The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-24
GREAT HIGH BALL
 AT CONEY ISLAND An Architectural Freak Soon to
 be Started WILL BE HUGE STRUCTURE Aerial Globe Was First Proposed for St. Louis Fair and Will Be 700
 Feet High-some of
 the Features.

From the New York World. l Can you imagine an entire block of New York city skyscrapers lifted into the air to an altitude equalling their own great height and supported there on iron legs? If so, you can conceive of coming wonder at Coney Island-the greatest wonder not only of that place of startling and majestic freaks, but of it's kind the most stupendous wonder of all | the world.
 Coney Island is to have the aerial globe, once planned as the greatest attraction of the St. Louis Worlds Fair. Work will begin on this vast structure next month, according to present plans. It will be completed in time for next seasons opening.
 Regardless of the respect due to Its unique majesty, this gigantic construction will be known, in popular designation, as "Coney's High Ball"
 The aerial globe will be 700 feet high twice the height of the tallest building | in this city.
 The steel globe Itself will have diam eter of $50 feet. It's circumference will ex- ceed that of the Madison Square Garden. ! To build this structure will cost $l,- ,0o0
 | In its interior 25,000 persons can at one time find entertainment. The seating ca 1 pacity of it's halls, theatres, restaurants and observation towers will be more than l the combined seating capacity of the | i've greatest halls and theatres Of this eity--the Madison Square Garden. the l Hippodrome, the Metropolitan opera house, the Academy of Music and the l New York theatre.
 l In its sub-structure this colossal edifce will be a railway terminal-a station with ten tracks and five double platforms, each | 35 wide and $50 feet long. From the cen ] ter of this great subway depot eight cleo | trio elevators, each with a capacity of sixty persons, will ascend into the dome.
 Will Have Great Speed. These elevators will have speed O. 600 feet a minute, and they will all be | expresses" ascending without stopping | to the top of the great steel edifice. From | there passengers can descend, at their | leisure, to the halls within the globe, | by elevators and escallators. | One hundred and fifty feet above the ground is the first great hall, to be known as the pedestal roof garden. Here will be vaudeville theatre with continuous performances, and restaurants. On the floor are seats for 5000 persons. In suspended mezzanine floor. are kitchens and lavatories. | The next amusement floor above this is in the globe itself Three hundred and fifty feet above the ground a great space | will be devoted to the aerial coliseum and hippodrome, with a seating capacity al- most identical with that of the hippodrome in this city-5000 persons This great hall is 1000 feet in circumference. A continu- ous circus will occupy its four rings or stages, three of which will be visible to every spectator. The seats will rise in tiers and behind and aDove them at the outer rim of the globe there will be a promenade thirty-flve feet wide. From this promenade a magnificent view out of doors can be obtained through the glass surrounding the done at this point or, looking inward, down into the coli scum.
 Fifty feet higher up will be the aerial music and dance hall, surrounded by | tiers of seats, and outside of these, at 1 the other rim of the globe is mechan- ical novelty unique Tn all the world-a moving restaurant This is constructed on the moving sidewalk plan A person seated at one of the tables i before the glass outer front of the restau- ! rant will be carried slowly around the 1 circumference of the steel globe, dis | tance of nearly a quarter of a mile, for | the entire circuit, viewing leisurely as ne | dimes the sights out of doors far below him, out over the ocean and bay and to | the distant boroughs of the city.
 Aerial Palm Garden.
 Four hundred feet above the ground, where the dome reaches its greatet width, is the aerial palm garden Here also 5000 people can find entertainment at one time. In this great hall will be a floral and horticultural display, with fountains and cascades illuminated by electricity.
 The elevators and circular stairs that run through the center of the globe now l ascend to the observation tower that | rises above the dome, or one may as- | cend by escallators. The observation tow | CT is itself huge structure, capable of housing at one time in it's three stories | 1500 or 2000 people. The first story of the tower, surround ed by a railed promenade, is slightly observation hall.
 | The story above, besides the observation rooms has a memorial hall. illustrating | the building of the aerial globe, its his- | tory and It's builders.
 | In the third story is to be an observa- | tion office of the United States weather | bureau and wireless telegraph office. | Owing to the great height of this struc- | ture 1t Is hoped here to achieve some | great results in wireless telegraphng- | even perhaps opening communication with the plant on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. | The designer of this colossal structure is 1 Samuel M. Friede. It was first intended | for the St. Louis fair. Ground was pur- | chased and money raised toybuild 1t on the | grounds of the exposition. | Railroad interests are backing the en- | terprise. The globe will be erected be-