Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-02-03
THE CITIZEN
Progress Of Worlds Fair Work at
Chicago.

Although the weather was cold enough
in Chicago early in January TO freeze ice
fourteen inches thick on the lagoon in the
fair grounds, the work of getting ready for
the great Columbian Exposition, to be
opened there next May, has not Jagged in
auy department. The ice was properly
cut and carried off to the cold storage
warehouse, while the officials proceeded to
complete the rules and regulations touch
ing the cost of light, heat, and power, and
make plans for the grand military review
at the time Of the opening. All the build
ings will be lighted, but if exhibitors desire
a special illumination, they can have it by
paying IS for each 16 candle power light
for the period from May l to October 81.
The electric lighting at the fair is design
ed to surpass all prior attempts at illumin
alton About the avenues and walks
1,650 arc lights will be disposed, and there
will be 4, 500 of them in the buildings.
The incandescent system will be employed
wherever practicable. Fully 100000 of
the glass bulbs are to be used. They will
be threaded aloLg the cornices and about
flower beds in certain parts of the grounds
are to be made resplendent by the tiny
electric lobes.
The work of laying railroad tracks
through the several buildings has now
progressed so far that the receipts ofexhib
its upon the grounds is becoming large,
and the directors say that there must be
constant pressure from now on to hurry
them forward. On January 9 twenty car
loads of exhibits were actually unloaded
within the exposition buildings, and this
may be said to have formed the practical
commencement of the work of installa-
ton.
The big greenhouses and the horticultur-
al building have been scenes of great act
iYity during the January cold weather, for
there has been competitive pre-exrosi-
tion primrose exhibit, in which were shown
five thousand pots of primroses, arranged
artistically and according to hybridization,
color, habit and class. The show was a
most rare and beautiful one, the flowers
being produced from seeds furnished by
the leading flower and seed firms of the
United States, to whom awards are to be
made according to a plan covering color
and habit. Under the big dome and be-
| meath the floor of the horticultural build
ing there is olso an immense mushroom
cellar, kept at temperature of 95o Fab
renheit, from which the restaurant cooks
obtain every morning a great supply of
this delicate fungus. Inside the doors of
this great structure, however cold may be
the weather outside, the temperature is
that of the tropics. Warm draughts of air
are waited through its extensive reaches,
and warm spray of water sprinkle the
palms and ferns and other tropical trees
and plants, and the appearance every
where is that of land of perpetual sum-
mer and sunshine.
In the electrical building several exhib-
its are already arranged, and dynamos are
set up and ready to furnish power. The
Bell Telephone Company is here erecting
a stand 100 feet square for its exhibit, the
display to cost $22, 600 The Edison Gen
eral Electric Company has also begun pre-
pairing the space for its exhibit