The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-27
A PARIS WONDER.
The Glass Building Proposed for the
Great Exposition.

I dilss OcCe1uUGf S1.-A Urlllldub lutt
for Paris Exposition novelty emanates
from M. Zowieski, the well known archi-
tect of the Russian National Theatre and
pupil of the celebrated Baron Ferstel.
The idea is brilliant in its conception
and glittering in the manner in which
1t will be carried out. 1t provides for
the erection of crystal building, over
which will fall cascades of water from
hundreds of fountains and jets. The
building will be made entirely of glass,
and will rival In beauty of construction
and originality of design the famous
Crystal Palace of London, England. The
Paris palace of glass will be shaped some
what like the minaret topped structures
that are 80 much admired in Oriental
cities. 1t will cover an erea of 5000
square yards. On each corner will be
crystal towers and in the center will rise
q minaret of beautiful and original de-
sign that will be an appropriate center
piece to the fairy palace.
The interior of the crystal structure is
to be almost as attractive as the exterior
for In this building will be grouped the
most interesting exhibits of the EXPOSE
ton. Since it became known that the
managers had accepted the idea for a
crystal structure suggested by N.
Zowieski, they have been overwhelmed
with applications from would he exhibi-
tors for places in the glass building, the
exhibitors well knowing what q center
of attraction the building will be, and
approaching also the fact that structure
of Transparent material will be flooded
with light in a manner calculated to
show off the fine points of the exhibits to
perfection.
The managers appreciate this too. and
have decided to concentrate in the crys-
tai building the exhibits that are of such
exquisite delicacy that the stronger the
light the greater their beauty. Here
will be seen the art gems that require
no shadow to conceal impsrfection. the
rare paintings, the curios of earth and
the treasures of the ocean.
But it Is the outside of the building
that will be the greatest wonder by night
and day. Wherever water can DO con-
yeyed by line of piping that does not
interfere with the interior or exterior of
beauty of the building there will water
be. Wherever a jet can be added or
fountain made to play without detroying
the general harmony of the whole, or
overriding the wonderful watery effect,
there the jet and the fountain will be
placed. The whole structure of glass will
be enveloped in a veil of liquid beauty.
From all sides the water will squirt up
in rows of jets that spring from the
ground and rise over the roof at uniform
heights, to fall back on the building in
graceful showers Of spray. These rows of
jets will entirely surround the structure,
SO that the visitors can pass inside the
glass case and see the rising waters
through the crystal framework. Meet
ing these rising jets will be falling foun-
tains, whose water bursts from the roof
in graceful showers, mingling artistical-
ly with the jets that rise from the
ground. There will be towering devices
formed by the bursting waters, wheels OF
liquid loneliness, trees of glittering
spray, new and novel patterns traced in
sparkling drops on the glass background
of the palace, and fanoiful figures tnnu-
merable formed of dashing, leaping, fall
ling, bursting spray, each drop of which
obeys the will of the designer so as to
bound and fall in conformity with the
plan of the master mind that constructed
the set of pipes and nozzles through
which the water passes on its way to the
air. In the day time, when the sun
strikes the gushing waters and paints
them in rainbow colors, making each
drop crystal gem of constantly chang
ing hue, the water palace will be sight
that for loneliness will be hard to sur
pass.
But how can words describe the appear