Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-09-02
Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1891.
Building the Columbian Exposition.

IL takes fence six miles long tC
enclose the Worlds Fair buildings
All these structures are to be of extra
ordinary dimensions, but the largest OF
them, on which the foundation work
has Just been commenced, will be some
thing stupendous. 1t is the hall OF
manufactures and liberal arts. The
site for this vast building is broad,
highly situated plateau overlooking
the lake. A railroad track runs
through its center, and on each side
rise tremendous piles of lumber, iron
and all sorts of construction material.
A similar scene is witnessed at the
other great buildings, on which furth-
err progress has been made. Within
the enclosure the Exposition site re-
sembles one vast work ground, sur
rounded by freight cars and lumber
yards. Looking out toward the lake,
the breakwater, the long pier and
foundation for the naval exhibit pre-
sent 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 worlds
work shop, employing an army of
builders, environed on three sides by
the foliage and flowers of the south
parks, and on the fourth by the infin-
ate expanse of the lake.
The exposition site has undergone a
wonderful change since last spring.
Then it was a soft marshy ground
shelving in irregular stretches to the
water line. Now it is a firm, level, a
smooth sandy surface upon clay SUBJ
soil. A perfect and admirably i'm
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 level sur
face to the line of the lake, surface
mile and half in length and, at its
southern extremity, nearly mile in
width. This has been created, grad
ed and leveled by constantly employ
ing small army of men, and now,
within the six miles of fence that sur
rounds it, the work of constructing the
great buildings is being pushed with
ceaseless activity.
From the slight eminence already
known as administration hill, which
the lofty administration building is
destined to crown, the observer can
even thus early gain realistic sense
of the distinctive features and general
magnitude of this stupendous under
taking. At this point he is practical,
ly in the center of the sites allotted
to the principal buildings and the sys.
tenn of terrace work which will sur
round them. He is also in the center
of complex network of railway track,
$4,000 feet of it extending in every
direction and connected with the trunk
lines by fifty switches, all Of them in
constant use. This system of railway
is laid upon what, four months ago,
was wild park land untouched by the
first improvement. The tracks are
covered with cars, loaded with lumber
iron, and every description of building
materials. These roll into the grounds
increasingly and are switched up to
the buildings to which the materials
belong. Gangs of men take hold with
a will and as if by magic towering
piles of material rise in every section
of the grounds. Mounted superintend-
ents ride from point to point urging
things forward. The word is rush
in every department and branch Of
construction.
The big buildings are beginning to
rise. Already some of the principal
structures are not only in evidence
but progress on them is marked from
day to day. Looking northwest from
the administration building the visitor
sees the Womans' building, already SC
far advanced that it looms up impos-
ingly against its background of park
trees.
Rising in the vista are the Electric
ity and Mines and Mining buildings
on which the foundations are already
completed. Upon the sites of the
Horticultural and the Transportation
buildings all preliminary work is com.
pleted. and hundreds of tons of mate
rial are ready to be placed in position
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 az
busy by night as by day for the cleo
trio lighting necessary for night con
struction has just been arranged for.
From one end of the grounds to thu
other everything is pushed, and that
too, in all sections of the work. Ii
the landscape system, which includes
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