New-York tribune., 1878-04-30
THE WORLDS FAIR AT PARIS.
GENERAL OUTLINE OF 1T.

EXHIBITIONS THAT HAVE BKES-FIRsT IMPRESSIONS
OF THIS NKw oNE-THE MAIN STRUCTURE
GREAT GRIDIRoN WITHOUT THE HANDLE-MoRE
THAN HALF THE SPACE GIVEN To FRANcE-
ARcHITECTUnE OK THE TRocADERo-PooR VEN
TnATIoN.
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUsE.l
PARIS, April 17.-It has been remarked before
now that the first Exhibition in 1851 to usher
in an epoch of peace and did, in fact, usher in an
epoch of war; such as Europe had not seen for more
than a generation Exhibition, nevertheless, sue
ceeded Exhibition, until people began to say they
were "a bore and ought to be stopped. But they were
not stopped London, New-York, Paris, London
again, Paris again, Amsterdam. Hayre, Dublin
Vienna, the yearly shows at South Kensingon, then
Vienna, then Philadelphia, and now Paris for the
third time They seldom pay, yet tho mania for
originating them continues. And often as we
protest we never will go to another. we flock
in multtudes through any turnstiles over which
the magic legend, Worlds Fair, is written There
seems to be fresh generation of sight-seers Tor
every fresh exhibition nay, even of readers for
what Is written about each display as 1T comes.
And so to-day, putting politics and diplomacy aside,
the Journalist finds himself called to say some
thing about the latest bazaar which is to open
amid rumors of war. if not war itself.
OF the history of this and previous exhibitions,
Of its official mechanism, of its arrangement into
groups and classes / shall have nothing to say III
this letter conceive my business to consist in CIV
ing some account of things they are bere to-day,
lust fortnight before the day fixed for tie opening
of the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1878.
If | mention the general organization OF
this big Fair at ALL 1t Is to wash
nv hands of it, Incidentally. shall have to touch
on such matters from time to time. But coming
over here as do from London, rather unexpectedly
to myself, and with only day or two before the
last safe mail goes out, must content myself win
record of first impressions of the general state OF
the building aud the Exhibition as they are 10 DO
seen to-day, with, perhaps some more particular
account of the British and American sections, or
parts of them.
Nor would it be fair to offer you description Of
the grounds and palace in their present condition as
a description OF what the American visitor may ex-
pect TO see by and by. Only tho skeleton
Is complete as yet everything has stiil to be
added which will convert this grsly framework
into thing of beauty. | need only say that the
Exhibition is established on tho same ground as
that of 1867 the world.famous Champ de Mars,
scene of that FGe OF Federation which was thought
to have brought the French Revolution to glorious
end in 100, with King, Legislature, Army. and the
Nation all swearing allegiance to their new Con-
stitution scene Of many sOemntics since, familiar
to the general reader; discOverabe in any CYCLIC
pedia by him who has not read. but may now
feel inclined to begin. Let us pass from all
that Here on this feld-iifteen minutes III
cab from the Place de rOp6ra-stand tho main
buildincs of the Exposition OF 1878; two vast
parallclograms of glass aud iron. like magnihed
cattle sheds, or the barns which adorn some Of the
wharves of New-YOrk devoted to passengers ana
freight. An effort has been made to give them some
nj, lV trauspDts-
if may use such term-but the success of this at
tempt is not great. Two transepts or transversai
galleries. e0ui-distant from the ends. divide the in
terror; two others incose and mite the ends OF the
main buildings and of the space between thein
which is itself covered over, two longI-
tudinal and many cross avenues excepted
with buildings devoted. i'll great part, to the
Fine Arts huge pretentiOus Pavilion dc la lille de
Paris, rearing its awkward bulk in the centre
All these transepts are of greater height than the
main paralleograms. Outside Of all this and filling
what room was left all round the inside Of the outer
iuclosure of the Champ de Mars are extra galleries
for machinery and all sorts OF separate annexes.
Altogether it Is a gTidiron without the handle.
have lnslad for the moment the oihcal hgufes, but
cannot be far wrong in putting each OF the two
main paralleograms at about 1850 by 900 leet.
OVER HALF THE SPACE RESERVED FOR FRANCE.
Gram for Themselves and more than half the
Fine Art buildings which separate this parallclo-
gram from its fellow. They have mOnopozed
n large part of all tho other buildings, save the
ono parallelogram which they designate com
pcudiously the Foreign Section, and which Is Ill
yidcd among other nations III ratio ol which
will say something by and by The French have
IN themselves. in a word, much more than half the
whole Exhibition. The Champ do Mars measures
roupblv $3.50 by !, go feet. The buildings cover
all but about one-quarteT of tins area, at the north
west end noxt to the Seine The uncovered quarter
il laid ont in fantastic grounds with sundry small
edi6ces scattered over it. Through that you pass
down TO the river and over the Bridge OF Jena into
the Trocad6ro; "A name familiar to every body VINO
knows Paris as that of the great hill OF mound which
rises against the sky you look west or
southwest from tho foreign quarter of thc
CITY. All the Trocad6ro also makes part Of
tho Exhibition. Its summit Is crowned by
n structuTc Of which have every wish 10 speak
respectfully but which, Oh the whole, must be pro-
nonnced oneof the most conspicuous failures for Inch
French architectural genius is responsible 1t Is de-
fined 10 be IN the Oriental style. Whether IT be n
copy Of anything actually existing IN any part oi
the Eastern World is more than can say. But II
resembles at distance nothing 80 much as TEL
escopic gasometcr. which has gone astray somehow
and fallen into the company OF couple OF dIsslpatcd
pagodas with an enormously elongated bowling
ollev stretchinp out on either hand. The bowling
ALLEYS il ia true are curyincar but il may be that
the Chinese prefer them in that shape. Leaving
out the pagodas aud the bowllng-alleys'
the central cdificc resembles in some re-
spects the Albert Hall in London, and
in somo respects the Hippodrome on the Avenue
de Alma in Paris. speak of the appearance and
general effect as seen from the Champ dc Mars, or
from any other point o. view at little distance 1t
is in fact intended for tine great ceremonies OF the