The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Olmsted struggles with illness and work is behind schedule to meet the first October 1892 deadline. Leaving deputies in charge, he retired to Europe to convalesce. Here he inspected the Paris Exposition, but his health did not improve. Bloom’s Algerians mistakenly arrived a year early for the fair. Despite redoubling resources, high winds tore down some progress on the fair’s structures. Burnham summoned the eastern architects to increase the pace of progress. He also hired painter Francis Millet as the Director of Color. The fair had to contend with yet another storm. Despite protests, Burnham pressed on with the Waukesha pipeline. Another storm destroyed part of the Agriculture and the Liberal Arts building, with just four months until Dedication Day. In August alone three men died on the building. The same month, Burnham was named director of works, freeing him from time-consuming rifts with director general Davis. Olmsted returned, no better than when he had left, his deputy Harry Codman now also sick. Olmsted however returned to a changed park. 140,000 Chicago residents gathered for a ceremony in the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building.