Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-03
kilograms to The Star.
GREAT FIRE IN PITTsBURG
THE EXPOSITION BUILDINGS BURNED.
THE P. E. GENERAL CONVENTION
THE FRENCH CABINET TROUBLES
STREET PAGEANT IN ST. LOUIS.
VIRGINIA STEAMER SUNK
Great Fire i'm Pittsbury.

Great Fire i'm PittSburys
TIE EXPOSITION BUILDINGS BuRNEp-Loss ESTIMATED
AT $l,O00.0O0
PrTTsBURG, Pa, Oct. 8, 8: 80 a m-About O'Clock.
tn1S morning the exposition building caught fire. \
m ana IN twenty minutes the entire structure, with
the machinery and floral halls, were In ashes The
fire was first discovered In the engine room in the
machinery department. and in order not to frighten
this way the flames got beyond control SO that
oefore the nre department reached the grounds
the buildings were almost burned down. When it
became known that 1t was the exposition, al.
though 1t was so late, immense crowds were on
their way to the scene OF the conflagration. The
miles around and in the farthest end OF the city
paper could be read as easily as In daylight At
T. tns hour II Is to the loss but
The exhibits consisted OF all varieties OF our pro-
ducts and industries, including many valuable
locomotive or the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
which was the first locomotive built in this coun-
DETAILS OF THE coNFL LAGRAr1oN-rHR DESTRUCTION
COMPLETE
PITrsBuRG, Pa. Oct a-The magnificent build
ings OF the Pittsburg exposition. on the north
stroyed. The immense structures. with their
almost endless variety Of exhibits illustrative OF
every brancn OF art, science and mechanical
skill, which were yesterday visited by thousands
OF people, and since the opening on September 9th
Dy hundreds OF thousands. is now a mere mass OF
the is and
nothing but the site remains OF the home OF spec-
mems or brain and Drawn, In which PittSburgers
In the boiler room attached to machinery hall, at
tne south end OF the building, and before the
watch. watchman could give an alarm the flames had
than ten minutes the buildings were
ment arrived on the ground the flames were be-
yond control Nothing was saved. and the fire.
men turned their attention to saving adjacent
property, many residences on South avenue being
In flames By hard work, however, they succeeded
In saving all these with no more damage than the
soon aroused almost the entire population OF the
two cities and It IS estimated that not less than
from ooo to 100 600 people Witnessed the confla-
grafton. The reflections OF the imes Illuminated
the country for miles around. In one hour from
the discovery OF the fire mere attenuated skele-
Ton OF once magnificent structure was all that
IS stlll uncertain. Numerous theories have been
advanced. but SO far most of them have fallen to
the ground. 1t is known to have started In the
boiler house, and may have been caused from
spark from the boiler or the accidental ignition Of
some contiguous substance from the gas Jet left
burning In the boiler house.
THE LOSSES. ~-------------
The estimate Of the total loss before given was
Patterson places essuaSy ths yaue Of
being $40 GOD The exhibitors viii sustain loss loss
OF ABOUT OOOO0 An 1rreparable loss, however,
was occaso ed by the ,struction OF the relic de.
partment The cash value oil the articles contained
ehoioiA utu Aot SACeeu OUT many cannot be
replaced. In the annex the "Arabian," the first
locomotive ever run in the.United States was also
destroyed The Great Western band lose full
set OF splendid instruments. In the safe
were 5000, the cash receipts from yesterdays
admissions and Levy's gold cornet The safe has
been taken from the ruins but the contents have
not yet been examined. The attendance at the
exposition yesterday was the largest OF any OF the
previous days In its history. The admissions In
the day and evening were N,OOO and
the crowd last night was SO great that
the building was packed to its utmost
capacity. Had the cOnf1agratiOn occurred last
night at o'clock. considering the rapidlty with
which the flames spread, the loss OF life would
Impossible Tor even part OF the crowd to have
escaped. The buildings which were DESTROYED,
were erected in 1875. The main building was 6OS
feet long and $50 wide. Machinery hall was 400
feet long and l50 feet wide. The other buildings
were small.
AMONG THE RUMORS
current concerning the origin the fire is that 1t
was caused by an explosion OF benZine In the boiler
room. The story is to the effect that Prof. Warner
the balloon1St and his assistant, Edward Williams
were otling q balloon in the boiler roOm when
an explosion occurred from the careless
handling OF the benZlne, which was being used
as dryer. The only evidence In support
OF this theory is the fact that druggist named
Neely sold Warner three gallons OF benzine. II
this should prove to be the true theory it would
the tnsuranceS- Another theory is 1ncendiarsm.
Considerable bad feeling has existed against the
exposition society by parties who lived In boat
house located near the exposition building, which
the society had removed, much against the will of
the occupants.