The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-06-18
ANrwERP,s EXPOSITION.


national exposition. American enter
prise predominates the whole undertake
ing, which is not by any means a. small
one, and whether as exhibitor or as
concessionaire, America leads.
When Leopold II, king of the Bel
gians, enters the exposition grounds,
the first thing to attract his attention is
the American exhibit building, the only
foreign exhibit building at the fair.
He cannot help noticing it, because it
is big. building made of steel and staff
and glass. hose White facade, like
piece of the Columbian exposition
transplanted, stands directly facing the
royal entrance on the left. Thence away
to the northward, over one-fourth of
the 225 acres of the exposition grounds,
from every pinnacle, staff and pavilion
dome floats the stars and stripes, de-
noting the concessions of the American
amusement purveyor. The north end of
the grounds, and which is the most con-
venient of access, is filled with only
American attractions and is called the
American PlaiSance." Carrying this
| idea in nomenclature further a broad
street, the Rue du Peuple, which di
vides the tract has been named the
Midway" The American Plaisance
contains about forty concessions for
everything from a gigantic Wild West
show to a peanut stand. This is the
! first time Americans have taken a
| prominent place in foreign expositions,
and their advent here is directly at
tributable to the Worlds fair, which
has contributed largely to this expo
sition in many ways. The people Of
Belgium are taking more interest in the
American enterprises than in all the
rest of the exposition. Many European
exhibits at Chicago have been brought
here and the oriental features of Mid
way Plaisance are nearly all here.
Another thing in this connection that
the exposition officials take into calcu-
lation, now that their fair is complete
is the keen regret Europeans feel at
their failure to visit Chicago last year
This they expect will urge many, to
Antwerp this year.
For the architecture of this expo
sition the Columbian exposition is also
drawn upon for chief piece The
dome of the main building is fashioned
after that of the Administration build
ing, with the addition of a Flemish
gothic final, and it will be Illuminated
much the same, with rows of lights and
gas torches. The general design of the
grounds, however, has nothing in it
suggestive of magnificent distances and
overpowering dignity. The narrow
streets and eccentric gables of old Ant
wefp, the high colors and soft blending
of the Flemish school find expression
throughout.
The most pretentious structure on the
grounds, excepting the main buildings,
is the American Exhibit building. 1t
is modern renaissance in style, with
staff covering and tasteful ornamental
ton. II has a broad fight of marble
stairs approaching the front entrance,
which is through three arched door
ways. 1t contains. 10000 square feet
of floor space and this is divided into
a main exhibit hall with rooms ranged
around it to serve club house purposes.
Belgian enterprise has contributed to
the amusement features also. Close to
the main entrance a portion of old
Antwerp, with it's quaint architecture
of the thirteenth and sixteenth century,
has been reproduced. The buildings are
covered with staff, with careful atten-
ton to detail and historic accuracy In
this place the Flemish fetes and ON
megangs of the sixteenth century will
be given. 1t forms one of the most
interesting sights of the exposition
Other undertakings that will attract
much attention, if not more than all
the rest, are two aerial constructions
OIL belgian design. one is a managea-
BILE balloon connected with a trolley
wire. The wire or cable is strung above
the house tops, from the Exposition
grounds to the bourse, a mile distant
The balloon is furnished with electric
motor, steering and propelling ap-
paratus, and when it is finished it is
expected to traverse this distance car
rying fifteen persons.
The other aerial device is a cafe ssus
nandP6 4 haiOh
5 varying from 600 to 1000 feet, accord
: ing to the weather conditions The bal
: looms will be anchored by forty cable!
and will have elevators running up t.
the cafe Both of these undertaking
are in the course of construction anC
:, it is expected that they will be finished
shortly after the opening of the expesi
. ton.
} The exposition has been constructed