THE PHILADELPHIA EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4561, 2 November 1875, Page 3

THE PHILADELPHIA EXHIBITION.

In The Times of 24th July last appears.a Toluminous letter of 5J columns from "Our Philadelphia Correspondent," of which we <nve the following abstract. The writer says that the work thus far done demonstrates that the Exhibition will be a complete success. The buildings are located in Fairmount Park, which contains 2740 acres, and adjoins the city of Philadelphia; population, 860,000. Through the park runs the Schuylkill River, bordered by high banks and ravines, and the great natural beauty has been enhanced by art, groves of stately trees surrounding the Exhibition buildings, and fine views of river and landscape being afforded. All the preparatory work and grading is already finished, and the buildings and plans are in such a state of forwardness that, everything will be complete months before the Exhibition will open. The British Commissioner, Mr. P. Cunliffe Owen, says that the thoroughness of plan and energy of construction is unprecedented, and that in comparison with the Vienna Exhibition the work is more than six months ahead. _ About 236 acres are enclosed for the buildings, in addition to which there will be other enclosures for the display of horses and cattle. The buildings will cover 50 acres, giviog 2,107,000 square feet of surface ; and the applications for space are so numerous that there will have to be enlargements. At Vienna the space covered was only 42 acres. There will be five main buildings grouped round a lake of 3 acres, with ornamental grounds between and around them. Of these the main Exhibition building is 1880 ft. long and 464 ft. wide. The larger portion is one storey high, the interior height being 70ft. _ At the centre of the longer side are projections 416 ft. in length, and others at the ends of the building of 216 ft.. The central facades of the main entrances are 90ft. high. This building covers 936,008 square feet of surface, or nearly 2H acre 3. Offices for the foreign commissions are placed along the side of the building, in close proximity to the products exhibited, and the design of the building is such that all exhibitors will have an equally fair opportunity of exhibiting their goods to advantage. The season opened very late this year, but 6 acre 3 of the building are already up, and it is being pushed forward with so much energy that it is going up at the rate of 2 acres a week ! It will be entirely completed by the autumn (spring in New Zealand). The next building to notice is the memorial hall, which is the finest of all the buildings, and is erected with money especially appropriated for the purpose by the State of Pennsylvania. It is designed to stand for all time, is a fireproof structure of granite and brick, and will be the art gallery of the Exhibition. It covers 1J acres, and is surmounted by a dome, with a statue of Columbia a-top of all. The design is modern Renaissance, and it is richly ornamanted. In the structure of this building there are required 160,0 C 0 cubic feet of granite, 6,000,000 bricks, and 500,000 pounds weight of iron. In this as in all the buildings railway lines are laid, so that the materials are deposited just where they are wanted. It is to be finished by Ist December. The machinery building stands in a line with the main building, from which it is 550 ft. distant, and the two together present a frontage of 3824 ft. Its entire area is 558,440 square feet, or nearly 13 acres, and the floor space afforded is about 14 acres. The main hall is 1402 ft. by 360 ft., and there is also an annexe 208 ft. by 210 ft. Two huge CorlißS steamengines of 1400 horse-power will drive the main shafting, and steam power will be furnished free to exhibitors. In the annexe for hydraulic machines there is a tank 60ft. by 160 it., with 10ft. depth of water, at one end of which will be a waterfall, 35ft. high by 40ft. wide, supplied from the tank by the pumps on exhibition. Applications for space are so numerous that additions to the building are already contemplated. It was to be finished by Ist October, and is to be comparatively permanent, being expected to last for twenty or twenty-five years. The horticultural building is a gift from the city of Philadelphia, and is also designed to be a permanency. It surrounded by romantic ravines, spanned by ornamental bridges 500 ft. long and 60ft. wide, for roads, a railway, and footpaths. The building is in the Moresque style of the twelfth century, and is built of marble, brick, iron, and glass. It covers about 1J acres. On the roof is a promenade of 17,000 square feet. This building was to be ready for the reception of exotics early this month. Surrounding it are 35 acres of ground, which will be devoted to horticultural purposes. The last of the five great buildings, the agricultural hall, will be finished early in November, and will be 820 ft. long by 540 ft.

wide, covering about 10J acres. In connection with it will be extensive stockyards for the exhibition of horses, cattle, swine, sheep, poultry, &c, and also a race-track for horses. Besides the above, there will be numerous other buildings, two of 172 x 80ft. each, containing together fifty rooms, iu which will be found "the offices necessary for the administration of the Exhibition, the Customhouse, &c. — the whole Exhibition building being one large bonded store. Then the U.S. Government is to erect a building covering two acres, in which special exhibitions for the various Government departments, viz., Indian, army, navy, coinage, geology, mineralogy, &c, will be made, to illustrate the facilities of the States in time of peace, and their resources as a war power. Other buildings will be for the police, fire department, and Finance Board, and, last of all, an office for the recovery of lost children. ... Upon the highest ground in the park will be an observatory 150 ft. high, which will afford a fine view of the Exhibition grounds, the city, and Its environs. Visitors will _be taken to the top on a spiral railway. Foreign commissioners will have their own pavilion, as will the Jnry, numbering 200, and any special exhibits. The plan of the grounds embraces 7 miles of roads, with numbers of bridges, summer-houses, &c ; and it is being laid out by a large force of workmen. By New Year s Day everything will be ready. The a<«»re<*ate cost of all these buildings and improvements will be 5,053,000d015., or about- £1,061,000 ; and the entire expense of "running " the Exhibition for the six months during which it will be open is estimated at about°£73s,ooo more. In the spring (autumn New Zealand) there were some fears of failure, owing to want of funds; but the managers have now no fear, for they have already in hand the 5,000,000d015. ready for the "plant" if it may be so called, and the 3,500,000d015. for " running " expenses is expected to be in hand before a penny is taken for admission, fees. The subscriptions must indeed have been liberal. To show the enthusiasm which exists throughout the Americas, North, Middle, and South, it will be sufficient to say that at Eio Janeiro there is a school of 100 young men preparing themselves to visit the Exhibition by studying the English language. The space originally awarded to Great Britain was 48,000 square feet, but this was found so totally inadequate that it has been increased to SS,OOO. It is said that the hearty action of the British Government is greatly appreciated, and has largely contributed to the success of the whole undertaking, not only in America, but in Europe. It is also hoped that it will lead to important commercial benefits and a modification of the protective tariff. Every assistance possible will be given to foreign exhibitors, and no charges will be made for floor space, &c. There will be 200 judges, 100 of whom are to be foreigners, and each judge is to get lOOOdols. for personal expenses. The admission fee will be 50cents (25.), and it is calculated that there will be 10,000,000 admissions, the estimated daily average being set down at 50,000, and on some days many more. The various railways to Philadelphia are making preparations for bringing 30,000 visitors daily. All this rush of visitors is being provided for by the careful planning of the authorities. Philadelphia is fairly "gridironed" with 16-horse railways, which will land passengers at the doors of the Exhibition. The steam railways mil run special trains at reduced rates to an enormous station in the grounds. In addition to all this, an hotel is to be provided there with bed accommodation for 2500 persons. To facilitate locomotion within the grounds a double track narrow gauge railway is to be built aB round the place inside the enclosure, with stations at every building. This road will be 3J miles long. Philadelphia, in fine, is making every arrangement to provide for all visitors froni abroad at the lowest rates practicable in America, the greatest care being taken to guard against extortion. The Times correspondent winds up his long letter by saying that "the Exhibition is in the hands of some of the best men in the country, and it is backed by men of capital, who are ready to advance millions of dollars to make it the success which the entire country now hopes for. The energy and sagacity of the American people, with all the experience they can gain from similar exhibitions in other countries, are devoted to the labor of preparing for this one."