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.