MACHINERY AND ELECTRIC EXHIBITS

Prof. H. B. Owens, Nebraska State University, Superintendent.

MACHINERY AND ELECTRICITY.

Machinery Section

(Owing to the resignation of the Superintendent of this Building, Prof. R. B.
Owens, in September, this Bureau reverted to my charge and is therefore
reported upon by me as assistant to the Manager of the Department.)

As the West has always been considered and is admittedly an agricultural rather
than a manufacturing section of the country it was not anticipated that a large
exhibit of manufacturing machinery would be made.  More attention was given to
that class of machinery which would be of use to the west, than to the
intricate and delicate machinery that has become of necessity to the east.  For
this reason the exhibit was limited to those engines and machines for the
transmission of power, together with such tools and appliances as were required
by the western artisan, mechanic and farmer.  In quality and adaptability,
these were unsurpassed.  The lesser devices for the minimizing labor in the
household and the farm were in evidence, and taken as a whole, the machinery
section made a distinctively creditable display from a general standpoint, and
from the view that it was made for a separate and distinct class of citizens on
a sectional basis, it was unexcelled.

The existence of an international war in which we were one of the belligerents,
naturally aroused the public interest in arms and ammunitions of war, from a
patriotic sentiment almost to the exclusion of the implements of peace.  It is
therefore not surprising that the different exhibits in this building which
were of a warlike nature, held the majority of sightseers.  In times of peace,
these exhibits, however, were so instructive and elaborate that they deserve
more than a passing notice.  Everything in fire arms was shown, from a small
vest-pocket pistol to a two-inch breech loading Hotchkiss gun;  from the old
style single barrel, muzzle loading shot-gun to an automatic rifle with a
capacity of four hundred shots per minute;  projectiles from the minute 18.
calibre, short cartridge to the six inch steel pointed shell cartridge and all
complete;  shot and shell cartridges for both military and sporting use; 
ordinarily all smokeless powder;  a six pounder shell, taken from the wreck of
the ill fated "Maine".  Sections of four inch Harveyized steel armour were
shown to be absolutely powerless against the ordinary type of six pound steel
projectile at present in use in the United States Navy, riddling the armour
like a sieve, leaving the projectile apparently unharmed.

Practical illustration was given of the penetrative power of the new jacketed
and steel pointed rifle bullets as compared with the old style rifle ball of
lead.  In fact a complete representation of all the destructive agencies of
modern warfare, except the larger armament and naval torpedoes.

Side by side with these grim agents of war, were the implements of peace, the
tools of the husbandman, the artisan, the farmer and the tradesman.  In close
juxtaposition, the great educator of civilization, the printing press in
connection with many labor saving devices in the art preservative were given
practical object lessons in the arts of peace.

Wrought iron designs of very ornate and beautiful effect, a myriad of sanitary
appliances and household articles of the most useful and desirable description
also found an honored place.  The scale exhibit showed an advancement at once
notable and wonderful in showing the great improvements made during the last
decade in this particular important article.  Endowed with almost a human
intelligence some of the scales shown indicated not only weight, but price per
pound and amount of purchase.  

Among other exhibits, were gasoline engines, purifying pumps, leather belting,
automatic boiler cleaners, filters, faucets, builder's heavy and light
hardware, mills, etc. etc.

Electricity Section.

There is no field of inventive genius in the capability of mankind that has
shown greater advancement, or where the possibilities of future development is
so apparently illimitable as that of electricity.  It is to be regretted that
more space was not available to give this one line greater scope.  The exhibit
made was entirely creditable, and was the best ever exhibited, small though it
was.

Previous to the exposition this bureau was under the superintendency of Prof.
R. B. Owens of Lincoln, who labored diligently to secure a large exhibit.  The
outbreak of the Spanish-American war had the effect of deterring many exhibits
that had been arranged for, but notwithstanding the disappointment thus
occasioned, the exhibit as a whole has been almost unanimously pronounced as
equal if not superior to any heretofore made.  Owing to personal reasons, the
superintendent Mr. Owens, resigned in September and the work evolved upon this
Bureau.  From the Excellent nucleus formed by Supt. Owens, it was not a hard
matter to complete the section.

The exhibits in this section were comprehensive and instructive.  The new power
was shown in all its stages from the old glass disk for the generation of
frictional electricity, with its necessary adjunct, the Leyden Jar, down to the
mammoth dynamo of the present day, through all its various changes and
developments; from the old Morse telegraph instrument down to the multiplex in
use to day; the electric light from the old original "Hudson light" of 1845
down to the improved arc and incandescent lights.

One exhibitor had a fully equipped experimental electric table, where the
mysterious vagaries of the subtle current was hourly illustrated.  It showed
the formation and exemplified the thunder and lightning, its powers of
attraction and repulsion, its power as a substitute for explosives in
projecting missiles and many other curious things.  It is through just such
experiments that the expert electrician evolves the primary principles of great
inventions.

Among notable exhibits were the original Edison Electric light dynamo, the "X"
Ray, a display of dynamos ranging from 1/16 to 1000 horse power, an historical
exhibit of the telephone, showing its development from the first device in use
during the experimental stage down to the present efficient appliances, a
similar exhibit of telegraphy, a form of deep sea electric communication, the
improved system of underground wiring, the application of electric heat and
power, devices for controlling and measuring electricity and a host of other
paraphernalia.

The exhibit in this section as a whole gave to the visitor a pretty thorough
idea of the perfect control under which this great power is held by mankind and
how subservient it has been made to his wishes and demands.

Among the curious things on exhibition in the building were two diminutive
steam engines.  One of these could be placed with ease inside of an ordinary
small sized pistol cartridge.  It was a complete horizontal engine, in perfect
running order and until some of the delicately adjusted connections were broken
by an inquisitive visitor, it gave hourly exhibitions.  The other was a
complete boiler and engine.  This made its own steam and would run for nearly
twenty minutes with twenty drops of water.

The available space in this building was for machinery, 14,404 feet floor
space, gallery 7,500.  Electricity 13,620 feet floor space, gallery 7,500 feet,
a total of 28,024 feet floor space and 15,000 feet in gallery.

The floor space was all taken with the exception of a very small space near the
northwest corner and a similar space in the southwest corner.  No exhibits were
put in the gallery, that not being a fitting place for that class of exhibits.

POWER HOUSE.

This was the very heart of the Exposition, that sent the life giving power
through its veins of copper wire to every portion of the grounds, giving light
and life to the enterprise.  The great battery of massive tubular boilers,
capable of transforming tons of water into steam hourly and furnishing the
motive power for the great engines that worked incessantly, day and night.  The
generation of both power and light in this building was fraught with the
greatest interest and was the objective point of nearly every one that passed
through the gates.  The heavier machinery was exhibited here in active
operation.  From the beginning of May until the middle of November at no time
was the machinery still, the work never ceased.  It speaks well for the plant
when it can be said that not a single accident occurred during the entire
season.

The principal machinery in use was placed as exhibits and consisted of Corliss
horizontal and upright engines, powerful dynamos, electric appliances, steam
pumps, injector valves, steam traps, steam pipes and coverings, belting, etc.
etc.
(Signed) H. B. Hardt.
Assistant.