Show I Ira sMississippi and illtcratiollaJ Expo ition I I Omaha9 Juiie to November I89S Omaha Dec 10 189iSix months hence the TransMissisbippi ana International i S Inter-national exposition will be opened tp j i the old June 1 1S98 is the day set I I I lor the iuausruration The sates will 1 I close Nov 1 Arrangements arc al j xearly far advanced plans have been 1 definitely adopted and the work of J I construotioa is being vigorously performed i per-formed in all departments Much has i been neeoinyliRhed since constructive j work was commenced a few months c ago and tlfl highest achievement will I soon be realized in the completed architecture archi-tecture The harmony of design attained I at-tained through artistic grouping of the I buildings is most pronounced The I 1 plans lave been arranged on an elab i oral Calc of chitecture for all the I i Piihcipal buildings The oopstnutiort of the manufacturers manufactur-ers buiidins on the RGuth tido of the basin is well advanced The ctaff I workers are putting on the frieze and I I other ornamental designs with which I I the exterior of the exposition buildings I win be richly and artistically embellished embel-lished The machinery and electricity building and the mines and mining building are rapidly nearing that stage when a force of staff workers will begin be-gin their operations to add to the beauty of the coming enchanted city Vork is being hastened on the liberal arts and agriculture buildings The ground floors are laid and the frame TI ork in position for the superstructures The administration arch is now receiving re-ceiving its finishing touches of staff ornaments and the inside of the building build-ing will in a few days be ready for the use of the exposition officials It On the sites selected for the fine arts r > building the auditorium the girls and f boys building and the service building work on the foundations has been commenced com-menced Active operations will soon I attend the erection of the United 1 States government building which will occupy a sightly location at the west end of the mirror in the court of honor The government building will be ready in time for installation of heavy exhibits ex-hibits earlv in the new year On the bluff tract overlooking the river a commanding site set apart for the buildings of the various states and Ja foreign countries the Nebraska building build-ing looms up in conspicuous evidence under a massive dome Trainloads of buildins material of all kinds machinery and other supplies sup-plies are daily unloaded on the ground convenient to the buildings In every direction hundreds of mechanics and laborers are busily employed hastening I the exposition work to completion ARCHITECTURE I TlVe arena the architects have chosen I for a display of the highest artistic effect is pitched in the great rectangle locally known as the Kountze tract I The main buildings are ranged along either side or the basin At the west i end stands the government building flanked by imposing colonnades which I i converge toward the west The Arch of States the main entrance is on the I sputh line at Twentieth street This I arch one of the most noticeable in the I group of structures is decorated with I a frieze composed of the arms of the I TransMississippi states the whole be j I ing surmounted by sculpture figures I bearing the United States shield The f bright colors of the shields contrasting I with the monochrome background of i I the arch itself and the gay effect of streamers flying above form a brilliant I point that can be seen the whole length of the boulevard Entering this arch I the visitor arrives at the court of the I grand canal opposite the administration administra-tion arch the palace of agriculture being j be-ing on the right of the mines and mineral min-eral building on the left The canal or I I basin is spanned occasionally by pic I tursque bridges built with little arches to permit the passage of gondolas and various small boats Its two ends terminate ter-minate respectively at the government building on the west and at the viaduct via-duct on the east Vineshaded promenades prome-nades of columns treated in the Pom peian manner extend between all the buildings and provide visitors with nearly a mile of continuous shade all around the basin Visitors going by boat the length of the basin to the Sherman avenue via f duct will pass all the main buildings I the United States government agricultural agricul-tural administration arch mines machinery I ma-chinery art auditorium liberal arts boys and girls and manufactures I buildings and the arch of the state I Approaching the eastern end the ground rises in terraces and is adorned with snrubbery and llowers mingled with pieces of sculpture until it ends in a great hemicycle stairway crowned by the kiosk or minaret on the viaduct Oii either side of the esplanade beyond I this are the two chief restaurants fanciful fan-ciful structures with irregular spires I I or minarets At the extreme east end I of the canal court are the electric water I I grottoes the blue grotto or Capri and Mammoth cave which can be visited I only by boat Very striking effects of light and color will be seen here refiect ed from glittering rock crystal and tinted tint-ed by many colored electric globes I placed under tlle water All the buildings gateways colonnades I colon-nades bridges etc forming this main I group aie parts of a composition each i having its own share in the architectural i architec-tural effept to be produced One pqint to be noticed is the success of the designers de-signers in keeping free from the influence in-fluence of other expositions The plan of grounds the grb ping and design of buildings the scheme of color are all wholly different from any former achievement The buildings will be i given the tint of old marble the staff I work being colored to produce this ef V t I T n S rr r > j s s rL 5 t T7 pS C S is o r rJ 1 1 4ctl 5 nrQ if OFFICIAL BIRDS = EYE VIEW i Cfc J 07 iD feet Classic sculpture and intricate carving will be imitated to a nicety and statuary of heroic size will surmount sur-mount some of the main buildings I Imposing columns of the long colonnades colon-nades beautiful porticos facing the I main court basrelief sculpture adorning adorn-ing the pediments of great buildings I and lions couqhant and rampant surveying sur-veying the main court from the lofty i pedestals all wrought in staff will contribute to the splendor of the completed I com-pleted architecture THE SITE I I Situated upon a broad plateau well within the city limits on the north side the exposition grounds are easily accessible I ac-cessible from all points of the compass com-pass Kountze tract 670 feet wjde defined i de-fined by Sherman avenue on the east and Twentyfourth street on the west was selected for the focus of the group of main buildir gb This ground is nearly half a mile long and in the S center a canal extends the greater II share of the distance This basin is 150 i feet wide at the east end while at the i west end it runs into a trefoil or three lobed lake fully 400 feet across On I the east lying at light angles to Kountze tract 5s an area of 60 acres j I stretching along the bluffs and over I looking the river and country beyond i The remainder i of the expositibn grounds lies north of Kountze tract I west of Sherman avenue and includes I J theold fair grounds and the land bd I yond it embracing in all about 80 acres Two viaducts across Sherman I avenueconnect the Bluff tract with the Grand canal court and with the large area to the nbrth The northernmost viaduct immediately connects two sections I sec-tions evpted to concessionaires the I one on the Bluff tract lying parallel to I Sherman avenue the other being west I of the avenue tha midway leading I I westward to a connection with Twentieth Twen-tieth street which leads southward mia the Grand Court The main entrance is on the south line at the intersection of Twentieth street through the Arch of States h Perhaps the most effective view of the whole grounds is to be tound on the viaduct spanning Sherman Sher-man avenue at the east end of the Grand Court and leading to the music pavilion < esplanade and park which will distinguish the Bluff Tract The whole tract will be transformed into a fine park where the various state i buidlngsare I located and which is the I admirable site ofthe horticulture forestry for-estry diary and apiary buildings A vide avenue leads back to the music paviliOn where dround the band stand will be placed stats on the terrace for 100000 listeners To the north lies the pleasure ground where will be arrayed a remarkai e aiJQemblatje of attractions attrac-tions On the did fair grounds site the livd 1 tock fend jititioi exhibits the 1 sug r beet fiel the great display of agricultural jmplemellts alfalfa fielcS the amphitheatre and athletic fields are located Trees will be made use of very rely in the form of parks and groves and for shading and ornamenting ornament-ing unsightly places A ros garden will adorn the crest of the bluff At the west end the Mirror with its cluster of artistic accessories is itself to be thecente r of a beautiful park whose winding Fans and shaded ar hors all lead to 1 oxil fame this bit of water ilusic pavilions restaurants and other attractions will mak the I Mirror a favonto haunt f ji many visitors vis-itors Pleasure boats launches and gondolas I gon-dolas as well ss swans and other waterfowl water-fowl will add to the interest and help to beautify the lake Jn this Mirror will occur the water festivities swimming swim-ming and diving displays etc which I can be observed from the colonnades and from the steps of the United States government building whose noble proportions pro-portions are reflected by the sheet of water lying before it |