The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-25
soRRoWFUL SIGHT.
How the Once White City Looks to the
Visitor of To-Day.


Visitor of To-Day.
jackson Park, today presents SORROW
full sight to one, who saw it last when it's
five hundred and eighty six acres were the
centre and attraction of the worldf
: What with the fire fiend and the battle
with the elements, there remains little for
"Reminiscences.
|, With the Statue of the Republic to give
one bearings, this, by the way, has
been stripped of its gold leaf covering
save that upon the globe and eagle poised
in the right hand-one gardually situates
the gorgeous palaces of two and half
years since, although the ground is lit
orally covered with mounds of sand,
charred timbers, masses of staff and use
ess iron; while occasionally working
men q shanty may be seen.
The White City, like all cities of glory.
was desti ned to be destroyed. And Its APP
pearance is as though an earthquake or
some terrible eruption had suddenly
swallowed it up leaving few shattered
reminders of its former magnihcence here
and there.
Wooded Island, with the grotesque lit
tie Japanese teahOuses at its northern
end, remains apparently unharmed, but
1t will be many years before the former
growth of trees In other parts OF the park
is replaced. Where one could walk with
ease over the smooth rolled avenues OF
the Fair one must carefully make path
through sand, over dummy cars and
tracks, down into hollows and out of
them again, and, in fact, over every DOS
sible obstruction that can delay one's
progress.
The Court Of Honor is, with all the
other beauties, thing Of the past. The
canals and lagoons are all frozen. At
the extreme southern end of Wooded Is
land one Of the abandoned steam launches
is seen half frozen in the ice, half strand.
ed on the shore, its canvas awning flying
in the wind. This and the landing near
of the water transportation about the
Exposition. There are yet two bridges
which have suffered but slight changes,
| the..One extending from the southern end
of the island across to a Tpoint between
the Electricity and Mines buildings sites,
the other crossing South canal from the
northwest corner Of the Agricultural
building. to the northeast corner of
Machinery Hall
The moose and deer figures on both
these standing at theirn four corners,
are well preserved, except that the antlers
have orum bled, leaving the iron rods ex-
posed, which served as frame work for
the staff. These have rusted and have
been contorted and bent SO out of shape
that. they look like the horns of noun
| tain goat
The monolith near the corner of the
Agricultural building site is yet stand
| ing and seems to be almost the same as
it was in 1898; the base and the pedestals
OF the moose, ETC.. however, are covered
withsnumerous autographs of youths
aspiring for notoriety, and are typical of
the endurable fame Of this class of indi-
viduals.
The obelisk has disclosed its sham
framework and at different points upon
the sides, slabs of staff have fallen
The balustrade along the sides of the
canal is. for the most, in ruins. There
are immense heaps of staff and glass to
show the sides Of the Agricultural build
ing and the collonade, while there is a
mass Of rusty iron trusses for Machinery
Hall. From the charred stumps 1t gives
one to suppose that the former has been
hastily erected, where but recently there
| had been thick growth of trees. This,
with the aspect OF the ruined collonade,
shows that the french fought the flames
we'll, here; for many Of the minor DECOR
ations remain intact.
| The windows of the convent on the
border of the lake are boarded I'D, but
otherwise, the exterior is about the same
The whaling. bark Progress seemed to be
still staying in the South Pond, held
tightly in the ice.
| The Peristyle and the Manufactures
building being among the first to be de-
stroyed, are in condition analogous to
the others.
There are headless statues scattered in
numerous places at the southern end,
reminding one Of pictures one has seen of
the tombs along the Appian Way at
| Rome.
Tho Iowa ana Germanbuildings with the
Fold Colum bian Museum arc the few
4 large buildings left. The Museum is
worth visit out from the city and visit
ors will recognize many of the thin rs
| 1893. The roof requires constant seen in
repairing and In many places it Ia leaky
and decayed.
| A fine macadamized road has been be-
gun at the northern end of the spark and
extends down over the sites Of the
Woman's and Horticultural buildings and
many Of the lesser structures.
The Chicago Park Commissioners are
fast transforming this into an ideal park,
and there is little doubt but that when
completed it will be fair rival of the
other parks.
| 1t seems incredible that the Fair will
ever be surpassed; but its beauty and
grandeur will always remain prominent
in the memories of the innumerable
sightseers, who beheld it.
ERNEST E. MCKINNEY