On the periphery of this inclined spiral floor, was a railing. The
whole of the external structure was supported by massive and highly
ornamented columns of aluminum which reflected the light like burnished
silver. In the center, and supported from above, was a double track
electric tramway, with cars moving each way at short intervals. This
arrangement gave the entire floor space to pedestrians and those using
electric chairs and other small vehicles. The lower stories of this
immense building, up to the level of the bluff, contained supplies
of all kinds, required by those engaged in river transportation.
The upper stories of the building were devoted to the preservation
of relics and records commemorative of past civilizations and
taken altogether, presented to the eye a complete history of man's
progressive development along every line from the earliest period of
recorded history. This wonderful exhibit, enabled the student to trace,
by means of practical illustrations, the progress of the mechanical
arts, from the original crude contrivances to the present high state of
development under which drudgery was unknown, and the people were in
the full enjoyment of all the comforts of life with a minimum of labor.
It is no part of my intention to attempt to give more than the most
cursory mention of this wonderful exhibition of industrial progress.
One feature, however, impressed me most and that was the striking
similarity in these exhibits, to the much smaller ones, which I had
visited in the outer world. The methods which had prevailed in the
different stages of civilization, were almost identical with those
prevailing in the corresponding stage of outer world development. In
water craft for instance, the raft of logs bound together with thongs
and propelled by poles came first, followed by canoes hollowed out of
logs. Then smaller boats with oars, and growing in dimensions until
they assumed the shape of Roman galleys and the ships of the Northmen.
Then sails were introduced and later, steam became the motor power.
So, of the methods of land transportation. The sledge and ox-cart were
followed in time by the stage coach, this by the electric car, and last
came the airship.
I asked Norrena to explain this remarkable similarity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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