The World's Columbian exposition, Chicago, 1893 . ofobservation is reached byeight elevators, which run forpublic use, and properly forma part of the transportationexhibit. This is the only de-partment building thus pro-vided. The main entranceto the building consists ofan immense arch decoratedwith carvings, bas-reliefsand mural paintings. Itis treated entirely in gold,silver and bronze leaf, and isknown as the golden one side of the arch ap-pears in panel an originalstudy in ancient transporta-tion, and on the opposite sidethe palatial accessories of modern railway travel. The corner
The World's Columbian exposition, Chicago, 1893 . ofobservation is reached byeight elevators, which run forpublic use, and properly forma part of the transportationexhibit. This is the only de-partment building thus pro-vided. The main entranceto the building consists ofan immense arch decoratedwith carvings, bas-reliefsand mural paintings. Itis treated entirely in gold,silver and bronze leaf, and isknown as the golden one side of the arch ap-pears in panel an originalstudy in ancient transporta-tion, and on the opposite sidethe palatial accessories of modern railway travel. The cornersabove the arch are decorated with mural paintings of marine andrailway scenes. Four minor entrances on this front and otherelaborate portals at either end of the main building are adornedwith fountains, and some twenty life-size statues of inventors, whosehistory is identified with that of the science of transportation. The interior of the building is treated much after the manner ofa Roman basilica, with broad nave and aisles. The middle roof. DECORATION OF TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION. 265 rises much higher than the others, and Its walls are partly open soas to form an arcaded clere-story. The dimensions of the build-ing are 256 x 960 feet, and of the Annex 425 x 900 feet. The totalcost was nearly ^400,000. It is said that every method of trans-portation that history recordsexcept the back of a muleand the foot of man is exem-plified in this building, andthe chief of the department,Willard A. Smith, is fond ofsaying that his building con-tains everything, from a toytin wagon to a mogul loco-motive, and from a two-lograft to the model of an Atlan-tic liner. The developmentof modern transportation hasbeen so recent and so rapidthat its sio-nificance has beenhardly understood. Alreadyits early history Is in many in-stances fading away or utterlylost. From the beginning Itwas the intention of thisdepartment that it shouldfully and fairly present theorigin, growth and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectworldscolumbianexpos
