Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-10
NO WILD WEST SHOW.
The Mammoth Iron Tent Scheme for
the Worlds Fair Ridiculed.
COL. ANDREWS GIVES HIS VIEWS.
He Would Have Built Separate Buildings
for Each Department.
AMERICAS FAME MUST BE PRESERVED

The proposed iron tent, to be 700 feet higt
and to cover 100 acres, in which it is pro-
| posed to hide Chicago's Worlds Fair, has
met with much favor, but this gloriou:
scheme, with its covered lakes. combination
race track and cattle show, is regarded by
others as brilliant idea for Wild West
exhibition or a mammoth dime museum, bui
as project for increasing the fame Of
America and the education OF her people il
is the object of much disfavor among the
leading thinkers of the country Among
them is Colonel Andrews, the well-known
engineer, OF this city.
He believes the whole idea of conducting
the fair in that manner is wrong, and thinks
it is the duty of America to make the ex-
hibtion of 1892 an educator, and not tumble
of curiosities and wonders piled up under one
roof after the manner Of goods on Scent
counter. Colonel Andrews was visited at his
home on Nunnery Hill last night, and in reply
to number of questions, he said:
IN DOUBT ABOUT THE FAIR.
"For some time have been thinking over
some suggestions as to how the Worlds Fair
ought to be conducted, but do not wish to
give it to the public until it completely settled
whether there will be Worlds FAIR or not.
The Senate is trying to amend the bill by insert
ing that Chicago must show bona fde SUBJ
scription of s10,000000 before the President
shall ask the foreign nations to take part: They
but it is doubtful whether it could ever
be collected. This is no more than right.
for Chicago should show some substantial
financial backing before the Government COM
mits itself. Then if the bill goes back to the
House it may take the fair from Chicago. That
city is my choice for the fair. do not favor
New York. The fair is for Americans, and not
for the Europeans. If they want to come to
America with their exhibits let them under
stand that they will have to travel 800 miles in
land before they reach the fair. 1t Is not a
necessity for us to make it convenient for them,
but to put it within the reach of every Ameri.
can citizen.
NOT CONDUCTED PROPERLY.
"When the fact that there is to be fair, and
its location is decided" the Colonel continued,
Il will make my suggestions. In the first place,
the present idea of conducting worlds fairs is
all wrong They have all been copied after the
idea first laid down by Prince Albert, when he
built the Crystal Palace Every affair of this
kind has been conducted on the same plan, and
none of them have produced the desired result.
Instead of putting everything under one roof,
jumbling the exhibits all together until the
spectator who has visited the affair cannot re-
member anything he has seen. make the fair
an educator. Classify everything and place
each division in a separate house. Take, for
instance, electrical inventions and appliances.
Have a separate building for them, and put
there all the known appliances, inventions and
machines which belong to that department.
Do not place them behind railing, and don't
have some of them in motion and some quiet.
1t should be quiet place where the electrical
student and the inventors and mechanics can
come and quietly inspect everything without
being pushed along with the crowd.
SOME THINGS NEEDED.
THE place should have tables and writing ma
terials where they could take notes. After
such an inspection those men could go to their
homes and bring out inventions greater than
any before known. In all other departments
the same plan could be carried out, and
America would take a bound forward that
would be wonderful.
II have attended all the exhibitions of this
kind except two, and l do not know of any
great results having followed them. / spent
six weeks at the Paris Exposition and the only
thing can remember distinctly about any of
the exhibits is paper machine. and only re-
member it from the smell which was connected
with it. The plans for conducting such exhibit
tions should be changed"