The Portland daily press., 1883-10-04
IN ASHES.
Burning of the Pistsbnrg Exhibition
Buildings-The Total Losses More than
One Million Dollars.

PITTsBuRG, Oct. 3.--About o'clock this
morning the Exposition building at Pittsburg
caught fire and in twenty minutes the entire
structure with the entire machinery and floral
halls were in ashes. The fire was first discov-
cred in the engine room in the machinery de-
partments, and before the fire department
reached the grounds the buildings were almost
burned down. The reflection from the fire
lighted up the country for miles around and in
the farthest end of the city paper could be
read as easily as in daylight. At this hour IL
is impossible to estimate the loss, but it is be-
lieve6 that it will not fall below $4,000 900.
The exhibits consisted of all varieties of our
products and industries, including many valu-
able relics, among which was the Arabian, an
old locomotive of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, the first built in this country.
[sEcoND DEsPAToH.l
The magnificent buildings of the Pittsburg
exposition on the north bank of the Aileghe-
ny river have been totally destroyed. The inn
mense structures with their almost endless va
riety of exhibitions yesterday visited by thous.
ands of people, and since it was opened on
September 9th by hundreds of thousands, are
now mere mass of splinters and powdered
embers and curled and tangled iron. The de-
structon is complete and nothing but the site
remains. The fire was first discovered in the
boiler room attached to the machinery hall at
the south end of the building. and before the
watchman could give an alarm the flames had
spread and in less than ten minutes the build
ipgs were on fire from one end to the other.
When the fire department had arrivef on thl
ground tiie flames were beyond control. MANY
residences in South avenue were in flames,
but by hard work the firemen succeeded in saw
ing all these. 1t is estimated that not less
than from 5000 to 100 600 people witnessed
the conhagration The reflection of the flames
lighted the immediate country for miles around
In one hour from the discovery OF the fire
mere skeleton of The once magnificent struc-
ture was all that was left.
The loss before given was greatly exagger-
ated. 1t will probably reach 100000. Secre-
tary Patterson values the buildings destroyed
at S150,O00. The insurance was $4,000. The
exhibitors sustain a loss of about $S00,000 An
irreparable loss, however, is occasioned by the
destruction of the relic department. The cash
value of articles contained therein did not ex-
ceed $4,000, but money cannot replace them.
In the safe we're $4,000 in cash, the receipts
from yesterdays admissions, and Levy's gold
cornet The safe was taken from the
ruins but the contents have not yet bean exam
ined.
The buildings destroyed were erected in
1875. The main building was 600 feet long
and 150 vide Machinery hall was 400 feet
long and $50 wide. The other buildings were
small.
The safe has just been opened and its con-
tents including the six thousand dollars in cash
and Levy's cornet were found in good condi-
ton.
1t is impossible as yet to obtain complete
list of companies in which the exhibits are in
sure0. Every insurance company in this coun-
ty had risks except the Teutonic, Merchants
and Manufacturers and Pennsylvania A ma