The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-03
EXHIBIT OF LAPS IS THE FINEST. Oriental Displays Are All AL tTactng Much Attention VULCAN IS CENTRAL FIGURE United States Government Building Affords Beautiful Birdseye View
 of the Entire Exposition
 Grounds.
VULCAN IS CENTRAL FIGURE
BY FRANK H. BELL.

St. Louis, May 2-tSpeeial) )-Fu.iy a
 quarter of a million people witnessed the
 opening of the Louisiana Purchase ex-
 position Saturday, and the crowds from
 day to day have been equally as large.
 Remarkable improvement has been mado in the exhibits since Saturday, all - of
 Sunday and today having been devoted to arranging the exhibits and straight
 ening out the materials in the buildings. The fair Is doubtless the largest in the
 history of the world It covers immense territory, part of which was reclaimed from the river, and every inch of which is covered with something pretty, in-
 structive or amusing
 Hundreds of cars on dozen lines make it possible to get to and from the grounds
 without much trouble, and the immense
 crowds have been handled with compara- tive ease so far.
 It would be impossible to go into any
 thing like a detailed description of the
 fair grounds.
 Entering the grounds from the east
 one finds himself on a high plateau, call
 ed the plateau of states, where arc
 grouped the various state buildings. ana
 where Alabama had a space reserved hnd
 the state made an appropriation. Here also is the Inside Inn" Missouri New
 York, Kansas, Louisiana and other states
 have large buildings of various kinds
 filled with varied exhibits which are rap
 idly being completed
 Attracts Much Attention. The Mississippi exhibit, a fac smile of Jeff Davis home Beauvoir. Is attract ing much attention. The government has a hill here on which its immense building Is placed From 1t an excellent birds-eye view of the grounds can be obtained. It is filled with the most complete and ex- nensvo exhibit tiie government has ever made at an exposition. Just below this and in a southeasterly direction are the mines and metalurgy building and the liberal arts. In the former Vulcan is be- ing erected and Is the center attraction cf the building, and 1t might also be said to be the center attraction of the expo-
 sition. More universal attention has
 been attracted to it than any other one exhibit. The Japanese government has
 an ore and metallurgical exhibit which is the finest in the building. All of the Japanese exhibits are complete, and they are considered the best of the exposition.
 The liberal arts building is complete, but
 
 spaces are rapidly being filled up' how ever, and In ten days every inch of ex- hibit space will be complete
 Education and Social Economy. The Education and Social Economy building is next, facing on the grand basin. Aross the lagoons, and somewhat | in the rear is the Manufactures building | one of the largest and finest buildings | on the grounds. Between the Manufac- | lures building and the Varied Industries
 lies the Plaza of St. Louis, where the
 Louisiana monument stands at the foot | of the grand basin
 | Across the grand basin to the west of the Education building is the Electricity and machinery building, where some
 very large and complete exhibits of the latest things are to be found. Lagoons
 completely surround this and the Educa-
 tion building, with the grand basin run | ming several hundred feet down between | them.
 | The Varied Industries building, in which many national exhibits are found, is back | of the Electric building. At the upper | end of the grand basin, and above the
 Festival hall is the Fine Arts building, where can be found some of the finest l pieces of art in the world,
 Is Immense Affair. The Transportation building-an inn | mense affair-is next on the west, and l still further along are the buildings of | various nations. The Administration building is next and west of that are the | athletic grounds, barracks, aeronautic concourse and nurseries. Lying back of all these buildings, and in the northern
 part of the entire grounds Is the Pike. stretching nearly one and half miles, and containing several hundred shows, some of immense size. Hundreds of smaller exhibits are scattered through the grounds The Agricultural and Hor- ticultural buildings are south of the national buildings and west of the grand basin, forming the last buildings of the | semi-circle. The live stock barns and Philippine annex are near the Hor- | ticultural building The Philippine ex- | hibt cost the government millions of dol l lars and is complete and instructive.
 There are present two regiments of Phil | ippine soldiers, now a part of the United