Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-05
THE MAIN BUILDINGS.
A SKgTCHY ACCOUNT OF THEIR MOST CON-
SPICUOUS FEATURES
The Administration, Liberal Arts, Fins Arts, igrl-
cultural, Horticultural and Woman's
Edifees Hastily Reviewed.
speeta. corsspondsne. Of The R.gls.sr.


there are two which particularly ap-
peal to the spectator by reason OF their
size. One is the Administration Build
ing, rich in detail, striking in design,
and substantial in construction, with
it's great dome rising TO height OF 200
feet. Although but temporary In It's
character, and only designed to serve
for the purpose OF the Fair, this build
ing will have cost more than haif mil
lion dollars when completed-and 1T has
been money well spent. But still more
imposing is the great edifce to be de-
voted to Manufactures and the Liberal
Arts. Designed by George B. Post, OF
New York, ii covers a space l,oOO oy
500 feet, or rather more than thirty
acres, aud including the galleries there
are forty acres Of floor space-big
enough for a respectable farm. At
guess, should say it encloses space
as long as from Tenth street
to the creek, and as wide
as from Market street TO
Water. Imagine such space covered
with pure white building of artistic
form, its roof towering to height of
2lO feet, and you have it. 1t occupies
an island formed by the lake on one
side, the grand basin on another, the
Lagoon on the side opposite the lake,
and the channel connecting the Lagoon
with the lake on the fourth. Origin
ally intended to to have its four sides
surround a central open court, Its
utility has been enormously increased
ana it's majestic effect greatly enhanced
by covering the proposed court with
roof, resting on trusses with span
of $50 feet-the largest ever built.
This roof is stupendous affair. Viewed
from the end, it gives the impression
of dome; from the side or Quarteting
that of a gigantic turtle back, and on
a sunny day the new boards which
cover the trusSes take on SO
much of the giimmer Of gold
that many casual spectators have
lett the grounds with the impression
that it was giided. In reality the boards
are not even painted, but are rapidly
being covered with ordinary tin roofing,
and as the workmen lay the tiny strips
in place, il seems the task allotted to
them Of covering that vast eXpanse was
an intermlnable one, and that they
would never finish the work. Standing
q couple of hundred yards away from
the walls of the building the workmen
on the roof seem but insects quarter
of an inch high, and it is only by COM
pairing the moving atoms with the
building itself that one can gain a pro-
per conception of its real size. Inside
this roof covers an open hall 1,275X4OO
feet, an apartment which is without a
rival in It's SpaciousneSs. As an idea OF
its extent, twenty cathedrals like the
one on Eoff street could be put down
within l., s,eepes and all complete, and
still there would be plenty Of room TO
spare. The floor Of this vast hall
will be trayersed by regular system OF
streets, each of which will be named.
that in the center being designated as
Columbia avenue. IL will be fifty feet
broad, and u third of q mile long. The
decoration of this Cyclopean editice is
com plicated, tasteful and striking. The
long lines OF the four facades, with their
scores OF graceful COrinthian orders, Is
saved from mOnOtOny by the eight grand
payiiions at the corners and in the cen
ter of each front, each atiOrding noble
entrance. The ceilings Of these en-
frances form domeS, which will be dec
GRATED IN original designs by eight lead
ing American painters: Messrs. Snir-
law, Simmons, Kenyon Cox, BI8shdeld,
Reid, McEwen, Brickwlth and Weir.
More nearly completed than any other
edlGce is the refined and stately WO-
mans Building, which stands on the
western side Of the Lagoon. Designed
by Miss Sophia Hayden, Of Boston, - Is
a structure OF graceful and pleasing APP
pearance and attracts q large measure
OF popular attention. The decorations
OF the exterior are strikingIY effective,
notably the tasty friezeof cupids which
surround the cornice, and the similar de-
signs about the entrances.
Not far away Is Mr.. c. Z. McKim's
contribution % the Fair architecture In
the shape OF the beautiful Agricultural
Building. It. is complete as to the ex-
terror, save for the placing OF some Of
the Martini sculptures. The design Is
simple yet graceful, and the main en-
trance, with its tall COrintbian columns
and appropriate decorations of agricul-
tural subjects, is strikingly handsome.
The graceful dome which tops the build
ing is surrounded at It's base by circle
of turkeys in bold relief, while the top
is to be crowned by statue OF Diana,
to be brought from New York City. All
along the exterior are bas-reliefs of
plants, fruits and other conventional
agricultural objects. The interior deco
rations will be very handsome, and the
whole edifice will afford a fine field for
detailed and careful study.
The Tran portation Building is a
noble pile, the effect of which is married
by the badly proportioned statues OF in
ventors at either end. The figures are
far too small for the size OF the house,
and standing as they do upon small
pedestals along the railing which sur
rounds the porticoes, suggest small boys
in groteSQue costumes in the act OF
walking fence. The noteworthy
feature OF the Transportation Building
is the main entrance, superbly con-
ceived and executed, and the effect Of
which is very satisfactory. This en-
trance is Moorish in design, and is to
DE covered entirely with gold leaf, max
ing ii a most conspicuous object. -.
The Mining Building, designed by s.
S. Beman, of Chicago, the architect OF
the model town OF Pullman, is practi-
cally finished. Il lies between the Ad-
ministration building and the Electric
ity and Transportation buildings, and
is largely used, a. present, as a tempo
rary storehouse for the gigantic pieces
of sculpture aud statuary designed TO
decorate the entrances OF some Of the
buildings, or the grounds az large.
CT -. L.. w.. -. D..llAlrrz Is Tho