Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-25

~ STS thing, and while the
s<1SS,1e \ s. dragon roars defiance
and refuses to be re-
strained they and try to raise money enough
to build fence around him. Naturally enough
the central heart of the great fair will come
from Washingto ton, and this il is which is in the
most advanced stage of preparation. The one
Characteristic of the government exhibit will
be Its pictorial character. 1t viii be like vast
cyclorama of painted illustrations and plastic
figures, graphic blending Of the imitation and
the real The finest and most precious of Unclt
Sans souvenirs will be there, SO grouped by
artists as TO be striking object lessons illus
trative Of our progress.
There have been innumerable paragraph,
about it and diffuse descriptions of parts of it
let me give you birds eve view of the Who'll,
remarkable Washington exhibit as matureG
this week.
THE TITLE DEEDS OF LIBERTY
The pivotal feature of the fair will be thu
priceless relics OF our revolutionary history
documents which many people visit Washington
to see-the Declaration OF Independence this
petition to King George, the articles of con.
federation, the commission of Washington and
his farewell address, the Constitution = al
originals A vast steel safe has been constructed
| for these, a special car has been assigned to
transport it, and around it will remain from
first to last. in night and day relays. detail Of
| soldiers with loaded muskets So any robbers
VINO contemplate Charley Rossing these patriotic
pets had better think at least twice before Mt.
tempting ii.
AS an appropriate setting for these natal
jewels Will be emblazonment of the great
seal of the United States. our most important
foreign treaties, the purchase papers of Louis
lana, Florida. northern Mexico and Alaska, the
Official documents of Washington, Jefferson
Hamilton and Franklin and vast combination
OF brilliant draperies illustrating The growth OF
the nag from george Washingtons coat OF
arms through John Paul Jones gonfalon and
the evolution of the present constellation from
the thirteen-star flag by Capt. Sam Reid.
NO reilcs OF the civil war or OF international
wars will be exhibited at Chicago, except such
as are necessary to mark steps in industrial
progress.
RELICS OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
Near the State Department exhibit above
mentioned will be arranged the extraordinary
collection OF Americana i'll charge of W. L.
Curtis OF the bureau of American republics.
what on earth is this?'' asked him, taking
mold OF ten-foot shaft of rusty iron with n bic
ring at the top of it, that leaned against the
wan IN ms museum OF antiquated things on
Lafayette square.
AN anchor" he said, ':minus the fukes. This
If verified by the Spaniards. who many vears
ago found IT near the ruins OF Columbus old
fort at La Navidad. to be the very anchor of
his Tag ship, the Santa Maria, which, you know.
went 10 wreck there and persisted on Christmas
DAY, l492. Bits of the vessel have been found
there from time to time, and this il given us
arrested by experts as most precious and
genuine relic of Columbus"
! asked Mr.. Curtis if he didn't think the
hlkes might have been bitten OFF by a
"haie mat had lost his own, but he did not hear
me ana Went on: These granite cubes a foot
or so III diameter, are from the walls of the city
winch Columbus founded-Isabella-.h first
town III America. We have also a little brass
cannon left by Columbus at La Nayidad.
W course, you know" continued Mr.. Cur
exhibit will be the feet of three little caraveis
exact fac SMILES in form and size of Columbus
own, now being built in Spain-that country
paving for the Santa Maria and we for the
flnta and Nina. They will be finished this
summer and tow d over by Spanish man-of-
war In pleasant weather, kope." was then
shown several interesting portraits of the great
explorer and pictures of several of his fayorite
birthplaccs
Curtis has already collect led "Columbiana"
enough to gil two or three large buildings.
these include 1,S00 busts,, paintings. photo
grains and engrayings of Columbus and his
family and everybody that ever helped or him
dered him, and maps, charts, globes and dia-
grams that existed before he started from palos
on that lucky Friday. There are antioue
things dating back before 1892, nautical and
astronomical instruments, arms and armor.
DOCKS known to Columbus. an assortment
OF beads, hawks bells and other articles
used by him in bartering with the natives and
OF the stun received by him in return, speci-
mems OF their arms and clothes copies of the
first books about America and al, immense
numper OF pictures; books and relics of Cortcz
and pizarro and illustrations of the present
American republics. Oh. hurrying spectator,
here's two days work for you!
Ana close by the side Of the Santa Maria,
f1nta and Nina In the lake basins of the Chicago
fair Will lie the bigger ship of the Vikings, now
being built In Norway, like the ship in which
Len Ericsson discovered New England and
then lost his grip four centuries before Column
bus.
OUR WAR BALLOON SERVICE.
asked Gen. Grant Of the War Department
what novelties he was going to exhibit at Chi
cago, and he referred me to Capt. Thompson.
temporarily in charge.
"At least two that will be very striking"
he raid. ''We shall give the first national ex-
hibltlon OF war telephone service. From
headquarters will be run into the field radia-
ton OF telephones, the wires being paid out
from knapsacks on the backs of men who
hasten to the front wherever they are wanted.
Orders Will be sent instantly by telephone
instead OF slowly by mounted aids Connected
with this service will be q captive balloon
anchored to the ground by half inch cord con-
cealing wire within it, SO that the man in the
balloon can communicate instantly with head
quarters"
Heavens! If we had that concern at Bull
Hun when Johnston was coming!''
The great difficulty has formerly been to in
fate the balloon quickly" said Capt Thomp-
sen. "This will be effected now by new de-
vice. Three wagons will carry steel tubes to
store hydrogen gas under great pressure. with
valves to regulate the outflow. When the equip
ment comes into battery on the field the gas ia
discharged simultaneously into steel tank and
thence into the mouth Of the balloon for the
reconnaissance. 1t will be first publicly seen
and operated at the Chicago fair and is sure to
attract much attention from Europeans
BY the way, speaking Of balloons, there seems
likely TO be at Chicago a device for aying that
will excite as much interest as did Edison's
monograph and other inventions at Paris It
Is machine still in the hands of the inventor
In an adjoining state, but q few officers of the
here have seen it in action and are
satisfied that it contains in it the solution of the
great problem of navigating the air. 1t has
already made two or three trips between
adjoining towns, returning to the sterling
point with considerable precision when
the air was not quite still 1t il q |
very small continuance compared with those
gigantic inflated concerns with which men
have hitherto tried to travel in the air and de-