Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1892-03-17
The Chicago Worlds Fair.

Are also ours. understand.
The Chicago Worlds Fair.
Very few people seem to know
how much has already been done
toward making the Worlds Fair in
Chicago in 1898 a success. Not only
have the plans been practically COM
pleted, not only have representatives
visited all important foreign coun-
tries, and there enlisted the interest
aud sympathy of Governments and
prospective exhibitors, but already
considerable proportion of the
actual work of construction is fin
ished, and the rest is under way and
being pushed toward completion as
rapidly as the skill and strength of
the many thousand workmen
employed will permit. Colored litho-
graphs are now on exhibition here
and there of an officially published
picture which shows how the entire
exposition will look when it is COM
pleted. In looking at these pictures
one is struck most OF all with the
fact that there is strong suggestion
OF Venice in the numerous canals
and lagoons with which the site of
the fair is diversified Mr.. Julian
Ralph, speaking OF this phase OF the
subject in a recent articlein Haoper's
-Nago=ine-to which We are indebted
for much OF the information here
included = says: "'rhe beautiful
waters of the system of lasoons pass
every one OF the main buildings, and
all but surround some OF them. On
their surfaces all the palaces will be
reflected, and at night the water will
duplicate the full brilliancy OF this,
the second of the Worlds Exposi-
tions which electricity has rendered
yiewable after dark.The .s..v.
:, by the way, will be shot with
nliant light by scores of electric
.-nps placed in its depths. a hun
drel gondolas brought from Venice
will loaf luxuriously along these
liquid avenues, to be distanced con-
temptuously by myriad of swift
launches. Their motions on the
waters surface will but feebly im;-
tate the fast-gliding artificial deni-
zens of the deep which skilled cleo
tricians plan to send hither and
thither by means OF delicate machi-
merry urged by power stored in the
bodies of the toys. At night, when
the eyes OF these submarine monsters
and beauties are lighted by electri-
city, they will add strange feature
to the general spectacle"
in the center OF the largest lagoon
lies an island of several acres in
ovtent called the Wooded Island. on
which no buildings will be placed.
The design is to make OF it a cool
retreat, diversified with flowers and
shrubbery, in which visitors may
rest if they choose. A long pier
reaches out into Lake Michigan from
an artificial sandy beach. A colos-
sal and graceful statue of Columbia
will be prominent feature OF the
landscape. In the lake Itself will
lie a model of modern war-vessel.
The buildings themselves are deci-
dedly varied in the style of their
architecture, the board OF directors
having wisely distributed the work
among the architects of highest repu-
tation in different cities of the coun-
try. It is understood that an homo
rariune of $4,000 each was paid to
ten of the architects of highest repu-
tation who entered the competition.
The site to be occupied by the
exposition buildings includes $40
acres, with tract of 400 acres more
adjoining it, which may be used in
whole or in part, if necessary. This
gives ample space between the build
ings, as well as for the water system
of which we have already spoken.
1t is proposed, we may say here, to
build splendid permanent art build
ing in Chicago to commemorate the
exposition. 1t seems to be the uni
versal opinion that the most attract
i've edifce of all will be the admins
tration building, designed by Mr.. r.
NJ. Hunt, president Of the American
Institute of Architects. twill cost
in all about s55o,00o, will be $50
feet square and will consist of a cen
tral building surrounded by gilded
aemeef fne proportions and with
large square pavilicns at the corners.
The work on this building is already
well advanced.
A striking contrast in every way
te this edifee will be that devoted tc
manufacturers and liberal arts, in!
which size rather than architectural