ANTWERP P^XPOSITION. 



15 



ANTWERP EXPOSITION UNITED STATES BUILDING. 



of the entire exposition hall, which occupied the 

 center of the building and covered 12,700 square 

 feet. To the rear of the main exhibit hall 

 was a model shoe-factory. On the east front, 

 which was provided with a separate entrance, 

 the entire space was assigned to rooms for the 

 press, and a commercial room where catalogues 

 and other literature of exhibitors could be had. 

 The second floor was, in reality, only a gallery 

 surrounding the main hall, which was open to 

 the dome. From this gallery a view could be 

 had of the models on exhibition below, and ac- 

 cess was given to the exhibit rooms of the vari- 

 ous States represented at the fair. The largest 

 of these exhibit rooms one apartment 82 feet 

 long and 40 feet wide was devoted to the ex- 

 hibits of the United States Government. In 

 the center of the main hall was an illuminated 

 electric fountain. A band of twenty selected 

 musical instruments had stations in the gallery. 

 The entire building was of iron, steel, and glass. 

 A triangular space near by was used as a fire 

 station, in which American fire appliances were 

 shown, including steam fire engines, fire alarm, 

 and various electric devices used in connection 

 with fire departments. An ambulance wagon 

 was also included. 



The Exhibits. Concerning these, the most 

 imposing were naturally those of Belgium, and 

 a brave showing was made by this little king- 

 dom of her arts and industries. Conspicuous 

 among these were the exhibits of the Vielle 

 Montaigne zinc mines, which included not only 

 zinc in its forms as found in Nature, but also as 

 shown in its many useful applications, novel 

 among which was its employment for the pre- 

 vention of the accumulation of oxidation in 



steam boilers ; also it showed models of its 

 works near Liege. Models of the porphyry 

 quarries near Quenast made clear the methods of 

 exploitation used there. Belgian glass, an early 

 and important industry in that country, was 

 exhibited by several firms, and notably by the 

 Val.-St. Lambert Company, whose works were 

 established in 1825. The pottery of Boch 

 Freres, resembling the Delft ware, was shown 

 in plates and tiles forming artistic pictures. 

 Laces fine as spider's web, from Brussels and 

 elsewhere, formed typical exhibits of a well- 

 known national industry. Iron tubes from 

 Liege, used to conduct gas and water, were 

 shown in profusion, with lists of the many 

 places from Russia to South America where 

 they were used. The important coal industry, 

 so valuable to the little country, had exhibits 

 of its commercial articles, conspicuous among 

 which were machines for making the " bri- 

 quettes." "boulets," and "ovoids' : forms of 

 pulverized pressed coal as well as the products 

 which are so largely used as fuel. The coal 

 extracts, from the dark tar to the iridescent 

 eosin, were also there. Then the coke industry 

 was illustrated with photographs, models, and 

 products. The Solvay process, invented by a 

 Belgian, for obtaining soda, and the many uses 

 dependent upon that chemical, were exhibited 

 by specimens of soap, porcelain, glass, wood 

 pulp and paper therefrom, mortar, and many 

 articles requiring soda in their production. The 

 beers and wines of Belgium formed a conspicu- 

 ous exhibit, and contained 'not alone the crude 

 grain or grape with the product, but the means 

 of accomplishing the end with various appli- 

 ances was freely illustrated as well. Metallurgy 



