The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-14
HIGH TOWER PROJECTS.
SOME QUEER SCHEMES PROMPTED
BY TIE BIG FAIR.

mitted TO the Exposition Commits
sioners, But Which Will Never Be
Carried Out-Their Enormous Cost,
From the Chicago Herald.
Worlds fair tower schemes that failed are
so numerous and their detail so fanciful and
original that they form one Of the interest
ing histories Of the exposition. The success
OF the world famed Eiffel tower at Paris is
doubtless responsible for the startling
projects submitted for approval by the
officers of the Columbian show, but it is a
singular fact that OF the score or more Of
designs drawn by enthusiastio engineers,
many Of them meeting with the approval
Of the officers OF the fair, not a strand Of
steel. nor bar Of iron, nor stick OF tim
Der has been placed III such position as to
give any guaranty OF the completion of q
single one Of these lofty structures.
Two-MILLIoN. DOLLAR TOWER.
]. Allen Whyte bad mild conception OF
what YVES wanted to perpetuate the glory
OF the fair. The ground plan of his struct-
ure was In the shape of an S-pointed star,
from the center of whic h was TO rise a steel
tower, the apex of the flagstaff Of which
was to be at an altitude of l, 492 feet. The
eight star points were to indicate the points
OF the compass, and at each point
there was to have been still another tower
Within the building plans called for grass
plats, gardens, fountains and promenades,
ana sixteen elevators which would have
nothing else 10 do but 10 carry the visitor to
the top Of the dome. Four more elevators
were TO have been reserved for persons who
desired to go to the flagstaff on tall central
tower. The rotunda was so arranged as to
seat 80 900 persons at one time, and the cost
of this weird dream in steel, iron and glass
was set at S2.000,0JO or So
A three-legged tower was the nightmare
OF what was vaguely known as the Chicago
Columbus Tower Company. 1t was TO cost
S65O,OOO. There would have been dancing
hall on the first landing, and on the fourth
landing, J, 400 feet from the ground, two
sky parlors, one ten feet above the other,
were arranged. A wigwam at the base Of
the tripod was set aside for booths and res
taurants, and when night came the great
shaft was TO blaze with electricity The
projectors Of this enterprise firmly be-
heved they could gather in g., $50, 900 in 200
days.
Even Andrew Carnegie was going into
the tower business. His structure, had it
been built on the lines OF the original plan
would have outrivAled Eiffel's tower, but it
wasn't built and never will be. The plans of
Mr.. Carnegie contemplated structure
], 10 feet in hight, and the width over all
at the foundation level was 440 In each
direction. There were to have been i'm
mense landings at various nights with
restaurants and booths and octagonal kiosks
and the Lord knows what else. Then, too
there was to have been a circular railway
TO carry the spectators round, aud up near
the flagstaff there was to have been built a
light house with the most powerful revoIv-
ing lights. The tower was to cost 81, $780,
600.
w. F. Smith of Chicago had water on
the brain. He was going TO build a palace
OF circular form $50 feet high, with a ro-
tunda OF equal dimension. Then he was
going to squirt water to the top Of the dome,
but not into tie ships, which were TO hold
800 persons each, and rest upon the transluS
cent glass. 1t was the idea Of the architect
that the spectator in the boat would readily
imagine himself at sea with 80 much water
breaking upon the dome from all sides.
AN ITALIAN SCHEME.
Still another hair-raIsing design was that
OF a fellow countrymau Of Columbus, one
Albento de Pallasslo by name, and it was a
globe resting on a pedestal or base, the
pedestal would have been Of graceful pro-
portions 300 feet high. The monument was
globe whose diameter was to equal the
hight Of the Eiffel tower. Surrounding the
whole there was TO have been a full riQaed
OF this structure at 1,400 feet. AT
the equator gallery was to run
around the globe, which was to have been
about two-thirds of a mile in circumfer-
ence, or from the equator to the north
pole. An inclined railroad nearly four
miles long was planned. On top of the
globe there was to have been an observa-
tory and restaurant. The cost of this
structure would have amounted 20 s., 0O0,-
600.
Adolph Ladell and A. Gottlieb had a stu
pendous scheme when it was thought the
worlds fair would be located on the lake
front. 1t contemplated the building of a
house on steel structure nearly a third
higher than the tower of the Auditorium.
Here the enchanted visitor was to eat in
cafes, listen TO music from a string band
and tnhale the odor Of flowers There was
TO have been three restaurants-one con-
Quoted on the German plan, one on the
French plan and one on the American plan
Visitors to this lofty cosmopolitan cafe and
garden were to have been shot up from the
ground by means of electricity, although
elevators were to have been at their dis
posal IL they preferred to have steam. This
structure was to have cost 81, 100 ZOO.
Walter Wager had a tower which was to
have been / 800 feet high and /, 100 feet at
the base. A continuous spiral floor running
from bottom to top, at grade OF one foot
| IN Iorty-IOur was TO provide about 800 acres
| of floor space for exhibits and at the same
time allow cars with material to be handled
with ease.
| WOULD BUILD A LEANING TOWER
It remained for J. B. Halpenny of Chi.
cago to take away the breath of the COM
missioners by submitting plans for a lean
ing cantileveT tower. 225 feet high and 70
feet square. Steel was to be used In Its
construction, and the cost was reckoned at
| $500, 900. The top story was to lean 100
| feet from perpendicular. This tower, Hal
penny claimed, could be built in eight
| months. The tower was to have been in
| the form OF the letter L. Of which the lower
| part was 60 act as a foot to counterfeit the
lean Of the superstructure. Electric hoist
elevators and easy stairwAys were 60 lead
| from the entrance to the upper stories. A
buffet, serving light refreshments, was to
have been in the top story. The tower was
reckoned as the greatest leaning structure
in the world, and this is probably true, for
it leaned so far on paper that a crutch
couldn't save it from disaster.
Ludovio Durand of Paris submitted a
novel design. 1t consisted of twin light
houses few yards apart to be built on an
island In Jackson park. Each light house
was to have been surmounted
with globe and a colossal statue of Co.
lumbus was to stand upon them. having one
foot on each globe, passing, as 1t were from
the old world to the new. Ii was the French
mans scheme to anchor near the shore OF
the islands fac smile of the vessel of CO.