New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-31
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
FLOATING PALACES FOR THE FAIR.
MODERN VENICE SUGGESTED IN NEw'YoR'
BAY.

MODERN VENICE SUGGESTED IN NEw'Yoh'
BAY.
TO TIE Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir 1t IS Of the first importance that the propose.
Worlds Fair in 1892 should have some aisun'"'0
feature. Exhibitions OF the kind have been 50 III"
merous that anything that simply copied 'ne o'"'
accrstics Of It's predecessors would scarcely m.1res.
the world at large. This distinctive feature s"ou'
be derived from the local peculartes OF the s'ua
ton. Now New-York is commercial city, poi" u"
II were of the sea. II lies a spacious Day. anu -
surrounded by superb inland waters. To 'heso
waters we should look for suggestions for ihe su".V
ure that IS TO house the exhibit. To 60 inianu io
a site for the Fair is to do what has been done III a
other instances. To go to the shores OF our 800
Bay or to the Bay itself, opens at once posspn'''
for something striking and unique.
Let US imagine a great fleet vi barges sh oho.
our Bay. forming by suitable connections coh''n"
Gus structure-a new industrial Venice OF tuo ''.
lofty, spacious, a vast floating palace, or se"es %
palaces, such as the sun has never shone upon nv
steamer Puritan is 400 feet long and nearly NV
feet wide Let us imagine twenty or thirty pas'
twice this length and twice this width, each ano'
separately, all connected by spacious foot"Vs' %
mounted by wen devised superstructureS anu
ample landing stages at each end OF the neeN -
details Of such series OF structures we need ho
consider. our engineers would know how 10 s"oiv
fees which shall arise from the decks Win 'o"'0
minarets, domes or whatever else that wouIu p"Ao
the picture splendid. There IS long suoUn -
shallow water Tying TO the right OF Bedo" is'
toward the Jersey shore. Here our meet cou-u ~
anchored close to, but little apart rom '"0
of traffic 1t would be not than fifteen MN
utes distant from the city by steamboat. Inc ease
and comfort with which the nun
dreds OF thousands Of visitors 'oU'I ,
be carried to the Fair thus situated, must coilen'
the plan in this particular to every one ~"
sanitary advantages of the situation is another go
point In IT'S favor. The air would always Do noSn'
cool and delightful. And then great problem Al
any inland place would be the drainage anu us
position of refuse. In our water palaces 'ii''
problem would present the minimum OF d6iculty'
But the supreme advantage would DO III Tue
originality of the plan. 1t would strike the world
as something audaclous and brilliant, and set every
country talking about it. This would MAKE rne
s ss9ess' Obstacle Sb ' is ' one Of cost The
representatives OF such group OF marine paS o
land which in either must be Of iron and GAS
But the of the hus or wooden iounuauo,, iot
on land. This excess, however. would be a s ma,
matter compared to the pres tige OF such "a plan. WIN
all It's ADVANTAGES OF healthfuness and accessibility
There will, Of course, be an outbgst OF opposition
TO this suggestion Many persons VIII see IN tae
ect nothing but fooshness' But a DnS. or less
bitter. The Eiffel Tower at Paris before 4 was
built rdiculed the world over; now thai rori u
IS brilliant success all the WolIu
admires and applauds It, The cautious and the con,
servatiye viii want our fair 10 stick to GROUND
that has been tested but there not with us enough
love of the original and the daring, of the dasning
and the brilliant, to welcome and approve plan una,
would be as practically advantageous as II wOmn. d
be brilliant and ihIque2 But II It Is found reany
impracticable to build this Industrial city Of the
sea, these magnificent palaces Of the waters, let us
at least not forget our seaside situation Al not
upon the waters of the Bay then upon the shores
OF the Bay industrial edifices standing
partly upon the shore and partly seawalls They
would be mi-marine in character and have many
of the advantages, If less daring and unique, Oh
| floating structures such l have Indicated 49,
New-York, July "a 1859. y. IL u.