CHAPTER I.

THE SHRINE OF THE WHITE CITY.

Reproduction of the Convent Where Columbus and His Son Once Took Refuge— Court, Cloister and
Corridor — The First Cross Erected in America — Coins Made From the First Gold Found in
America — Letters Patent and Autographs From Ferdinand and Isabella — Collection of Paintings
on Wood and Rare Mosaics Loaned by the Vatican— Two Bells With a History— One of the Can-
nons of the Santa Maria — More than a Thousand Paintings in All — Model of the Norse Ship —
Books Written by Marco Polo and Americus Vespucci— The Sepulcher Room— Many Pictures and
Relics of the Last Days of Columbus— La Rabida, the Mecca of Many Pilgrims— The Remains
of the Great Navigator— The Battle Ship Illinois— A Superb Counterfeit Man-of-War— A VesseJ
That Has Never Tossed on Billows— The Lighthouse and Life-Saving Station— Hospital Service.

HE convent of La Rabida stands on a little promontory jutting
into Lake Michigan, at the southern end of the Park. It is
an exact reproduction of the monastry of that name, near
Palos, Spain, where Columbus and his son Diego took refuge
over four hundred years ago. As this building seemed to
be more closely associated with the career of Columbus than
any other known, the directors of the Exposition thought a
fac-simile of that structure would be the most fitting shelter
for all the relics of the great navigator that had been secured
for exhibition at the Fair. It is "a low, rambling building
with red tile roof and resembles very much many of the
•adobe churches to be seen in Old Mexico and in our own States and Territories.
The court-yard, cloister and corridors are singularly beautiful with their arches,
crumbling pillars, grated windows and quaint architecture throughout.

The chapel is a long, low room, roughly plastered, with great black beams
that stand out conspicuously in contrast with the universal whiteness. The altar,
which is in charge of the Franciscan monks, has been fitted up by them to reproduce
the altar of the original monastery. Two of the most conspicuous objects in it are
a battered wooden cross about ten feet high, that was erected, by Columbus on his
arrival in America, and a little worm-eaten door taken from the convent.

In old cases about the room are valuable documents dating back to the close
of the fifteen century. The curious cipher signature of Columbus, the royal letters

4(11'

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

dii

patent from Ferdinand and Isabella to the great discoverer when he sailed on his
first voyage and making him admiral of the fleet, an autograph letter from Queen
Isabella returning a book which Columbus had loaned her and urging him not
to delay his voyage, and many letters written to his son Diego in 1504, are espe-
cially interesting. In another case are some old coins made from the first gold
found in America. They are larger than a silver dollar of to-day and are cov-
ered with quaint designs very roughly made. Portraits of Columbus, together
with a large collection of old paintings on wood, and rare mosaics, loaned from
the Vatican, are hung about the wall. Several of the oil paintings representing

incidents in the
career of the navi-
gator are also in
this sanctuary, one
of the most famous
being by J.C.Ama-
soffsky, professor
of fine arts, St.
Petersburg, depict-
ing Columbus as a
young man ship
wrecked and cling-
ing to a spar in the
vater. Then there
are two bells with
a history. One was
given to Columbus
by King Ferdi-
nand, and was hung
in the church in
Isabella and was
the first church
bell in the western

hemisphere. It is badly broken and weighs only about ten pounds, but it bears
on one side Ferdinand's initial, and when struck gives out a faint sound in a minor
key. The other bell is almost twice as large, and was given by Pope Alexander II.
to the church in Carthagena, in Colombo, in 1516, and was the first bell heard
on the main land. On either side of the altar are two anchors used by Columbus.
They are badly rusteaten. One of them was lost from the flagship Santa Maria
at La Natividad, and Washington Irving, in his life of Columbus, mentions in a foot
note that he had heard that it had been found. Research was made by Mr.
Curtis, and the anchor was found in possession of the Indians who held it with
reverential care. It is 9 feet 6 inches high and has lost its two flukes through the
action of the water in which it lay nearly three hundred years. One of the four
cannons which were on the Santa Maria are also shown. It is a queer little thing.

CONVENT OF LA RABIDA.

412

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

only about four feet long roughly made of iron and very rusty. If it were
melted down and made into a solid shot there would not be enough of it
to fill the breech of one of the smallest siege guns of to-day.

In the main part of the monastery the
several rooms are turned into art galleries.
Here are nearly a thousand pictures, includ-
ing portraits in many styles of Ferdinand
and Isabella, Lief Erickson, Marco Polo,
and an oil painting of Americus Vespucci,
which is said to be painted from life. One
of these rooms is known as the Columbus
room. Here are the seventy-four pictures
of the discoverer, by as many different
artists, which have created so much com-
ment, as no two bear the slightest resem-
blance, and by a rather singular coincidence
there are seventy-four different statues of
him erected in different parks in the world
and a model of each placed under each
picture. The curio-room contains a model of
the Norse ship said to have been used by
Lief Erickson and a chart of his course; the
old mill in the park at Newport, the origin
of which no one knows, truly, and the in-
scriptions on the Dighton rock, near Taun-
ton, Mass., which are said to have been made
by Norsemen in the tenth century.

In another room are a number of relics
from Columbus' home at Funchal, Madeira,
which was built for him by his father-in-law,
Bartholomew Perestrello. These include
the double doors of the house, the shutters
from a window, a small scantling, a piece of
barbosana wood and a cane made from one
of the joists which was sent to the late James
G. Elaine and which has been loaned. In a
glass case is a copy of Marco Polo's book,
"De Regionibus Orientalibus," which Col-
umbus carried on his first voyage to the
west. Another book of interest is one written by Americus Vespucci in the monas-
tery of Saint Die, France, the book that gave America its name. It was written
while he was under the patronage of King Rene II., of Lorraine. In this are also
shown the breviary carried by Columbus on his voyages of discovery.

In what is known as the " sepulcher room " are many pictures and articles

LIGHT HOUSE.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR. 413

relating to the last days and death of Columbus. Three paintings by Ortego, Baron
Wappers and Robert Fleury are on the same subject, " The Death of Columbus."
There are also views of the City of Seville and the house in which Columbus died,
which is still standing at Valladolid, Spain.

At one end of the sepulcher room is a little inclosure within which are placed
photographs of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, cathedral at Havana, showing the
places where the bones of Columbus-are said to be deposited. The fac-simile of
the box in which the remains of Columbus were found is also shown, together with
a fac-simile of the casket in which his dust now rests.

A replica of the doors that guard the cell in which are held the alleged
remains of Columbus at Santo Domingo, a piece of altar rail, and the fac-simile of
the urn inclosing the casket of Columbus, complete the list of relics connected with
his burial.

This monastery is called the " shrine of the White City" and here many vis-
itors go on a pilgrimage before viewing the other features of the Fair. There are
many hundreds of objects that cannot be mentioned, as it would take a small vol-
ume to briefly enumerate all that may be seen at La Rabida. The author calls to
mind no more delightful place, or one that created a more lasting and profound
impression.

Not far from the English building is the battleship Illinois. It is a counter-
feit man-of-war, but it looks for all the world like one of the great white liners. It
appears as if made of iron, but it is only brick. It might seem as if it had tossed
on Sicilian and Indian seas, but it has never sailed an inch. It has real guns, but
the concussion of the discharge of any one of them would knock the vessel into a
heap. It is one of the most magnificent and interesting object lessons of the Fair,
nevertheless, and has been visited by four million of people. It is erected on piling
by the Navy Department. The structure is, to all outward appearances, a full-
sized model of one of the new coast-line battleships. It is surrounded by water and
appears as if moored to a wharf. It has all the fittings that belong to the actual
ship, such as guns, turrets, torpedo tubes, torpedo nets and booms, with boats,
anchors, chains, cables, davits, awnings and deck apparatus, together with all the
appliances for working the same. Officers, seamen, mechanics and marines are
detailed by the Navy Department during the Fair, and the discipline and mode of
life on naval vessels are completely shown, although possibly the detail of men is not
quite so great as the complement of the actual ship. The dimensions of the boat
are those of the actual battleship: length, 384 feet; width amidships, 69 feet 3 inches,
and from the water-line to the top of the main deck, 12 feet. Centrally placed on
the main deck is a superstructure 8 feet high, with a hammock birthing on the same
7 feet high. Above these are the bridge, chart-house and the boats. At the for-
ward end of the superstructure is a cone-shaped tower called the " military mast,"
near the top of which are placed two circular "tops" as receptacles for sharpshooters.
Rapid-firing guns are also mounted in each of these tops. The height from the
water line to the summit of this military mast is 76 feet, and above is placed a flag-
ship for signaling. The battery comprises four 13-inch breech-loading rifle cannon

PEN AND INK SKETCH— LANDSCAPE. BY THE PRINCESS IMIRET1NSKY, RUSSIA.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR. 415

four 6-inch breech-loading rifle-cannon, eight 8-inch breech-loading rifle-cannon,
six i-pound rapid-firing guns, twenty 6-pound rapid-firing guns, two Catling guns
and six torpedo tubes. All these are placed and mounted as in a genuine battleship.
On the starboard side of the ship is shown the torpedo protection net, stretching
iihe entire length of the vessel. Steam launches and cutters ride at the booms and
all the outward appearances of a real ship of war are imitated. Frank W. Grogan
was the designer and the cost was about $100,000.

Near by the United States Government exhibits a lighthouse and service, a
naval observatory, a life-saving station and apparatus, and other appurtenances
that are of benefit to young and old. The lighthouse is an exact reproduction of
an American government lighthouse, with powerful search lights and all the
belongings of such an exhibit. In the life-saving station the launching and
handling of surf-boats are shown, with all sorts of wrecking appliances. This
station will probably remain as a permanent one. The military hospital shows the
latest approved methods of caring for the sick and wounded boys in the employ
of Uncle Sam on land or water. This hospital is on the large parade ground in front
of the Government building, where exhibition drills are given daily by the regulars.
and by visiting militia. The naval observatory attracts thousands daily.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.