CHAPTER I.

fHE GREAT REVIEW ON THE HUDSON RIVER.

Rendezvous of War Vessels of Many Nations at Fortress Monroe— The Caravels and the Infanta
Isabella— The Fleet at Sandy Hook— Review on the Hudson River— The Most Spectacular and
Impressive Marine Event of Any Age— A Million of People Present— Mrs. Cleveland on the
Dolphin— Description of the Caravels— The Strength of the United States Navy Never Shown to
Better Advantage— The British Cruisers Represented the Best Attainments in Marine Construction
— How France and Germany Engaged in Friendly Salutations— Vessels from the Baltic, the
Mediterranean and South American Waters.

REFACING the official opening of the Exposition, and
leading straight up to that auspicious occasion, was the ar-
rival off Fortress Monroe, during the month of April, 1893,
of the crack warships of many nations (along with the
caravels in the wake of the Spanish warship "Infanta
Isabella") , and the subsequent review on the Hudson River,
which took place on Thursday, the 28th, and which will
long rank as the grandest and most imposing marine event
of any day, denning, as it did, an epoch in the wondrous
story of humanity, and which was speedily followed by a
marvelous succession of gigantic pictures at Jackson Park —
themselves no insignificant tribute to the memory that called
forth the Exposition.
The fleet left Fortress Monroe on Monday, the 24th, and arrived in the
lower bay of New York on the Tuesday following. The United States steamship
Dolphin, with the Secretary of the Navy on board, was the first of the reviewing
fleet to arrive. In an hour afterward fortress and vessel thundered out the an-
nouncement of the arrival of the peaceful fleet that a million Americans were
awaiting, and in a short time the great naval procession passed Sandy Hook in the
presence of a vast multitude, the flagship of Admiral Gberardi in the lead and fol-
lowed by the Atlanta, Bancroft, Bennington, Baltimore, Chicago, Yorktown,
Charleston, Vesuvius and Concord; the Dutch ship Vanspey K.; the German
Kaiserin Augusta and See Adler; the English flagship Blake, with the Magicienne,
Tartar aad Australia; the Russian cruiser General Admiral and Rynda; the
French Arethuse, Jean Bart and Hussard; and the Italian Etna and Giovanna
Bausin.

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138 HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

The fleet when first sighted was moving along at the rate of fully ten knots
an hour in double column and perfect alignment. The distances were marked, 300
yards between each ship, with 600 yards between each squadron. The big white
flagship Admiral Gherardi, the Philadelphia, headed the port column; the huge
black British cruiser Blake, Admiral Hopkins' flagship, led the starboard column, in
accordance with the program. As the Philadelphia in the lead neared the Sandy
Hook lightship, at 1 150 p. m., the fog whistle of the latter gave a series of
welcoming screams, but the monster white flagship swung around in majestic silence,
and crossing the bar and entering Gedney's Channel set the pace at a good ten and
a half knots an hour. The Philadelphia then signaled the fleet to proceed without
reference to formation. The vessels of the starboard column slowed down and
allowed all the American fleet to round the lightship first. Then the Blake and
the other Britishers followed, the squadrons of each column alternating until all had
safely rounded and entered the channel. The big guns of the Miantonomah boomed
a welcome, but the Hook was passed in silence. The leading vessels of the fleet
turned to the southwest and entered the main ship channel.

In the channel the Philadelphia slackened speed so as to allow the other ves-
sels to catch up, and the entire fleet proceeded in single file and impressive silence
up the bay to the anchorage grounds, which Capt. Rogers and his aides had selected.
Gravesend Bay was reached at 3:30, and the Philadelphia opened the salutes by
firing fifteen guns in honor of the Russian Admiral and his flagship, the Dimitri
Donskoi, the band on board the Philadelphia playing the Russian national air. The
Russian promptly acknowleged the salute. At 3:35 the Philadelphia fired one gun
as a signal to come to anchor, and the Newark passed the signal to the other vessels.

The voyage of 270 miles from Fortress Monroe to the anchorage had been a
most delightful but uneventful one. When the fleet sailed out of Hampton Roads
it consisted of twenty-seven ships formed in two columns. In this position and with
the dark bottle green torpedo Gushing, tossing like a cork under the port quarter
of the Philadelphia, the combined fleet passed out to sea. The United States ves-
sels kept in excellent line and position. Admiral Hopkins signaled his compliments
to Admiral Gherardi. The vessels kept steadily out to sea until Cape Henry light-
house was some distance astern, and then the Philadelphia flew combinations of
signals. "Prepare to change your course," said the silent flags, and a few minutes
later the bows of the Philadelphia and the Blake, instead of being headed straight
across the Atlantic, were turned northwesterly in the direction of New York harbor.
Like sheep in a pasture all the other vessels, as soon as they reached the place
where the leaders had turned, also swung around.

The starboard column became demoralized soon after the long, low sand
hills of Cape Henry had disappeared from sight. The Brazilians were speedily left
in the rear. .The Italians were also mere specks upon the horizon, but a thickness
of smoke above their dark hulls told how gallantly they were striving to keep in
the long procession. Shortly after 2 o'clock in the afternoon the Jean Bart,
evidently weary of following the Hussard at a snail's pace, sheered off to the right

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HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

and then ran ahead of the little gunboat, taking a position directly astern of the
Arethuse.

All this time the Blake kept abreast of the Philadelphia and the Australia;
the Magicienne and Tartar followed so evenly and steadily that an iron bar con-
necting them could not have secured greater precision of movement.

The fleet sailed in double column during the afternoon and until evening
quarters were sounded. Signals were then made for each column to double. The
Chicago, with the ships astern, moved up abreast of the Philadelphia. The Rus-
sian, French and Italian ships went around to the right of the English squadron
until they were parallel with it, and then, four columns abreast, the ships settled
down for an all-night run.

There was a premonition of rain when morning dawned, the sky was over-
cast with dull clouds, and there was a thickness along the horizon which sailors
would call a streak of dirty weather. The ships of the United States were well in
line, the Kaiserin Augusta and the See Adler were close up, and the Dutchman
was on the extreme left. On the right the Englishmen were trailing along one
after the other, as precise and regular as ever. The two Russians were far on the
outside, as if they were starting on a cruise for the missing admiral. The Italians
were a squadron to themselves, and the French were bunched together close by.
The Hussard had used sail during the night and had fallen in behind the Jean Bart.

At 10 o'clock Tuesday morning the American and foreign vessels were
signaled from the Philadelphia to fall into line similar to that which they presented
on leaving Hampton Roads. This evolution was accomplished most creditably not
only by the United States vessels, which might have been expected to act well to-
gether, but also by the foreign men-of-war. The Italians did not fall in behind the
Frenchmen, but remained off to one side. In this formation the procession of ships
headed for Sandy Hook. Just outside the lightship and when Admiral Gherardi
was discussing his noonday breakfast the Argentine cruiser Nueve de Julio ap-
peared in sight and made its presence known by a salute of fifteen guns to the
admiral's flag. As soon as the salute had been returned the fleet was signaled to
push into the bay in single column. The flagship and Admiral Benham's squadron
steamed ahead, then the Englishmen fell in; then followed Admiral Walker's
squadron, the Russians, the Hollander, the Frenchmen, the Germans and the Italians
in the order named. The Brazilian fleet arrived in the bay at 5 o'clock and took its
place at the foot of the starboard column.

Thursday was a thunderous day on the Hudson. A million of people, includ-
ing the President of the United States, saw the most amazing collection of modern
war vessels ever witnessed in any harbor. The day was less radiant than the multi-
tude. Fog and rain conspired to play mischief with ship and spectator. Grover
Cleveland looked out of his window at the Victoria and remarked to Lament, his
War Secretary, that there was no scarcity of water. This was interpreted as a ref-
erence to the remarks of the two southern governors. Presently the fog lifted, but
no sunshine came to embellish the scene. But it was a grand sight, nevertheless.
Stretching north and south was the restless sheet of water reaching in from the

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR. 141

ocean. Holding the center of this great body were two lines of war vessels stand-
ing as regular as soldiers.

To the west of the lines a thousand boats of all descriptions jostled and
pushed each other, and filled the air with discordant sounds. The shore lines, the
jumble of buildings, the uplifts of the Jersey coast were spotted and specked, and
browned with shifting masses of people. From boats and shore and ragged wharf-
lines, confusion of colors rose and fell with the puffing winds.

Down the center of the mighty aisle made by the anchored warships moved
three vessels, great because of their cargoes. On the first was the President of the
United States and Mrs. Cleveland, on the second were the diplomats representing
all the powers of earth, and on the third were many of the senators and representa-
tives of the United states. As the snow-white yacht floating at its fore the eagle
flag of the president passed each warship, long arms of yellow fire reached out and
deafening sounds went echoing and rumbling against the highlands to the west.
The yard arms of the old-fashioned vessels were filled with sailors, who stood in
silent rows up in the dizzy heights like so many carved figures. As the smoke puffs
were caught by the wind and lifted away, as the bellowing of the guns made the
whole picture tremble, a riot of steam whistling broke loose, and from every point
on shore and in the scramble of boats to the west there could be seen waving hats
and tossing handkerchiefs.

Even in the noise and fury of it all the meaning was apparent. In these two
lines were English, Russian, German, French/Spanish, Italian, Brazilian, Hollander,
Argentine and American warships gathered in friendly jubilee, and each carried
the American flag at its fore.

Immediately after the review President Cleveland gave a reception, which
was largely attended and was a brilliant affair and lasted until 4:40 p. M. Then
his flag was hauled down on the Dolphin and he went ashore at Ninety-sixth street,
and at a signal from the Philadelphia the guns of the entire fleet belched forth,
simultaneously. Each vessel fired twenty-one shots, and the roar that ensued was
deafening. When it subsided smoke hung in heavy clouds over the river, and the
Jersey shore was invisible for some minutes. The Admirals turned to their ships,
the steamboats which still lingered with passengers desirous of seeing all of the
great noval pageant went to their piers, and the ceremonies were over.

The caravels which participated in the pageant shared evenly in the honor
accorded the great thunderers. They are almost exact imitations of the craft com-
posing the original fleet of discovery. The largest, the Santa Maria, commanded
by the great Columbus himself, is 75 feet long. She has a beam of 27 feet and a
depth of about 13 feet amidship, and is much smaller than a great many pleasure
yachts to be found in our waters. Her hull is short, wide and very high as com-
pared with the ships of to-day, very full below, with short runs, convex knees and
flat bottom. The ends overhang considerably, being sufficiently broad to have
large displacement, thus enabling them to bear the great weight of the1" castles.
The castles in fact look as though they made up the greater part of the 127.57 tons.
The sides of the boat have quite a bulge. The gunwale is high, broad and thick.

REAR ADMIRAL BANCROFT GHERARD1, COMMANDER OF THE "PHILADELPHIA

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR. 143

•

Sti akes run from stem to stern, securing the frame with the side bracers called
"riders." For the purpose of strengthing it, vertically the bows are full and round.
The stern is entirely flat in the shape of a shield, as it was formerly called, with a
large hole, called the helm port, above the first transom, through which the tiller
passes. The rudder is a broad blade. The boat has only one deck. Her rigging
consists of three masts, main, fore and mizzen. She is painted black with white
trimmings.

The Pinta and Nina are smaller than the Santa Maria, but of the same style
of architecture and altogether very ridiculous looking to folks who are used to see-
ing modern boats. The Pinta is about ten tons heavier than the Nina. The Pinta
is 52 feet long on her keel, 65 feet long on her main deck and has 23 feet breadth
of beam. The Nina is 46 feet long on her keel, 50 feet long on her main deck and
has 18 feet breadth of beam. They arrived off the Exposition grounds early in
July, and have been one of the main attractions. The Viking ship arrived and
took its place near the caravels on the i2th of July, amidst a vast concourse of peo-
ple, and Captain Anderssen was given an ovation.

REAR ADMIRAL WALKER, COMMANDER OF THE "CHICAGO."

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HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

DIRECTOR OF WORKS D. H. BURN HAM ON THE EARLY WORK,

FTER the selection of Chicago by the act of Congress, in
April, 1890, as the place for holding the World's Columbian
Exposition, one of the first steps taken was the selection of
Messrs. F. L. Olmsted & Co., as consulting landscape archi-
tects, in August, 1890. In the following September, Messrs.
Burnham & Root were appointed consulting architects and
Mr. A. Gottlieb consulting engineer. Messrs. Burnham &
Root resigned in November, Mr. Burnham being appointed
Chief of Construction and Mr. Root Consulting Architect.
The necessity for early determination as to the methods by which the
great buildings should be designed immediately after the designation
of Jackson Park as the site for the Exposition was apparent. The Chief
of Construction then recommended th« direct appointment of architects
rather than that the designs be secured by competition. This method
was finally agreed upon and the following gentlemen were appointed by the Chief
of Construction:

Mr. Richard M. Hunt, of New York, as architect of the Administration Build-
ing; Messrs Adler & Sullivan, of Chicago, Transportation Building; Messrs,
McKim, Mead & White, of New York, Agricultural Building; Mr. W. L. V. Jenney,
of Chicago, Horticultural Building; Mr. George B. Post, of New York, Manufact-
ures and Liberal Arts Building; Mr. Henry Ives Cobb, of Chicago, Fisheries Build-
ing; Messrs. Peabody & Stearns, of Boston, Machinery Hall; Messrs. Burling &
Whitehouse of Chicago, Venetian Village; Messrs. Van Brunt & Howe, of Kansas
City, Electrical Building; Messrs. Holabird & Roche, of Chicago, Stock Ring and
Pavilion; Mr. S. S. Beman, of Chicago, Mines and Mining Building. The Venetian
Village was abandoned, and Mr. Whitehouse (whose partnership with Mr. Burling:
had been dissolved by death) was selected as the architect of the Choral Building.
Mr. Augustus St. Gaudens has acted in an advisory capacity on sculpture, fountains,,
etc. Mr. Charles B. Atwood was made Designer-in-Chief, and is the architect of
the following buildings: Galleries of Fine Arts. Peristyle Music Hall and Casino,
Railway Terminal Station, guard stations, fire stations, balustrades, bridges, rostral
columns, and many other important works. In addition to this his duties have
included the examination of each of the plans submitted for foreign and State
buildings.

Pursuant to the call issued, the gentlemen first selected met at Chicago in
January, 1891. Mr. Root was at that time absent from the city attending a meeting
of the American Institute of Architects, of which he was secretary. He returned
to Chicago upon Saturday, January 10, and was present for an hour or two at the

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR. 145

conference then in session. Upon the following Monday he was stricken down
with pneumonia and died upon the succeeding Thursday, while only upon the
threshold of the great work which he had undertaken. The duties of Consulting
Architect then fell upon the Chief of Construction, as did those of Chief Engineer,
upon the resignation of the latter in August, 1891. The sketches which had been
prepared by the various architects, being in due course accepted by the World's
Columbian Exposition and the World's Columbian Commission, in March, 1891.
tb.e permanent organization of the working forces was vigorously prosecuted. Mr.
Ernest R. Graham was appointed Assistant Chief of Construction; Mr. William
Prettyman, Director of Color; Mr. Frederick Sargent, Electrical Engineer; Mr.
J. C. Slocum, Mechanical Engineer; Mr. E. G. Nourse, Engineer of Railroads; Mr.
William S. MacHarg, Engineer of Water Supply, Sanitation, and Fire Protection;
Mr. J. W. Alvord, Engineer of Grades and Surveys; and Mr. Dion Geraldine,
General Superintendent. Mr. Slocum resigned as Mechanical Engineer in the
early spring of 1891, and Mr. Frederick Sargent then assumed charge of the
mechanical as well as the electrical plants. Mr. Prettyman resigned in May, 1891,
and was succeeded by Mr. Francis D. Millet as Director of Decoration. In com-
petition restricted to women alone Miss Sophia G. Haydenwas chosen as the archi-
tect of the Woman's Building and has executed the design and supervised the
preparation of plans for this structure. Col. Edmund Rice, United States army,
was, in the spring of 1892, appointed Commandant, and has organized the
Columbian Guard. Mrs. M. H. Holcomb is Master of Transportation, in charge of
the important duties indicated by his title.

At the time of this organization, Jackson Park was, with the exception of a.
small portion which had been improved by the South Park Commission, covered
•with marshes and wild oak ridges. It was necessary that this vast area be re-
claimed, and in twenty months transformed from a desolate waste into a park
highly improved and embellished with all that skilled designers could suggest;
that upon the stately terraces a dozen or more palaces of great extent be con-
structed, and that they be supplemented by over 200 other buildings, some of which
are almost of the importance and size of the main structures; that great canals,
basins, lagoons, and islands be formed; that extensive docks, bridges and towers
be constructed. It was necessary that a standard of excellence be attained which
would place the. work upon an equality with the monuments of other ages — it meant,
in short, that an organization be quickly formed which would associate together
the ablest architects, painters and sculptors of the world. Many of the great prob-
lems to be solved were new, no precedent having been established for the guidance
of those assuming this great responsibility.

For the preparation of the grounds alone it was necessary to handle about
1,500,000 cubic yards of material. This was secured by the cutting of canals,
lagoons and other waterways, the earth taken therefrom being utilized in elevating
the grounds and establishing the proper grades. The main buildings of the Fair
cover a ground area of 5,382,000 square feet, or over 123 acres; other buildings.
1,155,000 square feet, or about 26 acres; the State buildings, 420,000 square feet;

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HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

foreign buildings, about 290,000 square feet; concession buildings, about 1,050,000,
making a grand total area of the buildings of the Fair of about 190 acres.

To mention, even in the briefest manner, the principal details of operation,
both in matters artistic and mechanical, would consume greater space and time
than I have at my command. I can only add that our work of construction, which
but two years ago had not been organized, is now completed.

AUTUMN TWILIGHT.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR. 147