Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-28
SOME COMPARISONS
IMMENSE FLOOR SPACE COVERED
BY EXHIBITS.
Cost of the Great Show Estimated at
Nearly Ninety Million Dollars-Seen
by Ten Million Visitors.
BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.

The greatest fault of the Louisiana pur-
chase exposition Is it's size. society ought
to be organized for the prevention of any
more big eXpositions.
The Columbian exposition at Chicago was
too big 1t took all summer to see that, and
this Is twice as large. 1t is so large that
month of weary walking and looking. day
after day, would not enable visitor to see
half there is here. and anyone who attempts
to do it thoroughly runs great danger OF
nervous prOstration.
The grounds at Chicago measured 6oS
acres. at Philadelphia. 236 acres; at Paris
IN 1900, 336 acres; at Buffalo, 300 acres
The exposition fence at St. Louis is nine
miles long and incloses 1890 acres In
single building one might walk nine miles
In the aisles between the exhibits Within
the grounds are 1.576 separate buildings
The largest. the agricultural building. COW
ers more than twenty-One acres, and the
transportation building more than sixteen.
while the Philippine exhibit. with It's several
buildings native villages and the encamp-
ments of the constabuiary and scouts COW
ers forty-seven acres.
There are 7O0eO exhibits enumerated in
the catalogue and 20.00o exhibitors.
The floor space at Chicago for EXHIBITS
was eighty-two acres, at Paris Seventy-ope
acres, at Buffalo eighteen acres. and here
12S acres, with 142 miles of aisleS in the big
buildings. 1here are no galleries mere EV-
erything Is on the ground. The number OF
exhibits is about the same at Chicago,
but many of them are more extensive. COM
Qlete and costly, particularly in the manu-
features, transportation and electricity
buildings. which Is due to the consolidation
OF interests during the last ten years. For
example. that of the steel trust, represents
about thirty companies which had separate
exhibits at Chicago. Other combinations,
Industrial and railway. represent quite as
extensive a combination. In the single
Westinghouse exhibit In the electricity
building are represented twenty-five differ
ent interests which had individual exhibits
at Chicago, and the section occupied by the
General Electric Company has quite as
many. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad
occupies 62.0O square feet. more than any
other exhibitor. except states and foreign
nations. The Westinghouse Company has
nearly as much.
Hard on the Pedestrian.
The buildings are not so close together
as they were at Chicago. They are scat
tered over very much larger area. which
is a great advantage to the exhibits and
adds to the appearance of the grounds, but
a decided disadvantage to the visitor The
distances are very great. They cause con-
siderable loss of time and much WEAKNESS,
There is a great deal more machinery in
motion than at Chicago. and everything is
run by electricity. There Is no steam on the
ground except that used by a toy locomo-
tive. The exposition company pays $40OO00
Tor 4oO'O horse power, more less, which
lights the grounds including the Pike"
runs the intramural railway and turns ev-
cry wheel within the Enclosure. In Chicago
2l.VS horse power was found to be sutfi-
Client Here, however, one of the notable
features is the exhibition Of processes and
machinery In motion, and a vast amount of
mercha ndtse Is manufactured daily upon
the grounds. ten times as much as was ever
shown at an exhibition before. and all that
requires power.
That which impreSSas YOU most is the
amount of money that has been invested
here III temporary show for within three
or four months all the Splendor will have
passed away. The central Iortion of the
art gallery, which is freproof and cost A.
million dollars, Is the only building that
will be preserved. 1t is a gift of the ex-
position corporation to the city of st. Louis
There is movement on foot to have some
of the most notable pieces of sculpture re-
produced In bronze or marble but Il has
not yet materialiZed. The Landscape gar
denins and the trees that have been plant
ed in that part of the grounds which be-
longs to the municipality will not be en-
tirely wasted They will remain as a part OF
Forest Park. and of course the greater
number of the exhibits are of permanent
value Many of them have already been
sold. As rule the exhibitors will get ba ok
considerable percentage. If not the entire
amount. of the funds they have invested
put all OF the magnificent buildings
l.
ments and statues the bridges and ma
Vilions. must go.
Cost of Exhibits.
1t Is estimated that more than twice as
much money has been expended here as at
Chicago. A close calculation credits tho
exhibitors with expending $4,000 900 in nre-
pairing. Installing and caring for their ex-
hibits, which is an average of 81 sDo for
each exhibit That is considered q very
low estimate. Several single exhibitors
nave spent more than 100000. The West
lnghouse exhibit cost half million. but
mat company and others are being re-
1mbursed to the extent of 800 900 Inv the
exposition as compensation for power f1Ir-
nished- The Allis-Chalmers exhibit Of ma
chinery cost not less than $4,000, the Pull
man exhibit cost S25O.OOO, while several
railway companies and Individual exhibit
ors spent more than 100000 In prepara-
ton. installation and maintenance The
most valuable individual exhibits are the
diamonds IN the French section of the man
ufactures building and the diamonds and
gold dust In the mining building Each is
estimated at 100000
., me os United States government spent
$l.SD.Sso for its building and exhibit. but
more than half Of II will be saved and an
piled on the Lewis and Clark exnositton
which Is to be held next year at Portland
Ore. Germany has expended 81 5OO OOO
France and Japan at least 81 2yO ooO eacb
Great Britain sToO,OOO. and other foreien
governments bring the total up to at least
$6.0OO000
The several states have approximate tod
nearly 100000 for their buildings, exhib-
its and other expenses of representation
The legislature OF Missouri contributed
N.o0OOuO. New York 100000 Pennsylvania
$4,000. Illinois and Ohio $50 600 each. and
others in proportion.
The Philippine exhibit cost ST. 400 GOO of
which $9UO.oo0 was contributed by the ex-
position company. The remainder of the
expense Is paid out of the treasury of the
Islands. and every one agrees that the
money has been well invested. because II
has enlightened 5000 900 or 1900 900 of the
population of the United States concerning
conditions there A small part of this ex-
penditure Will be returned to the treasury
as an admission fee Is now charged at tie
gates, and Professor Wilson the director.
is gathering in from 5000 to 81 900 daily.
The investment of money In the shows
and freaks on the Midway. which they call
THE Pike down here, has not been less
than 81 5000 and various other conces-
sions. like the reproduction of Jerusalem,
the Boer war and smaller enterprises, rep
resent an expenditure OF at least 100000
more.
Money for the Exposition.
Up to the opening day the exposition COM
pany had expended upon grounds buildings,
promotion and other preliminary expenses
the of % ...Nx.