The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-13
SKILLINGS GETS 1T.
His Plans for Building at
Worlds Fair Accepted.
THE LONG CONTEST is OVER.
Supervising Architect Burnham at Chi
cago, to Whom Decision Was Be-
ferred, Adheres to His Opinion.

Word has been received in this city that
Mr.. Burnham, supervising architect Tor
the Worlds fair at Chicago. has fornally
approved the plans drawn by Warren r.
Skillings, of this city, and that design
will accordingly be the one adopted.
Percy W. Rochester, who is member OF
the executive committee OF the state
Worlds fair commission, was asked about
the matter yesterday but he said he had no
news whatever which could be published
Mr.. SkiIiings could not be found. Never
theIess the POsT-IyTELLIGENcER has
definite information that Warren Z. ski
lings is the lucky man.
The contest over the plans OF Mr.. Skill
ings and W. A. Richie has been long
and bitter one. The commissioners them
selves admit that the trouble was due IN
part at least to the fact that the advertise
ment calling for competitive designs was
not sufficiently explicit upon one point
Those IN general charge Of the Worlds
fair at Chicago made rule that no state
building should be erected until the de-
sign had received the approval OF the
board Of supervising architects there.
This rule was known both by the state
commissioners and the architects com
pe;ing. but the fact Of its existence vas
not formally set forth in the advertisement
When the plans were opened IN Seattle
last fall the state executive committee
awarded the first prize 10 ". A. RItchie
and the third 70 Warren P. Skillings, and
everyone thought that approval az Chi
cage would be merely formal, and that
Mr. Ritchie's building would be erected
there.
The committee directed Percy ". Ro-
chester, who had been one Of the warmest
admirers and advocates of the Ritcnle
plans, to take all the prize designs TO
Chicago. The supervising architect, Mr.
Burnham, submitted the Richie plan 10
seyerer test than had been applied by
the committee here. and, TO use Mr..
Rochester's words, declared it inferior IN
every way, and likely seriously 10 mar the
effect Of the surrounding buildings" Mr..
Burnham, on the other hand. gave the
Skillings plan his hearty Endorsement,
and said it was credit to the state"
Upon Mr.. Rochester's return nght
arose over the question whether Ny.
Richie or Mr.. SkiIings should oversee the
erection Of the building at Chicago. When
the committee met at Spokane a letter
was sent TO Mr.. Burnham asking him TO
suggest some mod fication Of Mr.. Ritchie's
plan that would be acceptable TO him He
replied that on careful consideration be
saw no reason TO change his opinion, but,
on the contrary, was more fayora0ly IN
pressed with the superiority OF the Skill
lings plan; and, as for Mr.. Ritchie's, it
must be modified from the ground up"
in order to be acceptable.
The committee met again in Olympia
January 16, but Thomas Cavanaugh and
Dr. :. 3. Conover made such violent OPP
position TO everything except the Richie
design that final decision was postponed
until February Is. On that occasion the
| executive committee met in North Yakima,
but the expectation that the plan would De
! chosen was no; realized. Though the ses-
sion was with closed doors, there is every
reason 70 believe that the meeting was
stormy. It is learned that four OF the
! commissioners. Dr.. y. q. B.alock OF
/ WalIa Walla, Dr.. g. Y. Calhoun Of Ia
/ Conner, Percy ". Rochester Of this city,
| and W. L. La Toilette of Whitman county,
| favored the plans of Warren P. SkIllings,
| and four were for ". \. Richie. namely:
| Thomas H. Cavanaugh OF Olympia, DR.. ;.
| B. Conoyer of Port Townsend, 7. r.
/ Grimes OF Ellensburg, and P. c. Kaufman
/ was deadlock resulting in q resolution
| asking both Mr.. Sklllings and Mr.. Richie
| TO prepare if they choose two sets of uodi-
fcations OF their designs. These were 70
| be forwarded TO the supervising architect
| at Chicago, and his decision in the matter
/ was 10 be final.
| There IS a marked difference between
/ the designs of Mr.. Richie and Nj. Skill
I ings. The state commission, while &C.
/ knowledging that the exterior Of Mr..
/ Skiliings' building was far more unique
I and characteristics, defended its decision
( on the plea that the ground plan Of Mr..
/ Richie afforded more room for the dis
( play OF the various. state products.
| But Mr.. Burnhsm, when shown the
! Richie plan declared fatty that he would
I not have the structure on the fair grounds.
| In his opinion it was far too common
/ place He said he could show dozen
/ ward schools in Chicago and 2 dozen
/ country courthouses and jails in Illinois
! built in the same general style. He
/ further added. tha; the interior Of the
/ SkilIings building and the ground plan
/ could be easily altered 70 suit the state
! commission.
/ The lower part Of the walls Of the build
! ing Of NJ. SkIllinss viii be made of huge
/ logs, showing the Washington timber in
/ the rough. The main entrance Will be an
/ arch OF the various building stones OF the
+ state, the inner side OF the arch being
! 4 grotto containing specimens Of the min
| erals Of Washington. Above the roof
rises tall mast of FIR, upon which are TO
! be rugged some huge spa-s and other ship
timbers. Into the structure Will be
/ worked ship knees. as well as the various
/ kinds of Washington lumber, finished and
/ unfinished. The whole structure . beau
/ tiful and striking, and will without doubt
/ attract wide attention from the visitors 70
I the Worlds fair.