The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-14
Panama Exposition Already
Guaranteed Biggest of Fairs.
Construction of Palaces for
'ShOw'' Is Begun.
WHAT VISITORS WILL SEE
Clever Writer Draws Picture of
Grounds Completed.
Palace of Glass to Cover Five
Acre Tract.
(Rv Hamilton wright.)

San Francisco, Dec 14-With
twenty-Six months before the opening
day. February 20, 1915, the Panama
Pacific International exposition is, in
the opinion of notable authorities IN
worlds expositions, relatively further
advanced in its general development
by more than one year over any OF its
celebrated predecessors.
The construction of the exposition
palaces has begun. The service build
ing, first of the structures, is prac-
tically completed. Within nine months
construction will be under way upon
all of the main group of palaces
fourteen in number-and they will all
be completed on or before June 25,
1914. Contracts for these huge struc-
lures, which will be devoted to general
exhibits. are being let at the rate of
two each month. The early compile
ton of the buildings, nine months be-
the adornment of the exposition
grounds with hundreds of thousands
of Towering trees. shrubs and vines
that are now being raised in nur-
series. The exposition grounds have
been cleared of buildings that occu-
pied a portion of the site and millions
of cubic yards of earth have been
filled in from San Francisco bay by
suction dredgers.
Fair Guaranteed Now.
twenty-five foreign nations have
accepted the invitation of the presi-
dent of the United States to take part
thirty-tWO mmOnwealths have taken
legislative action. Japan will spend
one million dollars upon the Japanese
palace to be set in a garden of i've
acres New York state has appro-
priated 100000 for it's display. More
than eight hundred applications for
exhibit space have been received at
the exposition headquarters; some to
cost 100000 and $500, 600 each, and
all running into the millions If no
more applications were received, if
no more foreign lands accepted the
presidents invitation, the Panama
Pacific exposition would, in the opin-
ion of notable authorities, excel any
of the great eXpositions in history in
the universally of its exhibits. Thous-
andS or applications for concessions
have received and applicants are
eagerly awaiting their contracts. The
work is being enthusiastically under
taken PRESIDENT Moore and the thir-
" directors are serving night and day
without salary.
Big Exposition Grounds.
The site of the exposition at Harbor
View, a great basin opening out upon
San Francisco bay, occupies 625 acres.
This is a slightly greater area than
the great Worlds Columbian exposition
in Chicago. The site is two miles west
of the Ferry building, the principal en-
trance to San Francisco, and near the
most populous portion of the city. The
grounds extend along the shores of the
harbor almost three miles and are one
mile in greatest width On the west
south and east the site which lies
as the floor of an amphitheater is en-
circled by the hills of the city rising
in successive stages from one hundred
and fifty to five hundred feet in height.
The exposition structures will lie on
the east and west axis between an es-
planade-the Marina villa gardens)-
along the bay upon the north, and a
garden boulevard-the Alameda-sey-
enteen hundred feet in length and three
hundred feet in width, at the fringe of
the city's hills upon the south. The
Alameda, set out with palms and flow
er1ng trees and shrubs, will be the en-
trance to the exposition grounds from
the city Fillmore street and Van Ness
avenue and Intervening streets will run
into the Alameda at right angles
Looking from the harbor in 1915 the
visitor will see three great main groups
of exposition buildings rising against
the amphitheater of the hills. There
will be, on the east and nearest the
Ferry building, the concessions or
amusement center occupying sixty-five