Chicago Worlds Fair-Script

Speaker 1: The Worlds Columbian Exhibition of 1893 was a large and spectacular event full of
exhibits showcasing the worlds diversity and culture. It lead the way for innovations and
progress. In the same way the space race between the U.S. and Soviet Union lead the
discoveries of technology, astrology and physics, the fair lead innovations of architecture,
economy, world relations and made Chicago great. With over 1000 exhibits, 150 buildings, and
an amusement section all spanned over 630 acres over the period of 6 months, the exposition
was the most popular fair of the 19th century. The fair was also made to celebrate the 400th
anniversary of Columbuss discovery of America---

Speaker 2: Wait Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen-hundred, ninety-two. The
Worlds Fair was in 1893. (Black out) Anyone of you who can do math probably figured out that
this was one year after the anniversary. So why was the fair postponed?(Fade back in) Well, the
fair wasnt as perfect as it seemed. But, Chicago was made a strong and advanced city due to
the setbacks and misfortunes that were found, faced, and conquered, bringing ground-breaking
innovations and the greatness built during the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893.

Speaker 1: A factor in the advancing of Chicago was the War of the Current. The War of the
Current wasnt a real war, but it was very important to the making of the fair and the future
beyond. It consisted of the General Electric Company and Westinghouse competing for the
chance to light up the fair. General Electric wanted to use direct current at the cost of $1.8
million dollars, however, Westinghouse proposed to use alternating current at the cost of only
$399,000 dollars. Alternating current is safer to transfer over long city distances and can provide
more power, making it ideal to use in the extravagant event of the city-wide fair. Because
Westinghouse introduced alternating current as safe and reliable in the fair, Chicago became
electrically advanced.

(Screen direction)fade out music and picture. Come back and slowly increase volume back on
eery music.)
Speaker 2:( start of minute five) Now, many of these changes stated were for the good of the
fair and happened naturally. But, there were those who manipulated the extravagance of the fair
for their own personal gain, forcing the whole world around them to change. One of the most
notable of these men was Herman Webster Mudgett.

Speaker 1: Herman was born to abusive parents. It didnt help that his mother taught him of love
and words of the Methodist religion teaching love and altruism, only to lock him up in an attic
without food or speech for a whole day. Or a drunkard father beatings and cruelty to the young
child. Herman escaped numerous times to the forest. And would maim and beat the animals,
dissecting them alive. This was the first thing that fueled his insanity. This was followed by being
bullied and dragged into a physicians office and touching a human skeleton. But, young
Mudgett didnt flinch or run like abusers hoped. His bullies were actually the ones to run as he
stared up at the human remains in awe.

Speaker 2: He then grew up to be just as twisted, corrupted and amoral as you would be able to
suspect. He took up many aliases with the most known being the owner of a block long castle of
a hotel , Mr H.H.Holmes. Holmes was a social, handsome, popular man. He was in fact so
popular. he had three wives. (Not that any of them knew of the others) Holmes was a man
that everyone loved, without actually knowing his intent. Which is why during the duration of the
fair it was quite a opportune and easy task to lure victims into his castle. He led them to where
the suites were on the second floor. This floor was a maze, a labyrinth full of traps including,
false elevators, trap doors, secret passageways,and chutes to the basement. Why?
Speaker 1: Because that only made it all the harder to escape. The basement was the image of
a nightmare. Medieval torture devices, acid pits, dissecting tools and a furnace big enough to fit
a human body. He was also a rather clever person so being caught was nearly impossible. But
only nearly.
Speaker 2: First accused of being in a insurance plot, taking stealing dead bodies, ruining the
faces to make them unrecognizable, then getting someone to act as family collecting insurance
and splitting the money. But one thing no one expected was that his partner in crime,Benjamin
Pitezel, soon went missing. And Holmes changed his confession story various times, until finally
confessing to murdering Pitezel.. and his children and many, many more. Holmes killed nine
people. Or at least nine confirmed people. He confessed to killing 27. But after the investigation,
it was found that there were more than 200 victims. Those whose names were never told had
their bodies burnt, were made unrecognizable, or their skeletons were sold to universities, the
seller being H.H.Holmes.

Speaker 1: But, this wasnt all terrible well actually it honestly was. But, because of this many
things had to change, be it out of prevention, guilt or, paranoia. Insurance and identity
falsification had to be improved so that no one could steal as much money as he did. Sure the
system took a long time to improve and it still isnt perfect, but never as much as the over a
million dollars he took and got away with. The police and law enforcements sure had a great
(sarcasm) time trying to catch him, but the important thing was that he was caught and they had
to learn how to strengthen their investigations. Psychologists also learnt from his severe lack of
empathy and ability to lie so flawlessly. This lack of empathy, sociopathy, was easy to observe in
this man, though the rest of his psyche remained ,and remains, a mystery.

Speaker(2): Now on a less depressing note, lets talk about something that helped Chicago and
the fair. The architecture, for example. Not only was Daniel Burnham the head architect of the
fair but, he is also credited with planting the seeds of modern city planning and starting the City
Beautiful movement. Daniel Burnham made sure everything built for the fair was made
flawlessly. Architecture is the basic structure and basis of the city so Chicago was able to get a
head start on modernizing and advancing because of the fair.

Speaker(1): Daniel Burnham also made sure that Chicagos new buildings were built strong and
made to last. Certain buildings that were used in the fair are still standing and readily available
today! The Palace of Fine Arts is now the Museum of Science and Industry and the Worlds
Congress Building is now the Art Institute of Chicago. Both of these buildings are on the top ten
list of tourist attractions in Chicago. Also, the Ferris Wheel was built for the fair. If it hadnt been
for the ferris wheel, the fair wouldve ended up in debt. Though the construction didnt all go as
planned it all worked out in the end.

Speaker(2): As you can see, all of these factors and elements affected the way Chicago grew
and advanced. The War of the Current introduced a safer, inexpensive, and reliable new way to
use electricity.

Speaker(1): The murderous blood-lusting H.H. Holmes forced the world to change around him,
so that the same accidents will never happen again.

Speaker(2): And the City Beautiful Movement being set in motion by the modernized
architecture.

Speakers(1): They only had the task of creating a celebration of culture, but they felt the
responsibility of innovating the world while the city was still under the spotlight and public eye.
and created the beginning of a new era for the growing city.
Slowly growing inspirational music Fade out
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