Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-02-19


/ tempted in modern architecture. should
blend with the changing tints OF the
bay and glow in the brilliant sun
shine.
The many domes are done in trans
Z parent greens and dull ashes OF roses.
I The broad stretches Of mural expanse
are grained and stained TO the tex
ture and color of Italian travertine.
/ Where the stauary has not been
wrought from the same material IL
has been finished q soft buff, or burnt
| orange Many OF the colonnades and
panels OF the towers have been dar-
ingly treated with oriental bTilliancy
Of prismatic color
Tower Of Jewels Dominates.
Thus the exposition as a whole has
: the soft tone OF q pastel, done in the
I impressiOnistic manner. Other worlds
fairs have been uniformly white. which
In the strong light OF the California
climate would have been painfully daz-
cling.
Dominating the whole scheme is the
colossal Tower OF Jewels. 435 feet high,
set in the central Court Of the Uni
verse. whose Corinthian columns are
taller than those OF Saint Peters ca
thedral in Rome. Each column is
surmounted by the figure OF a star.
whose head dress is covered with
Jewels" and from the tower itself
depend 10000 sparklets in all colors.
which fash in the sun and scintillate
at night when the searchlights illumi-
nate the court
The site and plan OF the exposition
have made n the most compact ever
built. II occupies 635 acres, of which
50 have been devoted 10 horticultural
display. Liberal use Of palms. shrub
berry. vines and trees has been made
10 relieve and diversity the long IA
cades OF the exhibit palaces. At the
FAR ends OF the grounds are the ath-
letic field and race track: at the near
end lies the Zone. in which are group
cd the amusement concessions.
Conceived to celebrate the opening
Of the Panama canal the idea OF the
exposition has its inception in 1904.
The great fire OF 1906. in which San
Francisco virtually was destroyed. only
delayed plans for its embodiment
The authorization OF the state legisla-
ture. together with an appropriation
OF $4,000 were obtained and, in
April. 1910. S4.OS9. 900 was raised by
private subscription in two hours.
President Taft signed the exposition
act oct (. 1911.
In work done by the exposition com
pany the nations states and terrific
ries participating and the concession
aires admitted. an investment of $780,
0OG. 900 Is represented. Exhibits on
display probably will bring the total I
O, capital temporarily tied up within I
the grounds to S3O0.OO0.0OO or more.
only One Building Permanent
Only one exposition building is per
manent. The city and the exposition I
jointly built as part OF the city's new /
civic center. still in process OF con /
struction. a s2,OOO.OOO auditorium, in
which are to be held the 400 congress /
es and conventions which will give the /
exposition such an important educa-
tional aspect. After the exposition I
closes the auditorium will pass into 1
the keeping OF the city.
In the field of sports the nation will
be represented as widely as in any
other OF its interests.
Yachting cups have been given by
President Wilson. King George of Eng
land. Emperor William of Germany
and Sir Thomas Upton.
There are 10 be important golf and
polo matches
There Is to be a motor boat race
from New York TO San Francisco
through the Panama canal
A cross continent aeroplane race Is
under consideration
The Vanderbilt cup and Grand Prix
automobile races are to be run on the
exposition track Feb. % and Feb "a
All the championships OF the ANA
,eur Athletic union are 10 be held on
the exposition grounds.
All the news all the time-The