The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1878-08-14
miscellaneous. &
For THE HERALD.
BROADBRl1l'S PARIS LET
TER.
NO. 13.
Machinery Han--The Dore Vase--The Me-
chanical swimmers--The Singing Birds
a Story Of the Shah.

Machinery Hall-The Dore Vase--The Me-
chanical swimmers-The Singing Birds
a Story Of the Shah.
Il is a fitting tribute to the gen.
ius and character of the age that
the two grandest halls in the great
Exposition should be devoted exclu-
sively to machinery. There are
mighty engines there carrying, in
their Titanic sinews, almost limit
less power, keeping in motion
world of wonderful machinery, and
surely there can be no higher reve-
lation of the genius Of man and
the power of mind over matter than
| that afforded by this magnificent
display.
AS you enter, the Porte Rapp, the
grand avenue which exactly divides
the Exposition building, lies before
you; sentinels grim, but polite,
guard the entrance and beautiful
works of art invite you onward ;
only a few steps from the gate is a
marvellous vase by Gustave Dore.
It is Of colossal proportions and
looks as if it were intended to tell
the story of the Deluge. Myriads
Of little struggling forms cling to
it's green encrusted sides seeking
to escape the terrible death that
threatens them; on some, Of the
faces is an expression Of mortal
agony, while others seem almost
paralysed with fear. Here and
there a smile may be seen lighting
\ the face Of some little climber more
fortunate than the rest, who has es-
capped for the moment his impend-
ing and seemingly inevitable fate.
But whatever your desire to ex-
anime this miracle of art, the
mighty voice of hundreds Of en-
gines call you back asking you to
pay your tribute to that which is to-
day the ruling power Of the earth.
Close to the door a crowd gathers
about a machine which excites uni
versal wonder; it is a giant planer
under whose keen tooth the shay
ings fly from a solid iron plate as
if it were only board. A little
beyond mighty trip hammer per-
forms in a few minutes the work OF
a hundred men. It is a curious
thing, and one of the most instruc-
tive sights in the Exhibition to see
it's Titanic strokes, under which
the great building 7ibrates and
trembles, guided by the hand Of a
little child. Not far away the in
genious sawyer turns out from the
solid block fairy chairs and minia-
ture furniture and all sorts Of in
tricate puzzles. The mystery OF
diamond polishing is unravelled,
and you see all the mysterious pro-
cesses by which the rough gems
are cut and polished and made fit
to glitter in the crowns of Kings.
But see how that crowd across the
hall struggle to get a sight Of
something apparently Of absorbing
interest. These are the wonderful
mechanical swimmers, who act their
characters to the life. In tank Of
about four feet in circumference
miniature man and woman have
plunged, both clad in bathing suits
Of the mostapproved pattern. The
man strikes boldly out, and the
woman follows him !; he approaches
the side of the tank and looks i'm
ploringly up at the wondering
crowd, as much as to say ''are you
not going to help me out; are
you going to let fellow swim
about in this miserable tub all day."
It is true it is only toy, perhaps
invented to amuse children, and
yet, from morning till night, grey
headed old men, Princes and Dukes,
grave Senators and learned doctors
struggle and fight tc get a sight OF
the mechanical swimmers.
Among the mechanical wonders
of this Exposition there are per-
haps few more delightful places
than the bower Of singing birds.
I have frequently heard a single
little mechanical singer whose en-
chanting song has filed me with
wonder and delight, but here is
a whole grove Of linnets, night
ingales, mocking birds, thrushes,
bull fnches, skylarks and canaries,
| "a. IIoE.n -.