The record-union., 1897-03-29
PARIS EXPOSITION BUILDING.
Present Wonders Of the World Will
Seem Insignificant.
Eighty-FOur Great Features Probable
More Than $50 Unique Ideas
Submitted.

! The eighth wonder of the world has
begun to grow, for the demolition Of the
buildings on the site of the Exposition
| Universalo is under way. The French
| have begun to rear at last, or begin to
rear, the fabrics of what they conf
IDENTIFY assert will be the most wonder
full exposition in every detail in which
the nations of the earth have Joined in
| making a magnificent whole. Here is
the first authentic news sent to Ameri-
ca of just what the exposition people
are going to do, how they are going to
do it, anG the number of marvels we
| may expect to see, with something
about what they are.
No city anywhere, not even in the
United States, contains in it's center an
area Of land equally available for expo
sition purposes. When You stop to
consider that this wonderful show is to
be held, not in the outskirts of this, one
of the oldest and most beautiful of the
European centers of population but in
the very heart thereof, you will be
able to form an adequate idea of the
first step toward the construction of
what the Parisians claim will astonish
all mankind. The site for the exposi-
ton includes the public grounds on
both sides of the Seine from the Place
de la Concord, that great monumental
square in the city's center to a point
beyond the Pont d. Jena. This includes
in its sweep of territory the Champs de
Mars the Trocadero Palace and park,
which was the site of the exposition in
Quai d'Orsay, the Quai de la Confer
ence, the Cour la Refine, and a large
section OF the Champs Elysees. this lat
ter including the site of the Palace Of
Industry, which was the international
exposition of 1885, the first of the Sc
ries of French expositions.
Those who visited the Worlds Fair in
1893 came away firmly believing that
| nowhere in the world could a site so
| beautiful be found. The stately build
| ings that reared their carved walls
along the shores of Lake Michigan
| seemed artistic beyond compare. That
any one could equal them or could ex-
eel them in beauty seemed as improb-
able as that a site that would even ap-
proach the Jackson Park location in
| charm could be found. Yet, leaving
aside the matter of convenience, the
| location Of the Paris exposition seems
| in its entirety to be superior to the
Worlds Fair at Chicago Divided as
| it is throughout its entire length by the
Seine, winding between magnificent
quays and bordered by stately edifces
and historical monuments, it lends it
self admirably to the work of decora-
tion and establishment. In these lat
ter the French people have no super
iors, and possess in great measure the
qualities SO indispensable to the carry
ing out of a project such as the one un-
der discussion
1t seems as if the mind of every gen.
ius the world over has been given to
make suggestions for striking features
for the exposition. There is the mar
velous city in the air to be sustained
by a gigantic balloon. The city is to
drop down to the ground at convenient
intervals and take aboard such addi-
tions to its population as may be in
clined to thus rise in the world, or to
permit the debarkation of persons who
are tired of remaining SO long within
one city's limits. The womans build
ing which has practically been
decided upon is likely to be in
the form of composite head
this head being made in accordance
with the composite picture of the most
beautiful woman in the world The
head is to possess many unique fea-
lures, besides containing everything
| that can be thought of as a comfort for
the weaker sex, from the rooms where
they may gossip in easy chairs, to the
restaurant where they will gain at the
same time new ideas and capital meals
One of the most unique ideas submit
ted was that of a gigantic fountain
placed in the center Of a great basin or
lake. Tremendous force would be ap-
piled to the water when it was forced
through the pipes leading to the tubes
through which the jets of the fountain
spout. The result of all this would be
the throwing in the air of streams Of
water to the hight of $50 to 200 feet
with as great a force as that which a
fire engine impels a stream through g.
long line of the hose to the roof of a.
burning building. For this device, too.
it is planned that there shall be an ad-
junct in the form Of electric lights of
various co!ors, which shall be so placed
as to produce the most charming effect
ina ginable.
Another feature is the huge globe,
Representing the earth. About the sides
Of this globe lines of railway circle to
the top, that the visitor may journey
in mc9t curious fashion from the base
to the apex Of a giants ball. On this
sphere, too, the earth's surface is clev-
eIly represented, hill and dale, mount
ain and valley. Nesting in various
spots where nature seems to have made
arrangements therefor will be minia-
ture villages, clever products and artis-
tic labor. Electric lights will be so
placed at night about this globe as to
give the effect as much as possible of
the moon and stars, while it is pro-
posed to have an occasional comet and
shooting stars will be visible every
night In the day it has been so ar
ranged that huge ball emitting a
bright light something like unto the
sun will move above the globe so as to
give the effect of the earth revolving
around the sun, although the reverse