ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12545, 12 April 1904, Page 6

ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION.

SOME OF THE FEATURES OF THE GREAT -SHOW. Additional particulars of the St. Louis Exposition to "those already published are to ; hand by the San Francisco mail. Although | the general architectural scheme of the buildj ings follows the Renaissance period, every I stylo of ancient, mediteval and modern archi- ; tecture, from a classical peristyle to a Turkish minaret, is represented. Among the more magnificent of the buildings are the Palace 01 Arts, costing 580,000 dollars and covering eight acres; the Palace of Electricity, costing 400,000 dollars; the .Palace of Education, also covering eight acres, and the superb and massive Colonnade of States. The frontage of the great buildings runs into measurements of many miles, and it would take weeks to " do" the show thoroughly. The Aeronautic Concourse, where the much-talked-of airship contests for the 200,000 dollars in prizes offered by the Exposition will take place, is in the western part of the grounds. j SOME POPULAR FEATURES. ! One of the most populai features of the I Exposition will be the " Pike," in the amr.se--1 rneivt street of the Exposition. It begins with the Tyrolean Alps, which cover 10 acres . or more, and winds around the west end of the transportation and machinery palaces to a point near the art building, ending with the reproduction of the city of Jerusalem, i which covers 11 aorcs. In this distance of i nearly two miles will be seen the most novel i entertainments that ingenious showmen have j been able to devise. Among them is an inI ternational Irish exhibition, showing the ini dustries of Ireland, with Parliament House, Blarney Castle, and other notable buildings. The animal show is a very large affair. Asia will give many interesting glimpses of Oriental life. The Chinese villoma and the | streets of Cairo will furnish very interesting pictures of Eastern customs. Croatian is a wonderful illusion. Under and over the sea will furnish unusual experiences. The Galveston flood will show how a great city was destroyed by a tidal wave./'"'.. •• The fire-fighting , exhibit-ion will show a a modern fire company in actual warfare with the flames, using all of the meet modern apparatus. New York to the Nort& Pole is a magnificent feature, replete with interest. Jerusalem will be the objective point ot the Bible students from everywhere. An intramural railway, having 11 mile? of track, will carry tho visitor to tlje many interesting points within the grounds. The Exposition is fortunate in having a site which furnishes a variety of scenery and abundant shade. Instruction and pleasure will be mix id in fine proportions and the visitor's days at the Exposition will fly all too quickly. The total area of the Exposition is 1249 acres. The estimated cost of tho great enterprise is placed at 50 000 dollars, exclusive of the value of the exhibits. If is estimated that the exhibits in the machinery palace

j alano are worth 8,000.090 dollar?. ' The opening ay is set for Saturday, the 1 30th inst., ancl the Exposition will continue ' seven monthsto December 1 next. ■ BIGGER THAN CHICAGO. In comparison with the largest former ex- ; position, the Columbian "World's Fair at Clii- > cago in 18S3, the world's fair at St. Louis i occupies nearly twice the amount of land : and 50 per cent, more exhibit spaoe. In every phase this Exposition shows the de- ) volopment of 11 years, a period of most re- • niarkabie progress in all industries. ; BRITAIN'S BUILDING. j Great Britain's building includes are pro- ) ckiotion of the famous orangery on the splen- , clid grounds of Kensington Palace, Loudon. * This structure, the birthplace and home of the late Queen Victoria., was built in 1704 } under the direct orders of Queen Anne. Itis one of tho purest specimens of Queen r Anno architecture. The building is surf rounded by a quaint old English garden, a . copy of the horticultural architecture of 200. , ' years ago. The whole tract is bordered with . \ hedges of yew, and these, with all the trees j and shrubs planted hers, were brought from k 1 Kensington Gardens wrapped in straw. 1 IN OLD MEXICO. 3 Mexico's national pavilion is next to the British building, facing on Skinker Road. it was the first foreign Government. building ' erected on the World's Fair grounds. Architecturally, it is a reproduction of the patios or open courts which form a feature of Mexican dwellinghouses. The court is roofed

over, allowing, however, an arcadod cloister, such as usually surrounds a patio. The structure is two storeys in height. The windows of the upper storey are photographic views, showing cathedrals, monuments, palaces, parks, and beautiful tits of scenery in Mexico. A gigantic picture of President Diaz in stained glass holds a placo on the lower floor. This is lighted by electricity at night. Surrounding tho building is 1 an exhibit of tlio flora of Mexico, including banana trees, agaves, cacti, and palms. A large force of men. scoured tho mountains of Mexico to obtain plants for this garden. THE PATHETIC TRIANON. France is represented by a replica of that harmonious and delicate bit of architecture, the historic Grand Trianon at Versailles. Surrounding the building, on tho 15-acro reservation, is an elaborate specimen of French landscape gardening. A broad driveway leads up a gentle slope to the court of the Trianon. It is flanked on either side by raised terraces of sward, crowned by parallel rows of parked Caroline poplars. Statuary intersperses the arcade of trees. To the i south and west of the Trianon is a garden of 1 exotic beauty, which follows the vagaries of j nature. Here are tiny lakes and secluded ! nooks to delight the romantic nature of the i Parisian. The court of the building, formed ■ by the central structure and the L-shaped i wings, is traversed by walks of pink gravel, ! which are cooled by a splashing fountain. JAPAN'S DISPLAY. ! Japan has a commanding site on a hill, I south of the machinery puluec. Here have been erected seven large buildings, as well. | as a number of pagodas. The pavilions i were constructed by Japanese workmen, and 1 the material for them brought from Japan, ■ Beautiful tiles and carvings have been used | in their decoration. The main pavilion j is an ornate reproduction of the "Shishinj den," the palace at Tokio, in which the j Japanese Emperor grants audiences to his I Ministers of State. Besides the main strucj ture toe buildings include a eomsiissioner's ! office, the Bellevue pavilion, a bazaar pavij lion, a Kinkaku tea pavilion, a Formosa tea pavilion. I CIIARLOTTENBURG. . Germany secured an advantageous site on a plateau "in the eastern part of the grounds overlooking tho cascades and cascade gardens. Hero has been erected a handsome replica of the central portion of the famous Ccistlo at Charlottenburg, near Berlin. The j castle was built near the end of the seven- i teenth century by Frederick 1., the first I King of Prussia. Emperor William personally prepared the plans from which the pavilion was constructed. The - rooms of the castle are furnished with precious old lurniture, gobelins and silver ornaments, the products of by-gone days. These articles now owned by the Emperor have been in the possession of his family, many of them for hundreds of years. The building is surrounded with accurate copies of the gardens of the Oharlottenburg Castle. CHINA'S EXHIBIT. Tho building erected to hold the wonders of the Celestial Empire stands between the Belgium building aud tho organery. It is a quaint and highly ornato structure, a reproduction of the country nalaco ®f Prince Pu Lun, China's Imperial Commissioner to the fair. The framework was constructed by American workmen, but the delicate carving of the ornamental finish was fashioned by the skilled hands of the Chinese artisans, who came all the way from the Flowery Kingdom to apply these last artistic touches. ' " THE GLORIES OF ITALY. The Italian building is a picture of stately lines and harmonious colour. It is a sample of gardening and architectural art transported bodily from the shores of the Mediterranean. Standing high above the garden level the structure is reached by a broad flight of stairs. Standards, crowned with bronzed victories, tower 100 ft in the nil on cither side of the entrance. The. garden, which stretches in front of the building,, is flinked oi> two sides by a 10ft wall. The third side is a peristyle of lonic columns, through which entrance is gained. The walls and colonnade are elaborately treated with porcelain entablatures, and are broken at intervals with pylons, which cajry spouting fountains. Sculpture, rare flowers, and all accessories of the building art of the sunny land combine to present a layout as picturesque and beautiful as any on the Exposition grounds. | " SOME OTHER COUNTRIES. Belgium; Sweden, Nicaragua, Austria-, and many other countries, not excepting New Zealand, have seourod courts for the effective i display of their products, and their own jwcu- | liar arts and crafts and scenic beauties. I Russia has a picturesque pavilion of old : Russian architecture. High towers of Byi zantine design are a feature. I lad-a is represented by a reproduction of the marvellous tomb of Etxaad-Dowlali,, at

Agra,. Minarets and bulbous don*, <&*,. iff raeteristic of tho architecture of that•. eouu» ' I try, grace the structure. ■ It has been definitely decided that Hawaii I will make no exhibit at the St. Louis Fair "C' The sum of 30,000 dollars, which the Legist ; lature appropriated for an exhibit, will bo ~ returned to the Treasury, and be used in, relieving recent territorial litigation, \ A VITICULTURAL DISPLAY.''*S® One of the grand features of the diml ay will bo the wine exhibit, to which California, iffa! wine-makers and wine merchants have eontribntcd with great liberality. It will bo 'i;®? as abundant in variety as the allotted space %I§|Pf will permit, and it is promised that the artistic arrangement will bo "satisfactory." i: V unique feature of tho exhibit will lie tWf*'%&§ of the State Horticultural Department, whioh^P : lSt will include a collection of injurious insects mounted on pins, or preserved in alcohol' SlINi while hovering over them, also mounted on pins, will be displayed, so far as they will go, the friendly insects, which are the ministers of vengeance upon them, all the ija, portant ones being arranged behind lenses' •-V"' so that the beholder can readily examine then works. S|3pl MINERAL SOAP. '' i , -&S} Nevada will exhibit specimens of 118 varie- (MIK ties of ore, a 2711b lump of ruby silver, and "V specimens of natural soap from the soap % Jf.* mountain at Elko. A saddle, with silver >11 mountings, valued at 1000 dollars, will be § shown by Nevada. THE POULTRY SHOW. '* _7 The cash prizes offered for exhibits of ; • poultry amount to over 16.090 dollars. The Exposition has recognised the poultry industry by placing the matter of receiving, coop. ing. feeding, exhibition and returning the poultry, pigeons and p»t stock at the _ c World's Fair in the hands of a committer <"* t'fM recommended for (his purpose by the Ameri- N V cart Poultry Association. , A HUGE SEARCHLIGHT. • ] The largest searchlight in the world, manufactured in Germany, will crown tho ' | dome of the woman's building. The lena is ■ 7ft across and will reflect a light of 6,000.030 eandle-powor, which will be visible 200 mile® from St. Louis. The light will be one of the features of the World's Fair. The makers *•»# guarantee that it will throw letters against . th 3 sky that can be read 1,59 miles away, t Events of unusual interest will be heralded ' 5* abroad in this novel fashion. The light arill ' be installed on the highest point in St. Louis. 'I* The dome of the woman's building is 7Jsfj " from the ground, and the ground at that point is 116 ft above Broadway. The lamp is , ; mechanically arranged, so that at the touch of a key it will recede into its dome and be '■') %, completely covered. The operation is hydraulic. It can be directed at any angle in ■" '.j every point of th» compass by the sinp'e *"s| manipulation of keys from the office. '1 HOTELS AT THE FAIR. There are mora than 150 established hotels . : in. St. Louis, and a signed agreement has .• been made between many of their managers ■ with the Exposition officials that rates shall *3 not be raised during the Exposition period. Many new hotels have been built on sites adjacent to the Exposition grounds, and the published fixed rates warrant the assertion that no one need pay exorbitant rates for ".iFjfl accommodation, whether at hotels or private - <-'♦ houses. -■. 1