The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-27
A GRAND STRUCTURE.
What a Mechanical Engineer Suggests for an
Imposing Worlds Fair Building.

John K. Hallock, a ell-known mechan-
ical engineer. of Erie, Pa, who visited this
city recently, has a design for an exhibit
ton building for the worlds fair of 1892,
which is unique and imposing. He holds
that If the American people are to celebrate
the quadracentennial of the discovery of
America by holding a worlds fair, it must
be done on such a magnificent scale as to
outstrip all past attempts by other nations.
The buildings must be the largest and
grandest ever yet built. and they must
possess capacity for display of more OK
hibits than were ever before assembled.
THE main building" said<Mr. Hallock,
must be Of novel design. 1t should also be
beautiful and inspiring. and. further, it
should be typical or expressive of the oc-
casion. 1t should be literally this, and not
allegorically, so that the poorest mind can
understand and comprehend its purport.
as well as the most cultivated. 1t ought to
be an epic poem in iron and steel. telling
of the discovery, the ~subjugation and the
present magniicence of the new world
which Columbus gave to the old,
and telling Of the rise of mighty
nations of liberty-lov1ng people,
and the wonderful progress they
have made in the arts and sciences. in a
read 1T and rejoice in its beauty. We must
initiate no one. We might build q tower
1000 feet high. but that would be merely
an imitation and unworthy of such a ma
ton as ours, except as q money-making
scheme"
"What is your idea of an appropriate ex-
hibition building?"
Its leading feature would be a grand
hemispherical DOME, the roof of which
would represent the face of that part of the
earth which Columbus discovered in topo-
graphical relief. l would prefer that
this dome should rise from a fat pedestal
like building, which would be surrounded
by q colonnade of Grecian columns, thus
giving the building the design of a mighty
temple of liberty. On the top of the dome,
at its apex, there ought TO be q colossal
figure of Columbus pointing to his discov.
cry. and reckoning the people of the old
world to come to it."
what dimensions would be sufficient
for such a buildingf"
1T ought to be very large, so that it will
be grand and imposing, as well as suitable
for exposition purposes. would make the
| dome l 900 feetin diameter, and the pedestal
part of the building should project out
ward at all points, and it. should be OF
proper height. The pedestal or base part
of the building might be square,. round OF
cruciform. The arches of the dome would
IudkC w lCCb al IdQldl uCptu db Iuc UdSt,
and gradually. narrower as they ascend,
This would make the inner arch of the
dome catenary in form. 600 feet across in
the clear at the base, and 500 feet high in
building. The arches Will of course be
made of open framework. and this can be sc
disposed as to serve to support circular gal
leries and leave ample room Tor passengers.
The galleries / would build in the form of q
spiral. They would start at a point, say
4 fWorfu faar from the f0nr with nronar anr
ample approaches, and wind around the
dome between the inside and outside
stringers of the arches. If the coils of this
spiral gallery should be placed twenty-ont
feet between floors, the grade of the in
cline, or the pitch of the spiral would be
.007 of n foot to the foot. Hence the grade
would be unnoticeable to a person walk
i nailer upon w tes gai Carried If u this t siRira
coils. twenty-one feet apart. il
would reach 315 feet in height, and b.
about eight miles long on the outside
These galleries l would make 200 feet wide
which, as l stated before, would be the
depth of the arches, and these / would
divide into, first, two great alsles fifty feet
WIDE, one inside and the other outside; sec
ond, q central aisle, say twenty feet wide
and third. two lines of exhibition space
/ would build a double line of electric rail
way, elevated about eight feet above tn,
floor, so as to afford free passage below
it. and yet be easy of access
Of course the galleries will grow gradual,
narrower as they ascend, and they will in
crease in pitch also. but they will be no
where sufficiently steep to be noticeable Il
a pedestrian, unless it be near the top, ant
do not contemplate that they will be car
ried up more than 315 feet. except as q mar
row way to the outlook on the top. Ele
vators might be placed at intervals to af
ford quick communication from fioor t
floor. The building would, of course, b
built of steel or iron. in the same manne
as bridges or other structural work. n
centerings or false work of timbe
would be required. as the structur
would be se~lf-supporting at all points o
its rise. The spiral floors would affor
ample facilities for transportation of ma
terlal and for cranes and wOrkmen. TIL
form of the building will give more spac
for a given amount of wall structure tina
any other form, and a greater amount O
exhibit space can be procured for a les
outlay than in any other form of structure
The building would have both interna
and external beauty and grandeur. Tn
roof would receive the dome of st. Peters
the dome of the Capitol at Washington. tn
Washington monument. or the great Pyra
mid of Egypt under it, and yet q perso
could stand at almost any point in it. an
see at one view nearly the whole expos
tion.'