Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-07-15

clock. the only point being To hAve the
ciecks and TO set them right in the nrs4
place. The clock display affords splendid
object lesson in geography, and helps TO
familiarize one with the relative location
Of such cities rs Jerusalem, Bombay, Vic
toria, Yeddo. Yokohama. Constantinopie,
ST Petersburg. Paris and London
Ii you will come to this station some
evening when there are extraordinary at
fractions 81 the fair, such as great dis
play Of fireworks, you will see one Of the
finest examples of transportation OF masses
OF people that the world is able 10 show.
Take, for example. the Fourth Of July.
There were more than So,0oo people on
the grounds that day. Certainly mors
than an0m0 of these remained to see the
fireworks in the evening. About quarter
of ten O'Clock the display was finished and
the crowds broke for the railway trains.
steamers, cable cars and other means OF
conveyance II was a mighty throng that
poured toward the gates Just at that
hour happened to ride over the intra-
mural elevated railway, from one end OF
the grounds 10 the other. and the spectacle
made by that great lake of humanity
pouring itself through every road way In
n black surging riyerwas most impressive.
In one hour and three-quarters the Hill
nois Central special express trains carried
81, COO people out of this station. Eight
trains were loaded at the same instant,
and on account of the construction of the
ears, without aisles and every seat opening
TO side entrance, the trains were loaded
in few seconds. As fast as one moved
out another backed in 10 take its place.
In those los minutes no fewer than fifty
three trains, of from eight to fourteen
coaches each train averaging l,ao people,
were moved from the Worlds fair station
To the city II is said by experienced rail
way men that this beats the worlds record
for rapid movement over such distance,
and il is an encouraging commentary on
the splendid facilities which Chicago has
provided for handling crowds of Worlds
fair visitors Two hundred thousand peo-
pie who remained the evening Of the
Fourth to see the fireworks were moved to
their homes without a single accident, and
without much delay.
One of the best lessons of this fair is in
the possibilities of transportation when
the tracks are elevated and modern ap
pliances for speed and safety are employed.
Chicago is sure to reap an immense bene-
fit from the exposition in this respect
alone, besides profiting directly or indi-
rectly in many other ways. Nearly two
miles of Illinois Central track within the
city were elevated on account of the fair,
and the success of that enterprise has
taught the people, and the railroads, too
that all the steam tracks in the city should
be raised above the streets. Chicago is a
ret work OF railway tracks. being by far
The greatest railway center in the world,
md with one or two exceptions all the
roads cross all the streets at grade. Hun
lreds of persons are killed or injured every
year at the crossings, and elevation OF the
tracks is the only relief from such slaugh
ter.
1t is great pity the splendid railway
station at the fair cannot be used by a
larger number of roads. But this terminal
plant affords at least striking illustra-
ton of the energy and enterprise of the
builders Of the fair. Between the Mining
building on one side and the Machinery
hall on the other, west of the Administra-
ton building, there was a great open
space To complete the landscape picture
it had to be filled in with something OF
other With whats Some one suggested
"A railway station. Happy thought. If il
was to be station Of course it would have
to be the biggest and finest in the world,
else it would not do for this exposition.
So $500 600 was poured into it, in the hope
that the railroads would run enoug b
trains into the shed, paying trackage or
wheelage for the right, to defray the
cost of construction. As 1t turns out the
receipts from this source will not pay the
expense of maintaining the station and
tracks. let alone first cost. 1t was in such
ways as this that the exposition has been
made to cost 50, ,00,0 600 to build and man
age, more than twice as much as any other
exposition ever cost.
But it is great fair.