Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-11-22
A HEAP OF RUINS.
PRESENT ASPECT OF THE FAIR
GROUNDS AT CHICAGO.
Tons of Giant Iron Trusscs Taken
Out and Sold for Structural
Purposes Eisewhere-Sito
of a New Park.


extreme north end stands tho Field
Columbian Museum, once the Art In
stitutc, forlorn "Reminiscences of tho
one-time grandeur of the White City.
10 the southwark the ruin and desola-
ton is complete. The footprints of
thousand years could hardly have
marked it deeper All of tho splendid
thoroughfares are obliterated aud rag
weed and sorrel grow rank in tho
sand burrows of tho courts. In place
OF the palaces rise hugo piles OF
burned and twisted iron arches, and
tho squares arc Uttered with fallen
statuary, broken glass and jungles of
wire. From the grand basin in tho
Court of Honor the Statue of Liberty
still holds her gilded symbol to tho
sun. Tho golden sheen of her gar
ments was blistered Of by the fire and
tho white garments are streaked and
weather-worn. Sparrows have nested
in the curve of her hugo arm. In tho
midst OF the lattened ruins she looms
up unseemingly largo and out of
place.
Lakeward from where sho stands
rise the gray wall In Rabida Con-
vent in tho mids. of weody, wind
swept knoll, around tho rocky bar
riers OF which the lake mumbles. It's
distance from the other buildings pro-
tected it from the fires. aud the wreck
ers have not yet seen fit TO remove it.
Wind and weather have discolorcd the
walls and torn away part of the plas-
ter, adding age ana Grimuess which
the builders sought in vain to coun-
tcrfeit.
Around the Art Building and Ger.
many's Building, which will be per-
mancntly retained, all that section of
tho grounds rs far south MS the Mid
way Plaisanco, Tho landscape gardener
has atoned for the rack Of time. lie
has wiped out the Midway with grcnt
boulevard 600 feet wide. Gradually
he is encroaching to tho south, and
when its great scheme shall have been
fulfilled Jackson Park will be fitting
monument to the city which grew and
persisted in day.
On that memorable night in July,
1891, when fro swept tho city, the
Columbian Exposition Salvage Com
pany was loser to the extent of 1925
0oO. 1t is now working ut the tangled
masses of steel aud iron to save MS
much of the wreck as may be. 1t is
clipping beams and girders and
trusses into short lengths for the
furnaces of rolling mills. Eightv-five
thousand dollars was paid by this
company for the salvage OF the main
buildings. Ofthese there escaped the
fire the Government Building, the
Womnn's Building, the Federal Build
ing, the two service buildings, the
Horticultural Building, Choral Hall,
the Transportation Building, the
Fisheries Building, the Colonnadc, the
Stock Pavilion and five minor struc.
lures.
OF these buildings materials have
gone to various parts of.the country.
The dome of the horticultural Build
ing ornaments ono of the State Fair
buildings at tho Illinois capital.
Structural iron from tho Fisheries
Building forms the framework of Il
great rolling mill at Pittsburg.
Bridges in many parts of the country
are strengthened by heavy beams from
these buildings.
Iron and steel now left on the
grounds are for the scrap heaps of
rolling mills at Pittsburg, South Chi
cago, Youngstown, Ohio, Cleveland,
Detroit and Milwaukee. 1t is n
Titan's task to reduce these vast net
works of half-fused iron and steel.
Powerful alligator shears are planted
near ono of these ruins, and from n
drum heavy wire cable is trailed to
giant beam or truss. Rivcts are cut
and the heavy metal is drawn to the
shears to the pulling of little short
winded engine. A derrick picks it
mp like n child's plaything, swings it
into the thirty-six-inch jaws of tho
shears, and with Irresistible power
they close together, biting the heaviest
truss into stovewood lengths.
Worllnt this great clearance was be-
gunJune l, 1891, and according to con-
trnct it must be finished May 1, 1896.
Only the building material is to be
removed by the salvage company. and
the South Park Commissioners OF Chi
cago will receive the trenched, pittcd
grounds and restore them to park
beauties.
According to the estimates of the
Exposition builders there were 5000
tons of iron aud steel in the buildings
purchased by the salvage company.
However, the original plans for strue-
tural iron work in the building called
for such additions in strengthening
material that the salvage company will
gather 30, 900 tons of scrap iron from
the ruins.
OF tho burned buildings there re.
main in the ruins only the Manufnc-
lures Building and Machinery Hail.
Tho great arches of the Manufactures
Building, which were the wonder of
the world, lie promo in the great Dit
once covered by the building. The
warped and sagging arches of Machin-
cry Hall still stand, guarded by
headlcss Columbus, bravo in crum-
bling outlines of plaster and fast black.
ening under tho influence of wind and
weather
Only few bridges remain, guarded
by crOuchinc cougars or colossal nlI,e