Omaha daily bee., 1898-03-02
FOSTER HASTENS The WORK
superintendent Gets Things at the Grounds
Moving Rapidly.
COMPLETING EXPOSITION BUILDINGS
Finishing Touches on Some All that
is Vow Ncedcd-Government
work Goes Ahead Rapidly
Working out Details.

The beneficial effects OF the creation OF
the office Of superintendent OF the exposition
is plainly to be seeu by a visit to the
grounds. The work is proceeding with more
energy than was apparent when every branch
OF the work was under a separate head and
marked progress is being made in every
line. Superintendent Foster has been in Of
fee just a week and has devoted his entire
time to the Department of Buildings and
Grounds gathering up the many threads in
that department, and getting the work thor
oughly organized. He now has the matter
well in hand ard has commenced the opera
tion OF pushing things to the fullest exteut.
He announces that IL he is allowed to carry
out his plans he will have no difficulty in
completing all preparations and having ev-
erything in readiness to open the gates
promptly time.
The beginning of the end in the prepara-
tlon of the ground of the main court has
just been commenced. force Of men has
been put to work laying sewers to carry the
storm water from the main buildings into
the lagoon and as soon as this work Is COM
peted the underground electric cMduits for
carrying the electric light wires will be laid,
completing the underground work in the
main court. The laying o. walks and the
completion OF the establishment Of the main
court will follow this work rapidly. The
frost is almost entirely out OF the ground
cn the north side OF the lagoon, but on the
south side the ground is frozen to a depth
of over two feet. Work will be commenced
on the north side first in order to give the
and other influences a good opportunity
TO thaw the ground as much as possible.
PUSHING THE BUILDINGS.
The buildings in the main court are rapidly
nearing completion. The Mines and Ma
oh iu1U MO pall HniC Chnl
little except the finishing touches remain
ing to be done to these buildings. The
Agriculture, Manufactures and Liberal Arts
buildings are all in an advanced stage and
but a short time will be required to com
plete all the work on them. The Art build
ing Is ready for the stan Contractors, and
they will commence work on them within a
very short time. A large force of men will
be put on this building, and it will be finished
in very short time The carpenter work is
entirely completed, the skylights are finished
and the staff work on the building is of
such a nature that but little time will be
required for its completion. The greater
part of the establishment OF the building Is
to be sculpture and Sculptor Bringhurst of
St Louis is now working on this. A series
of high relief panels will extend entirely
around the building just below the cornice,
tho panels showing professionals of art
workers of all arts and all periods The
pediments will enclose groups of statuary
CUulpIlSlllS IL Stdleu ltlldle HRuTe SuTTOunlGu
by various art workers bringing their handi-
work for judgment FlaDkng the pediments
will be groups Of symbolic composition repre-
senting history, literature and science.
Growing each pediment will be a single
figure representing Fame. Scattered all
about the building, above the cornice. will
be groups of cherubs, eagles and shields
GOVERNMENT WORK.
The Government building is making the
most remarkable progress. 1t is under con-
tract to be completed by April l. and Engi-
neer Farnan, the government engineer in
charge Of the construction, says the building
viii be ready before that time. He has al
ready notified the several departments
which are to make exhibits in the building
that exhibits may be shipped at once as the
building will be ready to receive them by
the time they can arrive. The building is
entirely under roof, except the DOME and
that will be completely enclosed within a
very few days. The staff for the building
is being put in place fast as possible and
already the Government building is one of
the landmarks on the grounds. 1t can be
seen from downtown with great distinct
ness, and when the upper portion Is covered
with staff, it will form a most imposing
sight. staff statue, Liberty Enlightening
the World" fourteen feet in height, will
surmount the dome, the pedestal on which
the figure will stand being $50 feet from the
ground All of the models except the
groups OF statuary which Will flank the base
Of the dome, have been received and the
greater portion of the staff is made and is |
ready to put on the building. This will be
the only building to be covered entirely with |
staff There will be no plasterIng on the
outside OF the building, the entire exterior
being covered with staff The plain surfaces |
will be covered with slabs of the white staff |
and the building will be dazzling in it's |
whiteness. The ornamentation of both in |
terror and exterior Is ornate In the extreme, |
and Is on massive order that is both beau
iftt1 ntNI ae,t,,
worked out to a nicely, and the building
promises to be the handsomest structure on |
the grounds. |
CONSTRUCTING CoLoNNADEs.
The colonnades which flank the Mirror and |
connect the Government building with the |
Art building on the south and the Agrlcul- |
ture building on the north are nearing COM
pletion. The carpenter work on the south |
colonnade is nearly finished and that of the |
north colonnade is nearly far advanced.
The colonnades Ranking the Administration
arch were completed some time ago.
The colonades and pavlions forming the |
exedra at the east end OF the main court are |
undec construction and are making good |
headway. The effect of the ornamentation of |
this exedrG will be very pleasing. There
will be high central pavilion spanning the
space between the approaches at either side
and two smaller pavillons at each side TIE
colonnades between these pavilions will form |
segments Of circles and the effect as seen
from the west end of the lagoon will be very
effective.
The north viaduct across Sherman avenue
is making good progress. the gicders having
been placed entirely across the street The
superstructure Will follow rapidly and the
entire structure will soon be enclosed
The Power building is proceeding rather
slowly. The piles have been driven and
the floor sls are in place.
NBBRASKA'S HANDSOME HOME.
The Nebraska building will be entirely
completed within another week. This is one |
OF the best, as well as one of the handsom-