The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-03

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CHICAGO, Aug. 2.-The fog which has
enveloped the worlds fair project is slowly
dissipating; or, rather, it IS coudensIng int
monster more OF less uncouth or beautiful
as the case NAY be.
The lake front of Chicago-thst is, a lake
front or frontages somew here-is to be the
site of tins worlds Columbian exposition.
That is an assured fact.
Further than this, all is absolutely in
choate. True. the national commission here
accepted jackson park and the lake front as
united site. But the proportions thereof
no man knoweth. and who can prophesy
beyond the wrangles of the city council and
the fairs directorate!
In the movement made so far, the alleged
Chicago vim has been conspicuous by Its
absence. A good deal of time in which the
exposition should have teen exploited
abroad has dwindled away, and only now
is the swing of conquest beginning TO De
apparent in the movement of the directory.
As for the details of legislation, and other
efforts necessary to perfect the titles 10
the parks for exposition purposes, ana Tor
raising the added sums required, they are
still incomplete.
The trouble seems to be that the directory
have shown a gorgeous lack or the famous
Chicago dash and dlscrim nation In dlvld-
ing the work to be done, they apportioned
il among committees Of prominent citizens.
So lar, so good The men were reliable,
good III their fields and famous in business
affairs, all of them, but very many wholly
uniformed on the subject work Of their
special committee. The lack of tact thus
exhibited is something spectacular. Only
4. :.
directors hold hut for one year, and another
twelve mouths Tay see great change IN
the personnel.
Tie adaptability of the double-headed
site chosen for the fair is scarcely TO be
questioned. By such an arrangement all
the departments win not be grouped to-
gether so as to congest the great heart of
the city Instead the nam features VIII be
separated sufficiently to afford background
for their magnitude 1t is estimated that
much more extensive area than that pro-
vided at Paris will be required for the
Columbia exposition. hence the question
OF fitness has come TO be largely one of
territory.
jackson park is a very beautiful park
lying on the lake front II affords I'M
limited space and advantages of magnlii-
cent sea wall. The extent of Jackson park
is about 80 acres, nearly half Of 1t admlra-
bly, improved, while the other half IS still Ia
its primitive state That is TO say, 1t is
prairie land ard swamp. 1t is undeveloped
and UNFRAMED, but with proper attention is
capable of being transformed into a splendid
park, Offering west frontage and outlet of
two miles in length.
But there is one objection. 1t is a long
way from the city. Fully six miles as the
crow flies from tine court house.
The lake front (Which is really the only
name attaching to n portion of the central
part of the city, is within easy reach of
everybody 1t has a natural communica-
ton with jackson park, both being on the
lake shore and less than half an hour serv-
ing for steamer transportation. There are
also cable car and railroad tracks between
the two, and an elevated railroad to cover
the distance in eight minutes is already
approaching completion.
From the situation, however, it is almost
certain that a fleet of steamers would spring
into being at the advent of the fair ana
become the popular mode of transportation.
The lake front, so called, has been at
once the most praised and the most abused
of all the proposed sites. Being directly in
the heart of the town, it is feared by many
that holding the fair there would materially
affect the business of the city.
One of the popular errors concerning the
lake front has been that it was composed
wholly and solely of a strip of forty-two
acres between the illinois Central railway
and Michigan avenue Whereas, many
years ago, the United States engineer
established the line to which the lake
could be ultimately filled as $50 feet.
The cost of thus creating a sutfi-
Gent area to meet the demands of the
exposition has been argued against
the situation. But it is known that tho
water is comparatively shallow where the
filing is to be made, averaging only 10 feet.
1t is also thought probable that the material
from the great drainage canal connecting
Lake Michigan with the Illinois river Ia
work which In itself will cost from $40
OO0,00O to $30,000,000 may be utilized to
fill ii the lake front to the desired extent
Through such means it is possible to make
the lake front represent rather more tnah
one-third of a mile east of Michigan
avenue, bou ded on the north by Randolph
and the south by Twelfth streets, or 260
acres, with a space of 273 acres for harbor
purposes inside of the government break
water.
with imposing structures. A row of hand
some hotels, including the Richeieu, tho
Leland and the Auditorium stretch on one
side, and in front the government pier.
However the buildings and Ornamental
tons may be ultimately arranged It is
certain that the limited sites, embracing an
aggregate of 600 acres, will present a
-I-e-SNA4ANSS NHSCl AIOdId9b anu ldClllLleS.
Right before the exposition buildings will
lie the blue water covered with cosmopol-
ltan fleet, and presenting the grand specta-
Gle OF the greatest lake shipping in the
world
Such a navigable water front and harbor
are full of marine and aquatic possibilities
If, too, as IL has been proposed, the tracks of
the Illinois Central railroad are moved to a
hue east LOCO feet from Michigan avenue,
then lowered ni4e feet below the level OF
that thoroughtare, and the space thus va
Gated be filled up, there will remain beau
tlful and permanently located park of
which the city " Ill be the direct beneficiary.
No one denies the convenient accessible
ity of the lake front to ali Corners But
there are other criticisms. Probably the
most potent Is tha6 people could not walk
out from the eXposit on into the lake with
any degree of comfort. So that the exits
would be rele gated to one side, and the people
could only get out by way of the twelve
streets running west. This is equal to
twelve doors to an exposition of many mill
ions.
One of the most prachc able of the nanv
plans suggested for relieving this congestion
of travel is that of elevated sidewalks on
the aforesaid twelve streets. The sidewalks
would be placed one above another on each
side of the streets, as berths are placed one
over the other IN an ocean steamer. 1t
would double or treble the accommodation
for pedestrians at the one time, and the
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