Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-09-03
Building the Fair.

them, on which the foundation work
has just been commenced, will be
something stipend 1t is the Hall
of Manufactures and Liberal Arts.
The site for this vast building is a
broad, highly situated plateau over
looking the lake. a railroad track
runs through its centre, and on each
side rise tremendous piles of lum Der,
iron and all sorts of construction ma
terial.
! \ similar scene is witnessed at the
other great buildings, on which furth-
er progress has been made. Within
the enclosure the Exposition site re-
sembles one vast work ground, sur
rounded by freight cars and lum Der
yards. Looking out towards the lake,
the breakwater, the long pier and
| foundation for the naval exhibit pres
ent the appearance of a mammoth
dOckyard.
Changed, indeed, is Jackson Park,
and those who visited it three months
ago would not know it now. A world s
workshop, employing an army of
builders, environed on three sides by
the foliage and flowers of the south
parks, and on the fourth by the inf
mite expanse of the lake.
The exposition site has undergone a
wonderful change since last spring.
Then it was soft marshy ground
shelving in irregular stretches to the
water line. Now it is firm level, a
smooth sandy surface upon clay sub
soil. a perfect and admirably inn
proved building site. The hundreds
of visitors who view the grounds can
not Immediately appreciate the i'm
mense difficulties that have been over
come and the great labor involved in
the earthwork accomplished on this
lake shore site. 1t is now a level sur
face to the line of the lake, a surface a
mile and half in length, and, at it's
southern extremity, nearly mile in
width. This has been created, graded
and leveled by constantly employing
small army of men and now, within
the six miles of fence that surrounds
buildings Is being pushed with cease
less activity.
| From the slight eminence already
known as administration hill, which
the lofty administration building is
destined to effectively crown, the OBJ
server can even thus early gain real
istic sense of the distinctive features
and general magnitude of this stu
he is practically in the centre of the
cites allotted to the principal build
ings and the system of terrace work
which will surround them. He is also
in the center of a complex network of
railway track, $4,000 feet of it extend
ing in every direction and connected
with the trunk lines by fifty switches
all of them in constant use. This sys-
tenn of railway is laid upon what, four
months ago, was wild park land I'M
touched by the first Improvement
The tracks are covered with cars, load
ed with lumber, iron and every de-
scription of building materials. These
roll into the ground increasingly and
are switched up to the buildings to
which the materials belong. Gangs
of men take hold with will and as il
by magic towering piles of material
rise in every section of the grounds
Mounted superintendents ride from
point to point urging things forward.
The word is crush" in every depart
ment and branch of construction.
The big buildings are beginning to
rise. Already some of the principle
structures are not only in evidence,
but progress on them is made from
day to day. Looking northwest from
the administration building the visit
or sees the Woman's Building, al
ready so far advanced that it looms UP
imposingly against it's back ground OF
park trees.
I Rising in the vista are the Electric
on which the foundations are already
completed. Upon the sites of the
Horticultural and Transportation
buildings all preliminary work is com
pleted, and hundreds of tons of ma
terial are ready to be placed in posi-
ton.
Hundreds of men are engaged on
every possible sort of construction
work. Laying water-mains, electric
light plant, modelling for the exterior
decorative work and developing land
scape effects around the ornamental
waters.
A busy place indeed is the exposi
ton ground, and soon it will be as
busy by night as by day for the cleo
trio lighting necessary for night con
struction has just been arranged for.
FIom.one end of the grounds to the
other everything is pushed, and that
too, in all sections of the work. 1r
the landscape system, which include:
the lagoons, basins and ornamental
; waters, the breakwater and lake shore
terrace, the great pier and casino; IL
: fact all principal departments ano
even their minor divisions are being
, pressed forward with a business like
ambition thoroughly in accordance
l with the impelling spirit of this 81
r gantic enterprise.