Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-07-06
THE WORLDS FAIR.
Novel Sensations of a Ride on the
Great Ferris Wheel-The Art
Galleries Again.

huge piece of steel weighing 80 tons, and
the ends rest on two towers of iron 132
feet high. The entire wheel weighs 21OC
tons, and cost over $4,000. The problem
of moving so vast mass is solved easily
and understood at glance. The two
outside rims of the wheels mentioned
above have huge teeth on the entire ex-
tent, and at the bottom two endless
chains are turned by steam; the teeth on
the wheels are caught by the links of the
chain, and the wheel set revolving, exact
ly as the sprocket wheel of bicycle is
turned. One thousand-hOrse power is
required. A fee of fifty cents is exacted
for admission to one of the cars and for
this two round appropriate word) trips
are given. The wheel management would
do well to keep corps of persuaders at
the entrances, for hundreds of people,
after look at the towering structure
and the swinging cars, are frightened
away, and even hurry out of the vicinity,
fearing that the thing may topple over.
Each car is provided with guard, who
is instructed to talk as the ascent is be-
gun-to explain the construction of the
affair, and to point out objects of interest
below, in order to divert the attention of
nervous people from their fears, and pre-
vent panics. Few persons, even men,
are free from shaky feelings. One en-
tiers by platform at slight elevation.
The car is light and sunshiny, as there
are windows on all sides. The great iron
beams quiver and grOan, and you are off
on your trip; the motion is slow, differ
ing from that of an elevator. The SEN
sation is novel; it is swinging off into
space, rather than ascension. 1t is like
the feeling one would imagine for bal
loon trip. The car in righting itself gives
one an idea of instability, for it swings
somewhat beyond the perpendicular
Many women at these moments grow
pale, clutch the chair spasmOdically and
implore the guard to stop the thing and
let them Off But it is like embarking on
trip at sea; there is no getting ont un-
til the circuit is completed. You GO
up, up, up, an Overwhelming panorama
spreading before you.
Just below is the Midway, with its in
Vulnerable baZars and bands and beer
halls, and its colonies of seventy nations.
Farther away stand the buildings of the
Exposition, and beyond them Lake Mich
igan, stretching its blue for hundreds of
miles into the horizon. The city appears
merely as an indistinct mass of buildings
and smoke ten miles TO the north.
Stops are made at intervals to let out
or take on passengers into other ears,
and the most trying moments for nerv-
GUS people are when the start is again
made, for that noise of quaking machin-
cry is not reassuring when one is 250 from
the earth, hanging in swinging car. 1t
is hardly -nnssiiiA that thare is any dan
ger of fall, but it would be inconve-
nient if something went wrong with the
machinery, and left one dangling there
for day or so without food or drink.
But those risks must be taken, and the
sensations of the trip are worth all they
cost. 1t is a good plan, if one grows
dizzy and excited, to cover the eyes for a
moment, or read paper. One is glad
when the trip is over, and he is again on
the earth; but he does not regret his
novel experience, for he can certainly
never have had similar twenty minutes,
and he is not likely to have it again.
There are in the art galleries 12S pic
lures belonging to private collections in
this country and loaned to the Exposi-
tion. Every painting is worthy careful
attention. A painter must also be a
poet. He must not only reproduce ma
ture with fidelity to its superficial appear
ance, but he must so accentuate certain
features as to reveal natures secrets, so
that bit of landscape should not merely
be copy of some intnitesimal portion
of the sea, earth or sky, peasant merely
a peasant; each should be typical and tell
to the beholder story of coarser or finer
issue, according as the painter is more
cOpyist or more artist. Nearly all the 12S
paintings referred to has each its story,
which only study can bring out. The
professional painter will, of course, study
these pictures with an eye to the techni
cal points, but the ordinary observer will
only concern himself to permit the Won
derful beauty and harmony of them to
pass into his soul. The art galleries at
the Fair are more nearly crowded than
any other buildings. Curious and unique |
things are passed with glance, the vast
spaces in the agricultural and horticul-
tural buildings have few visitors, ma
chinery and electricity draw experts and
specialists, crowds are often seen about |
Tiffany's great diamond, but no place is |
so generally overrun with sightseers as
the Art Galleries. The building itself is |
the most beautiful on the grounds, being |
of the Ionic architecture, and being put |
up to stay, when the other huge struc-
lures shall have been torn away. The |
board flights of steps-a feature which |
no other building has-greatly beautify |
its exterior, give it an air of permanence
and exclude the elsewhere omnipresent
rolling chair.
Belmont county people will be inter
ested in knowing that picture by the |
New York artist, Kenyon Cox, entitled
Flying Shadows" and representing a
landscape in the vicinity of Rock Hill, |
back of Bellaire, has place of honor.
1t is well hung in room 3, and is number
ed 306. Certainly there would be no
difficulty in recognizing in it typical
landscape of this region. Ravine, hill. |
side, pasture, fence, woods and sky are
true to life, and the coloring is especially
happy. Tie picture ought to adorn some