The Morning Call from Allentown, Pennsylvania • 95

F5 TIIKMORNIMi CAIJ. irw JULY 3, 1988 FROM THE TOP OF THE WORLD dfflEYSIOiNE RAMBLINGS The World Trade Center offers visitors up to a 55-mile view U.S. Capitol architect Latrobe was 1.1 r. tA.i xm- a Moravian We By DR. RICHMOND E.

MYERS Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the rw IP man who served as architect for our nation's Capitol building in Washington, D.C., was a Moravian. His mother, Ann Margaret, was the daughter of Henry Antes of Frederick, Montgomery County. His father was Benjamin Latrobe, a clergyman of the English i i rn t--t. Moravian church. Ann Antes was in Bethlehem WlMil lliLJl when Count Zinzendorf celebrated the second Christmas in that community in 1742.

When the count's party returned to Europe ii i in January 1743, she accompanied them. mi Ann was married to Benjamin wm aa By RANDY KRAFT Travel Writer While admiring world-famous landmarks in all directions, you suddenly realize something is missing. Looking at the bustling city a quarter mile below is like watching a silent movie. It's so quiet up here. Only a gentle, inoffensive hum rises from the busy streets.

Occasionally, the horn from a car or ship can be heard, but just barely. Looking up and seeing only sky also is strange, after trudging through the depths of New York City's canyons all day. Nothing is higher but a passing jet and a few crazy birds. Why in the world are the birds, which look like sea gulls, drifting lazily so high above the city? Maybe they are just enjoying the same terrific views seen by visitors on top of the World Trade Center. The trade center's 110-story twin towers are the world's second tallest buildings.

The Sears Tower in Chicago is 104 feet taller. But visitors go higher in the World Trade Center than they can in the Sears skyscraper, said Rae Ann Hoffmann, spokeswoman for the trade center. The trade center's south building has the world's highest outdoor observation platform, though it is closed during high winds and bad weather. The platform is higher than the Sears Tower's Sky Deck, though only by 24 feet. It also is 127 feet higher than the Empire State Building's top observation level.

The trade center is in Lower Manhattan less than a 15-minute walk north of the Statue of Liberty ferry landing and about the same distance west of South Street Seaport, Admission to the observation decks is $2.95, $1.50 for seniors and children 6 to 12. Hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day. Before going inside, visitors should take a moment to stand at the base of the skyscrapers and look up.

And up. And up. They seem impossibly tall. They are too boxlike to qualify as the most majestic buildings in the city. Their modern design doesn't come close to the grace of the Empire State or Chrysler buildings, for example.

A non-stop elevator takes visitors on a 58-second ride to the indoor observation level on the 107th floor of the southern skyscraper Number Two World Trade Center. Morning and late afternoon are least busy. About 6:30 p.m. on a recent Tuesday, only three people were in the elevator going up. But coming back down, it was uncomfortably packed.

On the 107th floor, visitors can look out in Latrobe in England. Her husband made his headquarters in Yorkshire, where her children were born and grew up. Latrobe traveled a great deal as an evange all directions. Signs on windows note the major sights. Visibility can be up to 55 miles.

On that recent muggy evening, a sign at the ticket counter said visibility was only five miles. But the views were still toe-curling. Visitors can sit along floor-to-ceiling windows and look nearly straight down. The sensation is almost like dangling your feet over the edge. In good weather, visitors can take escalators from the 107th floor to the roof of the building.

Views from the platform are less immediate than standing at windows below, because the walkway is set back 31 feet from the edges of the skyscraper. Even if someone jumped onto the roof from the platform, a barbed wire fence would deter them from getting near the edge. On the north edge of the building, you may spot signatures of Philippe Petit, who walked between the twin towers on a tightrope in 1974, and George Willig, the human fly who climbed the building in 1977. Although the signatures have not been removed, Hoffmann said the building's owners don't promote either man's feat, because both stunts were illegal not to mention incredibly dangerous. But it's too bad visitors can't learn more about their off-beat accomplishments.

Perhaps someday they will merit exhibits somewhere on the observation levels. (Petit, you may recall, once crossed Hamilton Mall from the top of Hess's department store, which was kid's stuff compared to crossing the chasm between the tops of the towers.) King Kong did meet his demise atop the trade center in the 1976 remake of the movie classic. Visitors might feel they are on the biblical Tower of Babel. The observation decks obviously are popular attractions for tourists from all over the world. The word "welcome" is printed in many languages inside the brightly colored elevators.

Hoffmann said 1.8 million visit annually. A 360-foot television mast is atop the Number One tower. Less obvious are many smaller radio station antennas. The trade center complex was dedicated in April 1973, though the first tenants moved into lower levels of the Number One building in December 1970. The observation decks opened in late 1975.

If the idea of going up to gawk from the observation levels doesn't sound sophisticated enough for you, make reservations to dine in one of the restaurants on the 107th floor of the other tower Number One World Trade Center. Dinners in the elegant Windows on the World range from $29.50 to $35 per person. There's also an a la carte menu, with entrees The center's 1 1 0-story twin towers dominate Lower Manhattan. der's Department Store. The Commodities Exchange Center, in building Number Four, has a free visitors gallery, open from 9:30 a.m.

to 3 p.m., on the 9th floor. Hoffmann said late morning and early afternoon are when trading is most active. About 50,000 people work in the World Trade Center, a seven-building complex owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which has its headquarters there. Hoffmann said the complex was built to provide a central location for all parties involved in international trade. Tenants include banks, importers and exporters, shipping companies, law and insurance firms, marine construction and engineering companies, customs house brokers and many foreign business and government offices.

In summer, concerts and other entertainment are scheduled in the 5-acre plaza at the base of the towers. To learn more about World Trade Center, caU 212-466-4170. starting at $22. Another restaurant, called Cellar in the Sky, offers intimate dining, for only 40 people in one sitting. It features several different courses and as many wines.

Cost is $77 a person. There is a dress code and reservations are recommended. Parking is free. (Call 212-938-1111). No reservations are required for Hors d'Oeuvrerie, which serves drinks and "small portion delicacies from around the world." The Vista International Hotel opened at the base of the twin towers in 1981.

It was the first big hotel built in lower Manhattan since 1836 and remains the only major hotel in that part of the city. The 23-story building has 829 rooms, with plush executive guest rooms on the 20th and 21st floors and a fitness center on the top floor. Lowest rates, through Sept. 5, begin at $150 a couple for one night, including parking and an American-style breakfast (For reservations, call 212-938-1990.) The trade center's Concourse, billed as Manhattan's largest enclosed mall, has 60 shops and restaurants including Alexan list becoming a very famous preacher. He was highly respected in the best circles and was a close associate of Charles Wesley.

Benjamin Henry was born in 1764 and named for his father and maternal grandfather. After he completed his education in Moravian schools, he studied civil engineering and architecture at the University of Leipzig. He began his professional career in London, achieving considerable success, but the lure of the new United States brought him to America in 1796 with dreams of new worlds to conquer. Latrobe landed in Norfolk and gravitated to Baltimore, where he hung out his shingle. His reputation must have preceded him and almost immediately commissions came, because there were very few civil engineers fresh from the universities abroad who were also architects in America.

The city fathers of Philadelphia called upon him to design the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts and also the Bank of the United States. One of these jobs would have been enough to establish Latrobe, but soon other commissions came pouring in. In Baltimore his most important work was the Roman Catholic Cathedral. In 1803, he was appointed surveyor of public buildings under President Jefferson, a man who admired his work with professional understanding. In this capacity Latrobe assisted in the designing of new public buildings for Washington.

The Capitol building, however, was entirely his design. Its magnificent rotunda is a fitting monument to La-trobe's ability. At the time when Latrobe was winning fame as an architect he was also establishing a reputation as an engineer. The Susquehanna River and its rich valley lay behind Baltimore, a tempting area for that city's commercial Historic LakemontPark coasts into another season By RANDY KRAFT Travel Writer LakemontPark near Altoona, an historic amusement park that faced financial problems and an uncertain future just a year ago, reopened yesterday. The park, which claims to be one of the oldest in the United States, began in 1894.

Its first roller coaster, ampton counties, in offering future packages. Tickets, on sale now, cost $11.95, $6.50 for children 3 to 12. To order, write: 425 Concessions, Box 14792, Reading, 19612-4792. For information, call 1-562-4083. Sail from Philadelphia Bermuda Star, a 730-passenger ship, will cruise from Philadelphia Saturday and on Oct.

1 for 7-day voyages to Montreal. Southbound voyages from Montreal are Sept. 24 and Oct. 8. Rates include free air fare between the cities.

Saturday's voyage is almost full according to a spokesman for Bermuda Star Line, but it may not be too late to get a cabin, since there are often cancellations. He added space still is available for the other sailings. Rates are $925 a person, double-occupancy. Up to two children, under 8, can share a cabin with two full-fare adults for no extra charge. Third and fourth adult passengers in a cabin pay $345.

The ship has nine decks, mostly outside cabins, a casino, library, theater, boutique, gymnasium and swimming pool. In mid-October, it will take passengers from Philadelphia through the Panama Canal to San Diego. For reservations, call your travel agent For additional information, Thursday at the zoo. The largest of the deceased contestants will go on exhibit in the children's zoo and its human "manager" will win $1,000. Some managers reportedly fed the insects dog food and beer to increase their size, before exterminating them and shipping them to the zoo in sturdy coffins.

The contest is appropriately sponsored by Combat, which manufactures pest control products. A roach Olympics, with live roaches, also will be held. Underwater music Snorkeling and scuba diving enthusiasts will enjoy commercial-free music, selected to enhance the underwater experience, during the forth annual Underwater Music Festival Saturday at Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary in the Florida Keys. The music will be broadcast by radio station WWUS from 2 to 5 p.m. Underwater speakers will be placed in five boats at strategic points on Looe Key reef.

A festival spokesman said selections will include island music, reggae, classical, contemporary, and even a few selections from "Songs of the Humpbacked Whale" for any sea creatures who may be listening. In case you're heading to the Keys, they say the water temperature is 80 degrees. Call 305-872-2411. boats and a $2.25 ticket for kiddie rides. The park is at Route 220 and Frankstown Road.

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Sept. 5 and the weekend of Sept 9 to 11. Call 814-949-7275.

Berks discount Four tourist attractions in northern Berks County are offering a 20 percent discount package next month. Participating in the unprecedented program are Wanamaker, Kemp-ton Southern Steam Railroad, Pennsylvania Dutch Farm Museum, Crystal Cave and Blue Mountain Reading Railroad. Greg Pawelski, spokesman for the program, said it is designed to give families the benefit of group rates. The pre-paid tickets are good any time in August and Pawelski added they still can be used in September or October. and the farm museum are in Kempton, Crystal Cave is near Kutztown and the Blue Mountain railroad operates between Hamburg fir 1 A NOTEBOOK expansion.

At the start of the 19th century, Baltimore mercnants were interested in all kinds of schemes to facilitate the movement of commerce in the Susquehanna Valley. The river, as I have mentioned before, was not navigable except for down-stream traffic and then only in periods of high flow. Ideas safe to drink to beat the heat The only fluid to avoid is alcohol Those are just a few of the many tips in the first issue of "Traveling Healthy," a new newsletter written by columnist Dr. Karl Neumann, which emphasizes that you can enjoy a safe and healthy trip practically anywhere in the world, if you take precautions. The 8-page newsletter, published six times a year, costs $24.

Write: Traveling Healthy, 108-48 70th Road, Forest Hills, N.Y., 11375. Land of Make Believe Land of Make Believe, which calls itself New Jersey's largest children's amusement park, is celebrating its 35th season this year. The 60-acre park near Hope, N. is designed to appeal to children between IVi and 12. It features a combination of amusement rides, learning attractions like a petting zoo and a Christmas village.

Admission is $8 for children, $7 for adults. The park is open through Sept 5. Call 201-376-2400. Next weekend Stroh's Country Concert, billed as the largest three-day country music festival in the United States, will be held Friday through next Sunday at Hickory Hill Lakes near Fort Loramie in western Ohio. About 50,000 people are expected to attend.

Thirteen top country artists scheduled to perform include the Judds, Eddie Rabbit, Tammy Wynette and Ricky Scaggs. Three-day tickets are $35. One-day tickets are $18. Children under 12 are free. Weekend camping is $18.50.

To order tickets, call 1-513-295-3000 or 513-295-3820. The 14th annual Gettysburg Civil War Collectors Show, which will feature more than 250 tables of Civil War era memorabilia, will be Friday through next Sunday in the Sheraton Inn exhibit hall in Gettysburg. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.

to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3, free those under 16.

Call 717-334-6274. FinnFest USA, a celebration of 350 years of Finnish-American friendship and culture, will be Friday through next Sunday at the University of Delaware in Newark, DeL The program includes forums, lectures and workshops, plus exhibits, arts and crafts, folk dancing and music. Some events are free, others have admission fees. Hours are noon-9 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Saturday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Call 302-731-8615 or 302-731-4207. The 8th annual Lotus Blossom Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday and next Sunday at Lilypons Water Gardens in Frederick County, Md. Founded in 1917, the gardens specialize in water lilies, lotus and other aquatics, including goldfish and koi. The festival will feature artists and crafts people. The Frederick County Regional Youth Orchestra, which will benefit from proceeds, will be among the performers. Call 301-874-5133.

for turnpikes and canals were continually attracting the attention and dollars of Baltimoreans. Latrobe was commissioned by a group of these investors to make a survey of the Susquehanna River from tidewater to Columbia and as a result he produced a masterpiece of cartography, the Latrobe Map of the Lower Susquehanna River. Benjamin Henry Latrobe was but one member of a very talented family. His brother Ignatius was a well-known composer of Musical selections, ranging from classical to contemporary, will be broadcast underwater Saturday at the fourth annual Underwater Music Festival at Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary in the Florida Keys. church music.

His music is still in which is still standing but not operating, was built that year. More than $15 million was invested in improving the Blair County park in 1985. But it was closed the end of last summer, because the previous owner went bankrupt. A group of local contractors purchased the facility at a bankruptcy auction and hired a management company to operate it They began promoting the park's "rebirth" by sending out press releases in red tubes that looked like large firecrackers. (Real fireworks will be presented at 9:45 p.m.

every Saturday.) The releases claim the park, which has 30 rides and attractions, is bigger and better than ever. They hope to successfully promote it as an old-fashioned, community park with new thrill rides and reasonable admissions. "We're returning the park to the people," said spokesman Garry Delph. A park spokeswoman said previously admissions were expensive but there were few new operating rides. The 30-acre Lakemont is the home of Leap the Dips, which the park claims is the oldest wooden roller coaster in the world.

Unfortunately, it is not operating, because it has not yet been rehabilitated. Delph said it should reopen next year. He added the swimming pool also will be reconstructed by then. Skyliner, a larger coaster moved from New York, is operating this season. Officials claim Skyliner is the oldest L-shaped wooden coaster in the world.

Admission is $1, but that won't get you on any rides. The only ride that offers a separate admission fee is the new 100-foot Ferris wheel, which costs $1.50. All-day ride tickets, which include the "Giant Wheel," cost $6.50. There also is a $2.50 pass for those who only want to use the water slides and middle- use today in the Moravian church. One of his chorales was used for years to open the great Mass in minor at the Bethlehem Bach Festival The final chord of the chorale is the opening chord of the Mass.

The chorale (581-A in the old Moravian hymn book) was played by the Moravian Trombone Choir concealed behind the organ in Packer Chapel of Lehigh University. On the last chord of the trombone, the choir burst out with the opening magnificance of the Ky-ne. What a thrilling way to start Bach's immortal Mass. The Latrobe family were of Huguenot origin, having fled from Switzerland to Ireland for religious reasons. In Dublin they encountered Moravian teachings, Jiw A- and left their mark in one way or Travel healthy Don't wear jewelry in the ocean, because sparkling objects can attract sharks and barracudas.

Try smearing yogurt on your body to prevent sunburn. And, in hot climates, do not wait until you are thirsty to start drinking. It is an old wives' tale that you can drink too much. And even ice cold water is call Bermuda Star Line at 800-237-5361. Biggest roach The Philadelphia Zoo soon will be the final resting place for the nation's champion cockroach.

Winners from seven state contests will compete in "The Great American Roach Off at 11:30 a.m. and Temple. Pawelski said the two railroads do not compete, because each has distinctive features. "Berks may be the only county in the country with two tourist railroads," he said. If the plan proves successful, the four places may join more tourist attractions in northern Berks, and possibly even in Lehigh and North- another on the Moravian church.

Dr. Richmond E. Myers is a free-lance columnist for The Morning Call..