Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-01-18
MIDWINTER FAIR.
The Five Main Buildings Are
Practically Finished.
A DARING FEAT ACCOMPLISHED.
Quite a Number of the COncessiOna
Features in Readiness-0ne
of the Sensations.
Weekly Circular Letter-No. 81

Weekly Circular Letter-No. 81
With the single exception of the Ad
ministration building, which needs q
full weeks work before it will be com
pleted, the five main buildings of the
California Midwinter International Ex.
position are practically finished. Still,
it has been found impossible to open the
Exposition in all its departments on Jan.
]. When the projectors of this indus
trial enterprise took advantage of the
glorious midwinter weather in Califor.
mia they did not expect that the wintry
winds on the shore of Lake Michigan,
and the mountains of snow between that
point and this, would array themselves
In opposition to their plans. This, how
ever, has proven to be the case, and
hundreds of carloads of exhibits which
were to come from the Columbian Ex-
position to stand on dress parade in
Golden Gate park have been seriously
delayed by the weather. There has been
great difficulty experienced in getting
cars to load goods on at Chicago as fast
as they were ready, and when they had
once been started westward, series of
obstacles had to be overcome until, even
though the buildings in San Francisco
are practically ready for their reception,
the bulk Of the exhibits which are to be
made by foreign nations have not yet
arrived.
1t has been found necessary, therefore,
10 postpone the formal ceremonies of
opening the Exposition for few days,
or until everything is in place. On the
hrst day of January, however, an infor-
mai opening occurs. The flags of all
nations will fly from the flag poles on
the Exposition buildings and in the
grounds, there will be music and gem
eral gala day effects, but the day of
days, the day when San Francisco shall
be perfect sea of bunting, when her
people shall turn out ell masse, when an
extra legal holiday shall be declared and
when all California shall join in the
great ceremony of the opening of this
great midwinter festival-that day will
come little later on.
Quite number of the confessional
features of the Exposition are all in
readiness and will be in full blast on
Jan. 1. The great Firth wheel begins
its revolutions with the New Year; the
lions and tigers in the wild animal arena
will roar to New Year audiences; the
Santa Barbara sea lions will roll and
roar in the great tanks that have been
provided for them; the forty-niner
mining camp will receive calls in true
frontier fashion; beer and pleasure will
flow at the Heidelberg castle; the Ha-
waiian cyclorama will be open to the
public; the curious ones can do down
into the Colorado gold mine; and even
the great electric tower will be almost
completed. But this word almost"
will be changed into quite in its appli-
cation to everything projected in con-
nection with the Exposition before the
grand opening day comes on, and when
that day comes there will be spread out
before the visiting multitude the most
complete and most picturesque exposi-
ton that the western sun has ever
shone upon.
Speaking of the great Firth wheel sug.
gests mention of very interesting in
teresting incident which took place in
connection with its construction the
other day. During temporary lull in
the work of putting up the spiderlike
spokes of this wheel, man was observed
to Chamber up in the mass of timbers
surrounding the base of the superstruct.
ure. He was at first supposed to be
workman, and no special attention was
paid him. Presently, however, he clam
6ered out on one of the lower spokes.
The superintendent of construction,
catching sight of him, asked what he
wanted up there. The adventurer
made no response, but continued his as
cent, working his way inside the
periphery with catlike agility. The
superintendent ordered him down. The
only answer he got was an invita-
ton to come and fetch him. He kept
on climbing, and where the periphery
has not been placed he had to slide down
the big spokes until he reached the chan
mel irons. Crossing on these TO the next
spoke, he worked out to the periphery,
aud proceeded as before.
By this time quite crowd had
gathered, watching the progress of this
daring fellow, 100 feet from the ground
He was repeatedly warned to look ont
for himself, but showed himself abund-
antly able to do so. Finally he reached
the the highest point, and, standing Mt
full length, gave an exulting yell, which
was answered by a group of friends
near the volcano building. OF course
he came down the other way. and thus
made the first revolution of the great
Firth wheel. On reaching the ground
he disclosed his identity, and was recoe.
nized as sailor and rigger. He said he
had made the trip to settle bet that ba
would make the first trip around this
great rotary construction.
One of the sensations of the Exnosi.
tion will be the famous diver. Kohana
Maka, whose record as a long-distance
swimmer, deep diver and shark hnntar
'urpasses that of all aquatic wonders of |
the great Pacific. 1t is Kohana Naka
who has kept alive the old shark. hunt.
ng custom of the early kings of Hawaii.
In former days it was the custom of |
royal sportsmen to so to sea in their war
canoes or catamaran, taking along a
large bowl of chopped enemies. This
bowl was placed over the water. and
fragments OF hashed Kanaka were tbrnst
through hole in the bottom of the
'owl, thus attracting schools of man.
'ating sharks. When the sharks he.
ame thick around the boats q native
ing would dive in among them, knit,
n hand, aud, coming up under the
chool, would stab one as he arose. This
: one of the things that Kohans Maka