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| UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION DOME - The scene
before us is that which was presented from the upper promenade on the
Administration Building, beside the eight angelic groups that
trumpeted the victory of peace, and above the Ionic colonnade of the
second stage. The picture is principally valuable for two things: It
distinctly describes the gas-torches which made the flamboyant lights
at night surrounding the base of the golden dome, and it gives an
important relative view of the Ferris Wheel
, showing the real magnitude of that tremendous machine. Rising
above petty things, over the roofs of all buildings whose heights
were not themselves sublime, the wheel rolled its motions, like
Milton's lines. The heroic statues of Karl Bitter may here be seen
in place, and the cherubs are found to be as large as the persons who
are looking out over the Transportation Building. The architect
placed these angels as far out of line as possible to break the lines
of vision, and after they were seated no harm came to them. In
raising, perhaps, this very "Victory,"however, she fell to the
ground, and her wing stuck in the frozen ground a foot deep. The
work was a ruin, leaving only its frame for the angry sculptors.
After the conflagration of July 10th, whereby sixteen firemen lost
their lives at the Cold Storage Warehouse
, the stairways leading to this eyrie were closed to the public,
and only privileged people were allowed to go aloft. |
