Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-17

Since the driving of the first stake for the Louisiana Purchase exposition, September 3, 1901, many changes have been wrought in the topography of Forest park. Upwards of 1,oOO,OOO cubic yards of earth have been moved in the park, not including the excava- tion for sewers, drains, water pipes; electric conduits or for the foundation piers of buildings.
 After the site had been selected by the exposition authorities, and the gen eral scheme had been decided upon by the commission of architects, the first problem was to dispose of the River des Peres, which wound it's way over the ground needed for the big exhibit Buildings. The total length of the river was $500 linear feet. This length was reduced to 4650 feet, and the entire river was placed under ground.
 In order to determine the size of the
 channel which could safely carry the Iriyer's floods, accurate surveys were
 made to ascertain the area drained, the
 average slope of this area and the slope of the channel itself. These i data. together with the record of high i water afd of maximum rainfall. deter l mined the size of the channel required. With the construction of the River tdes Peres channelway the real trans formation of Forest park began. Be ! sides the des Pores cilannelway two
 branches. one passing west and the I other northwest through the "Wilder. ness,' were planned and constructed | Then the ground thus drained was uni l formly graded to put in shape for
 building and landscape work.
 The person who looks north and
 west from the crest of Government hill. Art hill or the hill south of the
 Machinery building. will appreciate tho I wisdom shown in the selection of the l site and in the work of the architects
 Not only is the main picture of the ex
 nosition spread out before him. but a | large part of the city of St Louis is ir view. including the cultivated nortior l of Forest park and the Washington
 university buildings crowning an emi
 nence to the west.
 If the observer will look moro close I Iy he will see lines of telfordN and
 macadam road windinp throupt the l grounds. Hn will soc hara and therc
 a fire hydrant marking the lines of pine l for fire pretertion and domestic sorvicf
 which run underrround. Ha will so'
 the iron covers of nanholes whic,, af I ford acnoss to tho r,oin sn,itar-- eo---
 ere vhicl, ~" --o...o flo o-74,wo r-ro---'|'.
 rnd e.-,"co7 os-+ potvorIs of smell ]! brancbns Iea1io~ to all tho bui'G'.,~s
 Tho i~stalla 4io1 of a1I these uti'i+'c' !. was in tho nrovinca of the departm nn I of civil engineering. All the sewer confer at the pumping station. from ! which. hy means of electrically driven ] centrifugal pumps, the sewage ii 4 forced to the city sewers Cohnection' are also made between the sewers anf the underground storm-water conduit: so that during dry weather the con I taminated flow in the storm-water con I duits is intercepted and passes into tht
 side of the fair grounds an automati;
 flush tank discharges, as frequently as ldesired, large volume of fresh water
 flushing out the sewers and removing
 all objectionable deposits.
 ,. These great constructions, however
 form only a small portion of the detai
 of the work of the civil engineering de ] partment. When it is remembered +ha T every drain pipe, water pipe, gutter conduit, wagon road, railroad, the fioo, of every building, every tree. terrac; land step had to be accurately located both as to alignment and elevation. ai
 estimate can be made of the immens' Iamount of scientific instrument worl that had to be done. Each grade hat to be adjusted properly and each of tht myriads of lines of trees, gas pipes water pipes, sewers and electric con I duits, the lagoons, roof drains. surface drains, foundations for building, the
 fountains, flower beds and walks ha( to be run so that none should interfert with any other.
 T About eight miles of railroad for use lin construction and installation have been put into the fair grounds in Forest park. About ball a mile of this road runs over timber ttrestle work some of which is double \ deck, 40 feet high.
 Those who will view. from the Fes- tival hall or from the elaborate res
 taurants adorning the spurs. of Ar Hill. the finished picture of the expo
 sition will scarcely stop to think of