The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-24
IT is ALL GREAT.
The Worlds Fair Built on a Model
Of Vastness.
SOME SURPRISING COMPARISONS.

Great Piers, Great Railways, Great Hotels,
Great Expectations of Great Crowds in
Chioago-optiosI DeIusion Caused by
the Bisness of Things in the Monster
Exposition.
WORLDS FAIR, May 90. - Especial -
Every one who comes to see the Column
bian exposition Is at once impressed by the
vast scale ON which everything in connec-
ton with the fair has been planned or con-
strueted. This Ia almost as noticeable
without the grounds as within. Even in
the central part of the city one observes
immense hotels that obviously have been
opened for Worlds fair trade. At the
lake front park are still more striking evil
dences of the exposition boom and Of the
fact that the Chicagoans have made all
their plans in anticipation of an enor-
nous influx of visitors. In the harbor is
big feet of steamships waiting to carry
passengers to Jackson park, eight miles
away. Some Of the vessels are new, as the
monster whalsback passenger steamer
which has just arrived from Duluth, and
which is said to be able to carry 5000 per-
SONS. AS yet not many people use the
steamers, for the weather is not very
warm here and every enc is in hurry to
get to the fair. But later in the summer,
when the mercury rises and the city be-
comes disagreeably hot, thousands upon
thousands will be glad to avail themselves
of the opportunity to refresh body and
soul during an hours ride ON the cool lake.
For the accommodation of these crowds
enormous piers and landings have been
constructed. On one of the piers is an
immense pavilion, in which is a restau-
rant, besides many other attractions de-
signed to take the nfmble nickels, dimes
and quarters from the pockets of the null
titude. Near by are otker piers and land
mas. and the steamers constantly going
and coming with their passengers and
their bands Of music make scene OF great
animation.
Hese, too, is the terminus Of the Illinois
Central Worlds fair railway. An elabo-
rate system Of platforms and turnstiles
has been prowjaed, and almost every min
ute Of the day the special express trains
are arriving from or departing for the ex.
Bbbh0HjAAe ~ 7uG0R C1AlO VI b1AO w OI10 . lbkE
travel this road znust have spent two mill
ions Of doaiars. 3 bought hundred loco
motdHes And nearly thousand cars. Be
sides, Ii elevated several miles Of track in
the vicinity Of the exposition grounds.
ThAse prepacat4ons on so vast scale have
produced m .admirahle result. The special
trains staut oct every two or three min
uAes, ten cars b. train and each train
carrying, when Ill the seats are occupied,
$50 persons, Eaere are eight parallel
tracks, one Mne Of double rails being used
for these Worlds faar expresses, which
make no stops and do the Journey in fif-
teen minutes, ,anether serving the subur-
ban trains, Of which there are a12 In day
GncTsaaed this simmer from 1880, the third
carrying the through passenger and excur-
sion trains, and the fourth the freight
traffic.
On the way to the fair visitors behold a
scene Of mnch interest In the lake, the
steamers plying be and fro. At theiwater's
edge the trains whining past each other
every minute or two. Not Tar from the
shore the cable roads and the trains on the
elevated road may be seen, and now and
then one gets glimpse OF the big coaches
with their four horses swinging along the
boulevards. All the way out may be seen
hotel after hotel, many of them enormous
structurssoovering half or the whole Of
block and with from six to twelve stories.
These increase in number as the region of
the fair fs reached, and extend for a mile
or two back from the lake. After stran-
ger has gazed upon acre after acre of these
big buildings, and noted the innumerable
10
which have been converted temporarily
into inns. he rightly concludes that Chi
eago has gone into this Worlds fair bust