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| EAST FROM THE TRANSPORTATION BUILDING - This
view surveying a scene from the north end of the Manufactures
Building at the right, northward to the Cafe
de la Marine, offers to the reader a good opportunity to judge of
the landscape labors of Superintendent Ulrich's department. On June
20th, 1891, the area embraced in this picture was an open waste of
sand, with here and there a slough of water. The island portrayed
before us was made of earth dredged from the waterways, and the black
soil from the marsh further south was spread on top. It took Mr.
Ulrich nine months to made the islands. They measured about
seventeen acres. Six hundred men and one hundred and sixty teams
were employed. Forty acres of lawns were sodded or sown, all with
great success, although it was the dryest summer for years. Under
this sod were two hundred and twelve cubic yards of transported black
soil. To keep this beautiful scene in order, and to clear away the
debris left daily by visitors, required a day and night service with
sixty teams and three hundred men. The chief assistants of
Superintendent Ulrich were Messrs. Dehn, Obram, Seyderhelm, Hunt,
Kline, Kilfoy and Lydons. The man who urged this and all other work
forward up to May 1st, 1893, was Dion Geraldine. The vernal scene
relieved the eye, and revived the spirits of the visitor, upon whose
attention too much of the wonderful and magnificent was continually
impressed. Proctor's Indian and Elks, and
the Government Building are clearly
outlined. |
