Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-09-27
correspondence.
Eei.er from Philadelphia.

CENTENNlA. GROUNDS, Sept. ~. rs
EDIr0E OF THE AGE:
The seven different departments are
exhibited =" flilows: mining, manu-.
tIciurp~. etiuraIiun and science. in the
mlin building; art, IN memorial hal!
machinery. N machinery hnlIding
agriculture, IN agricultural hall ana
horticulture. in horticultural huildimg
These five buildings cover about ~
acres, while the adjoining and other
buildings cover rs acres this making
total Of about - acres, some -
more than were AT Vienna in 1873.
/ The main exhibition building is loral
ed immedately east Of the Intersection
of Belmont and Elm avenues, aud
about 10 feet back Of the park bound
arv line. leaving the area between for
any special productions which may be
exhibited in the open ain The build
is in the form Of paralelogram. run
ming east and west 1890 feet long and
AGA feet wide, the larger portion being
oae story in height. The interior is
divided intv tonr pats by two aven-
ues, which cross in the center at ri Git
angles, and from them run aisles to all
parts of the building. 1t rests upon h
ground, the land having been thorough
ly graded and prepared. and is built
mostly Of iron and glass. the roof be,
ing covered with tin. The general
design OF the building is such that all
exhibitors have an equally fair oppor-
tunity Of exhibiting their goods TO IN
advantage, and there is comparatively
little choice Of location. The total
amount of iron used was 100000
pounds, four miles Of pi pc. and over
7,O0O.OO0 feet of lumber; and with
the aid of 5000 men, in one year from
the day when the Ground was first
broken. The contracting cost was
Sl6,000,0OO. Machinery bail is locat
ed about 800 feet ives, Of the main
building, and consists Of a main hail
HOP feet long by 500 feet wide with
an annex on the south side OF POS
feet by 210 feet. There is also con-
nec,ed with il Il boiler house and such
other buildings as require special
kinds Of machinery. The interior is,
Ike the main building, divided into
several avenues and aisles, and has
every facility for shatting, \ pair of
monster Corliss steam engines drive
the main shalling, which is furnished
free to all exhibitors. Probably no
department of the exhibitions is so
closely scanned 10y foreigners as this.
as American invention in labor-saving
machinery has done more in all for
eign expositions TO indicate the pro-
gress of our country than all other de
partments together. and America has
Just reason to be proud Of some OF her
Yankee inventions. There is III the
bui ding 100000 IT. lumber 100000
pounds OF iron and its cost was about
S722,OOO. The memorial hall or art
gallery is the most imposing and or
nate of all the structures and stands
in the most commanding portion of
the great Lansdowne plateau. 1t is
365 feet long BY 2lO feet wide, and
not being large enough to accommo-
date all the applicants, IN addition has
been built about 100 feet in its rear.
Memorial hail is absolutely fire proof,
the building materials being granite,
glass and iron, and was built by the
state OF Pennsylvania and city of
Philadelphia to be used AS an art gal
lery during the exhibition, after which
it is designed to make 1t the recepta-
Gle of an industrial and art collection,
similar to the femous South Kensing-
ton museum at London. 1t cost
$1,300,OO0. Horticultural building
was also built by the city of Philadel-