Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-06-06
DESIRE
To Get as Near the Skies as is
Possible.
Elevators Take You to Top Of Build
ings and Other Structures.
lAs Great Vertical wheels and The nsassss
Captive Dalsea.

SsPusS oA'VVH.
WORLDS FAIR, June & Especial / -
We have no Eitfel tower here ON which
people may ascend thousand feet above
the level of the fair grounds, but there are
several points at which great elevation
may be attained and from which splendid
views Of the Columbian exposition and
the surrounding city of Chicago and the
waters of Lake Michigan may be enjoyed.
The aspiration to rise to high places above
the level of the world, to the tops Of noun
tains, towers and high buildings, appears
TO be almost universal in the human fam
lily. Americans Of all the peoples Of the
world seem to have this desire To get near
the skies. They are willing to spend their
money for the blessed privilege, too l
met here the other day a gentleman who
visited the Paris exposition Of 1850. He
was fond of going up the Eiifel tower, and
assembled a number of times. The first
platform, he said, was about four hundred
feet from the ground, and the cost Of rid
ing th!ther was about two francs On this
platform one heard a perfect jargon of
tongues, in which of course the French
predominated but where the English
could he heard only family. At the next
platform, 80 feet high. where the charge
was four francs, one could occasionally
ovcrhear "a bit Of English and began TO
feel little less as II he were among
strangers in strange land But at the
very top. where the charge per passenger
was eight francs, English was the pre-
dominating language and English with an
American accent filled the air.
The Americans are the greatest people
in the world for spending money. They
pay out more of their earnings for travel
and amusement than any other people,
twice over. They like to rise to high
places. and their desire to do so is so great
that they do not stop much to consider the
cost. Hence great crowds Of visitors may
be seen every day at the top Of the Manu-
factures and Liberal Arts building, which
is the mammoth structure of the exposi-
tion. II costs only a quarter of dollar
to ride up here in one of the four elevators.
and it is not surprising that so many peo-
pie avail themselves of the privilege of sec
ing such splendid sight at no small a
cost. 1t is a view worth any ones time
and any ones money
The elevators rise out Of the middle of
Columbia avenue, the broad aisle which
sweeps from one end to the other Of the
great building, with the nations of the
world assembled along its front. It IL a
very queer look these elevators have, 80
slender and frail they seem, on account of
the enormous hight to which they rise
without floor or brace on the way. It is
203 feet straight upwards from the floor to
the first bit Of iron of the great trus s
which support the roof. So vast Is the x
tent of the building, and so perfect its o.
portions, that you do not realize the h
while standing on the floor. There c
American flags up under the roof, lag
line of them, and they do not appear to be
more than six or eight feet in length. But
buy tickets and take places In the cle-
vators, and as you rise foot after foot the
immensity of everything here will slowly
dawn upon your consciousness.
Remember that your journey IL like that
from the basement of one of Chicago's tall
buildings to the twentieth story. Two or
three stories up the scene below begins to
unfold. There are some extending per-
spectives. The German pavilion, with the
series of palaces, its courts and its towers,
seems to be enormous. So does the French
pavilion on the other corner, by the clock
tower. Columbia avenue Is very wide rs
you view IL now, the crowds are very
thick.
BY this time you are half way up. For
the first time the actual size of a thirty
acre building begins to dawn upon you.
One instinctively opens his lips and in
hales eagerly. The eyes part wide II is
scene which cannot be duplicated any
where else in the world-a scene which
strs some new corners of the soul and pro-
duces some unwonted sensations.
Now you are three-quarters OF the way
up. The elevator car is entering the cleo
trc light corona. Viewed from the floor
below that ring of arc lights looked large
enough to cover a sidewalk. Nowyou see it
would compass broad street from build
ing to building You have reached the
lower edge OF the flags. To see the upper
or starry section you must raise your eyes.
These banners are thirty feet long instead
of the six or eight they had seemed from
below.
Under the roof the elevator comes to a
walk along wooden platform suspended
800 feet above the world. The view is sub
lime. Now Germany and France are mere
pigrnies The great towers and arches Of
these pretentious palaces within palace
are ,warfed into such smallness that you
cannot even make out their form. Colum-
bia avenue, now to be seen from the south
ern end, where Italy is. to the northern,
L. ,,pII.p hal ks
longer wide and impressive, but a narrow
strip up and down which myriads Of little
black spots may be seen moving. Nothing
is large now but the mighty building
itself
This realization of the magnitude Of the
greatest structure that ever was is worth
ten times the trouble and expense required
to get here. For the first time one appre-
ciates the majesty Of the giant arches, and
IL able to understand the significance OF
the figures commonly used to denote the
dimensions of things here--such as a thou
sand cottages each 25xJ0 feet, could find
room within the walls, or n dozen United
States capitols at Washington, or $50 long
passenger trains with their locomotives,
or fifty OF the greatest steamships.
IL the view within is soul-stirring-in-
spiring with confidence in the ability of
nan to work almost auy miracle with
steel and iron-what shall be said OF the
view from without You walk out door
anil find yourself on promenade near the
top Of the building. 1t is some twelve
feet wide, and it surrounds the building.
The disteree is half mile, though this is
only one~half the circumference Of the
structure at its ground line. As you
emerge Lake Michigan IL before your eyes,
with the vas. pier now looking like a
bridge thrown out into the waters.
Steamships are there discharging and tax
inE On passengers. Innumerable steam
and electric launches are running to and
fro The strains Of music come from the
water Near by the surf il beating
rhytbmicallg or the shore. Uncle Sans
white battlesiiip elistens in the sunlight
at tie left. Or in the lake are many
steamships and sailing craft, for both pas
sepgers aud freight
Charming as this view il you resist the
temptation TO sit down on one of the
benches which arc plentiful mp here.
There are other panoTamas to be seen.
From the north end Of the promenade you
behold a varied spectacle. The Govern
ment building Is in the foreground. Be
yond, dazzling array Of towers, ninarets
and domestic Art palace, the Fisheries
building, the foreign and state buildings.
To the left the lagoon and the wooded
island, now radiant with flowers. The
gondolss and launches, miniature indeed
from this hight, are fitting about. AT
the waters edge the heTransportation build
ing, with its touch Of warm color and it,
golden entrance; also the vast glass dome