New-York tribune., 1878-05-01

here, naturally enough, with more cagerness than
any other. there are even people who say the En-
hibitiOn i'll never open. This view Is confined to
the Bonapprlist faction, Of whom VI. Paul de Cas-
sagnac Is the leader. Only the other day some men
were rested for trying to persuade a number of
laborcrs employed on the grounds to abandon their
work. They were fresh from BonaDartist celebra-
ton. and approached with cries of down
with the Exposition. The little Emperor
is coming, and there will be no Exposition" " VI.
Paul de CaSsagnac has been decrying and deridlng
the whole thing for weeks past; it is not easy TO see
why. He cannot suppose he will prevent the hold
ing Of the Exposition, and all the popularity he may
get with the mob by complaints of its great cost Of
fresh taxes and all that, is dearly purchased by the
resentment Of the commercial and manufacturing
classes Beyond doubt, the Exhibition is popular
most popular cf ali in Paris, which looks blsSfuly
forward to such spelling Of the Egyptians, and
the foreigner in general as has rot been heard of II
our tImc-ao, not in Vienna itself
1t seems to be quite settled among the official per-
sonapcs that the opening will really occur on May
/. NJ. Krantl, general-commissioner, engineer, and
supreme head of the Exhibition assures all corners,
couragcously, that not only will the opening take
place on ,hc day fixed, but that the buildings
will he completed and everything in order.
| suppose VI. Krantz is bound to con-
ceal his apprchcnsOns, if any he have, but
if h. really believes that the work yet to be done
can be done in fortnight he must be the most san
gIlinc of men. The first impression of the visitor
who is neither architect builder is very different
from this Ii looks 10 a non-prOfessOnal eye as if
the exhibition might be in fairly good order toward
midsummer. At present, ii is more like an midi
vlcd quarter-scctiOn Of chaos than anything else.
As you enter, and wherever you 60 you are blinded
and ch0ked with clouds Of white dust. The masOns
are at work. The greater part OF the outside shell
of the Exhibition which is iron and glass, is fin
ished though every now and then You find a rod or
two of mnglazcd wall. But thu chisel and hammer
are still to he heard wherever the fabric is of stOne
and volley of stone chips comes lying in your face
as yOu turn corner. Not an inch of the whole
building which is not IN possession of wOrkmen OF
some kind or other. Along what TO be
aises aud avenues for foot passengers, tram
ways are down and cars running You
stumble along amid every kind of building-materlal
and every kind OF rubbish. The scaholdlng is not
yet removed in the transyersa galleries 1t reaches
from floor to ceiling, and from wall TO wa-a huge
forest where the trees are six inches apart. Der
ricks cranes engines, horses, abound. Where there
is no scaffold there are ladders and the French
as many ropes for their work would rig ship
ingcniously disposed that, if you escape being
stranglcd, you are trpped up by the feet. There is
no one branch of the building trade which is not
still fully represented in some part Of the EXhib-
ton, and active-pasterers, carpenters, paint
crs, uphosterers, decorators, and | know not
what else. The toughest and the most deli
cate work goes on side by side. l saw one wall
where the masonry was all uncovered below, and
mon were cutting holes IN il for great beams, while
ABOVE an elaborate piece of decoration in faence
was already in place. Outside it is no better One
or two of the fagades the main avenue may be
completed not more. The rest are in all stages of
incOmpleteness, from the American, which Is half
rooted n and reoices in half first coat OF paint,
TO the British, some of whose half-dOzen separate
elevations are getting the final touches of chisel and
brush. The great Pavilion of Paris still bares its
raw sides of rough brick to the world conspicuous
bv contrast with the gaudy Jambs OF its lofty
doorways In the grounds both of the Champ de
Mars and the Trocad6ro a few yards of turf are
visible but the place is, for the most part in state
which leaves YOU in doubt whether you behold the
foundations of a new city railway embank-
ment, Brown earth and yellow stone aud piles of
iron cirders painted red half-evelled mounds and
half-fIled yawning hollows the avenue in the first
urooess of macadamizing with sharp peb-
hi! with swarms of blue-bloused work
men and horses and carts hurryng about--that
is what the Champ de Mars and the
Trocadero have to offer you in the way of landscape
gardening at present. The fine bridge of jena,
which connects the two. has disappeared. Arches
and parapet and roadway are degraded to the duty
See second Page.