The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-28
BY MARK BENNITT.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, June 27.-The visit
or will expect something unusual in
landscape effects at the Worlds Fair,
and he shall not be disappointed.
From one glorious prospect he may
turn to revel in the exquisite beauty of
others no less pretentious. In design
ing the landscape features of this great
exposition the architect in charge, Mr..
George E. kessler, has had ever ia
mind the central Idea that this is a
city of gigantic pa4ac es, rat hefzthan a
group of buildings set IN a park. The
treatment Is therefore generally of a
formal character and the sefpbellish-
ment is along the. borders of the tttr-
ty-f1ve miles of roadWays Within the
two square miles of Exposition area
The most elaborate of the formal
gardening viii be upon the slope of
what is popularity known as the Cas-
cade gardens. These gardens are in the
southern part of the central picture
south of the grand basin which lies
between the education and electricity
buildings, and will represent an ex-
penditure of 100000. The feature is
half a mile in length, extending in a
long southern sweep around the end
of the basin and. the communicating
lagoons. The slope is 800 feet wide,
with a rise of sixty feet. The CROWN
ing feature is an. elaborate architec-
most exquisite and perfectdetaiI The
combined genius Of architect and ar
fist is strongly in evidence in the mag
niicent masterpiece, which consists of
several parts. The central part is a
festival hall, Of circular form, 200 feet
in diameter, and carrying the largest
dome ever constructed which towers
zoe feet above the Foundation of the
building. Colonnades, fifty-two feG@
high, extend east and west from the
festival hall, and terminate in two res
taurant pavilionS, each $50 feet in di-
ameter and $50 feet high. Each of the
colonnadeS is divided into seven cir
cular bays, before each of which will
be placed a statue or sculptured group
of heroic size to represent a state or
territory. The entire fourteen divisions
Of the great Louisiana purchase, in
commemoration of whose acquisition
the exposition is held will thus be rep
resented in sculpture. The terrace
upon which the Statuary will stand
is known as the terrace of states, and
overlooks almost the entire sweep of
gardens and cascades.
The cascades are three in number
the central by far the largest The
water gushes from an artistic hood or
fount, twenty feet above the level of
the terrace, spreads cut into a stream
forty-five feet wide and fourteen inches
deep, and leaps from w1er to wier down
the long slope, spreading to a width of
$50 feet as it takes it final plunge into
the grand basin. The other two cas-
cades have their sources in fountains in
the centers of large basins upon the
terrace opposite each of the restaurant
pavi1ions. These cascades have nearly
the same form as the larger one, and
flow toward the central cascade into
the grand basin. At night the cascades
will be Illuminated from beneath the
water, the effect being that of luminous
water. With the other elaborate cleo
trio Nominations the feature is destin-
ed to be one of striking novelty and Ger
tainly the most elaborate and beauti-
full spectacle of the kind ever created.
Between and beyond the cascades are
the great lawns, with their rich en-
broideries of flowers. Cement walks
and flights of easy steps are provided
throughout the west gardens, and a
liberal use of sculpture completes the
decorative detail. Seen from any point
of view, the cascade gardens will hold
the rapt attention of the visitor longer
than any one feature Of the great ex-
position. These gardens close the main