The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-04
Ground For the Building May Soon
Be Broken on Chicago's
Lake Front.
Valuable Time Slipping Away and
Little Work Accomplished
Thus Far.
suggestions Pouring in From Evary.
where-A View OF the Pro-
posed Sites.

1
enveloped the Worlds Fair project, il
slowly dissipating; or. rather. it is con-
densing into a monster more or less un-
oouth or beautiful as the case may be.
The Lake Front Of Chicago that is, q
lake front or frontages somewhere lis to be
the site Of the Worlds Columbian Exposi-
tion.
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 proper
tions thereof no man knoweth, and who
can prophesy beyond the wrangles of the
city council and the fairs directorate
In the movements made so far, the al
legged Chicago vim has been conspicuous by
it's absence. A good deal of time in which
the Exposition should have been exploited
abroad. has dwindled away, and only now
is the swing of conquest beginning to be
apparent in the movements of the direc-
tory. As for the details Of legislation and
other efforts necessary to perfect the titles
to the parks for exposition purposes, and
for raising the added sums required, they
are still incomplete.
The trouble seems to be that the direc-
tory have shown Il gorgeous lack of the IA
nous Chicago dash and discrimination.
In dividing the work to be done they appor-
toned it among committees of prominent
citizens. So far, go good. The men were
reliable, good in their fields, and famous in
business affairs, all of them, but very many
wholly uniformed on the subject work Of
thus exhibited is something spectacular.
Only one result is possible. However,
these directors hold but for one year, and
another twelve months may see great
change in the personnel.
The adaptability Of the double,headed
questioned. By such an arrangement all
the departments will be groured together
SO as to congest the great heart of the city.
Instead, the main features will be separated
sufficiently to afford background for their
magnitude. 1t is estimated that much
more extensive area than that provided 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 very beautiful park
lying on the lake 'front.' It affords unlim-
tied space and advantages Of magnificent
sea wall. The extent of jackson park is
about SEQ acres, nearly half of it admirably
improved, while the other half .is still, in it,
primitive state. That is to say, it il prairie
land and swamp. It is undeveloped and
undrained, but with proper attention is ca
pable of being transformed into q splendid
park, offering west frontage and outlet of
two miles in length.
But there is one objection. II is long
way from the city. Fully six miles as the
crow flies, from the court house.
The Lake Front, (Which is really the only
name attaching to portion of the central
everybody. II has natural communion
tion 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
nA 1Soko Svp S~hk anti so nj H.,
approaching completion.
From the situation, however, it is almost
certain that a feet of steamers would spring
into being at the advent of the Fair and be-
come tho popular mode of transportation.
The Lake Front, go called, has been at
of all the proposed sites. Being directly in
the heart of the town it is feared by many
that holding the Fair there would material
~ affect the business of the city.
One of the popular errors concerning the
Lake Front has been that it was composed
acres between the Illinois Central railway
and Michigan avenue. Whereas, many
years ago, the United States engineer estab-
lished the line to which the lake could be
ultimately filed as $50 feet. The cost of
thus crea ting sufficient area to meet the
against the situation. But it is known that
the water is comparatively shallow where
the filing ie to be made, averaging only
ten feet. 1t is also thought probable that
the material from the great drainage canal
connecting Lake Michigan with the Illinois
river "a work which in itself will cost from
ten to thirty millions) may be utilized to
fill in the Lake Front to the desired extent.
Through such means it is possible to make
the Lake Front represent rather more than
one-third of mile east of Michigan avenue,
bounded on the north by Randolph and the
hek~o A. L
space of 27S acres for harbor purposes in
side of the government breakwater.
The Lake Front is already thickly lined
with imposing structures. row of hand
some hotels, including the Richelieu, the
Leland and the Auditorium stretch on one
side, and in front the government pier.
However the buildings and ornamental
tions may be ultimately arranged, it is GER
tain that the limited sites, embracing an
aggregate of COO acres, will present a match
less water frontage and facilities. Right
before the exposition buildings will lie the
feet, and presenting the grand spectacle of
the greatest lake shipping in the world.
Such naviRable water front and harbor |
are full of marine and aquatic possibilities. |
II, too, as it has been proposed, the tracks |
of the Illinois Central railroad are moved |
to a line east thousand feet from Mich
gan avenue, then lowered nine feet below |
the level of that thoroughfare, and the |
space thus vacated be filed up, there will |
remain beautiful and permanently locat- |
cd park, of which the city will be the di- |
rect beneficiary.
No one denies the convenient accessible |
ty of the Lake Front to all corners. But |
there are other criticisms. Probably the |
most potent is that people could not walk |
out from the exposition into the lake with |
any degree of comfort. So that the exits |
would be relegated to one side. and the peo |
pie could only get out by the twelve streets |
running west. This is equal to twelve |
doors to an exposition of many millions.