Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 November 1893 — MONSTER STRUCTURE. [ARTICLE]

MONSTER STRUCTURE.

THE BIGGEST EDIFICE AT THE WORLD’S FAIR. All Nations Represented in the Wondrous Building of Manufacturers and Liberal Arts—The Most Notable Exhibits. This is the giant of them all. It is one of the world’s architectural wouders. Though not having at much ground acreage as the large structure erected at the New Orleans Cotton Centennial in 1884, it is, nevertheless, more imposing and has much more available space. The New Orleans building covered a little more than 33 acres; the Liberal Arts building but 31. If to this be added the acreage of the galleries the footing will be 44 acres of flooring. During the time it was being erected, I was very much interested. I watched the growth of the huge skeleton, arch by arch. I think it is more wonderful than any exhibit it oontains. The iron and steel required in its construction would build two Brooklyn bridges. The Eiffel Tower is very high, over a thousand feet. The Eiffel Tower could be laid along the floor of the Manufactures and Liberal Arts building, with a few hundred feet to spare. Six games of baseball could be played within it and none of the games would interfere with each other. Five car loads of nails were used in laying the floor. The immense arches are supported on axles not thicker than a man’s arm. The object of so setting them was to leave the arches at liberty to contract with the cold or to expand with the heat. Few people can form any idea of how the iron within this | mammoth building is affeoted by the changes of the temperature. Some 50 ! carloads of glass have been spread out over the immense roof. The glass had all been set in the spring. Just ns soon as the weather began to soften up and ; we had those frequent and sudden i changes that usually oocur here in May and June, the roof suffered to a great extent. I remember on one occasion particularly of a certain sudden cooling in the atmosphere that broke hundreds of panes of glass in the roof. Even now, it is a difficult thing to keep the roof in , repair. ) In the immediate centre of the hall stands a high clock tower whose chimes frequently fill the air with sweet sounds. This tower is about 150 feet high. All pavilions may be readily located by points from this structure. For instance, at the N. E. corner Germany stands. Immediately north of tnis is Austria and still farther north comes Japan. At the S. E. corner is France, followed on the south by Belgium and then by Russia. At the southwest corner is Great Britain and diagonally opposite to it is the space allotted to our home exhibitors. England has the most unpretentious pavilion of all. Indeed it is no pavilion. They have merely enclosed the floor space alloted to them. The pavilions of Germany and France are the most pretentious. Which nation has the better exhibit is a question very difficult to answer. I have seen both and am inclined to think they are about equal. If France le ids in some things Germany does in others and vice versa. Neither nation has spared money in preparing for the display. Each Dation is completely represented. If there is a French restaurant, there is also a German one.' The display in both exhibits represents the highest art in each country. The salons of Berlin are as gay as those of Paris and nil that furnishes the salons of Paris and. Berlin, all that goes to dress up the men and women who fill these salons, —all is represented at the Fair. It will delight every visitor to see the magnificence each of these peoples has sent on as representative. Those with money will find much to buy and many suggestions as to interior decorations that will be positively fascinating. It is the hardest thing in the world to pass through this building without stopping to see and examine all that is displayed. Thirty governments are here represented. Siam and Persia. Ceylon and Jamaica, Brazil and Switzerland, Russia and Japan, Corea and Morocco, France and Germany are side- by side on this neutral ground in friendly rivalry. There is something in each exhibit peculiar to the people—characteristic of them- some particular work which no other nation has, some national industry in whiihthey lead. For instance,, there is nothing on the World’s Fair grounds equal to the display of glass work from Austria. It is simply exquisite. The tints and hues in the beautiful handiwork O'intiot be described. The method of decorating,' the artistic design and finish of these decorations must be st*n. | Then Switzerland is therewith her jew - elery and wood carving. Geneva watches are shown of all sizes and shapes. Some are not larger than your thumb nail The cases containing them are always crowded with admirers, who, like myself, are simply fascinated. Imagine a set of of jewelry worth (30,000, consisting of five separate pieces gleaming like, well, I scarcely know what. # I remember one morning when a boy I went into our grape arbor and came upon a beautiful sight. A gigantic spider had woven a wondrously delicate polygonal net and some fairy finger had hung it with thousands of ilewdrops. The sun was peeping through an opening on the opposite side of the bower, and the rays that parsed in fell flashing on the spider's net and lit it into flumes of gold and purple and yellow and indigo. This little scene that I had almost forgotten was recalled to my mind when I saw the set of jewelry to which I have referred. There was a necklace, quite small; a pair of earrings, not large, and two unpretentious-looking bracelets. Then I read the legend below, which said: “Price (30,000.” I bad no idea that so much value could be wrought together in tiny jjebbles so very small. But they were diamonds and that somewhat quieted my astonishment. The wood carving and the music boxes here are equally wonderful. One piece carved from a so'id piece of wood, is the most delioate thing of the sort imaginable. It is a bouquet of flowers standing in a flower pot. The carving proper is not more than 10 inches high and 6 inches wide. Yet it took the author fifteen months to complete it. Its label reads (2,400. Spain was allotted a very poor plaoe in which to make her display in this building. Yet did her architect make the best of it. It is a reproduction of some of the halls of the Alhambra. The effeot is very pleasing. The prettiest statue of the child Jesus I have ever seen is shown here. It representa the Divine One when He was ibout eight years of age. He is seated in a large chair whose I a k is a gilded oross that rises far above Hia head. His arras are extended over the sides of the chair. His face is upliited; His mouth partially n|*n. In this, as in all the Catholic statuary displayed in this exhibit, the eyes are made of glass and are very life like. I came upon two huge rases wrought

in a manner lately invented by a Spanish woman. These vases are of steel and are enorusted with pure gold. The designs and the figures are beautifully laid on. They have an exquisite finish and the contrast between the gold and the steel ia very rich and pleasing. They are each about four feet high and are intended as centre ornaments for parlors. It will take a snug sum to own the pair. Sixty thousand dollars will buy them, twenty thousand dollars being the prioe for the first one and forty thousand dollars the figure on tho other. Siam has a very small pavilion, bqt I heard somebody remark it contained more value to the square foot than any other nation’s display. The pavilion itself is a beautiful affair. Pagoda shaped, it glitters in gold and cut glass. Tiny pieces of glass about one inch long and three-eighths of an inch wide are so cut that five of them make a atar. Such stars are all over the little building and the uncovered places are gilded. They display beautiful carviug on elephants’ tusks, magoificant silver work, and that peculiar ware which they make of papier macho inlaid with pearl. They manifest a degree of culture that I did not think existed in Siam. Some beautiful needle work from the art school of Lady BhasKarawongoeza is shown. I did not think they were already struggling so markedly for the arts of European civilization. The Netherlands have a magnificent display of ceramics. They have panel pictures that are simply exquisite. The Danes have a very notable and complete exhibit. One of the most interesting features they have are relics of Hans Christian Anderseu. With just pride they glory in the man whose fairy tales have delighted the children of every nation. Unfortunately a lsok of spaco foroes the Italian exhibitors into very crowded quarters. They are placed, like Spain, under the gallery, and tho darkness prevents their wares from being seen to the best advantage. Undoubtedly they are tho most artistic people in Europe. Every time I get near tlioir exhibit I am drawn to it, and cannot go on without stopping to admire. Their statuary is simply wonderful. They have figures in all conceivable positions, and in every instance so life-like, so oxquisite that it is simply fascinating.