GENTLEM EN. CIIAS. GODFREY LELAND, Chairman, REV. \VM. 11. FDRNESS, WILLIAM V. McKEAN, FRANCIS WELLS, PROF. HENRY COPPIiE, R. MEADE BACIIE, GEORGE 11. BOKER, ASA I. FISH, CRAIG BIDDLE, i CEPHAS G. CHILDS. No. 13, THE FAIB BUILDINGS TI7ERE erected on the walks of Logan Square, '' which lies between Eighteenth and Nine teenth Streets and Race and Vine Streets, in the city of Philadelphia. They required for their construction more than a million and a half feet of lumber, and covered a superficial area of more than two hundred thousand square feet. They have been technically described as fol lows: “Union Avenue was the main structure of the group, which formed the Fair buildings ; was five hundred and forty feet long and sixty four feet wide, with an'elevation from the floor to the point of the arch of fifty-one feet. The Gothic arch of this building was formed with rafters, constructed with the Ilowe Truss, each rafter being two feet in depth and six inches wide, with panels two feet wide, in each of which were two main braces and one counter brace two inches square; the chords were of three by six inch scantling. The rafters were placed at distances of about nineteen feet apart, and footed upon heavy timbers set upon the ground, properly notched to receive the chords. The chord of the arch was about sixty feet, with versed line of six feet six in ches. In the centre of Union Avenue rose a mammoth flag-staff two hundred and sixteen feet high, the gift of the ship carpenters, val ued at $l,BOO. There were four lateral build ings, extending north and south, from Union Avenue, having a width of twenty-six feet, a height of eighteen feet, and a length of two PUBLISHING COMMITTEE GEORGE W. CHILDS, Ciiairman, THOMAS MACK ELL AR, WM. V. McKEAN. ' E3DITOHIA.X. C'O M ITT E E LADELPIIIA, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 hundred and fifty feet each way. Upon the north and south, and parallel with Union Ave nue, along Race and Vine Streets, were build ings twenty-nine feet wide and eighteen feet high, each five hundred feet long; that on the north, the Art Gallery, being lighted from the roof. From the middle of Union Avenue ex tended a gallery northward, connecting with the Floral Department, (which as we have already stated, was a circular building,) one hundred and ninety feet in diameter, one hun dred feet of which was covered by a canvas canopy. In the middle of this Department was a lake, with fountains of great variety of jet, arranged around and in it, in the centre of which was an island upon which were taste fully arranged an imposing group of tropical plants and fruit. Upon the south of Union Avenue, on the line of the Floral Department, was the Res taurant, also circular, with a diameter of one hundred and ninety feet. Connected with this were a number of buildings, arranged for cu linary purposes, such as main kitchen, pastry, maizena kitchen, ice house, ware closets, scul leries and servants’ dining room. The Pennsylvania Kitchen and the William Penn Parlor on the north and south of Union Avenue, were relatively eighty-four by thirty four, and sixty by thirty-four feet.” The whole buildings were completed in forty working days, and were opened to the public on the 7th day of June, 18G4. On Tuesday, the 28tli day of June, the Fair was finally closed by appropriate ceremonies, MRS. ROBERT M. HOOPER, MRS. E. S. RANDOLPH, ' MRS. WILLIAM M. PHILLIPS, : MRS. THOMAS P. JAMES, !i MRS. PIIEBE M. CLAPP, The second object was attained by providing doors of egress every where at intervals not greater than twenty feet apart, and generally only sixteen feet, by which the whole mul titude could escape into the open air in a few minutes, and the possibility of a jam with its consequent panic entirely avoided. The mea sures for the prompt arrest of conflagration were numerous. Hooks fixed on long poles for tearing down drapery were provided in large numbers. Two hundred axes were dis posed at different points to cut away inflamed wood work. Five hundred camp kettles filled with water were placed at convenient points for immediate use. Eight water plugs wer° LADIES. MISS SARAH F. CUYLER, MISS ANNA M. LEA, MISS GRACE KIERNAN, MISS LAURA HOOPER, MISS DELIMA BLAIS. and immediately afterwards the buildings were taken down and the Square restored to its former condition. Nothing now remains but the great flag staff to mark the spot. PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FIRE, The combustible nature of the buildings and decorations gave rise to much solicitude and extreme vigilance for the prevention of dan ger from fire, and providing for the rapid es cape of the crowds of visitors, and the prompt extinguishment of fire if it should occur. The means used for the first of these objects were the exclusion of all portable lights, except al cohol torches for lighting the gas, and of matches, the careful removal of the combusti ble rubbish daily accumulated, the prohibition of smoking upon the premises, except in the Divan, especially prepared for the purpose, and the frequent wetting of spots most exposed to incendiarism.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers