can fully realize the great
extent of the exhibition buildings. The
seven departments occupy tract of fifty
acres. There are five gigantic and beau
tiful edifices. The main structure is
one thousand eight hundred and eighty
feet in length, running east and w~st,
and four hundred and sixty-four feet in
width. 1t covers over twenty acres. The
weight of iron in the roof, trusses, ETC.,
is five million pounds. From the north
of the main building is the art gallery;
thence the walk leads to machinery and
agricultural halls. Machinery hall is
about five hundred feet west of the main
building. 1t is one thousand four hun
bred and two feet long, three hundred
and sixty feet wide, with additions, and
it covers nearly thirteen acres, not count
ing upper floors. Sixteen lines of shaft
ing will be turned by a pair of gigantic
Corliss engines of 1,4O0-horss power.
There are twenty boilers. Steam power
and water will be furnished free. The
agricultural building covers ten acres;
the art gallery is three hundred and
sixty-fve feet in length, two hundred and
ten feet in width, and fifty in height
The dome is one hundred and fifty feet
from the ground. 1t is of glass and iron,
unique in design, and terminates in
colossal bell. The horticultural build
ing is the most beautiful. 1t is in the
Moresque style of architecture of the 18th
century. 1t is three hundred and eighty
three feet long, and one hundred and
+hroo foot vida
The above are the five buildings
proper, erected by the centennial COM
mission at cost of several millions.
Scattered all about these immense struct-
ures are the buildings of the United
States government, the several states and
foreign countries, including Turkey and
Japan. The latter building is large and
unique, made of wood put up by Japs,
and there is not a nail in it.
Americas greatest collection will be in
the government building, which is to
represent the United States in peace and
in war. The different departments in
Washington have charge of this. Amount
appropriated, $505, 900.
The winding ways and fOOt.walks
stretch out about seven miles. The
daily capacity of water supply will be
over 100000 of gallons. Over 5000
trees have been planted.
All the space in machinery hall is
taken up. There will be about 1000
American exhibitors, $50 English, and
I ~ al, trio than
were at Vienna. America is clamoring
for twice the space that was first assigned
in the main building.
Philadelphia has funny way OF doing
many things. The visitor to the great
exhibition must come armed exactly
with 5O-cent note. Two quarters won't
do. The applicant for admission must
have a 5O-cent note, or he will not get
in. This shinplaster is to be dropped
into a locked box. the visitor edges his
way in through the arms of a turnstyle,
a number is registered, and thus the
| record of visitors is to be kept, and no
chances given for .ubordinates to do any
| stealing at all.
1t required several hours to drive
| around the buildings, take a look in
here and there and gain the desired in
formation. When the exhibition is in
full blast person can spend two weeks
| in getting through. Now everything is
| noise, din and confusion. Enough is to
be seen, however, to satisfy the observer
that the exhibition is going to be very
attractive, and that America will make a
pleasing and satisfactory display.
From appearances the centennial will
| come off just as it was announced. 1t
perfect readiness when the time comes
If this be SO, the commissioners will de.
serve credit.