Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-10
One or the Other Fascinate the
Worlds Fair Visitors.
How the Great Exposition Swallows
Up the Crowds Of People.


uupleaSdut coi-Scst2ou VI humanity excepl
at the spots where sisht-seers are drawn
together by some magnet Of unusual
power. On the opening day, May LIST,
ll00. 900 people were within the gates. OF
course there was . tremendous crowd
around the grand basin and near the Ad,
ministration building during the cere.
monies. Every one wanted to be near the
president of the United States, the duke
Of Veragua and the other high dignitaries
But in the afternoon, after the president
and the other distinguished guests had
gone, the vast throngs scattered through.
out the grounds according to their bent
The vast exposition swallowed them up as
If they were flock of sheep turned loose
In forest.
This is not to be wondered at when we
stop to consider how large the fair is
Within the enclosure are nearly 600 acres
of ground. In the Midway plaisance OF
official side-show are eighty acres more.
OF the total number Of acres probably SOC
are occupied by buildings or are available
for the movements Of the crowds, the re-
mainder being waste land or covered by
the waters of the lagoons and ponds.
Since it is possible for 1900 people to
stand upon a single acre If compactly but
not incompactiy massed, it will be seen
that 500 or even 800 acres Of available space
will accommodate vast crowd of moving
wandering people. Here the buildings are
measured by the acre, and last fall when
the dedicatory ceremonies were held in the
leviathan known as Manufactures and
Liberal Arts, which Is a mile in circum-
ference, 10000 people looked lonesome
within its vast enclosure.
OF course $50, 900 people would now find
1t difficult to gain entrance to this build
ing. Then its farm-like floor was bare
save of Sc ats, while now it is an expanse
of palaces within palace, and these SOC
palaces rolled into one contain and repre-
sent fifty nations and twice as many mil
lions of dollars worth of goods and treas
ure. But before the exposition opened
saw at least 3 900 men and 800 teams and
wagons at work in this building together
with all their litter and paraphernalia,
and l have since seen 10000 men and
women and children wandering amid the
hundred millions of treasure without
crowding each other or anything.
Why, when building has a mile of cir
cumference, forty acres of floor and eight
miles of streets its capacity for swallow,
ing up human beings is almost limitless.
If you place man every ten feet through
put the length of these streets and alleys
you will need more than 1900 men; and if
you give to each man a family or group of
ten persons you have e grand total Of 40,
boo.
| Remembering, then, that within this
mighty hall of arches are only one-sixth
the floor acreage Of the whole exposition,
and that all out doors remains, one may
easily see that half million people may
easily and comfortably assemble within
and distribute themselves over the enclos-
pre without inconvenience from numbers.
l5ome of the nations represented here, and
.ichly and proudly represented, have not
so many inhabitants within their borders.
! Sometimes in watching the crowds |
have thought would give fortune, had
one to give, to be able to ascertain in
Some statistical form what the people
think of all that they see, what their emo
lions are, what impresses them most.
Since this is impossible we must follow
the only method open to us in learning
something of the sore of negative the
bright lighs of the White City casts upon
the sensitive soul of the multitude, and
that is to watch the multitude and see
where it most congregates. There, be sure,
the emotions, the curiosity-love, the artis-
tic sense or some other sensibility is
strongly touched.
| 1t is genuine pleasure to be able to re-
cord the fact that, judged by this standard,
love of beauty appears to be the strongest
aspiration Of the multitude; for it is before
the most beautiful things that we con-
stantly see the most people. Every day in
the week there are swarms of human bees
slipping the honey of beauty from the
grand plaza. 1t is not alone that this is
the show-spot of the whole exposition that
explains its fascination. Nothing that
was merely spectacular or gaudy could
fascinate as this place fascinates. 1t is
beauty, art, magnificence combined that
form the triple magnet for human parti-
cles. l have known men-practical, com
monplace, even sor'lid Americansat that
to reach this point early in their first day
at the exposition and never get away from
it till nightfall. There is no need of my
going into rhapsodies about this scene, nor
of vain attempts to describe it. My only
wish is to tell you how people are i'm
pressed. and that is the best description.
/ Not alone Americans are fascinated
here. Englishmen, Frenchmen, Germans
italians bow before the power Of art as ex
ressed by masses of lath and plaster, bit.
grass and water, a few mounting jet,
J nd dash or two IF golden color. ThG
+
18th real earth and real water and
much else that is real about it-but de
signed and constructed by genius Of the
highest order. met here one day Mr..
Thompson, an English artist Of note. He
was leaning against an imitation granite
pillar
Il was Just thinking" said he, 'in fact
have been here two hours thinking, what
pity this must all come to an end in 81,
months. To say that am amazed does moi
half tell the story. I have Travelled al
over Europe, have seen the finest architcc
ttne OF all the capitals and the most lavish
decoration, but nothing to compare Will
this The like was never known in thu
world before. Why must it perish? Why
must it be thing fleeting and evanescent
vanishing in the autumn like fiower9 Il
there not wealth and public spirit enough
in America 10 preserve in solid marble
even if millions be required, the glorie
which we now see before US In mere plas
ters"
This is question often asked by stran
gers, especially foreigners. And, do yo'
know, it would not be at all surprising /
Chicago found some way to do the yer.
srL hi
quick eye and artists enthusiasm, sua
gested. Suppose she were TO reproduc
these palaces in marble and offer them +
Uncle Sam for a capitols
As have said the crowds are creates
before the beautiful things-the fountains
the statnes, the flowers, the pottery, tn
paintings. Next to beauty It seems tn
people love power. A curious test OF thi
is found in that part Of Machinery bal
where the mighty energies OF steam ar
converted into the magic current OF eiet
tricity. Go any hour you will, and in tn
huge boiler house may be seen a. man
people as the narrow gallery viii hold.
boiler house is not usually considere
much of a show place. 1t il rather dull
somewhat grimy. damp, odorsome. Prot
ably this explains why the projectors o
the building made far too little pfovisio
for visitors here. But while one boiler is
tame and uninteresting thing hundre
boilers set all in a row, and extending in
true perspective to the vanishing point
become at once majestic and inspiring
They form an aggregate Of power whic
awe and overShelm and ut the same tim
fascinate. just as the man who has bee
accustomed all his life to handling on
dollar bills will gasp for breath when COZ
ffonfed by million dollan tied up In On
package
1t Is not surprising that the mighty ez
gines, which are . mere manifestation {
the power which The ons-1fth At mile {