The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-04-12
The EXPOSITION BUILDINGS.
Twenty Three Acres OF Floor Space
Under Their Roofs
The Great Structures In Washing
ton Park, Which Form q City
I'm Themselves Alone.


The walk into Expo City as the great
structure in Washington Park, opposite
the well-known Music Hall and perma-
neat Exposition may be called, is like
the awakening from Q dream. Ono does
not know the grandeur and magnifcence
Of what he is approaching till he runs
plump against the walls of the build
tngs. From Race street on the east to
and including the canal on the west, and
from Twelfth street to Fifteenth street,
Shres squares in both directions, or a
total of nine square squares, If the allit-
Grafton be admissible, iss the territory
which next summer will be teeming
with the life, the art &nd the industry,
not alone of the Ohio Valley and its ad-
sacsnt States, bus of the whole
civilized world as well. It is al
ready the center of busy plans and
humning industry. Over 500 men are
putting on the finishing touches. Iron
roofers are up alofs working away,
painters ars here, there and every
where, some on ladders and some on
swinging scadolds and other dangling
eornposedly In the loop of long rope,
UASpSAdCO 4400 dRp1ISAbIy AudCGGA-
eible pinnacle, each busily applying the
printing coat OF paint; GLACIERS are 1T
ting the glass into windows, and car
penters are laying floors, finishing off
rough inside work and putting on
moldings, ornamental cornicss, braok-
cts, 60.
When the buildings are completed the
spectacle by night when the mvriads Of
al n-x.n 1S<rt@S H. AI
ef the grandest ever seen. The hilltops
Ia the north of the city is the best pos
sible point of view. In no other part of
the city can the whole extent of build
tngs be seen and eomprehended in their
full magnitude.
In shape. It's dimensions, length
and breadth, are respectively 800
Rnd 400 feet. There is central
building with one long wing
reaching toward Twelfth street, and two
Gtber wings stretching either side to
extends northward to the Park limits.
An additional wing runs west from this
last wing to Elm street. This wss first
designed for a single story, for restaurant
purposes, brt the rush for space has
been so great that another story was
added, making the original roof the floor
Of the second story. On this floor will
be the restaurant. The bridge spanning
Elm street, connecting the Park Build |
2ngs with Music Hall, begins from this
wing.
The cruciform shape of the building
Aas left the corners of the park open.
Each of these open spaces, about q quar-
ter of an acre, will be accessible to the |
wings and main hall, and Will be used
for smoking and promenades. Benches |
will also be put in these small parks, |
and as the old elm trees have been left |
STE mr. 0ho 1ir1- al Ill L.
provided for tete-a-tetes for the swain |
and his fair company.
The main entrance to this building |
will be on Twelfth street. Four noble |
towers mark the corners of this side and |
the main gateway. Each corner of the |
wings facing Elm and Race streets is |
also guarded by tower, and over the |
center of the building is another, Ell |
Esntic lighthouse it will be, by the way, |
for it is l36 feet high, and will be illum- |
inated its entire circumference by Etrong |
electric lights. From each of the nine
towers 1oated the American flag
Ia honor Of the visit of the Commits |
naoners.
No description can convey any ade- |
euate idea of the inmensity of tho in
terior OF this Park Building. The height |
OF the first story from floor to ceiling is |
forty feet. The floor space is lIO feet by |
800. In the center Is the lake, in whose |
placid surfsce ths Exposition visitor, |
1So feet mp in the main tower. |
can gaze at his reflection or con-
template the results of dive downward. |
This lake will have q beautiful foun- |
tain sparkling in it's center, and swans |
will disport themselves upon the wa
teF's surface. There will be drinking |
fountains for the thirsty visitors at con- |
venient intervals around the shores. |
The surface of the lake will be a few |
scot below the level of the floor, and to |
prevent the careless or children from |
FALLING in 3 handsome paiing will |
snolose the body of water. The |
lake ia about sixty feet in |
diameter. Standing at Its edge
one can look upward at visitors on the |
second floor, forty feet above, into whose
faces the water from the fountain will |
simost dash the spray. Above this floor
b q sheer space of nearly one hundred
feet, reaching into the very apex of the
central tower. Little balconies here and
thers around the inner sides of the glass
&arted tower, provide foot holds from
which the curious can look either out
ward over the vast expanse of the citv
fRread like panorama before hlm, or
can look downward upon the surginR
naass OF humanity on the floors below.
NSns@ eiEhe< eide Of the lake the forty