The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-09
FAMOUS WORLDS FAIR,
TIE FIRST WAS THE ONLY ONE =
PAY ITS OWN EXPENSES.


All the Rest Have Proven Unpro,
able in a Direct Pecuniary Sens
Our CentenuiaPs Books Neai
Balanced. Though.
From the Chicago IN 'er Ocean.
All the world knows, or should kn,
that the first worlds fair had its Origin
the idea of Prince Albert, the husband
Queen Victoria. but only a very few c.
paratively are aware that it stands alons
the only enterprise Of the kind which 4
its expenses. For it was erected the CrYl
Palace, which had 90 acres Of ground urr
cover. The fair was opened on the lst =
Of May, 1851. and the closing day was o.
Der II of the same year. The total nunr
of visitors was 6, nc, 600, an enormous til
for that period when London had way
smaller resident population than it has NJ,
and was not the universal house of call r
all the nations which it is at present.
The total expense of the enterprise.
Guiding that wonderful structure, the Or
tal Palace. covering twenty acA
was 81, 464, 900, and the receipts were go. L
GLE. which left a net profit of 1861. q
action by the great success at London, hast,
vot up an imitation exhibition, which "
opened July IA, 1858. and was closed on b
10th of the next November. it was
trif1ing affair, having only five and thre
fourths acres under roof, but the Preside
of the United States, Franklin Pierce. a.
the members of his cabinet were eutic
into taking part in the opening ceremonie
The cost Of the undertaking was reporte
to be $500, 200, but no account of the n
ceipts seem to have been given by anybod
TO anybody; possibly some alderman of ii
period put them in his pocket aud valks
away with them, notwithstanding the fat
that, after the closing on Nov. Il
1853, 1t was reported that the number q
visitors had been 6O0,0 If every one I
that number had paid for admission thef
would have been large deficit, but as d
receipts at all appear In the statistics of tn
exposition, its amount has never been as
certained.
THE FIRST PARIS EXPOSITION
After the New York failure came I'll
first of the Paris expositions, which ha
thirty acres under cover. and, having bee
opened May Is, 1855, closed on Nov. Is, i
the same year. Louis Napoleon was the
IN the hight Of his power; Paris was enioy
ing its most prosperous days, and its gay
est since the earlier years of its great en-.
perer, the first Napoleon, yet the expositfo
was most dismal financial failure. the cot
being 81, 100000, the receipts only $64O, S.
although the number of visitors is stated q
have been 4,5S3, 464. Napoleon lie PETIT
must nave had an unlimited supply &
"deadiead" tickets, and have given then
out to al corners to make such a showiuy
as thatbossible The deficit which was let
for oh tNaN ..
become thing of the past was So, 359. los
Sevenyears after the Paris f1asco Londm
again enered the field with the worlds fir
OF 1862, which opened May l and clos,d
Nov. 10. In the amount of floor spaee
1t was almost an exact reproduction
or the fomer exposition at London. the
space undr cover then being twenty.three
acres, and this second instance twenty
four acres. The fair had 6,211, 1O3 visitors
the cost vas 81, 300, 600, and the receiuts
were overS2, 042 900, leaving a: deficit Of
S25l ,S49, mere tritle compared with the
void whictthe Frenchnen found after they
had settledlhe accounts of 1855.
But the fench, in no wise dismaved by
the tormerlisaster, and moved to emula-
tion by ia comparative success of the
british capal, again came forward with a
universal xposition In 1867, which was
opened Apll l and closed Oct. 81 following.
IL was the argest in area used for any Of
these affais up to that time. having forty
ana one-haf acres under cover. The exhi.
bltlon was lore complete than any of its
predecessor, but it resulted, although the
visitors numbered $4,000 in a financial
disaster. forohe cost being 81, 500, 76S, while
the receiptsvere So, 106 $50, there was an
enormous ddcit of $22, 400, 0ss to cause an
unlimited mount of struggling of French
shoulders OR the outcome.
Not beingwarned by this disaster the Aus.
trlans next 'entured upon the worlds fair.
Their "shov" which was at Vienna. was
opened Mayl and closed Oct. 13 in 1873
out they haze never been rich enough to re-
peat their vnture. The fair had covered
area OF hftysix acres. could b. asst of 1856
co. visitors but the expenditures being
S9'ooo ,OOO, he receipts were only 81, O32, $50.
leaving the'rightful deficit of SS,Sl7 go
IL Is not strnge that since they had that
experience he Austrinns have never limited
at an intention of having another worlds
fair.
OUR CENTENNIAL.
Our centAnial exposition at Philadelphia
came next II the list of worlds fairs after
lhe WoruI Austrian experience, and although
not a pronounced financial success was
vastly nearer being such than the Austrian
venture. The centennial was opened Nav
~, 1876, AMI was closed on Nov. 10 next, in
tne meantime having been open to visitors
On 10Y days The tota! nnmbar of adnlis-
SONS was 9,sl0, 1866, OF which number ,9o6.-
o9S mad free admission and 8,004,247 paid,
tne financial outcome being about even,
wnen IL Is remembered that the city
VI Philadelphia came into possession
Vi tne main exposition building
' tne arV palace, both handsome and per-
structures. The days of largest at
tendance at the centennial we're as follows.
opening day, May 10, 76. 712; Sept. 9, go, 1884 !;
Sept. 20, 10l ,49S; Sept. %, which had been
GSeslgnated as Pennsylvania day, 274, 9l9;
1ep5. gu, luz, 1856; Oct. IS, 124, III; Oct. 25,
I11o,9oo; Oct q, $3.50; Nov. /, 107, MS;
nov. <, 10, 29S; Nov. 8, 9O,5S8, and Nov. 8,
%nlch hao been announced as Philadelphia
LAY, no, fo5. These figures show that
Sne PUBIC interest ia the exposition did not
"ane curing the whole time of its continu-
aance' put the SANG fact is more plainly
aeciaTeo by the statement of admissions
sacn month; Average daily attendance for
hIiay, 20, TO; june, 36, 622; July, "a, 1853;
inS 5lS' %, $50; September, 90, 8S4; October,
,,n, and during the nine days in No
GU uer mat the exposition was open 115,3l5
p :; sohS We're admitted. There were the two
! ICES ICES OF on cents and IS cents charged for
fo TO the centennial, the latter being
LOT children, and the total amount taken ia
~ The ticket Offices was s.. SI3. TAG so
:, ue expenses we're some what larger than
vnn amount, but neither the United States
, Nv. Cle stockholders lost anything, and the
III paretlVely small deficit was more than
L' nianced by the value of the permanent
oullulngs OF which Philadelphia, as stated,
, yISS"ule the owner by purchase after tEs