Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-10-04

PlrrsBURs, Pa, Oct. 3.
About two o'clock this morning the ex-
position building caught FIRE, and in twenty
minutes the entire structure, with the ma
chinery and faral halls. were in ashes. The
| Gre was first discovered in the engine room
| Of the machinery department, and before the
| fire department reached the grounds the
| buildings were almost burned down The
reflection from the FIRE lighted up the coun-
iry for miles around, and at the farihest end
If the city q paper couli be read rs easily As
| in daylight 1t is impossible now to esti-
mate the loss. hut it 10 believed it will fall
below 81 SOC, 900. The exhibits consists Of all
varieties of our products and industries, in
GLIDING many valuable relics, among which
which was an old locomotive IF the Bxlti-
more and Ohio Railroad. the first built in the
country.
The magnificent buildings of the Pittsburg
exposition on the nnrth bank of the Allie
xhsny river. have been totally destroyed. The
immense structures with their almost endless
variety of exhibits were yesterday visited by
thousands OF people, and since the opening
Oh September 9th. BY hundreds of thousands,
hut are now mass of splinters. and pow
dered embers. and curled and tangled iron.
The destruction is complete and nothing but
site remains.
The fire was first discovered in the boiler
room attached to Machinery Hall at the
south end Of the building, and before the
Waterman could give an alarm the flames
had spread. and in less than ten minutes the
buildrgs were on fire from one end to the
other. When the fire department arrived on
the ground the flames were beyond control.
Many residences on South Avenue were
| in 40 hut hvh ap ri ,rnrk no
c. edrd in saving these. 1t is estimated that
from Is, 900 to 100000 people witnessed the
conflagratiOn. The reflect:On of the flames
illuminated the country for miles around.
In an hour from the di-covery of the fire a
mere ski leton OF the once magnificent struc-
lure was all that was left. The loss as given
before WAS greatly exaggerated 1t will
probably reach 81 600, 600. Secretary Pat
tprson values the building destroyed at $3.50,
600; insurance $4,000.
The exhibitors sustain q loss Of about
$500 600. Irreparable loss, however, is &C.
| ca-ioned by the desctrution Of the relic de-
partment. The cash value of the articles
contained therein did not exceed $40 600,
but many can not be replaced. In the safe
$4,000, cash receipts from yesterdays ad-
missions. and Levy's gold cornet. The safe
was taken from the. ruins, but its contents
have not been examined.
The buildings destroyed were erected in
1875. The main building was 600 feet long
and l5O feet wide. Machinery Hall was 400
feet long and l5O feet wide. and other small
buildings. The safe has just been opened,
and Its contents, including $4,000 in cash and
Levy's cornet, were found in good condi-
ton.
1t is impossible as yet to obtain complete
list of the companies in which the exhibits
are insured. Every insurance company in
this country had risks except the Teutonic,
Merchants & Manufacturers and Pennsylva-
mia. majority OF the exhibitors are said
not to have been insured