Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-25
A SUBTERRkNEAN PALACE.
The Great Idea OF a Colorado Engineer Tor
ChicagO's Fair.
rCbicaro TrthuneI

Public-spirited Americans who want the
EifTel Tower outdone in some special at
traction of the Worlds Fair can now rest
in peace. Colorado has provided the
necessary designer in the person OF I'd
+. Bunne, mechanical engineer. Inc
Aspen man has placed his proposition III
writing.
The scheme contemplates the grandest
exhibit of the mineral resources of the
United States that the world has ever
known. and the placing of that exhibit ct
point fully 800, possibly 1000, feet under
the surface of the fairgrounds. The pro-
lector says:
u have looked over the ground and ex-
amined the geological features OF the
country and find the scheme practicable
and not extremely difficult of execution. L
find that solid rock underlies the city at a
point averaging only eighty feet below the
surface; that these lodges of rock crop out
below jackson Park and again on the
North Side: that the dip Of the strata ls to-
ward the lake, so that the water problem
would be principally one of surface drain
age. The most dlfficult point to be over
come is the layer Of quicksand that IS
under the hardpan and immediately over
the solid formation, but as 1t only averages
from six TO twelve feet IN depth the dlfil-
Guilty could readily be overcome. Once IN
the rock-bed the labor would be simple
aud easily done with modern mining APP
planes. The only possible thing that
would prevent complete success would be
TO find subterranean streams that would
be- larger than should expect. But hardly
enough water could possibly be found that
would become an obstacle to final success,
with present appliances for pumping That
the United States possesses,
1.-The sides of the shaft after completion
4 4. d uha fftF tod n
gether waterproof, and painted white or
cream color to give light. An iron stair
way with twelve-fOOt nests on one end OF
the shaft and a large pump compartment
at the other where all the steam, air, and
eiector pipes, as we'll as the water columns
would be placed. The centre of the shaft
would be supplied with six elevator-cars.
fitted up in the most elaborate style and
arranged with the hosting engines above
TO load and unload, and make full trip
every five minutes. SO that car would
start every minute, each car carrying
twenty-five people or more.
AT the bottom of this shaft corridor
would be run 400 feet long by 40 feet wide,
and subdivided. This corridor would be
marble tiled. with q sheet-iron or CORFU
gated-iron roof, and made perfectly dry by
drainage easily done while being con
structed), so that to all appearances II
would be subterranean palace. the shaft
and corridor being ablaZe with 1000 cleo
tric-lights.
Tho corridors would be museums of
beautiful specimens of ore in cabinets
along each side, while the centre columns
would in each separate part be display OF
some of the varied and magnificent build
ing-stones OF our great country. A bur-
nished column Of Tennessee marble here,
q carved column of Colorado marble there,
a
other place, sandstones, &c, all the various
kinds beng represented in this stately aud
serviceable row of supports. On the sides
of the grand corridor would be doors
twenty feet apart that would open into
drifts or levels At the end Of each drift
would be placed in position, rs nearly as
possible as found in nature, various ores
and products of the mines. Thus, one set OF
drifts would show the coal as it lays IN the
real mine. Another would show the silver
mine The carbonate silver ore OF Lead
vile, the rich ore of Aspen, could be seen
nearly as found III nature; the gold ore of
Montana, the copper ore of Michigan, the
iron and zinc ore, the hard and soft Goals
in fact, the side drifts would put person
apparently right among the underground
riches of the United States and III mine.
The drifts would be working The va
rious underground appliances in use In this
country would be seen In actual operation.
The electrical-drills. the air and steam
drills, would be seen in operation. he
rock would be shattered by giant powder
and all the high explosives that may seek q
medal at the Exhibition.
1T would be an investment that would
almost pay for itself. / figure that 10000
people lowest calculation) day would go
down TO such an exhibition at TWENTY-FIVE
cents apiece. or $500. 900 in 200 days. There
would be $4,000 worth of dirt extracted
from such an excavation If used in filling
up either of the parks. have no doubt
that $4,000 more could be obtained from
exhibitors, and in case the intention would
be 10 close the mines at the end Of the
exhibition there would be S25, 600 worth Of
machinery and applianeesleft."