Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-01

l. . d y L II - L n u.
on duty, the fact will be instantly flashed over
the wires and be in the possession, moreover,
OF every one OF the 400 secret officers within five
minutes. Before he has had time to reach
may be. the nearest structure a detective will
be on his track, and his every movement will
be Swallowed until he leaves the grounds. In
the event OF his attempting any overt act his
arrest and arraignment will speedily follow.
POLICE COURT.
police court has been established at one
end of the grounds, and here one or another of
the magistrates exercising jurisdiction in that
section of the city will be continuously on duty
for the purpose of promptly disposing of such
cases as may be brought before him.
THE RED CROSS SOCIETY.
Equally elaborate is the machinery that has
been constructed for the relief Of the sick and
suffering. The American section Of the Red
Cross has its headquarters equipped with a COM
petent stah OF attendants and with ambu-
lance corps that will respond like lightning as
often as its services are required. There is also
a hospital corps composed of eighteen members
OF the medical profession from the local col
leges. who are especially skilled in the science
OF surgery.
Under the auspices Of the ILLINOIS women's
board portable emergency hospital has been
and staff OF nurses from the Illinois training
school. There is army hospital in connec-
ton with the United States exhibit which will
illustrate the operation of the medical depart
ment in the field with such unfortunates as
may be taken thither for treatment as demon
strable subjects. Four ambulance stations
are in full operation today, one at the north
end OF the grounds, in the center of the state
buildings; second at the extreme southern
end, near machinery hall; a third near the
manufactures building. and fourth in the
center of the Midway plaisance.
All OF these are connected by the worlds fair
telephone circuit, SO that in case of an accident
OF any dimensions the entire equipment NAV
be on the spot in the space of a few momerts
FINALLY. llfe-savIng stations have been estab-
iished, and are in operation. both on the lake
front and the lagoon that threads the grounds.
and prompt assistance will be rendered to any
unfortunate that may lose his or her footing
and go down in the depths
CHICAGO's WORK FOR THE FAIR.
Inception and Progress of the Great Enter
prise Now Open.
CHICAGO, May lit was on November Is,
1885. that the directorate of the interstate ex-
position. an organization under the auspices of
which an autumnal show Of the agricultural
and manufacturing resources Of the western
DNShi
exposition building on the lake front. the site
of which is now occupied by the memorial
art palace, adopted resolution favoring a
national commemoration of the quadri-centen-
NAL of the discovery of the American continent
by Christopher Columbus.
1t was not until three wears later that Chi
Gags took up the matter in earnest
FIRST OFFICIAL MOVE.
July %, 1889, the city council adopted res
olution instructing Mayor Creiger to appoint
committee of one hundred to proceed to the ma
tional capital and advocate the selection of Chi
cago as the location of the fair. Three weeks
afterward a number of citizens organized a
corporation with the title The Worlds Fair.
1892, which was chartered under the laws of
the state of Illinois with a capital stock Of
$4,000
BY this time the interest in the proposed
commemoration had become national On
December 10 of the same year Senator Cullom
OF Illinois introduced the first worlds fair bill
in the Senate. For two months thereafter
there was a fierce rivalry between the different
cities that were eager for the honor of being
selected as the site for the fair. Chicago New
York, Washington and st. Louis were the prin-
clpal contestants. Delegation after delegation
swooped down upon the capital, and life was
made burden to the legislators OF both
branches of the government. Each city was
acCoiuSu present It's Claim.
In its last stages the contest became marked
with considerable bitterness, but the agony was
ended on February a. 1890, when the national
Congress selected Chicago as the site for the
exposition, and the bill was signed by President
Harrison on the 25th of the same month.
THE LOCAL DIRECTORY.
In the meantime the directory had met
and organized. and Lyman J. Gage received
the distinguished honor of being elected as the
first president. A special session Of the legis-
lature held in June of the same year authorized
the city of Chicago to increase its bonded in
debtedness by five millions of dollars in aid
OF the enterprise. Thereupon the name of
the corporation was changed to the worlds
Columbian exposition, and its capitalization in
creased to ten millions of dollars
THE NATIONAL COMMISSION.
The first meeting of the national commission,
a body brought into existence by the act of
Congress, and composed OF representative men
designated by President Harrison and by the
governors eff the various states and territories,
was held in Chicago on June 81, 1890 and ex-
Senator Thomas w. Palmer of Michigan was
chosen as president. Subsequently George R,
Davis of Chicago was selected BY this body as
director general. The selection of site was
now in order.
THE SITE.
There was a fierce rivalry for the honor be-
tween the southern and western sections of the
city, but the lack of ample facilities on the
West Side was evident from the start, and on
July 2, 1890, the board of directors decided to
locate the fair at Jackson Park. large open
space on the southern outskirts, and having a
frontage on Lake Michigan Of one and half
miles, and containing, with the Midway plais-
ance. which forms connecting link between
Jackson and Washington Parks, total of over