Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-12-20
GREATEST. OF WORLDS FAIRS.
Prospective Exposition at St. Louis
in 1903 the Greatest of Worlds
Expositions:
Ground for the Exposition Broken
Formally Today and Work will
Begin Actively.
Over Sixteen Millions of Dollars AL.
ready in H AZ by the Managers
of the Fair.

ready in H,snt. by the Managers
of the Fair.
St. Louis, Dec. 20.-The Louisiana
Exposition, for which ground was for.
mally broken today, is the first great
Worlds Fair of the Goth century. This
exposition will be held in celebration
of the centennial of what Is known in
history as the Louisiana Purchase.
BY this transaction the United States
government in 1903 : secured from
France all the land lying between the
Mississippi river and the Rocky Noun
tains. an area of more than a million
square miles, and exceeding the terri
tory of the United States at that time.
Fourteen states and territories have
ritory, having a total present popula-
lion of about 15,000,OO0, and an esti-
mated wealth of $3O,O0O,O0O,000.
St. Louis, the city in which the
Worlds fair is to be held, is the me-
trupolis of the Mississippi valley and
is the fourth city in size in the United
States, having a population with it's
suburbs amounting to about 100000
people. 1t is the principal distribut-
ing point for the vast commerce of the
central part of the, United States, and
as a manufacturing center is the leader
of the world in many important lines.
1t is the terminal point of more than
twenty railroads and holds leading
place in finance in the United States.
The money available for the exposi-
tion far exceeds the amount ever before
in hand for such an enterprise, COM
prising some $l6,OO000O The citi-
zens and corporations of St. Louis
raised by private subscription the sum
of $5,0OO,000; the municipality of St.
Louis added $5,00O,OOO more; the state
of Missouri appropriated 81 100000,
and the United States government gives
its endorsement and helps to the extent
of $5,0OO,OO0, besides appropriating
$3.50, 900 for the government building.
1t is expected that this last named sum
will be considerably increased for the
purpose Of making the most complete
government exhibit ever brought to-
gether. Appropriations have been
made by several states ranging all the
way from $15,O00 ito $25O,OOO each.
On the Doth of August last the pres
ident of the United States issued a
proclamation to all the nations Of the
world inviting them to participate in
the Worlds Fair at st. Louis This
invitation was delivered through diplo-
matte channels to the heads of the var
ious governments, and favorable re-
plies have been received from large
number of them, indicating a world
wide interest in the exposition.
The site of the Worlds Fair is in
the western part of the city, the au-
thorities having set aside more than
600 acres of Forest Park for the uses
of the exposition, and an adjacent area
having been secured makes total of
nearly 1900 acres devoted ito the fair.
Included in the fair grounds are the
buildings and grounds of Washington
University valued at $3,O00,OO0. r '
The principal buildings for the expo
sition' are arranged according to a
symmetrical plan somewhat in the
form OF a fan, in the northeastern part
OF the, Forest Park section of the
grounds. The principal vista will be
that from the main entrance looking
southwest some three-quarters of a
mile to the Art Palace, which will
crown an eminence 80 feet above the
general level Of the main buildings.
This avenue will be COO feet wide, and
there will be a transverse avenue 800
feet in width. Fronting upon these
beautiful avenues will be the manu-
factures and liberal arts buildings, the
sednncaati Y a tional and social economy build
ings, the mines, machinery, electricity
ana al transportation buildings. These
structures vary in size from Z to Is
acres ~ area IA A broad lagoon encir-
eless' eles two two Of the most central buildings.
The Palace of Art upon the hill at the
southwest a Will be a permanent build
lnrg, rlg and with its by-buildings will cost
about abb ~ 81 ,000, 600. The general style
OF OF the buildings Is that OF the renais-
san sanee g with a liberal nse of colonnade
effects upon s. all exteriors. The slope
from the Palace of Art to the lagoons
will afford an opportunity for cascade