The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-04-21

Progress Of the Gigantic rndsrt-king-
The nutldings aud Recommendations
Items of Interest.

PHILADELPHIA, April all Phila-
delphia seems a. be preparing for a gi-
gantic grab 10 begin May 10. / may lay
the grabbing has begun. You can not
now visit the Centennial grounds and
return without feeling that somebody
has got ahead II you somehow. Where
are the grounds Five miles out Of
town, across the Schuylkill River. ON a
hundred-acre tract stretching up from
Paramount Park A few years z the
neighborhood adjacent "a the grounds
was a quiet country place. Now il re-
sembles a dozen mushroom gold-dig-
ging cities all huddled together, selling
clam soup and sardines 10 the hungry
thousands who visit the gigantic Expo
sitiOn buildings beyond. Hundreds Of
thousands 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 in
habit them expect TO make bagsful Of
solid cash. In the city proper every
thing seem to be tinged with Centen-
nial. Every department Of trade has
prepared itself by doubling It's capacity.
and II the expectations of these people
are realized, YOU will hear the crash All
the way Ia New York. IL may be a
crash OF a far different character from
what they expect. But the average
Philadelphia now j. much likea school
boy before Christmas. lie expects a big
stockingful shortly.
There are several routes, long aud
dusty In summer,t to reach the buildings
from Chestnut Street. People, after
spending a day on the grounds, viii be
too tired TO take their chances in get
ting back 10 the city il il can be avoid
a. Cool and convenient country board
inc houses will be in demand. New
York people Fan visit the grounds direct
by way of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
II has a station on the grounds.
Few people can fully realize the great
extent ~ the Exhibition buildings. The
seven departments occupy "a tract of 80
acres. There are 1--WE gigantic snd
beautiful editices. Tie main strict-
ure is 1850 feet in length, running
east and west. and f6i feet In
width. Ii covers over 20 acres.
The weight ~ iron in the roof.
trusses. etc. l. J.o00. $50 pounds. From
the north of the main building i the
Art Gallery thence the walk leads 10
Machinery and Agricultural Halls. Ma
chinery Hall Is about 800 feet west Of
the main building. II j. l,4O2 feet long,
500 feet wide, with additions. and II
covers nearly l3 acres. not counting mp
per floors. Sixteen lines 81 shafting viii
be turned by a pair If gigantic Corliss
engines of l,4pI-horSe power. There
are - boilers. Steam power and water
viii be furnished free. The Acricnltur-
al building covers ten acres: the Art
Gallery is 3G5 feet in length. 2iO feet in
width, and 81 in height. The dome i
$50 feet from the ground. Ii is II glass
and iron, unique in design. and termin-
ates in a colossal bell. The HOrticul-
tural building j. the most beautiful. Ii
is in the Moresque style Of architecture
OF the 18th century. Ii is SIS feet long.
and 1873 feet wide.
The above are the five buildings prop
er, erecteS by the Centennial Commits
sion at a cost II several millions. Scat
tered all about these immense structures
are the buildings Of the United States
Government, the several States and
foreign countries, including Turkey and
The latter building j. large and
unique, made Of wood put up by laps,
and there j. not n nail in il.
Americas greatest collection viii be
in the Government building. which j.
to represent the United States in peace
and in war. The different departments
in Washington have charge Of this.
Amount appropriated, S505, 900.
The winding WAYS and foot-walks
out about seven miles. The
capacity Of water supply will be
over lO.UOO.OOO Of gallons. Over 5000
have been planted.
All the space in Machinery Hall is
up. There will be about 1000
American exhibitors, 80 English, and
80 from other countries-2jU more than
were at Vienna. America is clamoring
for twice the space that was first as
in the main building.
Philadelphia has a funny way OF do
ing many things. The visitor to the
Exhibition must come armed ex-
actly with a J0-cent note. Two quar-
want do. The applicant for adj
must have a JO-cent note, or he
viii not get in. This shinplaster l. TO
be dropped into a locked box, the Wis
Itorr edges his way in through the arms
Of n turnstylc, a number i registered,
and thus the record Of visitors Is { d be-
and no chances given for subor-
70 do any stealing al all.
40 required several hours 70 drive
around the buildings, take a look in here
and there and gain the desired informa-
ton. When the Exhibition is in full
blast a person can spend two weeks III
through. Now every thing =
noise, din and confusion. Enough i
10 be seen, however. TO satisfy the OBJ
server that the Exhibition Is going to
be very attractive, and that America